Factsheets Series

Summarizes the legislative history and purpose of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), the key Federal legislation addressing child abuse and neglect. CAPTA was originally enacted in P.L. 93-247 and was most recently amended on January 7, 2019, by the Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-424).

Explores the practice of of differential response in responding to child welfare cases, various approaches used to support children and families, and recent State implementation efforts that highlight practice in the field.

Provides an overview of disaster planning for child welfare agencies. Outlines the reasons child welfare agencies should develop disaster plans, provides an overview of plan development, points to resources for creating preparedness plans, and highlights State and local examples.

Provides child welfare professionals with a brief overview of forensic interviewing so they can better understand how such interviews affect their practice with children and families. Forensic interviewing is a means of gathering information from a victim or witness for use in a legal setting, such as a court hearing and is a key component of many child protective services investigations.

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.)

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.

Explains the long-term physical, psychological, behavioral, and societal consequences of child abuse and neglect and provides an overview of adverse childhood experiences. It also discusses the importance of prevention and intervention efforts and promoting protective relationships and environments. Childhood maltreatment can be linked to later physical, psychological, and behavioral consequences as well as costs to society as a whole. The outcomes for each child may vary widely and are affected by a combination of factors. Additionally, children who experience maltreatment often are affected by other adverse experiences (e.g., parental substance use, domestic violence, poverty), which can make it difficult to separate the unique effects of maltreatment.

Presents a summary of Federal legislation since 1974 that has had a significant impact on the child welfare field. It provides an overview of each act and its major provisions. To browse or search the summaries of acts included in this publication, visit the Major Federal Legislation Index and Search. The full text of the acts included in this publication can be found on Information Gateway's Index of Federal Child Welfare Laws. The PDF version presents an overview of the legislative history of the included acts. For a Spanish summary of the text related to the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 included in this publication, see Ley de 2008 Sobre el Promover de las Conexiones Para Lograr el Éxito y el Aumento de las Adopciones: Un Resumen.

Presents valuable information for youth in foster care related to making decisions about their mental health, treatment options, and the use of psychotropic medications. The guide walks through the steps of recognizing the need for help, finding help and considering treatment options, making treatment decisions, and managing treatment. Checklists and worksheets are included to help youth organize their thoughts.

Provides child welfare professionals with an overview of motivational interviewing, describes circumstances when it could be applied, and highlights the basics of the method. It also provides links to additional resources.

Helps child welfare professionals gain a better understanding of parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), including which clients should be referred for this approach, how it is implemented, and resources for additional information. PCIT is a family-centered treatment approach for children ages 2–7 with disruptive behavior and has also been used with abused and at-risk children ages 2–12. It is an appropriate therapy for all caregivers—birth parents, adoptive parents, or foster or kin caregivers—and includes the treatment of both the parent and child together along with live coaching. One of PCIT's benefits is that it can help reduce the risk for child maltreatment.

Provides information on how communities, community leaders, and individual citizens can strengthen families, protect children, and prevent child abuse and neglect.

Presents information from a review of current research linking protective factors to well-being for children and youth in and transitioning out of foster care. Topics include individual skills and capacities that can improve the well-being of children and youth in foster care, creating a community that supports the well-being of children and youth in care, strategies for practitioners, and resources for more information. This factsheet is part of a series of five factsheets for practitioners exploring the importance of protective factors in working with in-risk populations served by the Administration on Children Youth and Families.

Presents information from a review of current research linking protective factors to well-being for children exposed to domestic violence. Topics include individual skills and capacities that can improve the well-being of children exposed to violence; how parents, guardians, and others can contribute to the well-being of these children; creating supportive communities; and strategies for practitioners. This publication is part of a series of five factsheets for practitioners exploring the importance of protective factors in working with in-risk populations served by the Administration on Children, Youth and Families.

Presents information from a review of current research linking protective factors to well-being for the five in-risk populations served by the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF): children exposed to domestic violence, homeless and runaway youth, pregnant and parenting teens, victims of child abuse and neglect, and youth in and aging out of foster care. Topics include individual skills and capacities that can improve the well-being of children and youth; how parents, guardians, and others can contribute to the well-being of these children; and strategies for practitioners. A model framework for organizing and applying protective factors is included, as well as a table listing specific protective factors for ACYF populations by level of influence. This publication is part of a series of five factsheets for practitioners exploring the importance of protective factors in working with in-risk populations served by ACYF.

Presents information from a review of current research on specific protective factors that carry moderate or strong association with improved well-being for pregnant and parenting teens. Topics include individual skills and capacities that can improve the well-being of teens who are pregnant and/or parenting; how parents, guardians, friends, and others can contribute to the well-being of these teens; creating supportive communities; and strategies for practitioners. This publication is part of a series of five factsheets for practitioners exploring the importance of protective factors in working with in-risk populations served by the Administration on Children, Youth and Families.

Presents information from a review of current research on specific protective factors that carry moderate or strong association with improved well-being for victims of child abuse and neglect. Topics include individual skills and capacities that can improve the well-being of children who have been abused or neglected; how parents, guardians, friends, and other adults can contribute to the well-being of these children and youth; strategies for practitioners; and resources for more information. This publication is part of a series of five factsheets for practitioners exploring the importance of protective factors in working with in-risk populations served by the Administration on Children, Youth and Families.

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.

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.

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.

Helps child welfare professionals build a better understanding of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), including which clients should be referred for this approach, how it is implemented, and resources for additional information. TF-CBT helps children, adolescents, and their parents (or other caregivers) overcome trauma-related difficulties, including child maltreatment. It helps children address distorted or upsetting beliefs and attributions and learn skills to help them cope with ordinary life stressors. TF-CBT also helps parents who were not abusive to cope effectively with their own emotional distress and develop skills that support their children.

Outlines the legal definition of child abuse and neglect; the different types of abuse and neglect; and the signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect, including human trafficking. It also includes information on how to effectively identify and report maltreatment and refer children who have been maltreated as well as additional resources.

Provides a brief overview of child welfare, describes how behavioral and mental health professionals and child welfare workers can support each other, and offers additional information resources. Working together, behavioral and mental health practitioners and child welfare workers can make sure that children, youth, and families receive appropriate services that promote healthy functioning and well-being.

Provides an overview of child welfare, describes how disaster preparedness and response (DPR) and child welfare professionals can support one another’s efforts when responding to the safety and well-being of children and families during all phases of disaster.

Provides an overview of basic child welfare services, describes how domestic violence (DV) services and child welfare (CW) professionals can support one another’s efforts in working with families, and lists resources for more information. Child welfare professionals and domestic violence advocates recognize the common co-occurrence of domestic violence and child maltreatment, and acknowledgement of this significant overlap has led to more collaboration between these fields.

Provides an overview of child welfare and describes how educators and child welfare workers can collaborate to prevent child abuse and neglect and ensure children involved in child welfare receive the services and supports they need to succeed in school.

Provides health-care professionals—including pediatricians, family practice providers, hospital nurses, school nurses, and urgent care clinicians—with an overview of the field of child welfare and suggests ways that health-care professionals and child welfare workers can work together to promote better outcomes for children and families involved with child welfare, including children in foster care. Links to resources are also included.

Helps law enforcement agents understand the work of child welfare professionals and how a mutually beneficial relationship is in the best interest of children, families, and communities. Discusses the importance of information-sharing and cross-training and Includes a list of helpful resources.