May 2007Vol. 8, No. 4Spotlight on National Foster Care Month
Issue Spotlight
- Report to Congress on Interjurisdictional Placement
Report to Congress on Interjurisdictional Placement
Interjurisdictional adoption placements are those made outside of a child's State or county of legal residence. A new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Children's Bureau examines the challenges to placing foster children for adoption across jurisdictions. A Report to Congress on Interjurisdictional Adoption of Children in Foster Care was mandated by the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-36) to inform Congress about the nature, scope, and impact of interjurisdictional adoption placement efforts and the strategies that improve outcomes for children placed for adoption in other jurisdictions.
In response to this legislative requirement, the Children's Bureau conducted a survey of all States and territories to identify promising practices and possible strategies to overcome barriers to interjurisdictional placements. This report:
- Provides background information on children in foster care, especially those for whom interjurisdictional adoptive placements are viable options
- Describes key steps in the process to achieve permanent placements for children exiting foster care
- Presents the legal and procedural frameworks that govern the movement of children in foster care to homes in jurisdictions outside their own State or county
- Describes barriers that interfere with or delay interjurisdictional placements
- Summarizes strategies States are using to address those barriers
- Presents a synopsis of strategies employed by HHS to support improvements in interjurisdictional adoptive placements
A Report to Congress on Interjurisdictional Adoption of Children in Foster Care is available on the Children's Bureau website:
- Wendy's Wonderful Kids Program Goes Nationwide
Wendy's Wonderful Kids Program Goes Nationwide
The recent expansion of the Wendy's Wonderful Kids Program represents an important milestone for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Beginning with only seven recruitment sites and a handful of recruiters in 2004, the program currently funds sites in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada. In only 2 years, the number of recruiters has grown to 87, making Wendy's Wonderful Kids an important provider of adoption services.
Through a combination of successful recruitment efforts, in-store fundraising, and a well-managed grants system, Wendy's Wonderful Kids has played an important role in increasing the number of children adopted from foster care. Program recruiters are able to devote 100 percent of their time matching waiting kids with families and working closely with local foster care systems. Since its inception, Wendy's Wonderful Kids recruiters have helped more than 1,000 children find loving, permanent homes.
Wendy's Wonderful Kids now hopes to meet its goal of helping 8,000 to 10,000 children by 2010. Currently, 165 children matched by the program are in preadoptive homes and awaiting permanent adoption.
Learn more about Wendy's Wonderful Kids signature program or the Dave Thomas Foundation:
www.davethomasfoundationforadoption.org/programs/wendys_wonderful_kids.asp
- Celebrate National Foster Care Month
Celebrate National Foster Care Month
For this 20th celebration of National Foster Care Month, sponsors are urging Americans to "Change a Lifetime" by taking action to have a positive impact on the life of a child in foster care. This year's focus spotlights the needs of the 513,000 children in foster care and what citizens can do to help—whether they have a little or a lot of time to contribute. For instance:
- If you have a few minutes to help—Learn the facts about foster care, send a care package, make a donation.
- If you have a few hours to help—Make a presentation, honor an individual, become a virtual mentor.
- If you have a few weeks to help—Become a licensed respite care provider, tutor a child, provide career or financial advice to older youth.
- If you have more time—Become a court-appointed special advocate, make a permanency pact, become a foster or adoptive parent.
The National Foster Care Month sponsors, a partnership of child welfare organizations, offer a variety of tools and information on their website to help broadcast the "Change a Lifetime" message. The website resources are designed to help child welfare organizations, the media, and citizens become informed and involved. In addition to the menu of ways to help, the website provides statistics on children in foster care, tools for agencies and community organizations to promote the campaign, and success stories about foster care alumni.
National Foster Care Month is a partnership of Casey Family Programs, the Annie E. Casey Foundation/Casey Family Services, Black Administrators in Child Welfare, the Children's Bureau, the Child Welfare League of America, Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, APHSA/National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators, the National Association of Social Workers, the National Association of State Foster Care Managers, National CASA, the National Foster Care Coalition, the National Foster Parent Association, and the National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning.
