Define. Design. Deliver.
The Collins Institute transforms child welfare by defining decision-making standards and building systems that enforce them.
Institute Overview
Child & Family Systems Innovation & Implementation
The Collins Institute for Child & Family Systems advances child welfare reform through system design, policy alignment, and real-world implementation.
Grounded in the Elizabeth Ophelia Child & Family Governance Framework, the Institute works with public agencies to move beyond recommendations and into structured, testable, and scalable solutions that strengthen safety, decision-making, workforce stability, and system accountability.
Through integrated models such as the 12-Point Child Welfare Reform Blueprint, the Collins Imminent Harm Standard (CIHS), and the Family Systems Innovation Lab (FSIL), the Institute supports jurisdictions in piloting and implementing reforms under real-world conditions — ensuring alignment between policy, practice, and outcomes.
This work is not advisory alone — it is design, testing, and implementation in practice.
Where Strategy Meets Impact
A case study in leadership, accountability, and learning from failure.
Leadership is tested in moments of failure—not just success. Drawing on a decade inside Indiana’s child welfare system and lessons from Indiana football’s national championship season, this analysis examines how systems respond when things go wrong, and what becomes possible when leaders choose learning, accountability, and systems improvement over blame.
