The Children's Bureau website carries information on child welfare programs, funding, monitoring, training and technical assistance, laws, statistics, research, Federal reporting, and much more. The "New

The Children&#39;s Bureau website carries information on child welfare programs, funding, monitoring, training and technical assistance, laws, statistics, research, Federal reporting, and much more. The &#34;New on Site&#34; section includes grant announcements, policy announcements, agency information, and recently released publications.
Recent additions to the site include:

<ul><li>Information Memorandum 07-02: Ratings for the Child and Family Service Reviews </li><li>Program Instruction 07-02: Title IV-E State Plan Amendments - New Legislation</li><li>A Report to Congress on Interjurisdictional Adoptive Placements</li><li>Corrected Federal Register Announcement: A Federal Register Notice pertaining to the data indicators for the second round of the Child and Family Services Reviews providing corrected information to the original Notice published on June 7, 2006 </li><li>Updated: Foster Care FY 1999-FY 2004 Entries, Exits, and Numbers of Children In Care on the Last Day of Each Federal Fiscal Year </li></ul>
 
Visit the Children&#39;s Bureau website often to see what&#39;s new!

<a href="http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/new_site.htm" rel="nofollow">www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/new_site.htm</a>

March 2007

"Protecting Children, Promoting Healthy Families, and Preserving Communities" is the theme of the 16th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, which will be held April 16-21 in Portland, OR. The

Preview: 16th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect

&#34;Protecting Children, Promoting Healthy Families, and Preserving Communities&#34; is the theme of the 16th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, which will be held April 16-21 in Portland, OR. The theme emphasizes the importance placed by child welfare professionals on strengthening families and engaging communities in order to ensure the well-being of the nation&#39;s children.
Child welfare professionals, State Directors and other key staff, researchers, and professionals from related disciplines will attend the conference to learn about the latest research and practice in the field. The conference is sponsored by the Office on Child Abuse and Neglect within the Children&#39;s Bureau at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Goals of the conference include:
<ul><li>Disseminating the latest information on research, practice, policy, and system reform</li><li>Facilitating the exchange of information</li><li>Fostering collaboration</li><li>Highlighting the contributions of research to practice</li></ul>
Conference participants will have the opportunity to attend workshops, skill seminars, and roundtable discussions; take advantage of experiential learning opportunities in the Portland area; and hear a variety of nationally known speakers, including Joan Ohl, Commissioner of HHS&#39;s Administration on Children, Youth and Families, and Juan Williams from National Public Radio.
More information on the conference can be found in the registration booklet:
<a href="http://www.childwelfare.gov/calendar/cbconference/sixteenth/regbooklet/index.cfm" rel="nofollow">www.childwelfare.gov/calendar/cbconference/sixteenth/regbooklet/index.cfm</a>

FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) recently updated its teleconference archives with the addition of the following titles: Peer Review in CBCAP: The Nuts

FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) recently updated its teleconference archives with the addition of the following titles: 

<ul><li>Peer Review in CBCAP: The Nuts and Bolts (November 2006)</li><li>CBCAP and PART: An Update (October 2006) </li><li>CBCAP Reporting (October 2006) </li><li>Maximizing Resources for CBCAP Programs (September 2006) </li><li>Building Skills for Leadership (September 2006) </li><li>Culturally Competent Strategies (July 2006) </li></ul>

To see a list of participants, access an audio version of each teleconference, or print supplemental materials, visit the FRIENDS website:

<a href="http://www.friendsnrc.org/resources/teleconference.htm" target="new" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">www.friendsnrc.org/resources/teleconference.htm</a>

The Children’s Bureau has expanded its revised series of free User Manuals with the release of two new titles on the topics of courts and child neglect. Working With the Courts in Child Protection explains

The Children’s Bureau has expanded its revised series of free User Manuals with the release of two new titles on the topics of courts and child neglect.
Working With the Courts in Child Protection explains court processes most relevant to child abuse and neglect cases. It introduces concepts and terminology associated with the courts, describes the key court processes, and presents practical information to help child protective services caseworkers prepare for litigation. The primary author was the Honorable William Jones, a retired juvenile and family court judge.
<a href="http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/courts/index.cfm" rel="nofollow">www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/courts/index.cfm</a>
Child Neglect: A Guide for Prevention, Assessment, and Intervention uses an interdisciplinary approach to address the complex issue of neglect. The manual covers neglect&#39;s definition, causes, impact, and prevention and intervention strategies. The primary author was Diane DePanfilis, Associate Dean for Research and Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Maryland.
<a href="http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/neglect/index.cfm" rel="nofollow">www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/neglect/index.cfm</a>
The Child Abuse and Neglect User Manual Series provides guidance on identifying, preventing, and effectively responding to child maltreatment. A list of available manuals and information on ordering and downloading them can be found on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website:
<a href="http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanual.cfm" rel="nofollow">www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanual.cfm</a>

