November 2016Vol. 17, No. 8Print issueSpotlight on National Adoption Month

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.

Recent additions to the site include:

• Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) Report #23 - A report providing preliminary estimates of AFCARS data for FY 2015: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/afcars-report-23
• Fiscal Year 2016 Children's Bureau Discretionary Grant Awards: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/discretionary-grant-awards-2016
• New Hampshire Subsequent Primary Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Review (2016): http://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/new-hampshire-subsequent-title-iv-e-2016
• Kentucky Subsequent Primary Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Review (2016): http://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/kentucky-subsequent-title-iv-e-2016
• Child Welfare Information Gateway Podcast Series - Audio podcasts support learning-on-the-go and allow users to hear the outcomes, experiences, and tips from innovators across the child welfare continuum: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/capacity/child-welfare-podcast-series
• Cross-Center Evaluation Design: Capacity Building Collaborative - A brief describing the framework and methods being used in the 5-year Cross-Center Evaluation of the Capacity Building Collaborative: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/cross-center-evaluation-design
• Annotated Bibliography Informing Training and Technical Assistance - An annotated bibliography that supports the Permanency Innovations Initiative grantees in better meeting the needs of children and families: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/pii-annotated-bibliography-informing-tta
• IM-16-05 New Legislation: Public Law 114-198—The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 - An Information Memorandum (IM) to inform States of the enactment of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and provide basic information on the resulting changes in CAPTA for child abuse or neglect prevention and treatment programs: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/im1605
• IM-16-03 Executive’s Guide to CCWIS - An IM informing State and Tribal IV-E agencies about the publication of the Executive’s Guide to the Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS): http://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/im1603
• IM-16-04 CCWIS Notice of Intent Checklist Template - An IM providing State and Tribal IV-E agencies submission instructions for a Notice of Intent (NOI) as described in regulations at 45 CFR 1355.52(i)(1) and 1355.56(d)(1). This IM also provides an optional NOI checklist that title IV-E agencies may use: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/im1604

Visit the Children's Bureau website often to see what's new at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb.

 

Newly released data show the number of children in foster care nationally has increased for the third year in a row.

Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data released by the Children's Bureau, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF), show a continued increase in the numbers of children in foster care. After declining more than 20 percent between fiscal years (FY) 2006 and 2012 to a low of 397,000, the number of children in foster care increased to 428,000 in FY 2015. This represents a 3.4-percent increase from FY 2014, when States reported 414,000 children in foster care.

Nearly three quarters (71 percent) of States reported an increase in the numbers of children entering foster care from 2014 to 2015. The five States with the largest increases were Florida, Indiana, Georgia, Arizona, and Minnesota; these five States were also among the States with the largest increases between 2013 and 2014.

Although there is variation in how States report factors that contribute to foster care cases, it appears that parental substance use may have contributed to the growth in the child welfare population. From 2012 to 2015, the percentage of removals where parental substance use was cited as a contributing factor increased 13 percent (from 28.5 percent in 2012 to 32.2 percent in 2015)—the largest percentage increase compared to any other circumstance around removal. Though ACF's efforts to improve State reporting have likely contributed to the overall rise in cases, the greater prevalence of parental substance use among cases may also explain some of this increase. In addition, neglect as a circumstance around removal also increased from 56.4 percent to 60.7 percent over the same time period.

"The national number of children in foster care is still far below where it was 10 years ago, but any increase is cause for concern, and we've now seen increases for the past 3 years," said Mark Greenberg, HHS Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families.

Officials at the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) interviewed child welfare directors in States experiencing the highest increase in foster care numbers, and State officials informed ACYF what the data suggest: a rise in parental substance use is likely a major factor driving up the number of children in foster homes. Citing opioid and methamphetamine use as the most debilitating and prevalent substances used, some State officials expressed concern that the problem of substance use is straining their child welfare agencies.

State child welfare directors also emphasized that recent trends in substance abuse are sometimes affecting entire families and neighborhoods, making a child's placement with relatives an unviable option. Increased collaboration across service providers and community leaders will be necessary to address this rising challenge.

"The increases we are seeing in the foster care population, and the rise of parental substance use as a contributing factor, is not limited to one or two States—this is a concern across the country," said Rafael López, Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families. "Investing in prevention, treatment, and innovative approaches is critical to keeping children safe and families together and strong. We can, and must, do better."