Visit the National Foster Care Month website for information and materials:
- Foster Youth Employment Forums
Foster Youth Employment Forums
A unique initiative in California has brought together representatives from county child welfare agencies and local workforce development programs to help foster youth with employment issues. In the fall of 2006, with funding from Casey Family Programs, New Ways to Work (NWW) partnered with the Child and Family Policy Institute of California to host a series of Foster Youth Employment Forums across the State. These provided an opportunity for both child welfare agencies and workforce development programs to learn about quality local programs, develop a working knowledge of each other's systems, and meet potential new partners for future collaboration on youth employment issues.
More than 450 county representatives from child welfare, workforce development, juvenile justice, education, State agencies, and other systems attended the forums to learn about effective strategies and programs for improving employment opportunities for foster youth. In addition, about 50 youth (primarily current and former foster youth) attended the forums and participated as keynote speakers, panelists, and participants in conversations about county services.
A number of recommendations emerged from the forum discussions. These ranged from recommendations for State policy to ideas for personal actions by participants that would help foster youth with training and experience in the workplace. Twenty-five promising practices were documented and shared. These included ideas for:
- One-stop, foster-youth-friendly services
- Career preparation
- Paid work experience
- Systems improvement
- Comprehensive websites
As a result of the Foster Youth Employment Forums, a number of resources are available on the NWW website. Read the summary report to find links to a PowerPoint presentation, full descriptions of the promising practices, and more:
www.newwaystowork.org/documents/ytatdocuments/FYSummaryReport.pdf (430 - KB)
- Helping Youth Transition Out of Foster Care
Helping Youth Transition Out of Foster Care
Most youth who age out of foster care do not receive adequate support and preparation for their transition to independent living. A new issue brief, State Policies to Help Youth Transition Out of Foster Care, looks at recent efforts by States to better support these youth by providing help in the areas of life skills, education, housing, employment, and more.
This report, prepared by the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices, provides an overview of State and Federal policies designed to support foster youth. The Foster Care Independence Act of 1999, in particular, targeted the needs of transitioning youth. The report examines how States have used Federal funding streams to develop programs and policies to better assist youth, including:
- Allowing youth to remain in care longer
- Continuing permanency planning efforts to connect youth to relatives or other caring adults
- Promoting educational attainment and career opportunities
- Helping youth access health care and stable housing
- Engaging youth in leadership development
- Developing connections from the child welfare system to other youth-serving systems, such as workforce development and mental health
State Policies to Help Youth Transition Out of Foster Care is available on the NGA website:
www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0701YOUTH.PDF (229 - KB)
Recent Issues
News From the Children's Bureau
- Toolkit for Annual Progress and Services Report
Toolkit for Annual Progress and Services Report
The Children's Bureau website recently posted a toolkit to help with the development of the State and Tribal Child and Family Services Plan (CFSP)/Annual Progress and Services Report (APSR). This toolkit is a central location for all technical assistance documents and materials, as well as references to specific laws, policies, and checklists related to the CFSP/APSR.
The APSR is an annual report on a State's or Tribe's progress toward its CFSP, a 5-year comprehensive plan that outlines initiatives and activities in State and Tribal programs and services to promote the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families. The reports contain new and updated information about service needs and organizational capacities throughout the plan period.
The CFSP/APSR Toolkit includes information on the following topics to help States and Tribes complete their APSR:
- A State and Tribal checklist of APSR items
- CFS-101, budget request, and summary of services
- Service descriptions
- Collaboration
- Historical documents
- Tribal consultations
- State consultations
- Program supports
- Consultations with medical professionals
- Disaster plans
- Monthly caseworker visit data and State plan requirements
- Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act State grants
- Chafee Foster Care Independent Living Services Programs
- Education and Training Vouchers
- Financial and statistical information reporting
Visit the Children's Bureau website to access the toolkit:
- New! On the Children's Bureau Site
New! On the Children's Bureau Site
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 on Site" section includes grant announcements, policy announcements, agency information, and recently released publications.
Recent additions to the site include:
- Child Maltreatment 2005: Annual report from the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data Systems on national statistics on child abuse and neglect
- Foster Care FY 2000–FY 2005 Entries, Exits, and Numbers of Children in Care on the Last Day of Each Federal Fiscal Year
- SACWIS Meetings and Conferences: Updated conference information
Visit the Children's Bureau website often to see what's new!
