Browse by Title

Provides guidance to adopted persons and birth families 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 and 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, using social media to search, and reunion issues.

Explores relevant research, strategies, and resources to assist child welfare professionals in preserving connections among siblings. Sibling relationships can provide positive support and improved outcomes for children involved with child welfare as well as for those in the general population. Connections with siblings can serve as a protective factor for children who have been removed from their birth homes, but for a variety of reasons, siblings may not be placed together or may not have regular contact.

In 2010, the Children's Bureau within the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human services published a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for the Initiative to Reduce Long-Term Foster Care titled "Initiative to Reduce Long-Term Foster Care." The purpose of the FOA was to fund demonstration projects that support the implementation and test the effectiveness of innovative intervention strategies to improve permanency outcomes of subgroups of children who have the most serious barriers to permanency. Although the reform efforts in the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 focused on moving children and youth to permanent families more quickly while maintaining children's safety, many jurisdictions struggle with a growing population of children who are aging out of foster care. These projects were to address site-specific issues in order to help children leave foster care in fewer than 3 years. All of the applicants had to identify local barriers to permanent placement and implement innovative intervention strategies that mitigate or eliminate those barriers throughout the continuum of services. The cooperative agreements allowed flexibility in identification of the target population and the design of the interventions.

Using a Children’s Bureau Family Connection grant, Homes for Black Children (HBC) developed and implemented the Nurturing the Resiliency in Wayne County Families: Rethinking the Family Decision-Making Model as Community-Centered Child and Family Work project (Resiliency Project). The focus of the project was to provide family group decision-making (FGDM) and other well-being services to the target population—African-American families at risk of having their children enter the foster care system or who have experienced recent reunification with their children. To develop and implement the project, HBC partnered with the Wayne County Department of Human Services (DHS), which was the primary referral source. DHS referred all Category IV cases to the Resiliency Project.

Organization Description: The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), in partnership with Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, the Children and Family Research Center of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Center for the Study of Social Policy and the Child Care Association of Illinois, proposes to demonstrate and take to scale statewide a trauma informed engagement approach to achieving permanency and reduce length of stay in foster care for a group of youth ages 9 to 14 who are at high risk of not achieving permanency.Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: This project will demonstrate the new approach through two cohorts of youth in the target population: one whose members have been in out of home care for more than two years and one whose members will enter care during the demonstration project.

The Permanency Innovations Initiative (PII), a presidential initiative, is a 5-year multisite demonstration project designed to improve permanency outcomes for children in foster care who have the most serious barriers to permanency. In 2010, the Children's Bureau, within the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, released a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) titled "Initiative to Reduce Long-Term Foster Care." The purpose of the FOA was to fund demonstration projects that support the implementation and test the effectiveness of innovative intervention strategies to improve permanency outcomes for subgroups of children who have experienced the most serious barriers to permanency.

The Permanency Innovations Initiative (PII), a Presidential initiative, is a 5-year multisite demonstration project designed to improve permanency outcomes for children in foster care who have the most serious barriers to permanency. In 2010, the Children's Bureau within the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) titled "Initiative to Reduce Long-Term Foster Care."11 The FOA is available at https://ami.grantsolutions.gov/view/HHS-2010-ACF-ACYF-CT-0022. The purpose of the FOA was to fund demonstration projects that support the implementation and test the effectiveness of innovative intervention strategies to improve permanency outcomes for subgroups of children who have experienced the most serious barriers to permanency.

In 2010, a group of human services agencies in Duval County, Florida, evaluated the services offered to children in the community who were between birth and the age of 3, and were also involved with child welfare. Although there were services available for school-age children and youth in transition (18 to 23 years of age), there were very few coordinated services available for preschool children. With the Family Support Services of North Florida (FSSNF) as the lead agency, the group focused on providing services for young children in foster care through a 17-month grant within the Children's Bureau's Child Welfare - Early Education Partnerships to Expand Protective Factors for Children with Child Welfare Involvement grant cluster. The Child Welfare-Early Education Partnership (CW-EEP) was formed, and its primary objective was to improve child care and early education services for young children in foster care, thereby improving educational outcomes for these children, and to increase the number of children in foster care enrolled in high-quality early education programs.

