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2012 Pennsylvania Permanency Conference
2007 Kids Count Data Book: State Profiles of Child Well-Being: Lifelong Family Connections: Supporting Permanence for Children in Foster Care. | |
Author(s): | Annie E. Casey Foundation. |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 0KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2007 - 196 pages |
This 18th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book provides national and state-by-state information and statistical trends on the conditions of America's children and families. New this year is information on child well-being in Puerto Rico. This year's essay examines the child welfare system and challenges the country to make lifelong connections for children and youth in foster care a national priority. The essay also focuses on the 726,000 children who spend time in foster care each year and what can be done to build and strengthen family relationships. |
Abuse-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Child Physical Abuse | |
Series Title: | Issue Briefs |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 209KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2007 - 11 pages |
Abuse-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (AF-CBT) has been found to improve functioning in school-aged children who have experienced physical abuse, as well as in their parents, caregivers, and families. This issue brief explores the characteristics and benefits of AF-CBT to help child welfare caseworkers, other professionals who work with at-risk families, and caregivers make more informed decisions about family participation in AF-CBT. It includes information about what makes AF-CBT unique, key components, target populations, effectiveness, and what to look for in an AF-CBT therapist. |
Addressing Racial Disproportionality in Child Welfare | |
Series Title: | Issue Briefs |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 391KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2011 - 28 pages |
Focuses on some promising practices from around the country that agencies and jurisdictions have implemented to respond to racial disproportionality in child welfare. The brief looks at the various decision points in the child welfare process where overrepresentation (or underrepresentation) of different racial or ethnic groups may occur and notes promising programs that address disproportionality at those decision points. The issue brief explores disproportionality in terms of prevalence, community development and prevention, reporting and screening, investigation and assessment, service provision, permanency for children in out-of-home care, across the stages of child welfare, States' efforts, and strategies and research. |
Adoption Assistance for Children Adopted From Foster Care | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 369KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2011 - 5 pages |
In every State there are children with special needs waiting in foster care for adoptive families. The most recent data estimate that 126,000 children are available to be adopted from foster care. In the past, the costs of care and services were major obstacles to parents who would otherwise adopt and love these children, and most were not placed for adoption. The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 provided the first Federal subsidies to encourage the adoption of children from the nation's foster care system. These subsidies, known as adoption assistance, serve to minimize the financial obstacles to ... |
Adoption Disruption and Dissolution | |
Series Title: | Numbers and Trends |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 437KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2012 - 11 pages |
This factsheet reports statistics about adoption disruption (before finalization of the placement) and dissolution (after legal finalization). Differences in disruption rates by age of the child and placement history, reasons why disruption and dissolution occur, and disruption and dissolution trends are noted. |
Adoption USA: A Chartbook Based on the 2007 National Survey of Adoptive Parents | |
Author(s): | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Vandivere, Malm, Radel |
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Year Published: | 2009 - 91 pages |
The National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) is a nationally representative survey of U.S. children under age 18. In each sampled household, one child under age 18 was randomly selected. A parent or guardian knowledgeable about the child's health answered questions by telephone regarding the child's and the family's health and well-being and provided information about demographic characteristics. The 2007 NSCH includes information on 91,642 focal children, representing 73.8 million children throughout the United States. |
The Basics of Adoption Practice | |
Series Title: | Bulletins for Professionals |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 307KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2006 - 13 pages |
Adoption is a highly specialized field that focuses on placing children with families and providing services to ensure that these placements are permanent. In recent decades, the emphasis of adoption practice has shifted from helping families find children to finding safe and permanent families for children. Adoption workers are now expected to have extensive knowledge and understanding of the recruitment and assessment of adoptive families, the placement of children with a variety of strengths and needs, and supportive postadoption services to promote attachment and permanency for children. This bulletin provides an overview of the basics of adoption practice and the ... |
Child Welfare Casework With Nonresident Fathers of Children in Foster Care | |
Author(s): | United States. Administration for Children and Families., United States. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 163KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2006 - 8 pages |
Most children in foster care are not living with their fathers at the time they are removed from their homes, and once in substitute care, these children may experience even less contact with their nonresident fathers. Yet fathers and their relatives represent half of a child's potential family connections and kin resources. If ignored, important social or financial support for the child may be missed as permanency planning is conducted. Fathers or their relatives may be potential substitute caregivers for the child, may support a reunification plan with child support, respite or other assistance, or may voluntarily relinquish parental rights ... |