- Online Catalog Debuts on Information Gateway
Online Catalog Debuts on Information Gateway
The Child Welfare Information Gateway website has added an Online Catalog for easy accessibility to the 200+ titles that Information Gateway produces or distributes. Products cover a wide range of topics from prevention to permanency, including child welfare, child abuse and neglect, and adoption.
The catalog has a number of features to help users find specific titles or browse through groups of items, including:
- An A to Z title list that includes all items
- A list of all Spanish titles
- Series lists for 13 information series, including Factsheets for Families and State Statutes
Individual catalog entries include abstracts, and most provide users with the option of viewing, downloading, or ordering the item at no charge.
View the Information Gateway Online Catalog today! Access the Online Catalog through the link below or through the left navigation bar on the Information Gateway website, under "Resources." - Helping Agencies Cope With Disasters
Helping Agencies Cope With Disasters
The Federal Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006 requires States and Tribes to develop plans for responding to disasters. A new publication from the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement (NRCOI) shows that making systemic reforms can enhance child welfare agencies' disaster preparedness while improving their overall systems for children and families. The publication builds on the experiences of State agency staff in providing relief efforts following the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Coping With Disasters and Strengthening Systems: A Framework for Child Welfare Agencies provides guidance in three areas:
- Creating a plan
- Implementing the plan when disaster strikes
- Rebuilding after the disaster by enhancing critical infrastructure
Real-life examples of plans and responses by child welfare agencies around the country are included.
Written by Mary O'Brien, Sarah Webster, and Angela Herrick, the publication is available on the NRCOI website:
http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/rcpdfs/copingwithdisasters.pdf (1.0 - MB)
Related Items- Child Welfare Information Gateway offers a section of resources for disaster preparation for professionals:
http://www.childwelfare.gov/management/disaster_preparedness/professionals.cfm - The specific needs of courts and legal systems affected by disasters are the focus of a new factsheet available from the National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues. Help in Child Welfare Legal and Judicial System Responses to Children and Families Affected by Disasters provides links to information on a range of issues that could impact the legal system, including emergency preparedness, obtaining legal advice, and accessing medical and mental health care for children and families displaced by disaster.
www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publications/center_on_children_and_the_law/resourcecenter/disasters.authcheckdam.pdf (58 KB)
- The Roundtable Focuses on Youth Permanency
The Roundtable Focuses on Youth Permanency
A new issue of The Roundtable focusing on youth permanency was recently released by the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Adoption (NCWRCA). Topics in the current edition include:
- Subsidized guardianship in Illinois
- Statistics on children who did not achieve permanency after their parents' rights were terminated
- Transition services and permanency
- The Center's Minority Adoption Leadership Development Institute program
- Use of Casey's Breakthrough Series Collaborative model for youth permanency in Massachusetts
Current and past issues of The Roundtable are available online:
- Building Management Capacity for Workforce Recruitment and Retention
Building Management Capacity for Workforce Recruitment and Retention
A project out of the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service in New York is helping to shape the child welfare workforce in Connecticut. In conjunction with the Child Welfare League of America, faculty and staff at the university are working with the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) as part of the Recruitment and Retention of Child Welfare Staff by Building Management Capacity project. The project aims to increase retention of competent and committed management and supervisory staff; support transfer of learning from the classroom to the worksite; improve targeted recruitment; and strengthen the relationship between the public child welfare agency, Fordham, and universities in Connecticut.
After conducting a survey and focus groups among DCF staff to determine job satisfaction and reasons for turnover, project staff began working in partnership with DCF staff to build capacity for recruitment and retention. Components of the project include:
- Transfer of learning curricula and training for managers and supervisors
- New policies and procedures for exit interviews
- A behavioral interviewing process for prospective supervisors
- Development of a leadership institute
- Building a recruitment and retention practice model for DCF
- A strong, structured mentoring program for DCF staff
The mentoring program, in which supervisors or workers are paired with managers for 1 year, is an important component of the project. The program has proven to be both effective and popular, and DCF now views mentoring as an integral part of the development of an organizational culture that supports workers and supervisors. Besides learning more about their jobs and job skills, mentees gain a broader perspective of the mission and function of the agency, increase professional development opportunities, and become acquainted with upper-level management. Mentors report being reenergized, recommitted, and pleased with the opportunity to "give back" to the agency. The mentoring program also has helped to increase the diversity of staff and is helping to attract and retain good workers and supervisors.
