Child Welfare Information Gateway
Skip to main content
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
  • Administration for Children & Families
  • Children's Bureau
Child Welfare Information Gateway
REPORT ABUSE OR
NEGLECT
FIND HELP WITH A
PERSONAL SITUATION   

Home Topics Publications Library State Resources More Tools & Resources News & Events
REPORT ABUSE OR
NEGLECT
FIND HELP WITH A
PERSONAL SITUATION   
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Chat
  • Free Subscriptions
  • Resources in Spanish
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Chat
  • Resources in Spanish
  • Shopping Cart
  • Home
  • Topics
    • Family-Centered Practice
      • Philosophy and Key Elements of Family-Centered Practice
      • Family-Centered Practice Across the Service Continuum
      • Engaging Families
      • Family-Centered Casework Practice
      • Family Group Decision-Making
      • Engaging Communities to Support Families
      • Creating a Family-Centered Agency Culture
    • Child Abuse & Neglect
      • Definitions of Child Abuse & Neglect
      • Identification of Child Abuse & Neglect
      • Risk Factors That Contribute to Child Abuse and Neglect
      • People Who Engage in Child Abuse or Neglect
      • Impact of Child Abuse & Neglect
      • Child Abuse & Neglect Fatalities
    • Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect
      • National Child Abuse Prevention Month
      • Overview: Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect
      • Promoting Child & Family Well-Being
      • Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Programs
      • Public Awareness & Creating Supportive Communities
      • Developing & Sustaining Prevention Programs
      • Evidence-Based Practice for Child Abuse Prevention
      • Evaluating Prevention Programs
    • Responding to Child Abuse & Neglect
      • Introduction to Responding to Child Abuse & Neglect
      • Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect
      • Assessment in Child Protection
      • Differential Response in Child Protective Services
      • Child Protection Casework Practice
      • Responding to Child Maltreatment Near Fatalities and Fatalities
      • Trauma-Informed Practice in Child Welfare
      • Collaborative Responses to Child Abuse & Neglect
    • Supporting & Preserving Families
      • Supporting Families With Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
      • Introduction to Family Support and Preservation
      • In-Home Services Involved With Child Protection
      • Family Support Services
      • Resources for Managers of Family Support and Preservation Services
      • Family Preservation Services
    • Out-of-Home Care
      • National Foster Care Month
      • Overview: Out-of-Home Care
      • Foster Care
      • Group and Residential Care
      • Kinship Care
      • Casework Practice in Out-of-Home Care
      • Transition to Adulthood and Independent Living
      • Placement Decisions
      • Resources for Foster Families
    • Achieving & Maintaining Permanency
      • Overview: Achieving & Maintaining Permanency
      • Reunifying Families
      • Recruiting and Retaining Resource Families
      • Permanency With Relatives and Kin
      • Guardianship
      • Permanency for Specific Youth Populations
      • Legal and Court Issues in Permanency
      • Interjurisdictional Placements
      • Working With Children, Youth, and Families in Permanency Planning
      • Working With Children, Youth, and Families After Permanency
      • Resources for Administrators and Managers About Permanency
      • Resources for Families About Permanency
    • Adoption
      • National Adoption Month
      • Children's Bureau Adoption Call to Action
      • All-In Foster Adoption Challenge
      • Adoption and Guardianship Assistance by State
      • Introduction to Adoption
      • Ethical Issues in Adoption
      • For Adopted People
      • For Adoption Program Managers & Administrators
      • For Expectant Parents Considering Adoption and Birth Parents
      • How to Adopt
      • Laws Related to Adoption
      • Parenting After Adoption
      • Postplacement Adoption Casework Practice
      • Preplacement Adoption Casework Practice
      • Search & Reunion in Adoption
    • Management & Supervision
      • Administering & Managing Child Welfare Agencies & Programs
      • Child Welfare Practice Improvement
      • Disaster Preparedness & Response
      • Ethical Practice & Client Rights
      • Evaluating Program and Practice Effectiveness
      • Funding
      • Information Systems & Data
      • Supervising Child Welfare Services
      • System Reform
      • Training
      • Workforce
    • Systemwide
      • Assessment
      • Behavioral Health & Wellness
      • Courts
      • Cultural Responsiveness
      • Diverse Populations and Communities
      • Domestic Violence
      • Human Trafficking
      • Laws & Policies
      • Service Array
      • Statistics
      • Well-Being
      • Youth
  • Publications
    • Publications Series
    • Browse by Topic
    • Browse by Title
    • índice de Títulos en Español (Spanish Title Index)
  • Library
    • Library Search Help
    • Library Services
  • State Resources
    • State Statutes
    • National Foster Care & Adoption Directory
    • State Guides & Manuals Search
    • State-Related Organizations Lists
    • Adoption and Guardianship Assistance by State
  • More Tools & Resources
    • Related Organizations
    • Learning Center
    • Resources From the Children's Bureau
      • Children's Bureau Discretionary Grants
      • The Story of the Children's Bureau
      • Children's Bureau Video Series
    • Child Welfare Information Gateway Podcast Series
    • Multimedia
      • Videos
      • Webinars
    • Family Engagement Inventory
  • News & Events
    • Free Subscriptions
    • Adoption Triad
    • Children's Bureau Express (CBX)
    • The Grantee Connection
    • New on Information Gateway
    • New From the Children's Bureau
    • Event Calendar
  • Home
  • Topics
  • Systemwide
  • Well-Being
  • Resources for Professionals and Others Supporting Young People During Times of Uncertainty