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Children's Bureau began funding Quality Improvement Centers (QICs) in fiscal year (FY) 2001 as part of an effort to support regional research and demonstration

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Children&#39;s Bureau began funding Quality Improvement Centers (QICs) in fiscal year (FY) 2001 as part of an effort to support regional research and demonstration projects in child welfare, as well as training and technical assistance. QICs are tasked with planning a project for a particular region, selecting an advisory group, awarding subgrants, providing technical assistance, and evaluating and disseminating their findings. There is also significant interaction with Federal staff, as the QICs move through these planning and implementation steps during the 5-year funding period.
With Federal funding ending for the first four QICs and projects just beginning for two recently funded QICs, the grantees met in Arlington, VA, in December to share presentations on their projects. The six presentations highlighted the broad range of QIC child welfare projects:
Frontline Connections QIC
The Northwest Institute for Children and Families at the University of Washington was funded to implement culturally appropriate interventions in working with African-American, Alaska Native, and Native American families involved with child welfare. The QIC awarded subgrants to three local organizations that focused on engaging kin and communities in the care of neglected children.
Findings—The subgrantees implemented culturally responsive services and practices that influenced both clients and the child welfare system and resulted in more placements with kin, preservation of family and cultural connections, and services that allowed more children to remain at home.
QIC on Adoption
United Methodist Family Services of Virginia concentrated on the adoption of children from foster care in that State. They focused on partnerships between private and public agencies and the use of evidence-based adoption practices in three projects.
Findings—The partnerships and improved practices resulted in strengthened preparation of families and children for adoptive placement, the development of a child-centered model for adoptive family recruitment, procedures for concurrent planning and dual licensure, and increases in the percentage of children adopted and in the percentage of children with a goal of adoption.
Rocky Mountain QIC
American Humane received funding for this QIC to focus on strengthening families struggling with substance abuse and child maltreatment in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, and Wyoming and the Indian Tribes in and around these States. This QIC funded four local projects, all serving families with substance abuse issues. They provided extensive technical assistance as the local organizations built partnerships in the communities and developed culturally competent services.
Findings—Evaluation data showed a number of positive outcomes, including the provision of prevention and treatment services that supported children to remain at home, increases in reunifications, and high numbers of parents entering treatment with measurable periods of abstinence from substance use. Other outcomes included mixed substantiated recurrences of maltreatment, with two projects being lower than or at the State average and two projects showing somewhat higher maltreatment rates.
Southern Regional QIC
The University of Kentucky funded projects in four southern States (Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee) that focused on clinical supervision and emphasized partnerships among universities, public agencies, and communities. This QIC&#39;s cross-site evaluation looked at child welfare workforce satisfaction and turnover, worker practice, and child and family outcomes.
Findings—Structured methods of clinical casework supervision positively affected the organizational culture, workforce turnover, and worker practice in most of the agencies, and it appears to have improved client outcomes as clients became more engaged and empowered.
QIC on Privatization of Child Welfare Services
Also run by the University of Kentucky, this QIC was funded in FY 2005 to provide information about the usefulness of privatizing portions of the child welfare system in certain settings and about public-private partnerships in the provision of child welfare services. Based on the results of a national analysis of knowledge gaps, this QIC recently has funded projects in Florida, Illinois, and Missouri to test the impact of performance-based contracting and quality assurance systems on organizational and client outcomes.
QIC on Nonresident Fathers
This newest QIC, funded in FY 2006, is operated by the American Humane Association, the American Bar Association, and the National Fatherhood Initiative. The QIC will work toward improving child welfare outcomes by identifying and implementing best practices for involving nonresident fathers in their children&#39;s lives.
 
The December meeting of all the QICs gave grantees the opportunity to share information about their successes and challenges and allowed staff from the recently funded QICs to benefit from the experience of those who were in their evaluation and dissemination stages. The QICs will next meet in June to share updated findings.
For more information on the Children&#39;s Bureau QICs, contact Melissa Lim Brodowski, Federal Project Officer in the Office on Child Abuse and Neglect:
<a href="mailto:melissa.brodowski&#64;acf.hhs.gov" rel="nofollow">melissa.brodowski&#64;acf.hhs.gov</a>

The National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement (NRCOI) has announced its series of seven teleconferences that address some of the challenges of child welfare agency management.