The Permanency Innovations Initiative (PII) is a 5-year multisite demonstration project designed to improve permanency outcomes for children in foster care who have the most serious barriers to permanency. In 2010, the Children's Bureau published a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for the Initiative to Reduce Long-Term Foster Care. The purpose of the FOA was to fund demonstration projects that support the implementation and test the effectiveness of innovative intervention strategies to improve permanency outcomes of subgroups of children that have the most serious barriers to permanency. Although the reform efforts in the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 focused on moving children and youth to permanent families more quickly while maintaining children's safety, many jurisdictions struggle with a growing population of children who are aging out of foster care. These projects were to address site specific issues in order to help children leave foster care in fewer than three years.

In fiscal year 2011, the Children's Bureau awarded a Family Connection Grant to the Children's Home Society of New Jersey (CHSofNJ) for a 3-year project to use family group decision-making (FGDM) to build and/or enhance protective factors for kinship families that are not actively involved in the child welfare system, but are caring for relative children and youth at risk of entering or reentering the State's care. Project staff recognized that kinship families, many of which live on low and/or fixed incomes, often experience challenges, including the inability to meet the basic needs of the children in their care, assist school-age children with homework, and manage difficult adolescent behavior. However, unlike foster families served by the child welfare system, kinship caregivers have access to and receive fewer support services. So, project staff posited, if kinship caregivers are provided with the necessary services and supports they need, then children can be safely maintained in their homes and families will experience less stress, thereby reducing the likelihood of placement disruption and child welfare involvement.

In fiscal year 2011, the Children's Bureau awarded 10 grants to promote collaboration between child welfare and education systems in order to increase educational stability for children ages 10 to 17 and who were involved with child welfare. The Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) received one of these grants to implement the Waterbury Educational Stability Initiative, which provided training on trauma-informed child welfare practice and child traumatic stress to education and child welfare stakeholders, including child welfare professionals, school counselors, parent liaisons, and foster parents. The project also tried to bridge the gap between the schools and law enforcement by training the school resource officers, who are municipal police officers assigned to the schools.

Using a Children’s Bureau Family Connection grant, the Youth and Family Services Division (YFS) of the San Diego YMCA, in partnership with San Diego County Child Welfare Services (CWS), Casey Family Programs, and Harder and Company Community Research, developed and implemented the Families United Family Group Conferencing Program. The project uses a regionalized service delivery model based on the Guidelines for Family Group Decision Making in Child Welfare created by the American Humane Association. This demonstration project is measuring whether the use of Family Group Conferencing (FGC), which supports families in finding their own solutions to problems, will improve child welfare outcomes.

Describes the advantages and challenges workers may encounter when using social media with foster parents and youth in foster care. Issues that should be considered and tips for handling issues are also offered, as are ways to use social media to support families and youth.

Describes the advantages and challenges foster parents may encounter when using social media in their role as foster parents. Issues that should be considered and tips for handling issues are also offered. Ways to guide youth in the safe use of social media are also discussed.

Describes the advantages and challenges youth in foster care may encounter when using social media. Topics include ways that social media can be unsafe, ways to stay safe, and things to ask yourself before you post.

Examines State standby guardianship laws in which a parent may transfer guardianship of his or her child to a specific person under certain conditions. Many States developed these laws specifically to address the needs of parents living with disabling conditions or terminal illnesses who want to plan a legally secure future for their children. Standby guardianships differ from traditional guardianships in that standby guardianships allow the parent to retain much of his or her authority over the child. This publication covers the establishment of standby guardianship, the role of noncustodial parents, parental authority, and withdrawal of guardianship.

Provides an overview of Federal requirements that apply to adoptions finalized in another country by U.S. citizens. It also discusses requirements that adoptive parents must meet in their State of residence in order to gain State recognition of the adoption and to receive a new State-issued birth certificate for their adopted child. The topics addressed include recognition of foreign adoption decrees, when readoption is required by the State of residence, and applying for a State birth certificate.

Outlines the administrative framework for child welfare services across the country. The way States administer child welfare services can be classified as State administered, county administered, or hybrid—partially administered by both county and State.

Highlights the adoption-related resources and services Child Welfare Information Gateway offers for both professionals and families. Child Welfare Information Gateway promotes the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families by connecting adoption and other child welfare professionals to information and resources that help them address the needs of children and families in their communities.

Describes the steps involved when a person wishes to adopt the child of his or her spouse and discusses legal issues and help for parents. The issues addressed include requirements for home studies and background checks, obtaining the consent of the child's noncustodial parent, and the process for completing the adoption. Resources for more information are included.