Resources for Professionals and Others Supporting Young People During Times of Uncertainty

Everyone needs support from time to time. Many people experience increased stress during times of uncertainty, such as during an emergency or when making a big transition. Young people are no exception, and those who have experience with the foster care system may face unique obstacles and challenges. It is critically important that during these times—when a young person may be isolated or separated from their support systems—that they still have adequate access to mental health and other well-being services. The following resources are for professionals and those supporting young people during times of uncertainty.

How can I support young people that I work with or who are in my care during times of uncertainty?

  • Be available and check-in with young people regularly.
    • Ask how young people prefer to communicate—phone or video calls, text messages, etc. 
    • Let the young person know if you will be unreachable for a period and identify someone else they can turn to. 
  • Make sure each young person knows what to do and who to contact in case of an emergency.  
  • Ensure each young person can adequately maintain their privacy when talking about personal or sensitive topics, especially when doing so virtually. 
    • Help a young person identify a private, quiet space where they can talk openly. 
    • Make sure they have the necessary equipment—headphones, video conferencing software, etc.
    • Be available to test equipment ahead of time.

Additional resources

The Agony of Social Distancing for Adolescents
Denworth (2020)
Grown & Flown
Discusses the importance of friendship and socialization for adolescents and teens, especially in times of crises, and ways young people can safely maintain relationships with their peers while physically distancing.  

COVID-19 Parental Resources Kit
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020)
Provides information and resources to help support the social, emotional, and mental well-being of youth and young people by age group, including adolescents and young adults. 

COVID-19 Resources for Parents, Families & Youth
National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health
Offers resources and information for parents and caregivers on parenting during a pandemic, self-care and coping with stress and anxiety, and supporting youth and young adults.

Family Members and Caregivers
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Provides information and resources for caregivers supporting a child, friend, or family member with mental illness, ranging from crisis preventions to learning how to take care of yourself. 

For Parents and Caregivers
Mentalhealth.gov
Offers parents and caregivers information and resources to support young people who may be struggling with their mental health, including what the warning signs are, what you should do if you have concerns about your child, how to talk with young people about mental health, and more. 

Supporting Child, Caregiver, and Family Well-Being in Times of Crisis: Strategies to Promote Effective Virtual and Phone Engagement

Series Title
Bulletins for Professionals
Author(s)
Child Welfare Information Gateway, Child Welfare Capacity Building Center for States
Availability
View
Download (PDF - 370KB)
Year Published
2020
This bulletin for child-serving professionals outside of child protective services discusses ways to support children and their caregivers and connect them with appropriate resources that may mitigate any risks for harm during crisis situations. This document is organized by the five protective factors that build on family strengths to foster child and youth well-being and development. Each section contains questions that professionals can address with parents/caregivers and with children/youth in the course of their work with families, with an emphasis on content appropriate for virtual visits.