The National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement (NRCOI) has announced its series of seven teleconferences that address some of the challenges of child welfare agency management. The conference topics are presented by experts in the field and usually last 60 to 90 minutes. This spring&#39;s topics include:

<ul><li>Advocating for the Educational Needs of Children in Out-of-Home Care</li><li>Strengthening Supervision</li><li>Building and Maintaining State-Tribal Partnerships to Improve Child Welfare Programs</li><li>Engaging Youth in the CFSR and Program Improvements</li><li>Engaging Courts and Building Court/Agency Collaboration</li><li>CFSR Data Indicators and Composites</li><li>Using Data in the CFSR and Beyond</li></ul>

For information on dates and registration, visit the NRCOI website:

<a href="http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm" target="new" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm</a>


The National Abandoned Infants Assistance Resource Center also is sponsoring a series of spring teleconferences. Interested parties can register to participate for any or all of the five 90-minute interactive telephone seminars. The topics include:

<ul><li>Women, HIV, and Employment</li><li>Employment for Parents in Recovery: Minimizing Barriers &amp; Maximizing Opportunities</li><li>The ABCs of Infant Mental Health</li><li>Taming the Ghosts in the Nursery</li><li>Supporting Families in Recovery through Infant Mental Health Interventions</li></ul>

For information on dates and registration, visit the AIA website:

<a href="http://aia.berkeley.edu/training/teleconference/teleconference_series.php" target="new" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">http://aia.berkeley.edu/training/teleconference/teleconference_series.php</a>

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will celebrate National Women's Health Week (NWHW) during May 13-19 , 2007, and its signature event, National Women's Check-Up Day, on May 14, 2007.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will celebrate National Women&#39;s Health Week (NWHW) during May 13-19 , 2007, and its signature event, National Women&#39;s Check-Up Day, on May 14, 2007. The week is a national effort led by an alliance of organizations with two goals:
<ul><li>Raise women&#39;s awareness about manageable steps they can take to improve their health</li><li>Help underserved women gain access to important preventive health-care services</li></ul>
Good physical and mental health are especially important for mothers and mothers-to-be. Healthy mothers who have access to services are in a better position to cope with the challenges of parenting.
Last year&#39;s NWHW was celebrated around the country by about 55,000 people participating in 1,111 activities. Many underserved adults were able to access preventive health screenings, most of which were offered at no cost.
HHS is encouraging organizations to help expand the impact of NWHW this year by sponsoring events, displays, workshops, screenings, or other activities during the third week of May. Organizations that add their events to the online Activity Registry will be considered NWHW partners and will be able to order free promotional and educational materials to support their efforts while supplies last. The Activity Registry opens in March, and participation is free:
www.womenshealth.gov/whw/participate/register/
More information on NWHW can be found on the NWHW website:
www.womenshealth.gov/whw

Promoting Healthy Families in Your Community: 2007 Resource Packet will be available in mid-March for ordering or downloading from the Child Welfare Information Gateway website. This year's packet is designed

Promoting Healthy Families in Your Community: 2007 Resource Packet will be available in mid-March for ordering or downloading from the Child Welfare Information Gateway website. This year&#39;s packet is designed to support professionals in their work with families and communities and includes five parenting tipsheets, in English and Spanish, that professionals can share with families.
The packet represents the next step in the movement among child maltreatment prevention professionals to emphasize strengthening families and communities to ensure children’s well-being. Over the last several years, prevention professionals have moved away from a narrow focus on identifying and reporting maltreatment and toward a broader focus that includes building the capacity of parents and communities to keep children safe in their own homes and neighborhoods.
Check the Child Welfare Information Gateway homepage for the latest information on the packet:
 
<a href="http://www.childwelfare.gov/" rel="nofollow">www.childwelfare.gov</a>

As part of a larger project for promoting recruitment and retention of the child welfare workforce in Michigan, Michigan State University and its partners have produced a workbook series for child welfare

Workbook Series Addresses Michigan Workforce Issues

As part of a larger project for promoting recruitment and retention of the child welfare workforce in Michigan, Michigan State University and its partners have produced a workbook series for child welfare supervisors and managers. Staff Retention in Child and Family Services is a full curriculum on recruitment and retention spread over seven workbooks. The workbooks are designed to be used in formal trainings, informal trainings, or as individual self-teaching manuals and cover the following topics:
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li>The Role of Leaders</li><li>The Practice of Retention-Focused Supervision</li><li>Working With Differences</li><li>Communications Skills</li><li>The First Six Months</li><li>Recruiting and Selecting the Right Staff</li><li>Managing Performance and Outcomes</li></ul>
Two additional workbooks are planned to address the topics of Building Effective Teams and Collaborative Networks and Building a Satisfying Career in Child and Family Service. The curriculum, which is being piloted at sites in Michigan, is designed to enhance staff commitment to the job by focusing on ways that supervisors can support staff and build a mission-centered agency culture.
Michigan State University partnered with the Department of Human Services and the Federation of Private Child and Family Agencies to create the curriculum as part of a 5-year project that also included training, partnerships between community-based agencies and universities, virtual training communities, and research and evaluation to assess the impact of these measures. At the conclusion of the project, the training will be incorporated into a continuing education collaboration as it continues to be refined, replicated, and expanded.
For more information, contact: Gary Anderson, Ph.D. Director, School of Social Work 254 Baker Hall Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824 517.355.7515 <a href="mailto:gary.anderson&#64;ssc.msu.edu" target="new" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">gary.anderson&#64;ssc.msu.edu</a>
The Michigan State University Child Welfare Services Training project is funded by the Children&#39;s Bureau, Grant 90CT0113, under the Children’s Bureau Priority Area: Developing Models of Effective Child Welfare Staff Recruitment and Retention Training. This article is part of a series highlighting successful Children&#39;s Bureau Grant-funded projects around the country, emerging from official Children&#39;s Bureau site visits.
Related Item
For more information on child welfare workforce issues, see the web section on Child Welfare Information Gateway:
<a href="http://www.childwelfare.gov/management/workforce/" rel="nofollow">http://www.childwelfare.gov/management/workforce/</a>
{workforce issues|workforce}