For more information about the project, contact:
Virginia Strand, D.S.W., Principal Investigator
Children FIRST
Fordham University
Graduate School of Social Service
Neperan Road, 309 North Hall
Tarrytown, NY 10591
718.817.5637
strand@fordham.eduThe Recruitment and Retention of Child Welfare Staff by Building Capacity project is funded by the Children's Bureau, Grant 90CT0118, 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's Bureau grant-funded projects around the country, emerging from official Children's Bureau site visits.
Related Item
Read more about workforce issues in the Resources section of this issue in "Workforce Retention in North Carolina."
- State Logic Models, Reports, and Work Plans
State Logic Models, Reports, and Work Plans
The National Resource Center for Child Protective Services (NRCCPS) has made available online its 2005 and 2006 logic models, technical assistance (TA) site reports, and work plans developed with States as part of the TA to help States with their Program Improvement Plans and other Federal requirements. NRCCPS staff use logic models to help States and other jurisdictions focus the TA process, define the inputs and activities, and understand the final outcomes, especially in relation to their Child and Family Services Review outcomes.
View the logic models and reports for the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 28 States on the NRCCPS website:
- Children's Bureau Discretionary Grant Announcements Available
Children's Bureau Discretionary Grant Announcements Available
The Children's Bureau has begun to publish discretionary grant announcements for fiscal year (FY) 2007. The Bureau uses a competitive peer-review process to award discretionary grants for research and demonstration projects to State, Tribal, and local agencies; faith-based and community-based organizations; and other nonprofit and for-profit groups. Separate funding announcements will be released for each discretionary grant.
To find out about funding opportunities for FY 2007, prospective applicants should visit the websites listed below. For general information on applying for Children's Bureau discretionary grants, visit the Programs and Funding section of the Children's Bureau website:
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/programs_fund
For information about specific grants, visit the following websites:
- Grants.gov. Search for Children's Bureau grant opportunities under the Agency Category "Department of Health and Human Services" or under the Funding Activity Category "Income Security and Social Services." Users can apply for Children's Bureau discretionary grants online, only through Grants.gov. The Grants.gov website also has options for requesting automated notification of grant availability.
www.grants.gov
- ACF Grant Opportunities. Children's Bureau and other Administration for Children and Families (ACF) funding announcements are posted here.
www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/index.html
- Grants.gov. Search for Children's Bureau grant opportunities under the Agency Category "Department of Health and Human Services" or under the Funding Activity Category "Income Security and Social Services." Users can apply for Children's Bureau discretionary grants online, only through Grants.gov. The Grants.gov website also has options for requesting automated notification of grant availability.
Child Welfare Research
- Implications of Age at Onset of Child Maltreatment
Implications of Age at Onset of Child Maltreatment
The age at which a child first experiences abuse may predict the extent and type of psychological problems the child experiences as an adult. In fact, children who first experience abuse as preschoolers may be the most vulnerable to psychological problems as adults. This was the finding of a recent study that explored the association between age at onset of maltreatment and adult psychopathology.
Using court records from a metropolitan area in the Midwest, the study included 496 substantiated victims of child abuse and neglect that occurred when the children were 11 years old or younger. Researchers conducted follow-up interviews when the participants were approximately 30 years old, and again when they were 40 years old.
Results indicated that earlier onset of maltreatment predicted more symptoms of anxiety and depression in adulthood, while later onset of maltreatment predicted behavioral problems in adulthood. Maltreatment had the most significant impact when it occurred during the preschool years (ages 3–5 ), indicating that this may be a particularly sensitive developmental period. Implications for child abuse prevention efforts focusing on this age group are discussed.
The full study, “Age of Onset of Child Maltreatment Predicts Long-Term Mental Health Outcomes,” by Julie Kaplow and Cathy Spatz Widom, was published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Vol 116(1), and can be purchased online:
- How Effective Are Family Treatment Drug Courts?
How Effective Are Family Treatment Drug Courts?