Supporting Teenagers and Young Adults During the Coronavirus Crisis
Miller (2020)
Child Mind Institute 
Offers practical advice for caregivers of teenagers and young adults during the pandemic, from helping young people practice mindfulness to validating their disappointments.

Supporting the Well-Being of Children, Youth, and Families After the Pandemic Is Over
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau (2021)
Children’s Bureau Express, 22(7)
Presents suggestions for the future of the child welfare system that have implications for the well-being of children and families. The considerations focus on the importance of racial equity, collaborative disaster planning with youth and families, and flexibility.

Tip Sheet on Responding to Youth and Young Adult Mental Health Needs (PDF - 317 KB)
Division X Technical Assistance (2022)
Provides information for child welfare professionals on addressing the mental health needs of youth and young adults who are involved with the child welfare system or transitioning from foster care into adulthood. The tip sheet reviews trauma-informed approaches, cultural and systemic barriers to supports, and more. 

Trauma-Informed Strategies for Supporting Child Welfare-Involved Children and Youth During COVID-19
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau (2021)
Children’s Bureau Express, 22(2)
Outlines trauma-informed strategies to promote healing and improve resilience in children, youth, and families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Back to Top)

The webpages listed below act as a guide for where to find additional information for supporting young people. 

Safety and Security

  • Housing Services 
  • Transition to Adulthood and Independent Living

Behavioral and Emotional Functioning

  • Behavioral Health & Wellness

Physical Health and Development

  • Health Services
  • Services to Children and Youth With Disabilities

Educational Stability

  • Education Services
  • Employment & Training Services

Relationships and Social Functioning

  • Helping Children and Families With Separation and Loss
  • Understanding Youth

Find more information about how to support young people’s overall well-being by choosing a topic below.

  • Casework Practice in Out-of-Home Care
  • Positive Youth Development
  • Services and Interventions for Youth
  • Virtual and Remote Workforce Needs
Children's Bureau - An office of the Administration for Children and Families

Child Welfare Information Gateway is a service of the

  • Children’s Bureau
  • Administration for Children and Families
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
↑ Back to top
  • HOME
  • TOPICS
    • Family-Centered Practice
    • Child Abuse & Neglect
    • Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect
    • Responding to Child Abuse & Neglect
    • Supporting & Preserving Families
    • Out-of-Home Care
    • Achieving & Maintaining Permanency
    • Adoption
    • Management & Supervision
    • Systemwide
  • National Initiatives
    • National Adoption Month
    • National Child Abuse Prevention Month
    • National Foster Care Month
  • Publications
    • Publications Series
    • Browse by Title
    • Browse by Topic
    • Índice de Títulos en Español
  • Library
    • Search the Library
  • State Resources
    • State Statutes
    • National Foster Care & Adoption Directory
    • State Guides & Manuals
    • State Related Organizations Lists
    • Adoption Assistance by State
  • More Tools & Resources
    • Related Organizations
    • Learning Center
    • Children's Bureau Resources
    • Information Gateway Podcast
    • Multimedia
    • Family Engagement Inventory
  • NEWS AND EVENTS
    • New on Information Gateway
    • New From the Children's Bureau
    • Event Calendar
  • ABOUT US
    • How to Report Child Abuse or Neglect
    • Find Help With a Personal Situation
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Glossary
    • Search A to Z
  • Contact Us
    • 1-800-394-3366
    • info@childwelfare.gov
    • Subscribe to Free Updates
    • Chat With Us
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on YouTube
  • POLICIES & HELPFUL LINKS
    • Disclaimer and Policies
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility
    • FOIA requests
    • No FEAR Act data
    • Office of the Inspector General
    • Performance reports
    • Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
    • USA.gov
    • Download Acrobat Reader
  • ↑ Back to top