The American Bar Association (ABA) Center on Children and the Law has launched the Kinship Care Legal Resource Center to address the needs of the significant number of children living in families headed

Kinship Care Legal Resource Center Website Launches

The American Bar Association (ABA) Center on Children and the Law has launched the Kinship Care Legal Resource Center to address the needs of the significant number of children living in families headed by grandparents or other kin. This Resource Center website is intended to serve as a toolkit for attorneys, judges, and other child-serving practitioners working with kinship families and having difficulty navigating the complex existing and emerging legal issues.
The Resource Center maintains a website that provides access to information and resources on topics such as:
<ul><li>Financial assistance for kinship care providers, including subsidized guardianship</li><li>Statutory preferences for relative placement</li><li>State policies regarding medical consent, educational consent and school enrollment, and licensing standards</li></ul>
The Resource Center can found on the ABA website:
<a target="new" href="http://www.grandfamilies.org" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">http://www.grandfamilies.org</a>

FosterClub will select 12 young adults, ages 18 to 24, who have experienced foster care at some point in their lives, to participate in an internship program called the All-Star Program. The interns will

FosterClub will select 12 young adults, ages 18 to 24, who have experienced foster care at some point in their lives, to participate in an internship program called the All-Star Program. The interns will start their year-long commitment this summer at Portland State University in Portland, OR. After a week of intense training, the All-Stars will travel the country participating in State Independent Living Conferences, various National Foster Care events, and more. 

These interns will help other youth in foster care, earn approximately $3,600 over the summer, and improve their leadership skills. Completed applications are due by March 31, 2007. For more information, go to the FosterClub website:

<a href="http://fosterclub.com/" target="new" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">www.fosterclub.com/</a>

A recent study found that the risk of disruption of adoptions from foster care lessened after passage of the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) in 1997. There had been some concern among child welfare

Study Shows Reduced Adoption Disruption Post-ASFA

A recent study found that the risk of disruption of adoptions from foster care lessened after passage of the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) in 1997. There had been some concern among child welfare professionals that ASFA&#39;s required timeframe for termination of parental rights would cause some hasty placements of children that might lead to increased adoption disruptions. This study of almost 16,000 children in the Illinois child welfare system during the 3 years before and the 3 years after the passage of ASFA showed these concerns to be unfounded. In fact, the risk of disruption was 11 percent less for placements occurring after 1997. 

Researchers also examined risk and protective factors for adoption disruption. Among the factors associated with higher risk of adoption disruption were:

<ul><li>Older age of the child</li><li>Placement of two or three siblings together (but not four or more) </li><li>African-American race of the child</li><li>Physical, behavioral, or emotional disability of the child</li><li>Placement with a nonrelative compared to kinship placement</li></ul>

The study&#39;s authors discuss the implications of these findings for postadoption services policy and practice.
 
&#34;Where Are We Now?: A Post-ASFA Examination of Adoption Disruption&#34; was written by Susan Livingston Smith, Jeanne A. Howard, Phillip C. Garnier, and Scott D. Ryan and published in Adoption Quarterly, Vol. 9(4). Information on obtaining a copy of the article can be found online:

<a href="http://haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID&#61;89254" target="new" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"> http://haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID&#61;89254</a>

A program run by New York City's Administration for Children's Services has succeeded in diverting many troubled teens and their families from Family Court and foster care placement. The voluntary Family

