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This directory lists organizations that provide information and services that support the physical and mental health of children and families. The list includes professional societies, as well as research institutes and training programs. Each entry includes contact information and a brief description of the organization.

Reviews the eligibility pathways for children and youth in foster care to receive Medicaid or other health-care coverage and looks at some of the newer benefits now mandated through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), especially those for older youth in or formerly in foster care.

In 2002, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched the Healthy Marriage Initiative. Through the initiative, ACF seeks to improve the well-being of children and families already receiving help from other ACF programs, as well as by supporting the development of community-wide initiatives that involve many different types of organizations. This publication showcases some of the programs that organizations have developed using ACF grants and demonstrates how these programs are helping to create successful marital partnerships. This publication also provides insight into some of the lessons learned along the way that other agencies and organizations can use to promote healthy marriage in their communities. (Author abstract, modified)

Organizations that provide information & resources that promote healthy marriages.

Summarizes how foster/adoptive parents can help their child make the emotional adjustment to being an adopted child. Children and youth may not clearly comprehend the difference between being a foster child versus being an adopted child in the same family. This factsheet provides suggestions for talking with children about the changes from foster care to adoption, helping them understand their own histories and losses, helping them cope with trauma and transfer attachments, and useful resources.

Provides foster parents with guidance on how to help youth and emerging adults build a foundation for a successful transition to adult life outside of foster care. The first section provides background information on some of the unique challenges that youth in foster care face as they navigate their teenage years, and it includes information on brain development in young adults and programs that can help youth transition successfully to adulthood. The second part includes eight tip sheets that provide information and resources for foster parents on specific topics—such as money management, health care, and employment—so that they can better help youth prepare for independence.

Discusses the factors parents must consider when deciding whether their child is ready to be left home alone, as well as tips to help make the experience safe and successful for all. Resources for more information and links to State guides also are included.
Examina los factores a considerar cuando padres están decidiendo si sus hijos están preparados o no para quedarse solos en casa, y también ofrece consejos para asegurar que la experiencia sea segura y exitosa para todos. Se incluyen además recursos para obtener más información y enlaces a recursos sobre pautas Estatales.

La Oficina de la Infancia, como primer organismo federal dedicado al bienestar de los niños, lleva mucho tiempo ocupándose de algunos de los problemas sociales más apremiantes que enfrenta Estados Unidos. Estos problemas han cambiado con el transcurrir de los años. En sus inicios, la oficina se ocupaba de temas como mortalidad infantil, hijos dependientes y trabajo infantil, mientras que ahora las preocupaciones principales son maltrato infantil y prevención del abandono, cuidado de crianza temporal y servicios de adopción. No obstante, los valores que subyacían a nuestro trabajo en sus primeras etapas y muchos de los métodos fundamentales a los que recurríamos para materializarlos aún perduran; incluidos cooperación, ayuda a estados y tribus, investigación y recopilación de información, campañas de sensibilización social y formación de líderes.

This Spanish Language brochure informs professionals and the public about the Children's Bureau's history, mission, and activities. It includes information about the Bureau's involvement in research, funding, monitoring, and special initiatives that promote safety, permanency, and well-being for children and families.

Presents State laws and policies for licensing or approving family foster homes, including laws about standards, the approval process, kinship foster care, and interjurisdictional approval. A licensed family is one that is approved by the State to provide care for children and that meets basic standards of safety set by law and regulation. These standards reduce predictable risks to the health, safety, and well-being of children in out-of-home care. The laws presented are current through October 2014.

Summarizes State laws and policies for approving prospective adoptive homes. This document describes who must be included in the home study, qualifications for adoptive parents, elements of the home study, exceptions for stepparent or relative placements, postplacement assessments of the child's adjustment to the adoptive family, requirements for placements across State lines, and more.

2010 National Adoption Month Poster Honor National Adoption Month All Year. Honre el mes nacional de adopción durante todo el año.

This factsheet provides an overview of the process by which legislative actions and policy changes at the Federal level impact State and Tribal child welfare systems and service delivery. Links to pertinent resources are provided for each step of the process; however, the steps described do not always occur in the sequence in which they are listed below. (See the flow chart on the last page of this document.)

Reports an estimate of the number of children adopted in each of the States for 2000 and 2001 and uses these numbers to estimate the composition and trends of all adoptions in the United States. Key findings include the fact that, in 2000 and 2001, about 127,000 children were adopted annually in the United States.

Provides highlights from the full report of How Many Children Were Adopted in 2000 and 2001?, which provides an estimate of the number of children adopted in each of the States for 2000 and 2001 and uses these numbers to estimate the composition and trends of all adoptions in the United States. Key findings include the fact that, in 2000 and 2001, about 127,000 children were adopted annually in the United States.

Provides national statistical estimates for the total number of children adopted in the United States in fiscal years 2007 and 2008. The report includes highlights of the data; findings on the numbers of public agency, intercountry, and other adoptions; and data aggregations in exhibits, tables, and appendices. Data were collected by State courts, State bureaus of vital records, the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Provides an overview of the purposes and functions of child welfare systems. It explains what happens when abuse or neglect are reported, how those reports are processed, and what happens to the adults and children who are involved in the child welfare system. A flowchart illustrates how cases may move through the child welfare system.

Because there are more than 1,700 licensed private agencies in the United States (with more than 700 listed as having intercountry adoption programs), it is difficult for Information Gateway to stay up-to-date on the operations of all agencies. Prospective adoptive parents should research the background of an agency before beginning the adoption process. The steps provided in this fact sheet will help prospective adoptive parents assess the reputation of licensed, private adoption agencies.

Due to their potentially unstable living situations, physical distance from friends and family, traumatic experiences, and emotional vulnerability, children involved with child welfare are at risk for being targeted by traffickers who are actively seeking victims to exploit. This bulletin explores how caseworkers can identify and support children who have been victimized as well as children that are at greater risk for future victimization. It provides background information about the issue, strategies caseworkers can use to identify and support victims and potential victims, and tools and resources that can assist caseworkers.

Due to their potentially unstable living situations, physical distance from friends and family, traumatic experiences, and emotional vulnerability, children involved with child welfare are at risk for being targeted by traffickers who are actively seeking children to exploit. This bulletin is intended for child welfare agency leadership and explores how child welfare agencies can support children who are victims of human trafficking, as well as children who are at greater risk for future victimization. It provides background information about the issue, including its scope and relevant Federal legislation and initiatives, and strategies that agencies can implement to address the trafficking of children. State and local policy and program examples also are provided.