Child Welfare Information Gateway: Stay Connected | |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 523KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2012 - 2 pages |
Child Welfare Information Gateway provides access to timely, practical resources that help child welfare, adoption, and related professionals protect children and strengthen families. This flier describes Information Gateway's free services, including reliable print and electronic publications, websites, online databases, and more. |
Child Welfare Outcomes 2006-2009: Executive Summary Brochure | |
Author(s): | Children's Bureau. |
Availability: | Download (PDF - 1,000KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2011 - 12 pages |
Child Welfare Outcomes reports provide information on the performance of States in seven outcome categories. The outcomes used in this report reflect widely accepted performance objectives for child welfare practice. |
The Children's Bureau Centennial flyer | |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | Download (PDF - 692KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2012 - 2 pages |
The Children's Bureau centennial year begins April 9, 2012! Trends come and go, but some things never change. Many of the initiatives and values that formed the foundation of the Children?s Bureau in 1912 remain at the core of our work today. |
Domestic Violence and the Child Welfare System | |
Series Title: | Bulletins for Professionals |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 1,359KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2009 - 14 pages |
System responses to domestic violence have typically been targeted toward adult victims of abuse. However, increased attention is now being focused on children who witness domestic violence. This bulletin addresses the impact of domestic violence on children and the resulting implications on professional practice. Resources such as websites and additional publications are also provided for further information. |
Employer-Provided Adoption Benefits | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 272KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2011 - 4 pages |
This fact sheet explains the types of employee and tax benefits that are available to adoptive parents, from financial assistance and parental leave to tax credits for adoption expenses. Eligibility for such benefits is briefly discussed, and resources about employers offering adoption benefits are provided. |
Family Engagement | |
Series Title: | Bulletins for Professionals |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway. |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 328KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2010 - 17 pages |
Describes the benefits of family engagement in the child welfare system. This bulletin for professional child welfare caseworkers discusses ways to achieve meaningful family engagement, specific strategies that reflect family engagement, and examples of State and local child welfare programs that have achieved success with engaging families. |
Foster Care Statistics 2010 | |
Series Title: | Numbers and Trends |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 437KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2012 - 12 pages |
Provides the most recent national statistical estimates for children in foster care from fiscal year (FY) 2010 and also provides earlier data from FY 2000 to allow for some estimate of trends over time. Data were obtained from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS). The factsheet provides statistics on number of children in foster care and entering and exiting care and includes information on child characteristics, placement goals and settings, length of stay, and outcomes. |
Foster Parent Adoption | |
Series Title: | Bulletins for Professionals |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 313KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2006 - 9 pages |
This paper discusses issues related to the increasing importance of foster parents as permanency resources for children in foster care. In order to facilitate adoptions by foster parents, professionals should be knowledgeable about the benefits, costs, and practice issues surrounding foster parent adoption. Practice issues include assessment, adoption preparation and postadoption support, and facilitating ongoing connections with birth families. |
Foster Parents Considering Adoption | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 512KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2012 - 9 pages |
Summarizes what foster parents should consider while deciding whether to adopt their foster child or youth. This factsheet does not address the specifics of how to adopt; it provides information on the differences between foster care and adoption, advantages of foster parent adoption, strategies for foster/adoptive families, and useful references. |
Frequently Asked Questions From Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Prospective Foster and Adoptive Parents | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 281KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2011 - 5 pages |
This factsheet answers questions that many prospective lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) parents ask. |
How Many Children Were Adopted in 2007 and 2008? | |
Series Title: | Numbers and Trends |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 629KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2011 - 32 pages |
Provides national statistical estimates for the total number of children adopted in the United States in fiscal years 2007 and 2008. The report includes highlights of the data; findings on the numbers of public agency, intercountry, and other adoptions; and data aggregations in exhibits, tables, and appendices. Data were collected by State courts, State bureaus of vital records, the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs. |
How the Child Welfare System Works | |
Series Title: | Factsheets |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 565KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2012 - 9 pages |
