Holistic Support in Action: Katie Morgan’s Takeaways from the 2025 NCSEA Policy Forum

Holistic Family Support Is Transforming Outcomes
Health and Human Services agencies are leveraging innovative grants like NextGen and FES, and seeing their impact in action has been inspiring. Virginia’s Family Engagement Services (FES) case managers are delivering comprehensive, wraparound support—addressing food insecurity, housing, and employment with a trauma-informed approach. The results speak for themselves: stronger families, healthier communities, and measurable success.

Innovation Is Essential to Meeting Families Where They Are
Providing individualized support isn’t easy, but it’s essential. A key takeaway from the session was how case managers have shifted from traditional job readiness programs to direct employer matching. After COVID disrupted longstanding partnerships like Goodwill, FES teams adapted—building connections with hotels, construction companies, and other industries to directly place parents in jobs. Adaptability is key to success, especially when it means meeting families’ unique needs.

Engagement Over Enforcement Is the Future of Child Support
Jim Fleming offered a compelling insight: coupling enforcement with proactive engagement creates better outcomes for both families and agencies. Rather than penalizing parents for non-payment, programs are addressing root causes—such as unemployment or housing barriers—helping parents overcome challenges and contribute sustainably. This shift mirrors broader changes in corrections, emphasizing support and reentry-focused strategies to reduce costs and improve long-term outcomes.

Why It Matters

Across all discussions, one powerful message emerged: prioritizing family-centered care and innovation leads to stronger outcomes for everyone. These shifts not only support families but also boost collections, improve staff morale, and reduce long-term costs.

At Protech Solutions, we’re proud to be part of these transformative efforts. Through Good Grid, we’ve been delivering holistic, wraparound services for over a decade—spanning corrections, employment, government assistance, rural health, and homelessness.

When technology and community care come together, real impact happens. Let’s continue the conversation and create a better tomorrow for the children and families we serve.