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Home > Conference Calendar > Conference Exhibits > 2009 Adoption Exchange Association Conference
2009 Adoption Exchange Association Conference
The following Information Gateway materials were made available at the 2009 Adoption Exchange Association Conference held May 27 to 30, 2009, in Chicago, IL.
Abuse-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Child Physical Abuse
Abuse-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (AF-CBT) has been found to improve functioning in school-aged children who have experienced physical abuse, as well as in their parents, caregivers, and families. This issue brief explores the characteristics and benefits of AF-CBT to help child welfare caseworkers, other professionals who work with at-risk families, and caregivers make more informed decisions about family participation in AF-CBT. It includes information about what makes AF-CBT unique, key components, target populations, effectiveness, and what to look for in an AF-CBT therapist.
Adoption Assistance for Children Adopted From Foster Care
In every State there are children with special needs waiting in foster care for adoptive families. The most recent data estimate that 126,000 children are available to be adopted from foster care. In the past, the costs of care and services were major obstacles to parents who would otherwise adopt and love these children, and most were not placed for adoption. The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 provided the first Federal subsidies to encourage the adoption of children from the nation's foster care system. These subsidies, known as adoption assistance, serve to minimize the financial obstacles to ...
The Adoption Home Study Process
This fact sheet describes the types of information that will be collected from prospective adoptive parents during the home study process. The following elements are addressed: autobiographical statement, health statement, income statement, child abuse and criminal clearances, and references. Tips for the interview and home visit also are provided.
Adoption : Where Do I Start?
This fact sheet is a "gateway" to the many possible paths to building a family through adoption. It attempts to provide an understanding of the basic steps in any adoption process and a guide to resources at each step. A list of additional resources is provided about general adoption, domestic adoption, foster care adoption, intercountry adoption, kinship adoption, and special circumstances adoption.
Best practice/next practice : family-centered child welfare, Summer 2003 : mental health in child welfare : a focus on children and families.
Children served by the child welfare system are at high risk for socio-emotional, behavioral, and other mental health problems that complicate the care provided by caseworkers, foster parents, and relative caregivers. This issue of the newsletter of the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice describes mental health problems that arise during childhood and adolescence and presents recommendations for screening and treatment. Articles address topics such as resiliency, attachment, the role of foster families in mental health treatment, the types of mental health services that should be offered, cultural competency, and support for parents with mental illness. Barriers to ...
Enhancing Permanency for Older Youth in Out-Of-Home Care
Finding permanent families for older children and youth in out-of-home care continues to be a challenge for child welfare professionals. Many States and local jurisdictions have begun to implement programs specifically designed to help these youth establish permanent connections. This bulletin addresses the specific challenges of permanency planning with older youth, discussing the importance of focusing on older youth, barriers to permanency, strategies for successful permanency planning, and promising programs. A list of resources for further information is provided.
Foster Parent Adoption
This paper discusses issues related to the increasing importance of foster parents as permanency resources for children in foster care. In order to facilitate adoptions by foster parents, professionals should be knowledgeable about the benefits, costs, and practice issues surrounding foster parent adoption. Practice issues include assessment, adoption preparation and postadoption support, and facilitating ongoing connections with birth families.
Foster Parents Considering Adoption
This factsheet is written for foster parents who are considering adopting a child in their care. It provides information on the differences between foster care and adoption, and explores some of the things for foster parents to consider when making the decision about whether to adopt a child in their care. Additional topics discussed include: trends in foster parent adoption, benefits of foster parent adoption for all involved, characteristics of foster families who successfully adopt children in their care, and characteristics of foster families whose adoptions failed. Resources are provided.
Impact of Adoption on Adopted Persons
As discussion of the adoption process becomes more open and accepted in American society, and as more Americans have experience with adoption, there is also more attention focused on those involved in adoption -- the adopted person, the birth parents, and the adoptive parents (often referred to as the adoption triad or, more recently, the adoption constellation). People who have experienced adoption firsthand are coming forward to talk or write about their experiences, and researchers are conducting scientific studies to find out about the impact of adoption on all members of the adoption triad. This factsheet examines the impact of ...
Impact of Adoption on Birth Parents
This factsheet discusses some of the emotional issues that parents face after making the decision to place an infant for adoption, in surrendering the child, and in handling the feelings that often persist afterwards. In addition, it addresses some of the emotional issues of parents whose children are permanently removed from them and whose parental rights are terminated. This factsheet may be a helpful resource for birth parents, as well as family members, friends, and others who want to support birth parents. It may also provide some insight to adopted persons and adoptive parents who want to understand the struggles ...