A program run by New York City&#39;s Administration for Children&#39;s Services has succeeded in diverting many troubled teens and their families from Family Court and foster care placement. The voluntary Family Assessment Program (FAP) was begun in 2001 to provide assessment and referral services to families struggling to deal with teens&#39; uncontrollable behavior, drug abuse, mental illness, or truancy.
Before the FAP, many of these parents were referred to the Family Court, which often declared the youths to be &#34;persons in need of supervision&#34; (PINS) and placed them in group home foster care. Since the creation of the FAP, families with these same problems go to the Administration for Children&#39;s Services rather than the Department of Probation, and they receive same-day assessment and referrals to individualized services.
A recent report examined the successes and challenges of the FAP, based on 2 years of interviews with teens, parents, administrators, and social workers. The report focuses on the experiences of families in the program, including youth who suffered from severe depression, a history of loss, drug abuse, troubled relationships, and cultural misunderstandings. Working with the FAP allowed these families to receive immediate referrals to mental health clinics, anger management services, family mediation, domestic violence advocacy, substance abuse programs, and more.
Challenges discussed include:
<ul><li>Approximately one-third of the families who come to the FAP do not return after the initial visit.</li><li>The program&#39;s success is dependent on the cooperation of the teens involved.</li><li>There is a lack of sufficient neighborhood services, especially peer counseling and skills training.</li><li>Many families need concrete services, such as help with sufficient food, shelter, and clothing, before they can deal with other family issues.</li><li>There has been a significant increase in the number of juvenile arrests, which may indicate that some of the youth who choose not to continue with the FAP wind up in the court system anyway.</li></ul>
The report offers a series of recommendations for the city government and social services staff, including the creation of respite centers, expanded services, and better coordination among services.
&#34;There&#39;s No Such Place&#34;: The Family Assessment Program, PINS and the Limits of Support Services for Families With Teens in New York City by Sharon Lerner with Barbara Solow, is available on the Center for New York City Affairs, Milano Graduate School, The New School for Management and Urban Policy website:
<a title="www.newschool.edu/milano/nycaffairs/childwelfare/pins.pdf" href="http://www.newschool.edu/milano/nycaffairs/childwelfare/pins.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">www.newschool.edu/milano/nycaffairs/childwelfare/pins.pdf</a> (762 - KB)

As part of the Assessing the New Federalism project, the Urban Institute recently published a study examining the ways families connect to services offered by alternative response (AR) systems in Kentucky

How Alternative Response Systems Connect Families to Services

As part of the Assessing the New Federalism project, the Urban Institute recently published a study examining the ways families connect to services offered by alternative response (AR) systems in Kentucky and Oklahoma. These States initiated AR systems to meet the needs of families at low risk for child maltreatment. In place of full-scale investigations, families received strengths and needs assessments and referrals for services.

To better understand how families connected to services after referrals were made, researchers interviewed child welfare administrators, caseworkers, community services providers, and families in rural and urban counties in the two States. They focused on the procedures, structures, and relationships that govern the way agency workers assess needs, make referrals, and follow up with clients.

Four findings highlighted the challenges in connecting families to services through AR systems:

<ul><li>Connecting families to services was complex and not necessarily well planned by agencies; for instance, while guidelines often existed for assessments, there were fewer guidelines for referral and follow-up practices. </li><li>The exchange of information between agencies and service providers was often minimal. </li><li>Service networks had key gaps, and child welfare clients were not necessarily given priority. </li><li>Follow-up to see if families accessed services was rare. </li></ul>

The complete study, Families&#39; Connections to Services in an Alternative Response System, by Erica H. Zielewski, Jennifer Macomber, Roseana Bess, and Julie Murray, is available on the Urban Institute website:

<a href="http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/311397_Families_Connections.pdf" target="new" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/311397_Families_Connections.pdf</a> (282 - KB)

Family-strengthening intervention programs in schools and other community-based organizations help increase parents' abilities to guide their children's learning and create a community of support from

Evidence-Based Practice in Family Strengthening Programs

Family-strengthening intervention programs in schools and other community-based organizations help increase parents&#39; abilities to guide their children&#39;s learning and create a community of support from which parents can draw over time. The Harvard Family Research Project recently examined a sample of 13 well-evaluated family-strengthening intervention programs that provide support to parents and seek to change family behaviors and environments to encourage healthy child development. The research brief, Lessons From Family Strengthening Interventions: Learning From Evidence-Based Practice, sought to determine what outcomes family strengthening programs can successfully target and affect, as well as the most effective practices and evaluation strategies.

The review found that family strengthening programs can promote several positive family outcomes, including improvements in the family environment and parent-child relationships, as well as an increase in parenting skills. Three program practices were found to be effective:

<ul><li>Providing opportunities for parent-child bonding</li><li>Focusing on family recruitment and retention</li><li>Preparing staff to work with families and implement the program effectively</li></ul>

Because each of the programs in the study used sophisticated evaluation methods to show effectiveness, the study also identified common evaluation practices and made recommendations for improvement. 

The full research brief, by Margaret Caspe and M. Elena Lopez, can be downloaded from the Harvard Family Research Project website:

<a href="http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/content/projects/fine/resources/research/lessons.pdf" target="new" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/content/projects/fine/resources/research/lessons.pdf </a> (216 - KB)

Studies show that youth involvement in dependency court hearings can benefit both the youth and the court. Youth gain a sense of control over their lives and a better understanding of the judicial process,

Involving Children in Dependency Court Hearings

Studies show that youth involvement in dependency court hearings can benefit both the youth and the court. Youth gain a sense of control over their lives and a better understanding of the judicial process, and the court has an opportunity to learn more about the child than what is presented in reports. However, little guidance exists to help professionals involve children in court proceedings in meaningful ways.