Last year, there were almost 200 family treatment drug courts (FTDCs) operating in 43 States, with many additional programs in development. These courts serve thousands of substance-abusing parents and their children through a team approach that involves collaboration among child welfare, drug treatment, and judicial systems; frequent court hearings; close monitoring of parents; and a clear message to parents about the link between successful treatment and the possibility of family reunification. Despite their proliferation, there has been little empirical research on the effectiveness of the FTDC model. A new study, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, represents one of the first outcome studies of the model.
The study compared outcomes for 250 FTDC participants at four sites to outcomes for similar parents who did not receive FTDC services. Results showed that FTDC parents entered substance abuse treatment more quickly, stayed in treatment longer, and completed more treatment episodes. Furthermore, children of FTDC parents entered permanent placements more quickly and were more likely to be reunited with their parents.
The study, “How Effective Are Family Treatment Drug Courts? Outcomes From a Four-Site National Study,” by Beth L. Green, Carrie Furrer, Sonia Worcel, Scott Burrus, and Michael Finigan, was published in the February 2007 issue of Child Maltreatment. It is available for purchase on the Sage website:
Strategies and Tools for Practice
- Using Data to Improve Child Well-Being
Using Data to Improve Child Well-Being
States and counties devote substantial resources to collecting data on children and youth in the child welfare system, but many lack the capacity to use this information to improve their practice and policy. In October 2006, Casey Family Programs and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices convened a roundtable to explore ways to help States and jurisdictions develop the capacity to use data to drive outcomes and decision-making in child welfare. The Roundtable on Putting Data to Work to Improve Child Well-Being addressed current methods of data collection, reviewed existing databases on children and youth in care, and explored ways to gain better information on outcomes for children and youth in foster care.
The report from the roundtable summarizes discussions and information shared on the following topics:
- Transitioning youth
- Educational outcomes for children in foster care
- Disproportionate representation of children of color in foster care
- Strengthening court performance and collaborations
- Tools for improving data
The report also highlights promising practices from the States and describes user-friendly tools and strategies.
Download the report or view the full agenda and selected readings from the roundtable on the Casey Family Programs website:
[Editor's note: this link no longer exists]
Resources
- Grants for Improving Health in Vulnerable Populations
Grants for Improving Health in Vulnerable Populations
More than $5.8 million is available from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and local grantmakers to fund original health care projects for vulnerable populations, particularly projects that address violence, mental health, substance use, and other community problems that adversely affect health outcomes.
The grants are distributed through the Local Initiative Funding Partners Program. Deadline for applications is July 10. To find out more about the 2008 grant cycle, including eligibility and selection criteria, visit:
- Tribal Justice and Safety in Indian Country
Tribal Justice and Safety in Indian Country
An online resource developed specifically for Indian country has been launched by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The Indian country website provides a user-friendly, current, and comprehensive resource for American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal governments to enhance the safety of their communities. It also is designed to assist the general public and other Federal agencies in learning more about Tribal justice and safety issues in Indian country.
The website has several sections and features educational materials that address the relationship between the Federal Government and Tribal governments, current DOJ initiatives and activities, and numerous Tribal justice and public safety resources for Indian country. The site also offers funding resources, grant opportunities and management information, civil rights laws, and other key documents.
- Legal Issues Surrounding Permanency for Adolescents
Legal Issues Surrounding Permanency for Adolescents
A new book from the American Bar Association (ABA) provides easy-to-read guidelines and practical strategies for judges, attorneys, and other professionals helping adolescents make the transition from foster care to a permanent home. Written by experts in the law, child welfare, and mental health, Achieving Permanency for Adolescents in Foster Care: A Guide for Legal Professionals offers background information, describes different types of cases and casework, and provides options and guidance on a number of issues affecting adolescents in foster care. Chapters include:
- Legal permanency planning options
- Recruiting adoptive homes for teens
- Adolescents' conflicting feelings about permanency
- Delinquency
- Teen pregnancy and parenting
- Substance abuse
- Teen relationships
- Education
- Financial concerns
- Disabilities
Achieving Permanency for Adolescents in Foster Care: A Guide for Legal Professionals is available for purchase on the ABA website:
www.abanet.org/abastore/index.cfm?section=main&fm=Product.AddToCart&pid=3490001
- Finding Funding for Youth and Child Trauma Programs
Finding Funding for Youth and Child Trauma Programs
The two newest titles in the Finance Project's Finding Funding series provide information on Federal funds and creative financing strategies for (1) youth programs and (2) child trauma programs. Each guide provides options for financing, sustaining, governing, and managing programs, and many of these options are illustrated with real program examples.
