
Child Welfare Information Gateway E-lert! January 2021
Encourage your colleagues to subscribe to E-lert!
Here's what's new from Child Welfare Information Gateway. Use the links below or contact us to request print copies. If print copies are available, we will ship them to you for free.
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It is essential for the child welfare field to be educated on human trafficking, particularly sex trafficking, due to the high risk of exploitation for children and youth involved with child welfare.
Take some time this month to learn more about preventing this abuse.
Our Human Trafficking web section has resources to help educate professionals and support those who have been exploited.
Did you know human trafficking includes both labor and sexual exploitation, and many states have expanded their child protection definitions to better serve families at risk of being exploited. Learn how states define human trafficking.
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Read the newly released 30th edition of the Children’s Bureau’s annual Child Maltreatment Report.
From fiscal year (FY) 2018 to 2019, the number of children who received a child protective services investigation response decreased by over 50,000. However, the number of children who died from maltreatment increased over the same period.
The latest Child Maltreatment Report is now available for all federal, state, and private agencies. Read it today for more information on the types of maltreatment, statistics, and more.
Looking for a summary of last year's report? Check out Child Maltreatment 2018: Summary of Key Findings.
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The way we work and live has changed dramatically over the past year, and stress management has never been more crucial—especially for child welfare workers. Andrew Winters, a member of the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development, discusses the psychological impacts and stressors affecting caseworkers during this pandemic as well as the lessons learned, changes demanded of caseworkers during 2020, and how we can address secondary trauma in the future. Listen to the podcast!
Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, SoundCloud, and Google Podcasts.
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Updated Resources
Support Services for Youth in Transition
Youth preparing to transition to independent living need support and guidance to help them be successful. From employment and education to relationships, this web section covers several areas where youth may need support. The sections that have been recently updated include the following:
Employment and Training Services for Youth
Find programs, organizations, and other resources that help at-risk youth get ready for employment with vocational and workforce skills training.
New Publications
Supervising for Quality Child Welfare Practice
Supervisors play an important role in ensuring that caseworkers—and therefore families—get the support and resources they need. Find tools and resources to help child welfare supervisors strengthen supervisory capacity, make their services more effective, and promote innovation.
Adoption Assistance for Children Adopted from Foster Care
Families who choose to open their homes and adopt a child may be eligible for financial assistance. This updated publication covers the types of assistance and their eligibility as well as how the assistance is received.
Colaborando con parientes para promover la reunificación (Partnering With Relatives to Promote Reunification)
Kinship caregivers play an important role in reunification. However, sometimes they have unique challenges to navigate. Newly translated into Spanish, this publication features the experiences and advice of kinship caregivers and their families.
Did You Know?
Families who are separated because of parental incarceration need support that is tailored to their unique needs. Children in these families have greater risk of negative outcomes, such as behavioral problems, substance use, and poor academic performance. The incarcerated parent may also have difficulties working on the skills they need for reunification or to maintain strong family connections.
Supporting Children and Families Affected by Parental Incarceration has resources for parents, caseworkers, and other professionals. Explore this web page and find tips for engaging parents, explaining the situation to children in age-appropriate ways, and working with the correctional system. State and local examples of successful programs are also highlighted.
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This edition of CBX focuses on the need to be relentless in the pursuit of a dramatically different vision for child welfare in the United States. There is unprecedented unity in the field that we must push to achieve a true child and family well-being system. There is growing insistence that we must do all we can to support families and reduce the need for contact with formal child protective services.
Read the issue.
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Conferences and Webinars
Information Gateway will be at the following upcoming virtual conferences and webinars. Please register and watch a virtual session.
Be sure to visit Information Gateway's event calendar to view and/or submit upcoming events!
Updates From Capacity Building Center for States
January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Explore our resources on to help your agency support survivors of sex trafficking and minors at risk of sexual exploitation:
For more information and news from the Center for States, visit their website.
Give Us Your Feedback
To help us meet your needs, we welcome your feedback. Please take this short survey and help Information Gateway improve the resources and services we provide. Thank you!
Contact Information
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Phone: 800.394.3366
Email: info@childwelfare.gov
Web: https://www.childwelfare.gov

Chat live with an Information Specialist between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. EDT.
E-lert! is a free service of the Children's Bureau/ACF/HHS and Child Welfare Information Gateway.
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