Provides an overview of the purposes and functions of child welfare systems. It explains what happens when abuse or neglect are reported, how those reports are processed, and what happens to the adults and children who are involved in the child welfare system. A flowchart illustrates how cases may move through the child welfare system. |
How to work with your court : a guide for child welfare agency administrators. 2nd ed. | |
Author(s): | Hardin, Rauber |
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Year Published: | 2004 - 168 pages |
Federal laws such as the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 and the Adoption and Safe Families Act increased the role of courts in the implementation of child welfare cases to ensure that agencies are achieving permanency for children. This book for child welfare administrators explains how to establish effective and efficient relationships between their agency and the courts. Tips are provided for meeting with judges to resolve administrative problems, cooperating with other key court staff, working on joint projects with the court, and informing judges and agency attorneys about child welfare service delivery issues. Supervisors also must ... |
Impact of Adoption on Adopted Persons | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 248KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2004 - 8 pages |
As discussion of the adoption process becomes more open and accepted in American society, and as more Americans have experience with adoption, there is also more attention focused on those involved in adoption -- the adopted person, the birth parents, and the adoptive parents (often referred to as the adoption triad or, more recently, the adoption constellation). People who have experienced adoption firsthand are coming forward to talk or write about their experiences, and researchers are conducting scientific studies to find out about the impact of adoption on all members of the adoption triad. This factsheet examines the impact of ... |
Impact of Adoption on Adoptive Parents | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway. |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 401KB) |
Year Published: | 2010 - 14 pages |
This factsheet explores some of the emotional ups and downs that adoptive parents may experience as they approach the decision to adopt, during the adoptive process, and after the adoption. It explores some stresses that adoptive parents may experience, including depression, issues related to identity and attachment, and issues related to the child's adjustment, such as contact with the birth family. Useful resources and suggestions for finding help are included. |
Impact of Adoption on Birth Parents | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 249KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2004 - 9 pages |
This factsheet discusses some of the emotional issues that parents face after making the decision to place an infant for adoption, in surrendering the child, and in handling the feelings that often persist afterwards. In addition, it addresses some of the emotional issues of parents whose children are permanently removed from them and whose parental rights are terminated. This factsheet may be a helpful resource for birth parents, as well as family members, friends, and others who want to support birth parents. It may also provide some insight to adopted persons and adoptive parents who want to understand the struggles ... |
Kinship Caregivers and the Child Welfare System | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 335KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2010 - 15 pages |
Informal and formal kinship care arrangements help to ensure stability and protection for children within their extended family. This fact sheet describes the benefits of kinship care as a child protection alternative and examines the agency's responsibility for the placement. The placement decision-making process, what to expect from the child welfare service and court system, and financial support, available services, and permanency planning are discussed. Questions for new kin caregivers to ask and a list of additional references are provided. |
Military Families Considering Adoption | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 296KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2010 - 6 pages |
Common questions about adoption of children by military personnel and their families are addressed in this factsheet. Topics include: resources for information about state laws, what to expect during the home study and the impact of deployment on the process, leave time, and cost. Postadoption services and medical benefits for adopted children also are discussed. |
Obtaining Background Information on Your Prospective Adopted Child | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 248KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2003 - 6 pages |
This fact sheet explains why it is important to obtain background information about a prospective child. It discusses where a family might find background information, what questions to ask about the child's medical, family, social, and placement history, and why information may not be available. It includes a list of resources for more information. |
Openness in Adoption | |
Series Title: | Bulletins for Professionals |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 304KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2003 - 10 pages |
This fact sheet defines open adoption, including information about the laws regarding open adoption and research findings about the effects of open adoption on the adoption triad. It discusses implications for agency policy around adoption openness, foster care adoptions, and when open adoption may not be in the child's best interest. It includes a list of useful web sites, books and articles for both families and professionals, and the pros and cons of each type of adoption (confidential, mediated, and open). |
Openness in Adoption | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 259KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2003 - 6 pages |
This factsheet describes the benefits of postadoption contact with birth parents and reviews considerations for determining the degree of openness that is most appropriate for the child. It suggests that adoptive parents consult Internet websites, books, counselors, and other parents when making decisions about open adoption. The factsheet includes a chart of the advantages and disadvantages of confidential adoptions, mediated adoptions, and open adoptions. |
