Working With Parents and Caregivers

Child welfare and related professionals may work with parents and caregivers who are having a difficult time coping with a child or youth's mental health issues. When professionals and others are aware of mental health concerns—and have the tools and information to better support caregivers in accessing assessment, diagnosis, and treatment—they may be better equipped to improve family and child social and emotional well-being. Additionally, parents and caregivers may also have traumatic histories that can affect their ability to parent effectively. This section provides resources for professionals that support parenting practices aimed at children or youth who have experienced trauma, as well as for families experiencing mental health concerns.

California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare
Identifies and disseminates information on evidence-based child welfare practices, including mental health programs. The clearinghouse provides a searchable database of programs that can be utilized by professionals who serve children and families receiving child welfare services.

Emotional Wellness
Healthychildren.org (2020)
Provides age-specific answers to questions common throughout child development. For example, articles include signs of depression specific to grade school children and strategies for reducing separation anxiety in toddlers.

For Parents
Center for Young Women’s Health
Shares a series of health guides specifically designed for parents and caregivers of girls ages 13 to 22. These guides cover a variety of mental health issues, including treatment options for eating disorders and depression. For health guides specific to young men, see similar resources produced by Young Men’s Health.

For Parents and Caregivers
Mentalhealth.gov (2019)
Outlines signs of mental health distress among children and youth and provides information about finding appropriate mental health professionals and initiating mental health discussions.

Learning to Help Your Child and Your Family
National Alliance on Mental Illness (2020)
Guides parents on methods for creating a community of support for children and youth experiencing mental health concerns.

Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Trauma

Series Title	Factsheets for Families
Author(s)	Child Welfare Information Gateway
Availability	View Download (PDF - 496KB) Order (Free)
Disponibilidad	Ver Versión para imprimir (PDF - 693KB) Ordene (Gratis)
Year Published	2014

Discusses the nature of trauma, especially abuse or neglect, the effects of trauma on children and youth, and ways to help a child who has experienced trauma. Parents or foster parents who do not understand the effects of trauma may misinterpret their child’s behavior, and attempts to address troubling behavior may be ineffective or, in some cases, even harmful. By understanding trauma, parents and foster parents can help support a child’s healing, the parent-child relationship, and their family as a whole.

The SAHM App - Thrive
Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) (2020)
Describes an app designed to support parents in helping youth take ownership of their mental and physical health care.

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