June 2014Vol. 15, No. 6Print issueSpotlight on Child and Family Services Reviews

The Children's Bureau's Training and Technical Assistance (T&TA) Network continues to produce resources that can help States and Tribes in their work with children and families. Some recent resources are listed below:

• AdoptUSKids and its National Resource Center for Diligent Recruitment (NRCDR) posted the recording and materials from AdoptUSKids' recent webinar, "From National to Local: Making an Impact at the Local Level With the National Adoption Recruitment Campaign Public Service Advertisements (PSAs)": http://www.adoptuskids.org/news-and-announcements/announcements/story?k=localization-webinar-2014
• Child Welfare Information Gateway posted the following new and updated publications
  
  • A new issue brief, In-Home Services in Child Welfare:
    https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/issue_briefs/inhome_services.cfm
  • Are You Pregnant and Thinking About Adoption?:
    https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_pregna/
  • Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect:
    https://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/manda.cfm
    Penalties for Failure to Report and False Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect:
    https://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/report.cfm
• Information Gateway also updated its webpage on the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-351), which features new information on how States and other jurisdictions are implementing the law: https://www.childwelfare.gov/fosteringconnections/
• The National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI) posted the recording of the second in its four-part national webinar miniseries, "Making a Difference: NCWWI Impact and Lessons Learned (2008–2013)." Access the session, "Traineeship Legacies and Lessons Learned," here: http://vimeo.com/92751652
• The National Quality Improvement Center on Differential Response in Child Protective Services (QIC-DR) posted Program Evaluation of the Colorado Consortium on Differential Response: Final Report, as well as the report's appendices:
  
  • Final report: http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/medicalschool/departments/pediatrics/subs/can/QIC-DR/Documents/Program%20Evaluation%20of%20the%20Colorado%20Consortium%20on%20Differential%20Response%20-%20Final%20Report.pdf (3 MB)
  • Appendices: http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/medicalschool/departments/pediatrics/subs/can/QIC-DR/Documents/Program%20Evaluation%20of%20the%20Colorado%20Consortium%20on%20Differential%20Response%20-%20Final%20Report%20Appendices.pdf (3 MB)
• The National Resource Center for Adoption (NRCA) created the Readiness Assessment Tool for Community-Based System of Care to assist States, Tribes, and territories in building systems of care that support permanence for children, youth, and families. Learn more and access the tool here: http://www.nrcadoption.org/raversion1/  
  NRCA also published Adoption Support and Preservation Services: A Continuing Public Interest 2014:
  http://www.nrcadoption.org/wp-content/uploads/ASAP-A-Continuing-Public-Interest-2014.pdf (10 MB)
• The National Resource Center for Child Protective Services (NRCCPS) added several technical assistance reports to its State and Tribes Training and Technical Assistance Logic Models, Reports and Work Plans webpage: http://nrccps.org/training-tech/reports/
• The National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (FRIENDS) published a new learning tool on Effective Collaborations in Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention: Wisdom From the Field: http://friendsnrc.org/cbcap-annual-report-summaries/2010-summaries-archive/doc_download/1920-effective-collaborations-in-cbcap (PDF - 129 KB)
• The National Resource Center for In-Home Services (NRC In-Home) will host a webinar on "Safety Organized Practice: A Collaborative Practice Model and In-Home Services" on June 26 at 2 p.m. EDT. To learn more and to register, visit https://www.nrc-ihs.org/events/safety-organized-practice-collaborative-practice-model-and-home-services-webinar.
• The National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections (NRCPFC) published a new information packet on Pregnant and Parenting Teens in Foster Care: Prevention Efforts and Supportive Services to Meet the Needs of Youth in Care:
  http://www.nrcpfc.org/is/downloads/info_packets/Pregnant&Parenting_Benedict&Bercun.pdf ( 429 KB)
  NRCPFC also published the spring 2014 issue of its biannual newsletter, Permanency Planning Today, which focuses on continuous quality improvement (CQI) in child welfare: http://www.nrcpfc.org/newsletter/ppt-spring-2014.pdf (2 MB)
• The National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health (TA Center) posted the recordings and materials for its recent webinars on "National Perspectives and Federal Resources: Trauma Informed Care in Child Serving Systems" and "Making It Work: An Evidence-Informed Approach to Services for Emerging Adults With Serious Mental Health Conditions": http://gucchdtacenter.georgetown.edu/resources/TAWebinars.html#Prev
• The Technical Assistance Network for Children's Behavioral Health (TA Network) provides technical assistance to systems-of-care (SOC) jurisdictions funded by the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families program. To learn more, visit the TA Network website at https://soctanetwork.org/index.cfm/home/index.

