Welcome to the Center for Workforce Excellence and Leadership (CWEL)
CWEL is a center for child welfare professionals that is operated by Families Rising.
CWEL is a center for child welfare professionals that is operated by Families Rising.
The center’s mission is to advance race equity and social justice in the child welfare workforce, improving workforce recruitment and retention. The workforce we imagine is one in which professionals are able to show up authentically–and have the tools they need to support children and families.
Visit CWEL’s website to:
- Learn how to access support for your agency’s child welfare workforce. Our team is ready to offer tailored services that will develop leaders, help employees obtain clinical licensure, and recruit new professionals to fill vacancies.
- Access child welfare workforce resources, like Craft Your Messaging: A Guide for Recruiting New Professionals and Toolkit: Using YouTube Shorts for Recruitment.
Our history, and why we need your help now
CWEL was originally launched under a grant from the Administration for Children and Families. This grant was canceled effective December 8th, 2025, due to our steadfast commitment to recognizing the diverse needs of our child welfare workforce and serving them equitably.
While this news is difficult, we remain deeply committed to the mission and values that have guided CWEL’s work and to finding new ways to continue supporting children, families, and the dedicated professionals who serve them.
How you can support CWEL’s mission:
- If you are able, we invite you to make a special gift to help stabilize our programs in this transition.
- If you are a child welfare professional, reach out to learn about how we can bring our services to your agency.