This 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.

This paper focuses on the placing of substance abuse specialists in either child welfare offices or dependency courts. The purpose of co-locating substance abuse specialists is to ensure that parents are assessed as quickly as possible, to improve parent engagement and retention in treatment, to streamline entry into treatment, and to provide consultation to child welfare and dependency court workers. In addition to briefly describing substance abuse specialist programs and their various components, this paper includes findings from eight qualitative interviews of programs that place substance abuse specialists in child welfare offices or dependency courts. The interviews highlight ways in which early decisions about the program's collaborative structure influence other design decisions. Understanding how design decisions are related to one another can help jurisdictions to systematically create substance abuse specialist programs that best meet their specific needs and use resources most efficiently. This information is intended to provide those interested in creating a substance abuse specialist program with valuable data on programmatic and collaborative structures, lessons learned about program design, problems or challenges faced by these programs, and how the issues were resolved. Table 1 at the end of the appendix includes a summary of key components of the programs. (Author abstract)

In 2005 -- 2006, the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) undertook a review and analysis of States' policies regarding prenatal exposure to alcohol and other drugs, in order to help local, State, and Tribal governments: 1. Gain a better understanding of current policy and practice in place at the State level that address substance exposed infants (SEIs); and 2. Identify opportunities for strengthening interagency efforts in this area. This study assessed State policy from the broadest perspective: prevention, intervention, identification, and treatment of prenatal substance exposure, including immediate and ongoing services for the infant, the mother, and the family. It reviewed States' policies regarding -- pregnancy prevention efforts; Screening and assessment in the prenatal period; Testing at birth and notification of child protective services (CPS) in cases in which infants are identified as substance affected; The provision of services to SEIs and their parents after a CPS referral is made or other agencies become involved; and The processing of SEI; related referrals to developmental disabilities agencies. (Author abstract, modified)

Presents an overview of child welfare supervision and explores the dimensions of supervision that agencies may want to consider as they seek to strengthen the effectiveness of their services to children and families. This bulletin is designed to provide child welfare supervisors, managers, and related professionals with examples of States' efforts to strengthen supervisory capacity and with tools and resources to enhance supervisory skills.

Summarizes the effects of early trauma on brain development and steps child welfare professionals can take to screen for developmental delays and identify the trauma-affected children and youth in their care. Looks at ways to access cross-sector, therapeutic, and evidence-based treatment to encourage healthy recovery for trauma-affected children and youth.

This bulletin for child-serving professionals outside of child protective services discusses ways to support children and their caregivers and connect them with appropriate resources that may mitigate any risks for harm during crisis situations. This document is organized by the five protective factors that build on family strengths to foster child and youth well-being and development. Each section contains questions that professionals can address with parents/caregivers and with children/youth in the course of their work with families, with an emphasis on content appropriate for virtual visits.

Provides information for foster parents to help them learn about LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and other diverse identities and expressions, including Two-Spirit) youth in the child welfare system, the unique risks they face, and the important role that foster parents can play in reducing those risks. The factsheet outlines specific actions that foster parents can take to create a welcoming and affirming home for all youth in their care and to promote a youth's health and well-being, at home and in the community. Also included are links to many resources for more information and support.

This report presents information gathered from a small sample of federally funded Systems of Care communities between March and October 2010. Project directors, lead family contacts, clinical supervisors, family partners, and other staff , along with representatives of partner organizations, especially child welfare, generously shared information about their approaches to policies and practices designed to support whole families -- children, youth, and parents or other caregivers. (Author abstract)

Offers information to help child welfare agency managers achieve successful reunifications. This bulletin includes a description of the benefits of supporting reunification and preventing reentries, statistics, factors that affect reunification and reentry, and relevant strategies and approaches. It also includes examples of promising practices being implemented by States and localities.

Intended to help caseworkers, foster parents, or other caring adults understand trauma and treatment and support youth in making decisions about their mental health and using Making Healthy Choices: A Guide on Psychotropic Medications for Youth in Foster Care.

The Policy Action Guide is a capacity building tool that supports the process of identifying and advancing policy strategies to improve child welfare systems and practices. The Policy Action Guide provides a framework for thinking about child welfare policy options and initiating actions that help promote an effective policy initiative.