In order to help child welfare professionals find the most up-to-date and relevant information, the National Resource Center for Organizational Improvement (NRCOI) conducts quarterly literature reviews to identify and summarize resources related to child welfare organizational improvement. NRCOI reviews scholarly articles, reports, book reviews, and other resources to identify studies that aim to explore general concepts in topic areas such as continuous quality improvement, implementation, interagency collaboration, leadership, and more. Selected articles are then summarized in a chart that includes brief descriptions of the key concepts and methods as well as synopses of research findings.

NRCOI's most recent review, Literature Review: 10/01/2013–12/31/2013, examines 14 articles and 1 report that address a range of topics, such as implementation, strategic planning, supervision, and systemic change. A number of articles touch on how the culture of child welfare agencies can impact programming and services. The review includes a list of resources related to organizational improvement extracted from Child Welfare Information Gateway subscription services.

Access the full literature review here: http://www.nrcoi.org/rcpdfs/LitReviewOctDec2013.pdf (606 KB)

In the latest issue of The Roundtable, the National Resource Center for Adoption (NRCA) focuses on educational well-being for older adopted youth and older youth in guardianship placements. The lead article, by Dr. Angelique Day, examines the detrimental effects that multiple placements can have on young people's academic careers, including lower rates of high school graduation and college attendance. Dr. Day also discusses resources and supports that are available to assist youth in care in reaching educational goals. These include educational provisions in the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, such as the expanded eligibility criteria of Independent Living services and Education and Training Vouchers (ETVs); State postsecondary educational assistance programs; and the College Cost Reduction Act of 2009 (P.L. 110-84).

Other articles in the newsletter explore the importance of maintaining sibling relationships, the importance of relationships for Native American families, and adoption and guardianship with relative caregivers.

Read issue 27(1) of The Roundtable on the NRCA website:

http://www.nrcadoption.org/pdfs/roundtable/V27N1-2014.pdf (2 MB)

Using a 17-month Children's Bureau (CB) grant, an existing partnership between Cincinnati Public Schools, the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services (JFS), and the juvenile court has been enhanced to increase school stability for students involved with child welfare or under court-ordered protective supervision. This infrastructure-building grant is part of CB's Child Welfare - Education System Collaborations to Increase Educational Stability grant cluster. The collaboration, Kids in School Rule! (KISR!), is focused on improving educational outcomes by increasing school stability, improving direct communication about students, and reducing disruptions and removals from school.

KISR! is a partnership among Cincinnati Public Schools, JFS, Hamilton County Juvenile Court, and the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati (LAS). The project actually began in 2008, prior to the grant being awarded. Before the project began, a lack of communication and collaboration between school personnel and JFS staff affected the educational stability of students served. School personnel were confused about whom to contact concerning children's educational issues and voiced concern about the number of absences of children in foster care. In addition, the child welfare agency experienced barriers enrolling their students in Cincinnati Public Schools, and caseworkers did not have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the school district to resolve common educational issues. KISR!'s primary goal was to build the infrastructure for an intensive cross-systems collaboration to improve educational outcomes. 

