Issue #2 | IFTF's Strategic Visions for Child and Family Wellbeing
Sept 4, 2024
This is our refreshed?monthly publication that combines the best of our?Foresight Essentials and News from the Future newsletters into?a single issue featuring comprehensive strategic foresight?and futures thinking resources directly to your inbox. Our mission is to equip you with the insights needed to explore emerging trends, anticipate future challenges, and shape a better tomorrow.
As millions of children head back to school in the U.S. this month, we are spotlighting?this?issue on?the transformative shifts happening in child welfare, foster care, and new possibilities for related?philanthropic strategies. We hope you find them insightful and actionable.
Signals from the Future
In our rapidly changing world, the future of our children is being shaped by innovative solutions and unprecedented challenges. These signals, drawn from IFTF’s report Lighting Up the Future for Children , offer a glimpse into how communities, technologies, and legal systems are evolving to address challenges and create new possibilities for children and families.?
?? New Tool Tackles Data Accessibility Gap in Child Welfare Decision-Making
Child Trends has introduced a digital tool that offers easily accessible state-level data across five key child welfare categories. This resource enables government officials and advocates to access key data, helping to create more effective policies for supporting children and families in the foster care system.?
?? Collaborative Living Model for Single Mothers
CoAbode, a platform that connects single mothers for shared living arrangements , reports that participating moms save an average of $19,000 per year and gain 56 extra hours per month. This model has the potential to significantly transform their economic and social landscapes.
?? Montana Court Ruling Sets Precedent for Youth-Led Climate Litigation
A Montana judge ruled that the state's fossil fuel-friendly policies violate young people's constitutional right to a clean environment . This landmark decision could set a precedent for similar youth-led climate lawsuits across the country. ?
?? Navajo-Owned Bidii Baby Foods Nourishes Tradition and Health
Bidii Baby Foods, founded by a Navajo farming couple, produces traditional corn-based baby food for Indigenous children . In 2023, the company fed 19,500 children, doubling their impact from the previous year while promoting sustainable farming practices and cultural preservation. Watch co-founder Zachariah Yehoshzho explain why he and his wife Mary Ben launched Bidii Baby Foods in this video:
IFTF INSIGHTS
"We are giving young people a horse and buggy to get on the freeway when everyone else has a self-driving electric car."
This powerful statement from Jennifer Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Youth Law Center (YLC), underscores the urgent need to transform the Extended Foster Care (EFC) system.
Despite the 2008 extension of federal funding for foster care to age 21, many EFC youth still face significant challenges, including homelessness, incarceration, and mental health issues.
To address these issues, IFTF partnered with the Youth Law Center and California Youth Connection to reimagine EFC. Our research?identified four key forces essential for helping youth thrive by 2035:
Read the "On the Threshold of Change" report ?to learn how our foresight research is paving the way for more hopeful outcomes for youth in foster care.
And read the case study written by Kristina Tanner (YLC) and Nathalie Lopez (IFTF) for a deeper look into the collaborative foresight process that led to these insights.
IFTF IMPACTS
Strategic Foresight for Philanthropy: Balancing urgent needs and future opportunities
“Lighting Up the Future for Children,” a collaboration between IFTF and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, is a foresight map that explores emerging opportunities and challenges facing children, families, and communities over the next decade.?
“This map is not merely speculative; it’s a practical guide based on current signals and participatory foresight research designed to spark conversations and catalyze strategic planning to improve the lives of children in the future.” — Marina Gorbis, Executive Director, Institute for the Future
This map illuminates the key trends, forces, and risks that will shape a more child-centered future. Each forecast vividly portrays the possible outcomes of strategic decisions made by stakeholders today, as they navigate the complex interplay of social, environmental, and technological shifts. By embracing these insights, we can chart a course toward a future where every child has the opportunity to thrive. Read the report to explore how IFTF’s strategic foresight can inspire change in your organization, too.
Upcoming IFTF Foresight Essentials Trainings
IFTF Scenario Building Live-Online | 5 Sessions Oct 14 - Oct 29, 2024? 9am-12pm PDT | 12-3pm EDT | 6-9pm CEST Register here?? ?
IFTF Foresight Awareness for Philanthropy Live-Online | 90 minutes October 30, 2024 10:00-11:30am PST | 1:00-2:30pm EST | 19:00-20:30 CEST Register here?? ? ?
IFTF Foresight Essentials In-Person | 3 Days December 10-12, 2024 9am-5:30pm PST Register here??
Upcoming IFTF Foresight Talks
IFTF Foresight Talk: Automated Horizon Scanning to Monitor Rapidly Changing Systems with Wigdan Seedahmed, Product Management Consultant at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Thursday, September 26? |? 8:00am PDT Register here?? ?
IFTF Foresight Talk: Tech Agnosticism for a Better Future with Harvard and MIT's influential humanist chaplain, Greg Epstein
Wednesday, October 30? |? 12:00pm PDT Register here??
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Child and Family Wellbeing collection
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Child and Family Wellbeing collection is a comprehensive resource that explores the critical factors influencing the health and wellbeing of children and families, from social determinants like income and education to community support systems.
Why it matters: We are sharing this collection specifically to inspire foresight professionals with our research-based insights into the trends and future scenarios for child and family wellbeing, informing long-term projections and strategies for addressing challenges in public health and social policy strategies for addressing challenges in public health and social policy.
Explore: What the United States Can Learn From Other Nations on Paid Leave Policy — A detailed analysis of how well-designed paid leave policies in other countries can inform U.S. approaches to gender equity and family support.
(We welcome recommendations for any recent futures thinking resources you'd like to share with readers!)
CLOSING THOUGHT
Community-Led Futures
"How do we support democratic renewal and decolonize philanthropy through community leadership?" — IFTF’s report "Lighting Up the Future for Children ,"
Navigate the Future with IFTF
IFTF offers a range of services that combine cutting-edge research, practical training, and collaborative partnerships to foster strategic foresight and build future-ready capabilities across various sectors and industries:
If your organization is seeking to build a robust future-ready strategy, IFTF has the expertise and tools to guide you through the complexities of a fast-changing world.
Director at University of Kansas
1 个月Thanks for this! In Kansas, we are working on developing a well-being system. Anyone from the futures community who is working in this arena, let's connect!
Certified Leadership Coach: Helping Teams to Unlock their Full Potentials and Business Professionals
2 个月Subscribed. Thank you.