About

Child Welfare Information Gateway is the national information service of the Children’s Bureau, within the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

We connect child welfare professionals, service providers, families, caregivers, and the public to trusted, plain-language information and resources to support efforts to improve the safety, permanency, and well-being of all children, youth, and families.

We provide free publications, research, Federal and State laws and policies, and learning tools, on topics spanning the full child welfare continuum, including prevention and family support; child protection, safety, and risk assessment; kinship and foster care, family reunification, and adoption.


Who We Are

Child Welfare Information Gateway is funded by the Children’s Bureau (opens in a new tab), an agency within the Administration for Children and Families, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Children's Bureau (CB) partners with Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies to improve the overall health and well-being of our Nation's children and families.

Our purpose is to equip child welfare and related professionals and service providers with the resources needed to support safety, permanency, and well-being and positive outcomes for all children, youth, families, and communities.

We provide content for families, youth, and child welfare professionals, including those who work in adoption, kinship, and foster care, as well as researchers, policymakers, other related professionals, and members of the public seeking reliable child welfare information.

As an information service, we do not provide casework, counseling, legal advice, or direct services, nor do we have access to individual case records. We can, however, connect you with publications, data, laws, and organizations that can support the children, youth, and families you care about.

Who Our Resources Are For

Our resources support people across the child welfare continuum, including:

  • Child welfare professionals and caseworkers
  • Service providers, agencies, and Tribal and community organizations
  • Researchers, students, and policymakers
  • Foster, adoptive, and kin caregivers
  • Parents and families involved with the child welfare system
  • Youth and young adults with experience in foster care
  • Members of the public seeking trustworthy information

What You’ll Find on Information Gateway

We organize trusted child welfare resources so you can find what you need—quickly:

  • Publications and factsheets: Plain-language guides, bulletins, and issue briefs on child welfare topics. Browse publications.
  • Research and data: Evidence-informed resources and statistics to support practice and policy. Explore research.
  • Federal and State laws and policies: Summaries of current statutes and regulations across all States and territories. Find laws & policies.
  • Topics across the continuum: In-depth information on prevention, child abuse and neglect, family preservation, foster care, adoption, kinship care, and search and reunion. Explore topics.
  • Resources for the workforce: Learning resources and capacity-building tools for the child welfare sector. See resources.
  • Customized search: Apply filters to access information, research, publications, and library resources that support family well-being and strengthen child welfare practice, all in one place. Search for resources.

What Guides Our Work

We are committed to information that is accurate, current, and grounded in lived experience — the experience of those who have been involved personally with child welfare and of those doing the work of public child welfare. We prioritize helping children stay connected to family and community whenever possible — and we develop content informed by the lived experience of children, youth, and families. We write in plain language and follow Federal accessibility standards, so our resources are usable by everyone.

Our Commitment to Reliable Information

  • Authoritative source. Our content is funded and approved by the Children’s Bureau, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  • Vetted by child welfare experts. Our subject matter experts carefully curate resources chosen to reflect today’s laws, research, and practice, and routinely review and update them as needed. If you have a question about our website content or notice something that may need updating, please contact us!
  • Free and public. Everything on childwelfare.gov is available to the public and free to download, share, distribute, print, and order copies of where available.
  • No account needed. You can browse and use our resources without signing up or sharing personal information.

Key Child Welfare Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Child Welfare Information Gateway?

Child Welfare Information Gateway is the Children’s Bureau’s central source for child welfare information. It connects professionals, families, and the public to publications, research, laws, and resources on topics across the child welfare continuum, all free to download and use.

How do I report child abuse or neglect?

If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. To report suspected abuse or neglect, contact your State or local child protective services agency, or call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1.800.422.4453, available 24 hours a day.

Does Child Welfare Information Gateway provide services or handle cases?

No. Child Welfare Information Gateway is an information service. We do not provide casework, counseling, legal advice, or direct services. Instead, we help you find the organizations and resources that do.

What is an information service or clearinghouse?

An information service or clearinghouse gathers, organizes, and shares trusted information so people can find what they need more easily. 

Child Welfare Information Gateway serves as a national information service for the child welfare field by connecting professionals, families, caregivers, policymakers, researchers, and the public with free publications, research, laws and policies, data, and learning tools from the Children’s Bureau and other reliable sources. 

Why was Child Welfare Information Gateway developed?

Child Welfare Information Gateway was developed by the Children’s Bureau to bring child welfare information together in one trusted, easy-to-use national resource. Its history builds on federally mandated (opens in a new tab) clearinghouse services that began in 1990 with the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and later included the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse. These efforts were consolidated to better serve the full child welfare sector with timely information on programs, research, laws and policies, training approaches, and statistics. Today, Child Welfare Information Gateway continues that purpose by helping professionals, agencies, families, caregivers, policymakers, researchers, and the public find reliable resources that support safety, permanency, and well-being for children, youth, and families.

Explore Child Welfare Information Gateway 

Ready to find what you need? Start here: