Parenting Children Who Have Experienced Abuse and/or Neglect

Children and youth who have been abused or neglected need safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments to recover from the trauma they’ve experienced. The resources on this page are intended to help parents (birth, foster, and adoptive) and other caregivers better understand the challenges of caring for a child or youth who has experienced maltreatment.

The 27 S’s of Attachment-Focused Parenting
Hughes (2016)
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Network
Discusses approaches and tools that can help improve outcomes for children who have experienced separation and loss in the past.

Building Resilience in Children and Teens (PDF - 63 KB)
Child Welfare Information Gateway (2018)
2018 Prevention Resource Guide
Offers suggestions for how to help your child or teen develop the ability to cope and bounce back from traumatic losses and everyday disappointments. The fact sheet also offers other resources on resilience.

Help for Parents of Children Who Have Been Sexually Abused by Family Members
RAINN (2018)
Guides parents through the range of emotions they may feel after learning their child has been sexually abused by a family member, as well as understanding the effects of sexual abuse on a child and how to report the abuse.

Helping Your Child Heal From Trauma (PDF - 160 KB)
Child Welfare Information Gateway (2018)
2018 Prevention Resource Guide
Describes signs of trauma and the kinds of help that parents can give their children, such as helping the child feel safe and finding a mental health professional when needed. 

Hoarding, Overeating, and Food Obsessions With Foster and Adopted Kids
Creating a Family (2018)
Guides parents on how to handle concerns surrounding food in adopted and foster children using practical advice.

Parenting After Trauma: Understanding Your Child’s Needs (PDF - 1,760 KB)
American Academy of Pediatrics, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, & Jockey (2016)
Explains the effects of early trauma on child development and suggests ways for foster and adoptive parents to help their children process these early experiences.

Resource Guides
Stop It Now! National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Uses the most current scientific research and provides guidance to help identify and support children who have been sexually abused and to effectively reach adults with the information and support they will need to help stop child sexual abuse.

Resources for Families and Caregivers
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Examines the effect of trauma on children throughout development and provides resources to guide parents in their discipline and discipline making.

Safe and Sound: Responding to the Experiences of Children Adopted or in Foster Care
American Academy of Pediatrics (2020)
Presents a series of downloadable guides intended to help children who have experienced trauma and adversity by helping their parents, caregivers, and other adults in their lives understand how that early trauma may have affected them.

Understanding Children’s Behavior and Helping Them Heal 
AdoptUSKids (2021)
Provides information about why children behave as they do and how to help them heal from traumatic experiences. 

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