To help meet project goals, two education specialists assist JFS case managers with education-related issues and serve as the point of contact regarding student participants. In addition, each Cincinnati school has a KISR! liaison to support students. To ensure the educational needs of children are met, magistrates in Hamilton County Juvenile Court review educational information about each KISR! child in foster care or under court-ordered protective supervision.

In 2008, 22 Cincinnati Public Schools participated in KISR!, which served only children in the custody of JFS. The CB grant was awarded in January 2012, and the project expanded to the 56 schools within the district. In August 2012, the project began serving children under court-ordered protective supervision of JFS if the parents signed consent for the service to continue. KISR! has served 706 students since 2008. As of January 2013, the project is serving 181 students; 167 (92 percent) of the students are in the custody of JFS, and 14 (8 percent) of the students are under the protective supervision of JFS. The population of youth served who are in protective supervision were part of the KISR! project when they were in agency custody.

Evaluation activities continue and some positive outcomes have already been realized, including: 

• A set of key data indicators and an expanded Cincinnati Public Schools' Learning Partner Dashboard that shares specific data about KISR! students and generates reports to inform the project
• An operations manual, an education specialist manual, and a KISR! liaison handbook to describe procedures that apply to KISR! students and the roles and responsibilities of the specialized positions
• An enrollment protocol to ensure KISR! students do not miss instruction time
• A trauma-informed consultation program
• Automatic school fee waivers for students in KISR!

The project recently received the first data reports from Learning Partner Dashboard, which provided powerful documentation for the need to take action to stabilize students. In addition, project data shows that KISR! students rarely miss school for counseling or family visitations.

For more information about this project, contact Elaine Fink, KISR! Project Manager, efink@lascinti.org. The full site visit report is available on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website:
 
https://www.childwelfare.gov/management/funding/funding_sources/edcollaborations.cfm
 
The Kids in School Rule! project is funded by the Children's Bureau (Award 90CO1077). This article is part of a series highlighting successful Children's Bureau grant-funded projects around the country, emerging from Children's Bureau site visits.

In 2004, North Carolina's Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR) demonstrated a clear need for more accurate and comprehensive assessments of the strengths and needs of children and families served by child welfare. Specifically, ongoing risk and safety assessments were not conducted, and families were often not involved in case planning. In addition, CFSR findings in 2007 indicated that families receiving in-home services were struggling to connect with or receive appropriate services. Using a 5-year Children's Bureau discretionary grant that began in 2007, the Alamance County Department of Social Services (ACDSS) is implementing a Comprehensive Family Assessment (CFA) project to improve safety, permanency, and well-being for the children and families it serves.

Data from 2005–2006 showed that 48 percent of the children with maltreatment reports had a prior report with ACDSS. Roughly one-fifth of children with initial reports had a second report within 1 year. Findings from the 2007 CFSR showed a disparity in services provided to in-home cases, compared to foster care cases, and children receiving in-home services had higher rates of repeat maltreatment. ACDSS identified the lack of ongoing and comprehensive assessment and planning as directly related to the frequency and purpose of caseworker visits. Its policies did not specifically address the frequency, purpose, or approach for visits, and ACDSS cited this lack of clarity as a barrier to caseworker ability to comprehensively assess family functioning.

The target population for this project was children and families receiving in-home family support or family preservation services. Prior to the onset of the CFA grant, Alamance County was one of three pilot sites in North Carolina for a System of Care (SOC) infrastructure grant awarded by the Children's Bureau in 2003. The SOC grant provided an opportunity to move the agency and the community toward a family-centered approach, and the CFA grant helped achieve that goal by enhancing assessment practices for children and families receiving in-home services.

As part of the CFA project, ACDSS developed assessment tools and family engagement and caseworker visit policies that were implemented with a pilot team in 2008. A randomly selected intervention team was implemented in 2009. Pilot and intervention staff members were trained and coached to utilize motivational interviewing (MI) to develop partnerships and engage families in assessment and case planning. Efforts to improve father engagement also were part of the project.