One such approach is the Children's Bureau's regional partnership grants program, which specifically focuses on improving the safety, permanency, and well-being of children who have been removed from the home as a result of parent or caregiver substance use. The President's FY 2017 budget request includes an expansion of the regional partnership grants from $20 million to $60 million annually to improve the well-being of children and families affected by substance abuse. Families who participated in previous regional partnership grants projects experienced enhanced outcomes, including successful recovery, increased number of children remaining at home, increased reunification rates, decreased recidivism, and dramatic differences in the rate of children who returned to out-of-home care as compared to families who did not participate in the regional partnership grants projects.

Because too many Americans with substance use disorders do not get the treatment and care they need, the President's FY 2017 budget request calls for $1.1 billion in new funding to help make sure everyone who seeks treatment can get it.

"ACYF and SAMHSA's partnership through the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare is focused on helping the child welfare and behavioral health systems work together to create coordinated, multisystem approaches to care that can prevent the need for children to enter the foster care system," said HHS' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) Principal Deputy Kana Enomoto. "With an emphasis on recovery for pregnant and parenting women and their families, we're supporting the development of policies and guidelines to address the full spectrum of intervention opportunities—from prepregnancy, prenatal, and postpartum treatment, and continuing throughout a child's development."

The FY 2015 AFCARS report, including a table showing reasons for removal from home, is available at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/afcars-report-23. Trends since 2006 in foster care and children adopted with child welfare agency involvement are available at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/trends-in-foster-care-and-adoption-fy15.

All ACF news releases, fact sheets and other materials are available on the ACF news page. Follow ACF on Twitter for more updates.
 

Noting the sharp increase in the use of opioids across the country, even among pregnant women, a new guide highlights the benefits of a coordinated, multisystem approach to providing services to address this emerging epidemic within this vulnerable population. The guide outlines a variety of causes of opioid misuse and dependence, as well as its effects: an increase in child welfare caseloads created by the number of infants and young children entering foster care, in addition to hospital reports of infants born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). NAS is defined as the pattern of effects associated with opioid withdrawal in newborns.

The guide presents specific information on the treatment of pregnant women with opioid use disorders, approaches implemented by organizations across multiple disciplines, a framework to organize these approaches in communities, and a practice guide for community planning.

Five opportunities for intervention are outlined in the framework:

• Prepregnancy: Promoting awareness of the effects of prenatal substance use on infants
• Prenatal: Screening pregnant women for substance use as part of routine prenatal care
• Birth: Testing newborns for prenatal substance exposure at the time of delivery
• Neonatal: Conducting developmental assessments of newborns and ensuring access to services
• Throughout childhood and adolescence: Providing coordinated services for affected children and families

The authors note that a collaborative approach, while showing promising results where implemented, can be challenging to establish for reasons such as competing priorities, unmet training needs, use of different terminologies, limits on time and resources, information gaps, and more. To counter some of these challenges, the guide provides a list of questions to ask when establishing joint planning, as well as a description of a collaborative team, including a steering committee, a core team, and work groups.

The guide was developed by the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

A Collaborative Approach to the Treatment of Pregnant Women With Opioid Use Disorders is available at https://ncsacw.samhsa.gov/resources/opioid-use-disorders-and-medication-assisted-treatment/default.aspx.  

Related Item

The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare announced the 2017 Policy Academy: Improving Outcomes for Pregnant and Postpartum Women With Opioid Use Disorders, and Their Infants and Families, which will be held February 7–8, 2017, in Baltimore, MD. Applications for participation in the Policy Academy are due Friday, November 4, 2016, at 5:00 p.m., PDT. For questions about this opportunity or the application process, please contact Amanda Kellerman at akellerman@cffutures.org or 714.505.3525.
 

Each year, the Children's Bureau announces the winners of the Adoption Excellence Awards as part of its celebration of National Adoption Month in November. Since 1997, the Children's Bureau has presented the Adoption Excellence Awards to honor States, local agencies, private organizations, courts, businesses, individuals, and families for outstanding achievements in providing stable, permanent homes for our nations' children in foster care. For 2016, nine Adoption Excellence Awards were approved in four categories by the Administration on Children, Youth and Families' Commissioner Rafael López.

