Poynter announces 2026 cohort for Covering Child Welfare: A Journalist’s Guide to Impactful Reporting

Stoneleigh Fellow Steve Volk will lead a cohort of 36 journalists from local, regional and national print, digital, television and public media outlets in a six-session program on how to develop informed and ethical coverage of child welfare and foster care systems. 

The Poynter Institute is proud to announce the 2026 cohort of Covering Child Welfare: A Journalist’s Guide to Impactful Reporting. This free training program, with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Insita Group, is designed to help journalists build sustainable child welfare and foster care reporting beats.

From Sept. 3 through Nov. 12, journalists from news organizations across the country will participate in six live virtual sessions led by award-winning journalists Fernanda Camarena and Steve Volk. Participants will learn how child welfare systems operate, develop trusted sources, use data and public records to strengthen their reporting, and approach stories about vulnerable children and families with greater accuracy, context and care.

View the full press release