A number of new and modified assessment tools were developed and utilized to more comprehensively gauge families' needs. A comprehensive risk and safety guide was completed at initial visits and followed by the North Carolina DSS Risk Assessment within 48 hours, in addition to the mandated completion at case closure. At subsequent visits, social workers assessed multiple domains individually using SEEMAPS (social, economic, environmental, mental health, activities of daily living, physical health, and strengths) and screened for possible issues with substance abuse, domestic violence, and depression to obtain a holistic picture of family strengths and needs. Lastly, ACDSS implemented new policies for home visits to provide a consistent purpose, process, and approach (low risk – monthly visits; moderate risk – biweekly; high risk– weekly; this visit schedule is identical to the mandated policy for home visits for cases receiving in-home services).

Alamance County leveraged existing research findings to implement a long-term multilevel approach, utilizing MI and ongoing coaching to increase family engagement in order to obtain a truly comprehensive assessment.

Findings indicate that, overall, the CFA process has been implemented with an acceptable degree of fidelity. For the vast majority of cases:

• The comprehensive risk and safety guide was completed at case initiation.
• Assessment of at least one life domain area was completed at subsequent visits.
• Caseworkers appeared to be maintaining high levels of contact with primary caregivers during the assessment process, especially with low- and moderate-risk cases.

Administrative data were analyzed to examine possible differences in child welfare outcomes between the CFA intervention and control teams:

• Compared to the control team, the CFA intervention team spent more time on assessment of cases.
• Compared to the control team, the CFA intervention team had a higher proportion of substantiated cases. They also had a higher proportion of cases with findings of services provided that were no longer needed or recommended.
• CFA implementation did have an effect on the long-term safety of children. After 18 months from the initial case decision, intervention team cases were significantly less likely to return for another maltreatment assessment. However, significant differences between intervention and control teams were not found at 6 or 12 months on these measures.
• Significant differences were not found between the two teams for foster care entry or length of time in foster care.

For more information about this project, contact Adrian Daye, Child Welfare Program Manager, Adrian.Daye@alamance-nc.com. The full site visit report is available on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website:
 
https://www.childwelfare.gov/management/funding/funding_sources/familyassessments.cfm
 
This project is funded by the Children's Bureau (Award 90CA1754). This article is part of a series highlighting successful Children's Bureau grant-funded projects around the country, emerging from Children's Bureau site visits.

Youth in foster care experience early sexual activity, pregnancy, and teen parenting at a higher rate than their peers who are not in foster care. An article in a recent issue of the National Center for Youth Law's Youth Law News explores the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommended standards of care for developing youth as outlined in the Bright Futures program. It then compared these standards to the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) program services required and/or available for children and youth enrolled in Medicaid. The article explores health education, appropriate screening and tests for sexually transmitted infections, family planning services and supplies, and scheduling appointments and transportation assistance. The National Center for Youth Law found that, although some gaps in services exist, the services available under Medicaid for youth in foster care are generally consistent with the recommended standards of care guidelines established in Bright Futures.

This is the second article in a series looking at teen pregnancy among youth in foster care. The first article in the series, "Cause for Concern: Unwanted Pregnancy and Childbirth Among Adolescents in Foster Care," presented data indicating higher rates of pregnancy among youth in care than among their counterparts and highlighted various barriers to reproductive health care services for youth in foster care.

"Assessing Accessibility: Do Teens in Foster Care Have Access to the Full Range of Reproductive Health Care Services Under Medicaid?" by Jennifer Friedman, Youth Law News, 32(2), 2013, is available here:

http://www.youthlaw.org/publications/yln/2013/apr_jun_2013/assessing_accessibility_do_teens_in_foster_care_have_access/

"Cause for Concern: Unwanted Pregnancy and Childbirth Among Adolescents in Foster Care," by Jennifer Friedman, Youth Law News, 32(1), 2013, is available here:

http://www.youthlaw.org/publications/yln/2013/jan_mar_2013/cause_for_concern_unwanted_pregnancy_and_childbirth_among_adolescents_in_foster_care/

Information about Bright Futures is available here:

http://brightfutures.aap.org/

Chapin Hall recently published the findings from an evaluation of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) that examined the degree to which the mental health needs were being met for children in kinship care. The study also looked at the relationship between the level of caseworker concern about caregivers and whether or not children were receiving services following comprehensive assessments.

