Systems were faced to pause during COVID-19. It forced a reckoning in child and youth-serving systems. It revealed flaws in the design and limitations of mandated reporter-driven interventions. It also exposed what is possible when systems provide a space for communities to lead. The pandemic taught us to rebuild and not look back to what was, but to look forward to something better, rooted in community care and co-creation.
This guide is not a checklist or a one-size-fits-all formula. Instead, it’s a blue-print or starting guide for reimagining how systems can engage with families and communities in the wake of a public health crisis. These tips are rooted in the lived experiences of families and communities most impacted by the pandemic and are informed by what the pandemic exposed, exacerbated, and transformed. They can be adapted to any current state of events and are as relevant today as they were on the onset of the pandemic.