WASHINGTON — Lutheran Services in America, one of the largest health and human services nonprofits in the U.S., is expanding its national network of child welfare providers dedicated to empowering families in crisis and improving outcomes for children in foster care. Building on a successful Year 1, the Lutheran Services in America Results Network Year 2 recently launched with a group of 12 providers that are dedicated to addressing the systemic challenges that create disparate outcomes for children and families of color.

Lutheran Services in America and its national network of providers have a vision for all Americans regardless of age, race or ZIP code to achieve equitable outcomes. This vision drives its work to identify and implement systemic changes to ensure children of color, particularly Black, Latino and Native American children, can stay together with their families. The second year of the Results Network will implement new approaches to deepen understanding and address underlying issues  at the local and national levels.

“The pandemic has significantly impacted families in crisis. The Results Network is an opportunity to respond to the unique challenges of families who face severe hardship using targeted strategies to close racial disparity gaps across the country,” said Charlotte Haberaecker, president and CEO of Lutheran Services in America.

Year 2 of the Results Network builds on the significant results from the cohort’s first year. Teams from 12 Lutheran Services in America organizations that serve more than 9,000 children examined programs unique in their community and shared data, resources and collective wisdom to address racial disparities and empower families. The following are examples of the results these 12 organizations achieved by working together through this collaboration:

• Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois increased the permanency rate – the rate of finding permanent homes – for Black children from 4 percent to 47 percent
• Family Health Centers at NYU Langone increased the number of children screened during a well child visit from 30 percent to 75 percent
• Gemma Services in Philadelphia saw a 400 percent increase in attendance at its empowerment workshops with families at risk of out-of-home placement

“Race equity work is integral to our work,” said Beverly Jones, vice president and chief operating officer at Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois. “The Results Network provides the context for refining our efforts to focus on population level results to improve systems-wide issues, allowing all children to thrive. LCFS of Illinois is excited to continue our participation in Year 2.”

The second year of the Results Network will run through June 2022. Year 2’s participants include representatives from 12 leading organizations across the country: Gemma Services, Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois, Lutheran Child and Family Services of Indiana/Kentucky, Lutheran Services in Iowa, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, Lutheran Social Services of New York, Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota,  Lutheran Social Services of the Virgin Islands, Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, Plymouth Christian Youth Center, and Wellspring Lutheran Services.

The Results Network is one of three Lutheran Services in America initiatives under the organization’s Results Innovation Lab, which has a goal to dramatically improving the life trajectory of 20,000 vulnerable children in America by 2024.

 

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About Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America is the network of 300 Lutheran health and human services organizations that works with more than 1 in 50 Americans each year. Recognized by The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Forbes as one of the nation’s largest nonprofits, the network operates with more than $22 billion in combined annual revenues. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Lutheran Services in America leads groundbreaking programs in partnership with philanthropy, academia, healthcare providers and others to empower Americans to lead their best lives. To learn more, visit www.lutheranservices.org.