Children in the study were evaluated using the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) instrument, which, in part, assesses need for mental health services. Researchers found that 28.4 percent of the children in the study were in need of such services; however, within 6 months of being placed in kinship care, only 14.2 percent of these children had a Medicaid claim indicating receipt of the services.

Researchers looked at caseworker concerns about caregivers on 12 separate "actionable" items or domains where interventions were needed. Overall, 25 percent of children were placed with caregivers about whom caseworkers had some degree of concern, with two actionable areas being cited most frequently as the source for that concern. These two actionable domains were knowledge, defined as the caregiver's understanding of and ability to act on the rationale for the child's treatment, and resources, or the financial and social assets that the caregiver could provide in meeting the child and family needs.

The study concludes by noting that caseworker concerns about caregivers should not prevent placement with that individual, but front-end assessments and interventions should be administered in order to increase the likelihood that concrete supports will be provided to the family.

The Unmet Mental Health Needs Among Children in Kinship Care is available on the Chapin Hall website:

http://www.chapinhall.org/research/inside/unmet-mental-health-needs-among-children-kinship-care

According to data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), African-American males are more than twice as likely to be in foster care as their peers of other races, and the percentage of African-American males who age out of care almost doubled between 2001 and 2010 (from 7 percent to 13 percent). A recent report from the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), Changing Course: Improving Outcomes for African American Males Involved With Child Welfare Systems, reviews the current data and literature about African-American males involved with child welfare, outlines an approach to improve their outcomes, and makes recommendations for immediate action.

The following are examples of actions outlined in the report that can be taken by child welfare agencies and their partners:

• Establishing an organizational commitment to race equity
• Understanding and responding to the ways in which structural racism can shape the experiences and well-being of African-American males
• Implementing developmentally appropriate practice that is trauma-informed and utilizes protective and promotive factors to help youth
• Creating ways for African-American youth to provide input

Changing Course: Improving Outcomes for African American Males Involved With Child Welfare Systems, by Oronde Miller, Frank Farrow, Judith Meltzer, and Susan Notkin, is available on the CSSP website:

(http://www.cssp.org/publications/child-welfare/alliance/Changing-Course_Improving-Outcomes-for-African-American-Males-Involved-with-Child-Welfare-Systems.pdf (1 MB)

The growth of the underground commercial sex economy, including sex trafficking and child pornography, is an emergent issue, but policymakers often lack the reliable data they need to understand the full nature and extent of these activities. Understanding the scope of the problem is important for child welfare and related professionals because victims are often from the most vulnerable populations, including children involved with child welfare. In a new study, Estimating the Size and Structure of the Underground Commercial Sex Economy in Eight Major U.S. Cities, researchers from the Urban Institute collected both quantitative and qualitative data in an effort to provide some insights on the issues.

Existing datasets on market changes for illegal drugs and weapons in San Diego, Seattle, Dallas, Denver, Washington, DC, Kansas City, Atlanta, and Miami were analyzed to provide an estimate of the overall size of the sex trade in those markets. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with stakeholders, including local and Federal law enforcement officers and prosecutors, and with convicted offenders, including sex traffickers, sex workers, and child pornographers. Some of the findings of the study indicate:

• Some connection between drug trafficking and sex trafficking
• The involvement of gangs in pimping in some cities
• An expanded use of the Internet to facilitate sex work

In the area of child pornography, researchers learned that in the United States child pornography is largely noncommercialized and is often traded for free. Other findings indicate:

• Child pornography is an escalating problem, becoming increasingly graphic with younger victims, and often features violence against infants and toddlers.
• With the increase of the use of the Internet, child pornography is a crime that is global in scope.
• Because they have never had contact with the child victims, persons who have been convicted of possession and distribution of child pornography often believe their crime is a "victimless" crime.