A new article, &#34;Seen and Heard: Involving Children in Dependency Court,&#34; provides an overview of national policies of judicial and bar associations addressing children&#39;s participation in court and discusses the benefits of such participation. It then offers suggestions for reforming practice, policy, and systems to better engage youth in the court process. 

Recommendations include:

<ul><li>Each jurisdiction should have a clear policy about how and when youth can participate in hearings; policies should take into account such factors as the youth&#39;s wishes, age, and the impact of participation.</li><li>State statutes or court rules should state a presumption favoring youth appearing in court but including criteria for exceptions.</li><li>Absent a statute or court rule, courts should implement administrative policies describing when youth should be present in court.</li><li>Practices for youth representatives should encourage youth participation and establish minimum qualifications, meetings, and involvement on the part of the representative.</li><li>Court settings should be youth friendly.</li><li>Agency and school policies should encourage youth participation.</li></ul>

The article was written by Andrea Khoury and published in the December 2006 issue of ABA Child Law Practice, Vol. 25(10). Reprints of the article can be requested online:

<a href="http://www.abanet.org/child/clp/reprints.html" target="new" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">www.abanet.org/child/clp/reprints.html</a>

Preventive subsidized guardianship programs are a relatively new type of program designed to support kinship caregivers and keep children from entering the foster care system. A recent report examines

Preventive subsidized guardianship programs are a relatively new type of program designed to support kinship caregivers and keep children from entering the foster care system. A recent report examines programs in six States (Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, Nevada, Ohio) and the District of Columbia that provide assistance to children living with kinship caregivers under subsidized guardianships. The goals of these programs include:
<ul><li>Avoiding out-of-home placement of children</li><li>Assisting low-income and predominantly female caregivers</li><li>Reducing the number of minority children entering foster care</li><li>Achieving permanency for older youth</li></ul>
The report suggests that one of the primary benefits of the guardianship programs is the monthly subsidy given to kinship caregivers, which comes from child welfare or economic assistance funding, or a combination of both. A few also provide childcare, medical care, &#34;start-up&#34; funding, legal assistance funds, referral services, and/or counseling services. Subsidies vary from State to State and usually are awarded to kinship caregivers who meet certain eligibility requirements.
Although some of these programs face funding and administrative challenges, the report notes that they provide valuable lessons for other kinship guardianship programs. By giving more options to kinship caregivers, child welfare providers, and children, these programs play a preventive role in strengthening community and family bonds.
The report includes an appendix comparing sources of funding, caregiver eligibility requirements, subsidy amounts, program assessments, and the number of participants in each State. To read &#34;Preventive&#34; Subsidized Guardianship Programs: An Emerging Option for Permanent Kinship Care, go to:
<a href="http://www.childfocuspartners.com/images/PSGandtables.pdf" rel="nofollow">www.childfocuspartners.com/images/PSGandtables.pdf</a> (317 - KB)

The National Fatherhood Initiative has announced that it will make 20 annual capacity-building grants, each for $25,000, to organizations wanting to develop responsible fatherhood programs for their communities.

The National Fatherhood Initiative has announced that it will make 20 annual capacity-building grants, each for $25,000, to organizations wanting to develop responsible fatherhood programs for their communities.

The application deadline is March 6. Awards will be announced April 6. For more information, visit the National Fatherhood Initiative website:

<a href="http://www.fatherhood.org/grant" target="new" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">www.fatherhood.org/grant</a>

Child traumatic stress, particularly as experienced by children involved in the child welfare system, is the focus of the Winter 2007 issue of the online journal Focal Point. The articles discuss a range

Child traumatic stress, particularly as experienced by children involved in the child welfare system, is the focus of the Winter 2007 issue of the online journal Focal Point. The articles discuss a range of topics, including causes and definitions of child traumatic stress, the psychological and physiological effects of multiple traumatic stress experiences, evidence-based treatment strategies, and early intervention as prevention.
Focal Point is a publication of the Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children&#39;s Mental Health at Portland State University. The entire issue or individual articles are available for PDF download:
<a href="http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgFPW07TOC.php" target="new" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">www.rtc.pdx.edu/pgFPW07TOC.php</a>

A December 2006 webcast about the work of Child Death Review teams around the country in preventing child and adolescent deaths is now available in an online archive. The archive allows users to access

Archived Webcast: Preventing Child and Adolescent Deaths

A December 2006 webcast about the work of Child Death Review teams around the country in preventing child and adolescent deaths is now available in an online archive. The archive allows users to access video, slides, audio, and transcripts to learn about the challenges that Child Death Review teams face and the strategies they have developed to address these challenges.