Finding Funding: A Guide to Federal Sources for Youth Programs, by Dionne Dobbins-Harper and Soumya Bhat, provides general information about youth program funding and lists 103 Federal funding programs.
www.financeproject.org/publications/findingfunding_PM.pdf (204 - MB)
Finding Funding: A Guide to Federal Sources for Child Traumatic Stress and Other Trauma-Focused Initiatives, by Aracelis Gray and Amanda Szekely, includes background information about financing trauma treatment programs for children and youth and identifies 69 Federal funding sources.
www.financeproject.org/publications/FundingGuideCTSRev.pdf (424 - MB)
- Workforce Retention in North Carolina
Workforce Retention in North Carolina
As part of the effort to reduce turnover among child welfare professionals in North Carolina, the North Carolina Division of Social Services and the Family and Children's Resource Program dedicated a recent issue of Practice Notes to challenges and strategies in worker retention. The issue covers various efforts spearheaded by the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Recruitment and Retention Project (R&R Project). Among other things, the R&R Project is striving to create a culture of retention among child welfare workers through training, toolkits, and a statewide technical assistance network.
Topics in the current edition of Practice Notes include:
- How worker turnover affects children in foster care
- Innovative staffing ideas
- What researchers can learn from workers who stay
Current and past issues of Practice Notes are available online:
www.practicenotes.org/Cspn.htm
Related Item
Read more about workforce issues in the News From the Children's Bureau section of this issue in "Building Management Capacity for Workforce Recruitment and Retention."
- Foster Parenting Highlights
Foster Parenting Highlights
Foster parents play a crucial role in ensuring the safety, permanency, and well-being of children in their care. A new section of the Child Welfare Information Gateway website offers resources and statistics to help child welfare administrators, supervisors, caseworkers, foster parents, and prospective foster parents improve outcomes for children in foster care. Resources for professionals cover such topics as recruiting, retaining, and supporting foster parents. Resources for foster parents and prospective foster parents include answers to frequently asked questions and information on training and support.
- Children and Youth Involved in the Court Experience
Children and Youth Involved in the Court Experience
The experience of testifying in court often creates additional distress for an abused or neglected child. The latest issue of the Judges' Page Newsletter focuses on steps that courts can take to make the court experience less threatening and stressful for children. Separate articles look at such measures as creating separate child-friendly waiting rooms, using mental health professionals to prepare children for the court experience, and even just explaining the court process to children in advance.
Additional articles address related issues, including confidentiality of proceedings, the impact of the confrontation clause on proceedings, and questioning child witnesses. Links to an array of online resources are also provided.
The Judges' Page Newsletter, a joint publication of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the National CASA Association, is available online:
www.nationalcasa.org/JudgesPage/
Related Items
Two relatively recent issues of Children's Bureau Express (http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov) addressed the issue of helping children with their court experiences:
- "Involving Children in Dependency Court Hearings" (March 2007)
- "Explaining Court Processes to Children" (June 2006)
- Free Lifebook Pages
Free Lifebook Pages
The Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association expanded its list of resources by adding more than 60 Lifebook pages to its website. A Lifebook is created by a child, often with the help of foster parents or social workers, to document the child's life experiences in and out of the child welfare system. The pages capture family life, places lived, friends, schools, accomplishments, hobbies, and anything else of interest. Sample pages featured on the website include:
- Childhood milestones
- Memories
- My foster story
- Dear Mom and Dad letters
- My predictions for the future
Lifebooks give children the opportunity to creatively share their life experiences on these pages through their writings, photos, artwork, or other keepsakes. Sharing Lifebooks increases understanding of a child's life experiences by the child, the child's foster or adoptive family, and the child's caseworkers.
The pages can be downloaded and printed at no cost by visiting the Iowa Foster & Adoptive Parents Association's website:
- Identifying Effective Evidence-Based Programs
Identifying Effective Evidence-Based Programs
As part of its Science to Service initiative, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently relaunched the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP), a searchable database of evidence-based practices in prevention and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders. Designed for community organizations and State and local officials, NREPP allows users to narrow their search based on target populations, service settings, and desired outcomes.