Finally, the researchers address the policy implications of their research, including the need for (1) training on human trafficking for law enforcement; (2) cross-training of investigators of narcotics, gangs, prostitution, and sex trafficking; and (3) strengthening child pornography laws to hold individuals who host online child pornography content criminally responsible.

The study was funded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Estimating the Size and Structure of the Underground Commercial Sex Economy in Eight Major U.S. Cities, by Meredith Dank, Bilal Khan, P. Mitchell Downey, Cybele Kotonias, Deborah Mayer, Colleen Owens, Laura Pacifici, and Lilly Yu, is available on the Urban Institute website:

http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/413047-Underground-Commercial-Sex-Economy.pdf (5 MB)

In 2007, the National Family Preservation Network (NFPN) conducted a study that examined and compared outcomes experienced by families receiving intensive family preservation services to outcomes experienced by families receiving reunification services. Findings showed that family preservation was more successful than reunification and that reunited families experienced more problems than preserved families. In 2012, NFPN conducted another study of successful reunification.

The study was conducted in four sites in four States, and three of the four programs were based on the Homebuilders® model. Data were collected between April 2012 and February 2013 in a manner that mirrors reunification case practice: case referral, acceptance of referral, assessment, case planning/goal setting, service delivery, reassessment, case closure, and exit survey/interview. Parent and caregiver perceptions of engagement and caseworker interactions also were collected and used to examine possible connections between caregiver opinions and outcomes. The study marked three important milestones:

• The first NFPN study to include all three initiatives of family preservation, reunification, and father-involvement
• The first test of the North Carolina Family Assessment Scale for General Services (NCFAS-G) assessment tool with both alternative response and placement prevention services
• The first time questions for both caseworkers and families were closely aligned in exit instruments and also corresponded to the NCFAS assessment tools

Findings included the following:

• There was statistically significant improvement for both intact and reunited families on all 10 domains of the NCFAS tools.
• Caseworker and family responses to exit instrument questions were closely aligned for intact and reunited families that completed services.
• Intensive services were effective with families facing challenges often considered to be barriers to reunification, including race, employment, substance use, mental illness, and domestic violence.

In addition to the study, NFPN also released new exit instruments for both intact and reunited families, which can be purchased on the NFPN website:

http://nfpn.org/products/exit-instruments

Family Assessment, Family Functioning, and Caregiver Engagement in Family Preservation and Reunification Programs, and the Relation of These and Other Factors to Reunification Service Outcomes, by Raymond Kirk and Priscilla Martens, is available on the NFPN website:

http://nfpn.org/Portals/0/Documents/2014-reunification-report.pdf (613 KB)

Related Item

The May 2014 issue of Children's Bureau Express featured an article about the 40th anniversary of the Intensive Family Preservation movement:

https://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=157&sectionid=2&articleid=4197

Young people are identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) at much earlier ages than previous generations. In order to assist health and social services practitioners with understanding the critical role of family acceptance in contributing to the health and well-being of adolescents who identify as LGBT, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released A Practitioner's Resource Guide: Helping Families to Support Their LGBT Children. The guide provides information about best practices for engaging and helping families and caregivers in their support of their LGBT children. The guide is divided into the following four sections:

• Critical Role of Families in Reducing Risk & Promoting Well-Being
• Helping Families Decrease Risk & Increase Well-Being for Their LGBT Children
• Increasing Family Support: How to Help Right Now
• Resources for Practitioners and Families

In addition, the guide provides information about the Family Acceptance Project, a family intervention approach that is the result of more than a decade of interactions and interventions with LGBT children and their families.

