Developing Adaptive Change Leaders in Child Welfare

This is a time in the field of child welfare when extraordinary family challenges and dramatic changes in policy and funding impose intense pressure for evolution in child welfare agency policy and practice. Skilled leaders are needed to guide this evolution. Yet many managers in child welfare arrive at their positions with little or no training in leadership or management, particularly the type required for this unique and demanding sector of human services. The training that is available typically lacks a strong empirical foundation. This article presents an empirically tested intervention: a multicomponent leadership academy based on adaptive change leadership principles, offered to mid-level managers in public, private, and tribal child welfare. Authors describe the methods used for both developmental (formative) evaluation and evaluation of effectiveness. Results are positive and significant across multiple domains, showing the lasting impact of the leadership academy over time for participating child welfare managers.