Historically, government and faith institutions have not collaborated in meaningful ways to serve their shared communities. However, many families that interact with local government entities also have trusting relationships with faith leaders and organizations. So, how can we engage more intentionally with faith organizations to provide better interventions, supports, and resources to the families we serve? This workshop will explore issues such as partnership design, family engagement, and program sustainability for collaborations between government and faith-based organizations. Presenters will be drawing on their experience leading Faith in Motion, a collaborative effort between the County of San Diego Child & Family Wellbeing and local faith leaders that focuses on supporting and enhancing permanency for children and youth in foster care. Olive Crest, a Foster Family Agency and Restoration 225, a faith-based nonprofit have led the charge along with CFWB to strengthen partnerships with community organizations, spread awareness within CFWB and the community, and most importantly, meet the needs of families. Since reorganizing Faith in Motion in 2021, nearly 40 faith partners have been engaged to provide support and wrap-around services to youth in care and their families. Participants will gain insight into the ways that these connections broaden the scope of what any organization could do on their own and serve families in a more holistic way.

Learning Objective:
1. Participants will be able to recognize the advantages of government/faith partnerships.
2. Participants will be able to navigate system-level roadblocks faced by government/faith partnerships.
3.Participants will be able to apply sustainable collaboration frameworks.