A Practitioner's Resource Guide: Helping Families to Support Their LGBT Children is available on the SAMHSA website:

http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content//PEP14-LGBTKIDS/PEP14-LGBTKIDS.pdf (1 MB)

For more information on the Family Acceptance Project, visit:

http://familyproject.sfsu.edu/

A resource from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) charts recent State legislation to expedite and streamline the adoption process. The legislative trends noted by author Nina Williams-Mbengue include eliminating certain requirements such as home study requirements for relatives adopting children; foster care licensure for prospective adoptive parents; and requirements that the adoptive child live in the adoptive home for specified time periods. Other strategies to expedite and streamline or otherwise improve the adoption process reflected in recent State legislation include expanding intra-family adoptions, allowing expedited adoption orders, providing maternity and paternity leave for adoptive parents, and requiring trauma-informed training for adoptive parents.

The chart State Legislation to Expedite and Streamline the Adoption Process 2008–2013 is available on the NCSL website:

http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/ncsl-streamlining-adoption-legislation-2008-2013.aspx

In another resource from NCSL, State Legislation to Provide Adoption and Post-Adoption Supports, Subsidies and Tax Credits 2005–2013, Williams-Mbengue tracks State legislation to provide adoption and postadoption supports, subsidies, and tax credits. The legislation includes expanding and increasing adoption payments and subsidies, increasing adoption tax credits, creating sliding-scale fees for adoptions based on the income of the prospective adoptive parent, extending adoption assistance, expanding the eligibility of children for postadoption assistance and support, and requiring departments of child welfare to provide information on adoption tax credits to adoptive parents (which is now a Federal requirement).

This chart also is available on the NCSL website:

http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/ncsl-adoption-support-and-subsidy-legislation-2005-2013.aspx

The Federal Indian Child Welfare Act requires that courts consider the testimony of qualified expert witnesses in all proceedings for the foster care placement of an Indian child or the termination of an Indian parent's parental rights. The challenge for States is that the term "qualified expert witness" is not defined in the law, and policy guidance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs can be ambiguous.

In codifying Federal requirements into State law, Wisconsin identified the need to more clearly define the roles and qualifications of the expert witnesses that could be called to testify in such cases. A new publication presents policy developed by the Wisconsin Indian Child Welfare Act (WICWA) State Advisory Board and the Department of Children and Families to provide guidance for consistent application of State qualified expert witness provisions.

In Wisconsin, qualified expert witnesses provide testimony to ensure that the norms, culture, or traditions of the Tribe are not used as a premise for removal of the child from his or her home and to aid the court's determination as to whether continued custody of the child by the parent or Indian custodian is likely to result in serious physical or emotional harm. In addition, Wisconsin's law creates a "tier" system that provides a clear definition and distinction between "types" or orders of preference of qualified expert witnesses.

Qualified Expert Witness: Wisconsin Indian Child Welfare Act Implementing Guidelines 2013 is available on the website for the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families:

http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/memos/num_memos/DSP/2013/2013-05attach.pdf (74 KB)

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, while secondhand smoke exposure among children has declined over the past 15 years, children remain more heavily exposed to secondhand smoke than adults. As a result, Global Advisors on Smokefree Policy (GASP) posted a white paper that directly addresses States' legal, ethical, and moral obligations to provide safe and healthy homes for children and youth in foster care.

In the white paper, GASP summarized statutes from 18 States and three California counties that require smoke-free homes and transportation for children and youth in care. Child welfare agencies and programs can look to this resource to learn about new or updated requirements in their States. Additionally, GASP identified jurisdictions in which smoke-free cars are required for all children, whether or not they are in care. Supporting studies about the impact of smoking and smoke-free homes on children also are provided.

Protecting Foster/Resource Family Children From Secondhand Smoke in Homes and Cars is available on the GASP website:

http://www.njgasp.org/d_Foster_Homes_and_Cars.pdf (234 KB)

The blog TakePart recently highlighted specific considerations for readers who might be interested in becoming foster parents. Noting that foster parenting can be extremely rewarding, the author also comments on its challenges. Featuring input from experts such as Irene Clements, President of the National Foster Parent Association and foster parent of 27 years, the post addresses the training necessary for becoming a foster parent, financial matters that should be considered by potential parents, and myths about foster parenting. Additional resources also are provided.

