Greetings – Policy Pulse is our newsletter designed to share the latest updates with policymakers and others who help ensure children in the Carolinas grow up in families safe from maltreatment and supported by nurturing parents and caring adults.

While you likely have heard of The Duke Endowment, in this issue, we’re briefly explaining our philanthropic purpose, goals and processes. We welcome your feedback, and are just an email or phone call away to answer your questions or inform your work. 

Phil Redmond, Director

Tamika Williams, Associate Director

Christina DiSalvo, Program Officer

Kate Gaskin, Senior Coordinator

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Our Philanthropic Purpose and Goal

The Duke Endowment’s Child and Family Well-Being program area collaborates with public agencies and private organizations to prevent, treat and mitigate the effects of child maltreatment and improve the well-being of children and families who are, or could imminently be, involved in the child welfare system. 

Our Processes

We support implementation of evidence-based and evidence-informed models.

Successful “implementation” puts defined programs into practice. An effective implementation framework answers what needs to be done, how to achieve these needs, who will do the work and where interventions will thrive.

We measure success through adherence to a model, increased reach and positive outcomes.

Example: One of our grantees, Children’s Trust of South Carolina funds programs delivering the Strengthening Families Program to 1,000 families annually. A 2023 evaluation showed statistically significant improvements for families, parents and children—a benefit sustained for a decade across all South Carolina sites, thanks to ongoing support from Children’s Trust. 

We develop, adapt and test better approaches.

Because evidence-based and evidence-informed models don’t exist for every issue that children and families face, our strategy supports the development of better approaches. Without a commitment to innovation, we’d miss opportunities to identify and test approaches that improve outcomes for children.

We measure success through positive program outcomes and the ability to replicate results. 

Example: Our partnership with The Relatives’ On Ramp Resource Center helps young adults formerly in foster care and experiencing homelessness find housing and become financially stable through education and job training. The results? Nearly 80% of young adults increased their income by 10% within a year of program enrollment, and 90% stayed housed six months after receiving support. 

We advocate for child welfare improvements.

Our advocacy and communications strategy focuses on building awareness for implementation support, evidence-based programs and opportunities for child welfare improvements. Our advocacy priorities include:

• Supporting initiatives that prioritize placing children in settings with ‘kin’ caregivers
• Addressing contributing factors to involvement in the child welfare system
• Improving access to effective youth mental health services 

One measure of success would be the development and adoption of an implementation infrastructure for a state kinship navigation model, kin-specific licensure requirements and expanded kin licensure reimbursement.

Example: Our three-part Kinship Care Video series highlights the stories of caregivers and children who experienced kinship care at a turning point in their lives. More than 150,000 children live with kin caregivers across the Carolinas, and they need resources to create lasting bonds and provide stability for their families.

In the News

• Congress Renews and Increases Title IV-B Child Welfare Funds
• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy May Be Effective as Prevention Service
• North Carolina Data Portal
• NCDHHS Invests $3 Million to Expand Child First, Strengthening Support for Young Children and Families Across North Carolina