Key features of the new database include:
- Descriptive summaries of interventions, including costs of implementation, outcomes achieved, and contact information for the developer
- Independent expert ratings for each intervention assessing the quality of research and the availability of implementation and training materials to support continuing services in routine settings
NREPP is continually adding interventions as experts complete their reviews. For more information, visit the NREPP website:
- UN Report on Violence Against Children
UN Report on Violence Against Children
A worldwide study on violence against children was recently released by the United Nations (UN). The study was a global effort to paint a detailed picture of the nature, extent, and causes of violence against children and to propose clear recommendations for action to prevent and respond to it.
World Report on Violence Against Children looks at violence occurring in many settings, including the home, school, places of work, and the community. A final chapter explores measures that can be taken to prevent violence. A version of the report has been adapted for youth, and it has also been translated into Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, Italian, Russian, and Spanish. A website for the report provides background documents, resources and activities for children, and a newsletter.
World Report on Violence Against Children is available online:
Related Item
The United Nations recently released Child Poverty in Perspective: An Overview of Child Well-Being in Rich Countries, a report card on children and youth in the world's most advanced economies. Researchers assessed 21 countries on their children's material well-being, health and safety, education, peer and family relationships, behaviors and risks, and the young people’s own subjective sense of well-being. The report shows that while children's basic needs are generally met, there is much progress to be made, and none of the countries assessed leads in all six dimensions.
Training and Conferences
Find trainings, workshops, webinars, and other opportunities for professionals and families to learn about how to improve the lives of children and youth as well as a listing of upcoming events and conferences.
- Online Trainings for Child Advocates and Investigators
Online Trainings for Child Advocates and Investigators
The National Children's Advocacy Center (NCAC) provides training, prevention, intervention, and treatment services to fight child abuse and neglect. As part of its training series, online presentations on a variety of child maltreatment and investigation topics are offered at no charge. The trainings are developed by experts in the field and are designed to be viewed by individuals or groups of child abuse or related professionals. Of the 22 courses currently offered, the newest include:
- Child Abuse Investigations in Meth Labs
- Children's Advocacy Centers: A Model for Improving the System's Response to Child Abuse
- Collaboration, Consistency, and Cultural Competency
- The CPS Worker: Making a Case for Safety
- Filtering Information: Utilizing Interpreters in Investigative Interviews
- Forensic Interviewing Skills for Working With Child Abuse Victims With Cognitive and/or Communication Impairments
- Opening Statements and Closing Arguments in Child Sexual Abuse Cases
- Trial Strategies in Child Protection Cases
- Victim Assistance: Preparation and Support for Children in Criminal Proceedings
- When It Is in the Family: How to Handle Sibling Sex Abuse
To register to view the free trainings, visit the NCAC website:
www.nationalcac.org/professionals/trainings/onlineregister.php
- Conferences
Conferences
Upcoming national conferences on adoption and child welfare through August 2007 include:
June 2007
- National CASA's 30th Anniversary Conference
Celebrate the Solution
National CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Association
June 9–12, Orlando, FL - 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
July 2007
- 10th National Child Welfare Data and Technology Conference
Making IT Work—Linking Data With Practice and Outcomes
National Resource Center for Child Welfare Data and Technology
July 18–20, Washington, DC - Generations United 14th International Conference
Generations United
July 24–27, Washington, DC - NACAC 33rd Annual Conference
One Child, Every Child
North American Council on Adoptable Children
July 26–28, Tampa, FL - FFTA Annual Conference on Treatment Foster Care
Bringing It Home . . . Strengthening Family-Based Services
Foster Family-Based Treatment Association
July 29–August 1, Orlando, FL
August 2007
- Attachment Disorder Network 2007 Conference
Parenting Traumatized Children
August 2–4, Excelsior Springs, MO - NACC 30th National Children's Law Conference
National Association of Counsel for Children
August 15–18, Keystone Resort, CO
Further details about national and regional adoption and child welfare conferences can be found through the "Conference Calendar Search" feature on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website:
http://www.childwelfare.gov/calendar
- National CASA's 30th Anniversary Conference