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy With At-Risk Families | |
Series Title: | Issue Briefs |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 222KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2007 - 14 pages |
Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) is a family-centered treatment approach demonstrated effective for abused and at-risk children ages 2½ to 12 and their parents or caregivers. This issue brief explores the characteristics and benefits of PCIT to help child welfare caseworkers, other professionals who work with at-risk families, and caregivers make more informed decisions about family participation in PCIT programs. It includes information about what makes PCIT unique, key components, effectiveness, and what to look for in a PCIT therapist. |
Parenting a Child Who Has Been Sexually Abused: A Guide for Foster and Adoptive Parents | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 240KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2008 - 10 pages |
Many factors affect how children react to and recover from sexual abuse. Parents play an important role in their children?s recovery. This factsheet includes information to help foster and adoptive parents of children who have been sexually abused. It includes information about child sexual abuse, tips for establishing guidelines for safety and privacy in the family, and guidance on when and how to seek help, if needed. |
Persons Seeking to Adopt | |
Series Title: | Numbers and Trends |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 153KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2011 - 6 pages |
Most Americans favor adoption, and many have at some point considered adoption. However, relatively few have taken concrete steps toward adopting a child, and fewer still have actually adopted a child. This factsheet examines some of the more recent statistics and trends regarding American adults who seek to adopt an infant or child. |
Postadoption Services | |
Series Title: | Bulletins for Professionals |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 266KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2005 - 14 pages |
All adopted children and their families can potentially benefit from services provided after the adoption is finalized. These services may include educational and informational services, clinical services, material services, and/or support services. This bulletin addresses: who benefits from postadoption services, how can postadoption services help, what postadoptive services do families need, what postadoptive services do States offer, how are postadoption services delivered, how are postadoption services funded, why evaluate postadoption services, what are the implications for practice, and what future research is needed This bulletin specifically focuses on the benefits for adopted people and adoptive parents. Includes resources. |
Postadoption Services | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 285KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2006 - 10 pages |
It is common for adoptive families to need support and services after adoption. Postadoption services can help families with a wide range of issues. They are available for everything from learning how to explain adoption to a preschooler, to helping a child who experienced early childhood abuse, to helping with an adopted teen?s search for identity. Experience with adoptive families has shown that all family members can benefit from some type of postadoption support. Families of children who have experienced trauma, neglect, or institutionalization may require more intensive services. |
Post-Legal Adoption Services For Children with Special Needs and Their Families : Challenges and Lessons Learned | |
Series Title: | Grantee Lessons Learned |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 318KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2005 - 15 pages |
With the goal of expanding and enhancing services to adoptive families of children with special needs, post-legal adoption services have been established in annual adoption discretionary grant announcements. Under that priority area in 1998, 15 3-year grants were awarded to increase permanency and well-being for children with special needs by preventing adoption disruption, dissolution, or out-of-home placement. This briefing paper synthesizes the final reports of those 15 projects. The projects targeted post-legal adoptive families and their children with special needs, pre-adoptive families, single adoptive parents, transracial adoptive families, kinship families. Core services included parent support and educational groups, children s ... |
Preventing Child Maltreatment and Promoting Well-Being: A Network for Action 2012 Resource Guide | |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway, Children's Bureau, FRIENDS National Resource Center For Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention, Center for the Study of Social Policy-Strengthening Families |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 2,632KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2012 - 70 pages |
This Resource Guide was written to support service providers in their work with parents, caregivers, and their children to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect. The guide includes information about protective factors that help reduce the risk of child maltreatment, strategies for changing how communities support families, and evidence-informed practices. It also offers suggestions for enhancing protective factors in families, tools to build awareness and develop community partnerships, information about child abuse and neglect, a directory of national organizations that work to strengthen families, and tip sheets in English and Spanish on specific parenting topics. |
Promising Results, Potential New Directions: International FGDM Research and Evaluation in Child Welfare | |
Author(s): | National Center on Family Group Decision Making (U.S.) Merkel-Holguin |
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Year Published: | 2003 - 137 pages |