Kinship Caregivers and the Child Welfare System
Informal and formal kinship care arrangements help to ensure stability and protection for children within their extended family. This fact sheet describes the benefits of kinship care as a child protection alternative and examines the agency's responsibility for the placement. The placement decision-making process, what to expect from the child welfare service and court system, and financial support, available services, and permanency planning are discussed. Questions for new kin caregivers to ask and a list of additional references are provided.
Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect
The harmful effects of child abuse and neglect vary depending on a number of factors, including the circumstances, personal characteristics of the child, and the child?s environment. In many cases, child abuse and neglect have consequences for children, families, and society that last lifetimes. This factsheet provides an overview of some of the most common physical, psychological, behavioral, and societal consequences of child abuse and neglect, including findings from research supported by the Federal Government.
Military Families and Adoption
This bulletin explains the benefits of using military families as adoptive resources for children. It discusses the challenges in working with military families, ways these challenges have been overcome, and provides a list of resources and organizations that support families in their adoption pursuits.
Military Families and Adoption
Common questions about adoption of children by military personnel and their families are addressed in this factsheet. Topics include: resources for information about state laws, what to expect during the home study and the impact of deployment on the process, leave time, and cost. Postadoption services and medical benefits for adopted children also are discussed.
Obtaining Background Information on Your Prospective Adopted Child
This fact sheet explains why it is important to obtain background information about a prospective child. It discusses where a family might find background information, what questions to ask about the child's medical, family, social, and placement history, and why information may not be available. It includes a list of resources for more information.
Openness in Adoption
This fact sheet defines open adoption, including information about the laws regarding open adoption and research findings about the effects of open adoption on the adoption triad. It discusses implications for agency policy around adoption openness, foster care adoptions, and when open adoption may not be in the child's best interest. It includes a list of useful web sites, books and articles for both families and professionals, and the pros and cons of each type of adoption (confidential, mediated, and open).
Openness in Adoption
This factsheet describes the benefits of postadoption contact with birth parents and reviews considerations for determining the degree of openness that is most appropriate for the child. It suggests that adoptive parents consult Internet websites, books, counselors, and other parents when making decisions about open adoption. The factsheet includes a chart of the advantages and disadvantages of confidential adoptions, mediated adoptions, and open adoptions.
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy With At-Risk Families
Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) is a family-centered treatment approach demonstrated effective for abused and at-risk children ages 2½ to 12 and their parents or caregivers. This issue brief explores the characteristics and benefits of PCIT to help child welfare caseworkers, other professionals who work with at-risk families, and caregivers make more informed decisions about family participation in PCIT programs. It includes information about what makes PCIT unique, key components, effectiveness, and what to look for in a PCIT therapist.
Postadoption Services
It is common for adoptive families to need support and services after adoption. Postadoption services can help families with a wide range of issues. They are available for everything from learning how to explain adoption to a preschooler, to helping a child who experienced early childhood abuse, to helping with an adopted teen?s search for identity. Experience with adoptive families has shown that all family members can benefit from some type of postadoption support. Families of children who have experienced trauma, neglect, or institutionalization may require more intensive services.
Providing Background Information to Adoptive Parents
This bulletin explains the importance of providing background information about a child to prospective adoptive parents so that they can be prepared to address the child's emotional, health, and behavioral needs. The briefing describes the liability of agencies in cases of wrongful adoption and identifies the types of information that families should receive. Issues regarding sensitive information and right to privacy also are discussed.
Searching for Birth Relatives
The purpose of this factsheet is to provide some guidance on the search process and information access, as well as resources for further help in conducting a successful search. This factsheet is designed to address the concerns of both adopted persons who are searching for birth parents or other birth relatives, as well as birth parents (both mothers and fathers) who want to locate a child who was adopted. While not a complete "how to" guide to searching, this factsheet provides information on the decision to search, steps in the search process, hiring a professional searcher, international searching, and reunion ...
Child Welfare Information Gateway: Stay Connected
Child Welfare Information Gateway provides access to timely, practical resources that help child welfare, adoption, and related professionals protect children and strengthen families. This flier describes Information Gateway?s free services, including reliable print and electronic publications, websites, online databases, and more.
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