The 2016 Adoption Excellence Awards were presented to the following:

In the category of Family Contributions:

• Nedra and Matt Cox, Denver, CO

In the category of Individuals/Professionals:

• Adam Pertman, Boston, MA
• Sarah Gojkovic, Sierra Vista, AZ
• Barbara Stair, Anchorage, AK
• Addie Williams, Southfield, MI

In the category of Media/Social Media/Public Awareness of Adoption From Foster Care:

• Tim Wieland, Denver, CO
• Rut N. Tellado Domenech and Jorge Ramirez, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

In the category of Child Welfare/Judicial Systemic Change:

• Kidsave of Los Angeles – Randi Thompson, Culver City, CA
• Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services, Adoptions and Resource Homes Units – Terri Lowther, Annapolis, MD

To read more about the Adoption Excellence Awards and award winners, including past years' winners, visit the Children's Bureau website at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/adoption-excellence-awards.
 

The Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) recently announced a number of new public and private sector commitments focused on strengthening families and improving outcomes for youth in foster care. The exciting new opportunities were announced at the 20th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect.   

These commitments are made possible through collaboration among five Federal departments, multiple private foundations, and university researchers:

• Public-Private Partnership (PDF - 234 KB) presents collaborative efforts among ACYF, Casey Family Programs, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago designed to reduce foster and congregate care placements, provide evidenced-informed prevention services, and support children and teens currently in foster care. The set of commitments also includes new research projects, grants, and capacity building initiatives.
• Interagency Commitments to Advance Equity and Opportunity for Children and Families in Child Welfare (PDF - 260 KB) announces three new initiatives from the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Justice, Education, and Housing and Urban Development. This includes new policy guidance focused on protecting the civil rights of families as well as new initiatives to improve education and employment outcomes and to expand housing options for youth currently and formerly in foster care.
• "Break the Cycle" is ACYF's new, short video that underscores the importance of breaking the cycle of poverty and neglect by supporting struggling families though mental health and substance use treatment and parent mentorship. Viewers are encouraged to share this 50-second video with their networks through social media, newsletters, and on their websites.

 For more information, visit http://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/20th-nccan-closing-plenary.


 

On October 19, 2016, the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services issued a joint guidance letter to State and local child welfare systems on the requirements of title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations. Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance. The guidance aims to ensure that child welfare systems know about their responsibilities to protect the civil rights of children and families. The guidance is part of an ongoing partnership between the departments to help child welfare agencies protect the well-being of children and ensure compliance with Federal nondiscrimination laws. Last year, the departments issued guidance on the intersection of child welfare requirements and title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Additional information on the new guidance is available in English and Spanish at the following links:
 
English: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/departments-justice-and-health-and-human-services-issue-joint-guidance-child-welfare-systems
 
Spanish: https://www.justice.gov/espanol/pr/el-departamento-de-justicia-y-el-departamento-de-salud-y-servicios-humanos-emiten-una-gu
 

The child welfare field has seen the increased development and use of standardized tools to improve the assessment of child safety and risk for child maltreatment in families. However, most tools are less useful with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) families because they fail to accommodate and integrate AI/AN cultural and family values. A recent Research to Practice Brief from the Administration for Children and Family’s (ACF's) Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) traces the evolution of child safety and risk assessments in child welfare, describes the different types of assessments, discusses the importance of integrating AI/AN values into tools used with Tribal families, and provides examples of how five Tribes developed or adapted child safety and risk assessments.

The brief's authors note that, since the 1980s, family assessments have moved away from traditional case studies and toward more structured assessments. Today's child welfare agencies most often use safety and risk assessment tools that are strength based and include both safety and risk components. But few of these tools accommodate the unique cultural elements of AI/AN communities, such as the safety factor that results from the extensive involvement of family and community members in parenting children and the risk factors that may result from Tribal adverse events or trauma.

Some Tribes have developed unique approaches to address the lack of culturally relevant safety and risk assessments, and this research brief cites five examples:

• The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska partnered with the developer of the Structured Decision Making model to customize the standard assessment for use with Tribal families.
• The Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boys incorporated its Tribal values into Montana’s safety assessment instruments through the use of culturally responsive questions.
• The Cook Inlet Tribal Council used its 2006 ACF grant on Coordination of TANF and Tribal Services to validate the North Carolina Family Assessment Scales for use with AN families.
• The Oglala Sioux Tribe developed a curriculum of culturally responsive training to prepare its child protection staff to make safety and risk decisions.
• The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians developed a program called Building Strong Native American Families to increase knowledge and awareness of child abuse and neglect in both staff and in the community.

The authors conclude that these examples of Tribal approaches to safety and risk assessments provide some promise for the potential to improve child welfare decision-making in AI/AN communities.

Find Child Safety and Risk Assessments in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities, by Kim Keating, Brandie Buckless, and Pirkko Ahonen, on the OPRE website at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/safetyassessmentbrief2016_b508.pdf (411 KB).