The archived webcast is available on the website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Maternal and Child Health Bureau:
<a href="http://www.mchcom.com/archivedWebcastDetailNewInterface.asp?aeid&#61;335" rel="nofollow">www.mchcom.com/archivedWebcastDetailNewInterface.asp?aeid&#61;415</a>

Information sharing among juvenile justice and other youth-serving agencies is an essential tool for improving services to at-risk and delinquent youth and their families, but it requires a significant

Guidelines for Sharing Information About Youth

Information sharing among juvenile justice and other youth-serving agencies is an essential tool for improving services to at-risk and delinquent youth and their families, but it requires a significant shift in the practices of many agencies. To assist in this process, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has developed Guidelines for Juvenile Information Sharing, a report that suggests a course of action for key agency and organization stakeholders involved in juvenile information sharing (JIS). The guidelines integrate collaboration, confidentiality, and technology into an effective developmental framework in the following areas:

<ul><li>Establishment and governance of a JIS collaborative</li><li>Planning and procedures to ensure the protection and security of the information</li><li>Recommendations for the implementation of JIS policies and procedures, training, and continuous quality improvement</li><li>Policies for transparency, openness, and public communications</li></ul>

The full report can be downloaded from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service website:

<a href="http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/215786.pdf" rel="nofollow"> www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/215786.pdf</a> (409 - KB)


These guidelines were developed as part of the Information Sharing to Prevent Juvenile Delinquency National Technical Assistance and Training Project. Learn more about the project:

<a href="http://www.juvenileiis.org" rel="nofollow">www.juvenileiis.org</a>

As part of its Creating Parenting-Rich Communities Initiative funded by the Prudential Foundation, the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) recently made available three design guides to help professionals

As part of its Creating Parenting-Rich Communities Initiative funded by the Prudential Foundation, the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) recently made available three design guides to help professionals support the parents of children ages 0-5, 6-12, and 13-20. Each guide addressess parent supports in eight key areas:

<ul><li>Children and after-school activities</li><li>Education</li><li>Employment </li><li>Family structure and support</li><li>Financial security</li><li>Health: Physical and mental health, substance abuse</li><li>Housing</li><li>Safe neighborhoods and environments</li></ul>

For each area, the guides offer a collection of evaluated program and policy listings, research sources, and policies and practices. The guides are available on the CWLA website: 

<a href="http://www.cwla.org/parenting/cprcdesignguide.htm#" target="new" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">www.cwla.org/parenting/cprcdesignguide.htm#</a>

Agencies and other nonprofits are constantly seeking new sources of funding to support programs that help children and youth. Ten private funding sources that may not come immediately to mind but do provide

Agencies and other nonprofits are constantly seeking new sources of funding to support programs that help children and youth. Ten private funding sources that may not come immediately to mind but do provide grants to nonprofits for youth development, safe and healthy children, child abuse prevention, and adoption are listed below:
<ul><li>Alcoa Foundation 
 <a target="new" href="http://www.alcoa.com/global/en/community/info_page/foundation.asp" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">www.alcoa.com/global/en/community/info_page/foundation.asp</a></li><li>Charles Lafitte Foundation 
 <a href="http://charleslafitte.org/programs/childrens-advocacy/" rel="nofollow">http://charleslafitte.org/programs/childrens-advocacy</a></li><li>Chatlos Foundation, Inc. 
 <a target="new" href="http://www.chatlos.org" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">www.chatlos.org</a></li><li>Dynegy Foundation 
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 <li>Home Depot (from this webpage, click on &#34;How We&#39;re Helping&#34;) 
 <a target="new" href="http://corporate.homedepot.com/wps/portal" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">http://corporate.homedepot.com/wps/portal</a></li>
 <li>Michael and Susan Dell Foundation 
 <a target="new" href="http://www.msdf.org" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">www.msdf.org</a></li>
 <li>Milagro Foundation 
 <a target="new" href="http://www.milagrofoundation.org" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">www.milagrofoundation.org</a></li>
 <li>New York Life Foundation 
 <a target="new" href="http://www.newyorklife.com/cda/0,3254,13090,00.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">www.newyorklife.com/cda/0,3254,13090,00.html</a></li>
 <li>Nick Traina Foundation 
 <a href="http://nicktrainafoundation.com/" rel="nofollow">http://nicktrainafoundation.com</a> 
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 <li>Ralph and Eileen Swett Foundation 
 <a target="new" href="http://www.swettfoundation.org" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">www.swettfoundation.org</a></li>

The theme of youth making changes in their communities is the focus of the December 2006 issue of Youth Worker News. The e-newsletter provides several examples of ways that youth development organizations

The theme of youth making changes in their communities is the focus of the December 2006 issue of Youth Worker News. The e-newsletter provides several examples of ways that youth development organizations are working to nurture the skills of youth and instill habits of community engagement. Program resources, research, and funding information are also featured.