This special issue of Protecting Children is a response to the need for empirical knowledge and research on family group decision making (FGDM) to support its future implementation, practice improvement, and sustainability. The first four articles present overarching philosophical and methodological considerations in FGDM research and evaluation. The remaining articles summarize a wide range of FGDM studies in action or already completed, including experiences in California, Washington, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Utah, Nebraska, Massachusetts, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and England. The overall findings, divided into the categories of implementation, process indicators, and outcome indicators, offer considerable support ... |
Providing Background Information to Adoptive Parents | |
Series Title: | Bulletins for Professionals |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 278KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2003 - 8 pages |
This bulletin explains the importance of providing background information about a child to prospective adoptive parents so that they can be prepared to address the child's emotional, health, and behavioral needs. The briefing describes the liability of agencies in cases of wrongful adoption and identifies the types of information that families should receive. Issues regarding sensitive information and right to privacy also are discussed. |
Psychotropic Medication and Children in Foster Care: Tips for Advocates and Judges. | |
Author(s): | American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law. Solchany |
Availability: | Download (PDF - 1,065KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2011 - 36 pages |
Addresses common child and adolescent mental health diagnoses and presents a multimodal approach to managing mental health disorders for children and youth in foster care. The benefits, drawbacks, and side effects of psychotropic medications are discussed and presented in a table. Recommendations for best practice are listed, and questions that judges and advocates should ask about medication use with children in foster care are included. |
Respite Care Services for Families Who Adopt Children with Special Needs: Synthesis of Demonstration Program Final Reports | |
Series Title: | Grantee Lessons Learned |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 242KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2002 - 10 pages |
This report synthesizes information from the final program and evaluation reports of 8 Adoption Opportunities discretionary grants programs written between 1994 and 1999. It summarizes project descriptions, lessons learned, accomplishments, and recommendations. An appendix includes project information for each of the 8 projects, including contact information, area served, target population, and evaluation activities. |
Searching for Birth Relatives | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 445KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2011 - 18 pages |
Provides guidance to adopted persons and birth families on the search process and information access, as well as resources for further help in conducting a successful search. This factsheet is designed to address the concerns of both adopted persons who are searching for birth parents or other birth relatives, as well as birth parents (both mothers and fathers) who want to locate a child who was adopted. While not a complete "how to" guide to searching, this factsheet provides information on the decision to search, steps in the search process, hiring a professional searcher, international searching, using social media to ... |
Selecting and Working With a Therapist Skilled in Adoption | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 251KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2012 - 13 pages |
Provides members of adoptive families with information on the varieties of therapeutic approaches and professional therapists, recommendations for choosing and working with a therapist, and online resources for postadoption support and national organizations. |
Sibling Issues in Foster Care and Adoption | |
Series Title: | Bulletins for Professionals |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 356KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2006 - 15 pages |
This bulletin explores research, intervention strategies, and resources to assist professionals in preserving connections among siblings placed in foster care. The importance and benefits of placing siblings together is discussed, and strategies are offered for addressing the barriers that often keep siblings apart. Ways to maintain sibling connections among siblings living in different homes are also described. A final section provides articles, curricula, sample State policies, and more resources to help professionals. |
"Special Needs" Adoption: What Does It Mean? | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 281KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2010 - 6 pages |
This factsheet presents some common questions about adopting a child or youth with special needs and provides resources that will give you detailed answers. |
State vs. County Administration of Child Welfare Services | |
Series Title: | Factsheets |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway. |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 486KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2012 - 2 pages |
Provides a breakdown of which States (including Washington, DC) have established a centralized administrative system for child welfare services and can be described as State administered, which States can be described as county administered, and which States have a hybrid system that includes both State and county administration. A map showing the different classifications is also included. |
Stay Connected to Adoption Information | |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 226KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2007 - 2 pages |
Child Welfare Information Gateway promotes the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families by connecting adoption and other child welfare professionals to information and resources that help them address the needs of children and families in their communities. This flier highlights the resources and services that Child Welfare Information Gateway offers. |
Stepparent Adoption | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 182KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2008 - 4 pages |
