Issue Briefs Series

Describes the characteristics and benefits of AF-CBT, an evidence-supported intervention that targets (1) diverse individual child and caregiver characteristics related to conflict and intimidation in the home and (2) the family context in which aggression or abuse may occur. It was written primarily to help child welfare caseworkers and other professionals who work with at-risk families make more informed decisions about when to refer children and their parents and caregivers to AF-CBT programs. This information also may help parents, foster parents, and other caregivers understand what they and their children can gain from AF-CBT and what to expect during treatment.

Aims to build the knowledge base about caseload and workload issues and help State child welfare managers, administrators, and others learn how they can improve caseload and workload situations in their agencies. Large caseloads and excessive workloads in many jurisdictions can make it difficult for child welfare caseworkers to serve families effectively, and reducing and managing caseloads and workloads are not simple tasks for child welfare administrators. Nevertheless, agencies are addressing these challenges and successfully implementing a variety of strategies to make caseloads and workloads more manageable.

Discusses the importance of prevention as a critical component of the nation’s child protection system and examines the history of child abuse prevention, the scope of the problem today, ways in which quality programs are identified and implemented, promising prevention strategies, and issues for future prevention efforts. It outlines programs and strategies that are proving beneficial in reducing the likelihood of child maltreatment, such as public awareness efforts, parent education, home visitation, and community prevention efforts.

Explores research and practice on concurrent planning, which is an approach that involves considering all reasonable options for permanency at the earliest possible point following a child's entry into foster care. This issue brief reports on how the practice of concurrent planning has evolved over the last decade, what the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs) have shown regarding concurrent planning, and the research literature on concurrent planning. Two State examples associated with the successful planning and implementation of concurrent planning in public agencies are presented.

Discusses the steps that may be necessary to create a child welfare system that is more sensitive and responsive to trauma. Every child welfare system is different, and each State or county child welfare system will need to conduct its own systematic process of assessment and planning, in collaboration with key partners, to determine the best approach.

Provides an overview of differential response (DR) in the United States and highlights lessons learned through research and implementation experiences. A growing number of child welfare agencies are employing DR in an effort to respond more flexibly to child abuse and neglect reports and to better meet individual family needs. In these systems, families with screened-in child maltreatment reports may receive either a traditional investigation or an alternative assessment response, depending on the type of allegation and other considerations.

Family reunification, the process of returning children in temporary out-of-home care to their families of origin, is the most common goal and outcome for children in out-of-home care. This issue brief examines States' successes and challenges related to family reunification, as documented in the Federal Child and Family Services Reviews; reviews research regarding factors contributing to timely, stable reunifications; offers specific program examples that illustrate these factors; and uses all of the above to suggest several guiding principles for practice in this critical area of permanency planning.

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.

Addresses child welfare's work with immigrant children and families; examines current issues related to immigration and child welfare; provides examples of programs and promising practices; and points to resources for professionals, families, and youth. Cultural competency and trauma-informed practice are also discussed.

Provides an overview of child welfare in-home services and examines issues related to service delivery, funding, and program evaluation. The brief is designed to provide child welfare administrators, policymakers, and related professionals with information about the types of child welfare in-home services that are being used in the field and what the evidence shows about them.

Explores what is currently known about intergenerational patterns of maltreatment, the limits of our current knowledge, implications of what we know and what we do not know (including promising prevention strategies), and areas for further research. This issue brief also describes theories to explain intergenerational maltreatment (IGM) and practical implications to IGM.

Provides an overview of research regarding some key characteristics and training strategies of successful parent education programs for strengthening families and preventing child maltreatment. Information about selected evidence-based and evidence-informed parent education programs, including a list of registries that evaluate programs, also is provided.

Describes the characteristics and benefits of parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), a family-centered treatment approach proven effective for abused and at-risk children ages 2 to 8 and their caregivers—birth parents, adoptive parents, or foster or kin caregivers. It was written primarily to help child welfare caseworkers and other professionals who work with at-risk families make more informed decisions about when to refer parents and caregivers, along with their children, to PCIT programs. This information may also help parents, foster parents, and other caregivers understand what they and their children can gain from PCIT and what to expect during treatment.

Provides an overview of protective factors approaches to the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. It is designed to help policymakers, administrators, child welfare and related professionals, service providers, advocates, and other interested individuals understand the concepts of risk and protective factors in families and communities and learn ways in which building protective factors can help to lessen risks for child abuse and neglect.

Explores the prevalence of racial disproportionality and disparity in the child welfare system. It also describes strategies that can assist child welfare administrators, program managers, and policymakers with addressing these issues in general and at specific decision points in the child welfare process (e.g., prevention, reporting, investigation, service provision, out-of-home care, permanency). Examples of State and local initiatives that address disproportionality also are highlighted.

Highlights the importance of understanding the concerns and needs of children and families in rural communities, their strengths and resources, and the cultural sensitivity required of child welfare professionals as they work to achieve safety, permanency, and well-being for rural children.

Explores research and practice on trauma focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), which is an evidence-based treatment approach shown to help children, adolescents, and their caregivers overcome trauma-related difficulties. It is designed to reduce negative emotional and behavioral responses following child sexual abuse, domestic violence, traumatic loss, and other traumatic events. The treatment—based on learning and cognitive theories—addresses distorted beliefs and attributions related to the abuse and provides a supportive environment in which children are encouraged to talk about their traumatic experience. TF-CBT also helps parents who were not abusive to cope effectively with their own emotional distress and develop skills that support their children.

Provides basic information on brain development and the effects of abuse and neglect on that development. The information is designed to help professionals understand the emotional, mental, and behavioral impact of early abuse and neglect in children who come to the attention of the child welfare system.