Youth Worker News is published by the National Collaboration for Youth. This issue is available online:

<a href="http://www.nydic.org/nydic/programming/YouthMakingChange.htm" target="new" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">www.nydic.org/nydic/programming/YouthMakingChange.htm</a>

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in the U.S. Department of Justice along with the Corporation for National and Community Service and the National Network of Youth Ministries

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in the U.S. Department of Justice along with the Corporation for National and Community Service and the National Network of Youth Ministries (NNYM) are sponsoring a mentor recruitment training conference. The conference will be held in Nashville (April 11-13) and will focus on faith- and community-based recruitment efforts.
To register online or learn more about the training, visit MentorYouth.com, a website created by OJJDP and NNYM:
<a href="http://www.mentoryouth.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/trainingnash.home" target="new" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">www.mentoryouth.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/trainingnash.home</a>

The Child Trauma Academy (CTA) is a resource for meeting the training needs of professionals who work with children who have been traumatized by abuse, neglect, domestic violence, or other traumatic stress.

The Child Trauma Academy (CTA) is a resource for meeting the training needs of professionals who work with children who have been traumatized by abuse, neglect, domestic violence, or other traumatic stress. An online university offers free, self-directed online courses on the following topics:
<ul><li>The Amazing Human Brain and Human Development</li><li>Surviving Childhood: An Introduction to the Impact of Trauma</li><li>The Cost of Caring: Secondary Traumatic Stress and the Impact of Working With High-Risk Children and Families</li><li>Bonding and Attachment in Maltreated Children</li></ul>
View these courses on the CTA website:
<a target="new" href="http://www.childtrauma.org/index.php/training/cta-university" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">http://www.childtrauma.org/index.php/training/cta-university</a>

Upcoming national conferences on adoption and child welfare through June 2007 include: April 2007 Parents as Teachers Conference 2007 Why Research Matters: Bringing Research and Practice to Daily Parenting

Upcoming national conferences on adoption and child welfare through June 2007 include:
April 2007
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li>Parents as Teachers Conference 2007 Why Research Matters: Bringing Research and Practice to Daily Parenting April 2–5, St. Louis, MO <a href="http://www.parentsasteachers.org/site/apps/lk/content3.aspx?c&#61;ekIRLcMZJxE&amp;b&#61;917509%28link" rel="nofollow">http://www.parentsasteachers.org/site/apps/lk/content3.aspx?c&#61;ekIRLcMZJxE&amp;b&#61;917509(link</a> no longer available)</li><li>NABSW 39th Annual National Conference Building on Our Strengths: Infusing New Leadership National Association of Black Social Workers April 3–7, Detroit, MI <a href="http://www.nabsw.org/MServer/Events.aspx?eventID&#61;273&amp;calendarDate&#61;03042007" rel="nofollow">http://www.nabsw.org/MServer/Events.aspx?eventID&#61;273&amp;calendarDate&#61;03042007</a> (link no longer available)</li><li>25th Annual &#34;Protecting Our Children&#34; National American Indian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect Reconciliation in Child Welfare: Touchstones of Hope for Indigenous Children, Youth, and Families National Indian Child Welfare Association April 15–18, Oklahoma City, OK <a href="http://www.nicwa.org/services/conferences/protecting/index.asp%28link" rel="nofollow">http://www.nicwa.org/services/conferences/protecting/index.asp(link</a> no longer available)</li><li>16th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect Protecting Children, Promoting Healthy Families, and Preserving Communities Children&#39;s Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect April 16–21, Portland, OR </li></ul>
May 2007
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li>The 2007 National Pathways to Adulthood: Independent Living, Transitional Living Conference The University of Oklahoma National Child Welfare Resource Center for Youth Development May 9–11, Minneapolis, MN, http://www.nrcys.ou.edu/conferences/npta07/ (link no longer available)</li><li>37th Annual Education Conference National Foster Parent Association May 23–27, Washington, DC http://www.nfpainc.org/training/conference.cfm?page&#61;4 (link no longer available)</li><li>One Child, Many Hands: A Multidisciplinary Conference on Child Welfare The Field Center for Children&#39;s Policy, Practice and Research at the University of Pennsylvania May 30–June 1, Philadelphia, PA http://www.sp2.upenn.edu/onechild/index.html(link no longer available)</li></ul>
June 2007
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li>National CASA&#39;s 30th Anniversary Conference Celebrate the Solution National CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Association June 9–12, Orlando, FL http://www.casanet.org/conference/index.htm(link no longer available)</li><li>Ninth Annual International Fatherhood Conference Strengthening Fathers in Fragile Families Through Employment, Education, and Health National Partnership for Community Leadership June 13–15, Atlanta, GA https://www.npcl-ifc.org/npcl_88x66dex.htm (link no longer available)</li></ul>
Further details about national and regional adoption and child welfare conferences can be found through the &#34;Conference Calendar Search&#34; feature on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website:
http://www.childwelfare.gov/calendar/index.cfm (link no longer available)

March 2007Vol. 8, No. 2FRIENDS Teleconferences Now Online