Stepparent adoption is governed by State law. Most States make the adoption process a little easier for stepparents, but requirements for home studies, criminal background checks, and procedures for obtaining consent of the noncustodial parent vary widely by State. This factsheet offers general information about legal issues to consider and steps to take when adopting a stepchild. While most stepparent adoptions can be done without the help of a lawyer, stepparents may wish to consult an adoption attorney to understand the specific legal requirements in their State. Resources for more information are included. |
Supporting Brain Development in Traumatized Children and Youth | |
Series Title: | Bulletins for Professionals |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 438KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2011 - 24 pages |
Summarizes what child welfare professionals can do to support the identification and assessment of the impact of maltreatment and trauma on brain development, including what to look for at different ages and stages of child development. The bulletin also addresses how to work effectively with children, youth, and families to support healthy brain development and how to improve services through cross-system collaboration and trauma-informed practice. |
Supporting Reunification and Preventing Reentry Into Out-of-Home Care | |
Series Title: | Bulletins for Professionals |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway. |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 576KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2012 - 16 pages |
Explores the research on best practices for supporting families after children return from out-of-home care. This publication looks at the benefits of supporting family reunification and preventing reentry, approaches and specific strategies, and State and local examples of strategies. |
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Addressing the Mental Health of Sexually Abused Children | |
Series Title: | Issue Briefs |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 217KB) |
Year Published: | 2007 - 14 pages |
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) has been found to reduce children?s negative emotional and behavioral responses after sexual abuse and other traumatic events. It also helps nonoffending parents cope with their own distress and develop skills to support their children. This issue brief explores the characteristics and benefits of TF-CBT 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 caregivers to TF-CBT programs. It includes information about what makes TF-CBT unique, key components, target population, effectiveness, and what to look for in a TF-CBT therapist. |
Understanding Child Welfare and the Courts | |
Series Title: | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway. |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 305KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2011 - 5 pages |
Serves as a quick guide to the general types of court hearings that family members may experience when they are involved with the child welfare system. The factsheet traces the steps of a child welfare case through the court system and includes information on who should attend hearings, State child welfare laws, sample questions a family member might ask a child welfare worker about court hearings, and resources for helping children or youth prepare for court hearings. |
Understanding Foster Parenting: Using Administrative Data to Explore Retention. Final Report. | |
Author(s): | RTI International., U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Gibbs |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 528KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2005 - 68 pages |
This study was designed to extend current understanding of foster parent retention by producing unbiased estimates of length of service and examining factors associated with licensure, provision of care, and length of service. The study used administrative data, applying data management and analytic methods that have been used to describe the length of stay for children in foster care. Principal research questions include: How have the characteristics of foster parents changed over time? How can variations in activity levels be described, and what foster parent characteristics are associated with varying activity levels? What is the typical length of service for ... |
Understanding the Effects of Maltreatment on Brain Development | |
Series Title: | Issue Briefs |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 365KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2009 - 17 pages |
This issue brief 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. |
Working With Kinship Caregivers | |
Series Title: | Bulletins for Professionals |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 556KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2012 - 17 pages |
Helps child welfare professionals promote kinship care by providing information, referral, and support services to kinship caregivers to ensure the safety, permanency, and well-being of children in their care. Topics covered include the types and benefits of kinship care, training for caseworkers, specific strategies for supporting kinship caregivers, and examples of successful child welfare programs around the country that provide services to kinship caregivers. |
Working With Military Families as They Pursue Adoption | |
Series Title: | Bulletins for Professionals |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 276KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2010 - 7 pages |
This bulletin explains the benefits of using military families as adoptive resources for children. It discusses the challenges in working with military families, ways these challenges have been overcome, and provides a list of resources and organizations that support families in their adoption pursuits. |
Working With Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Families in Adoption | |
Series Title: | Bulletins for Professionals |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 315KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2011 - 14 pages |
This bulletin is designed to help child welfare and adoption professionals expand their cultural competence and build their skills for working effectively and fairly with LGBT families as prospective adoptive parents. It examines issues, laws, and policies on LGBT families in adoption. |