Considerations for prospective foster parents outlined in the article include the following:

• All States have their own, specific criteria and licensing requirements for foster parents as well as support services, such as monthly maintenance payments.
• Foster parents may interact with a variety of individuals involved in the child's life, which may include birth parents, therapists, and/or teachers. 
• Children in foster care may have experienced trauma, and foster parents should be prepared to provide the necessary emotional support to help children build resilience.
• Foster placements are temporary living situations. 

"5 Ways to Know You're Ready to Be a Foster Parent," by Solvej Schou, is available on the TakePart website:

http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/03/07/5-ways-know-youre-ready-be-foster-parent

An online campaign to protect children from sexual predators was recently launched by the U.S. Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). The project aims to curtail the growing threat of online child sexual exploitation. In 2012 alone, HIS opened more than 4,000 investigations into suspected predators.

The developmentally appropriate campaign, iGuardian, uses superhero characters and trading cards and includes outreach activities such as visits to schools where special agents offer children and parents tips for avoiding online exploitation. Internet safety and other prevention resources also are offered to families and the professionals with whom they work, including a smartphone app—the first of its kind for the Federal Government—for public help identifying fugitive and unknown suspect child predators.

Presentation requests can be sent via email to iguardian@ice.dhs.gov.

More information is available on the campaign's website:

http://www.ice.gov/cyber-crimes/iguardian.htm

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network released a new factsheet designed to familiarize mental health professionals with the appropriate terminology when working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. This resource also may be valuable to child welfare and other related professionals who work with LGBTQ children and youth and their families.

The publication includes a definition and description of the following terms:

• Sexual orientation
• Gender identity
• Transgender
• Gender expression
• Queer
• Questioning

Supported by diagrams and research findings, this resource illustrates the continuum of sex, gender, and sexual orientation and dispels myths and stereotypes about LGBTQ youth and sexual abuse. The factsheet also outlines key steps to creating a welcoming environment, maintaining confidentiality, and counseling clients after sexual abuse. 

Particular areas of concern related to the fear of disclosure, a lack of a safe arena to discuss one's sexual orientation, and the risk of self-harm are also addressed. Finally, the authors encourage professionals to follow local and national professional guidelines and policies for working with LGBTQ youth and individuals.

LGBTQ Youth and Sexual Abuse: Information for Mental Health Professionals is available on the National Child Traumatic Stress Network website:

http://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/lgbtq_tipsheet_for_professionals.pdf (1 MB)

The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Arizona offers an online training center with materials and resources to enhance the skills and capabilities of CASA volunteers. In addition to CASA-specific online training courses, which provide users with a certificate upon completion, the training center also offers online training courses outside CASA, including links to the following:

• Adoption Learning Partners
• Child Trauma Academy
• Children and Family Futures
• Foster Club Online Training
• National Children's Advocacy Center

The CASA Arizona training center also offers links to articles and publications, podcasts, volunteer FAQs, and a form for training credit guidelines. 

Updates are made regularly, so users should check back often for new material:

http://www.azcourts.gov/casa/training.aspx

Upcoming national conferences on child welfare and adoption through July 2014 include:

July 2014

• West Coast Child Welfare Trainers Conference
  Academy for Professional Excellence/Public Child Welfare Training Academy
  July 16–18, Coeur d' Alene, ID
  http://wccwtc.pbworks.com/w/page/7837313/FrontPage 
• 2014 Georgetown University Training Institutes on Systems of Care
  The Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development
  July 16–20, Washington, DC
  http://gucchdtacenter.georgetown.edu/TrainingInstitutes.html 
• FFTA 28th Annual Conference on Treatment Foster Care
  Happily Ever After? Overcoming Barriers to Permanency & Well-Being
  Foster Family-Based Treatment Association
  July 20–23, Lake Buena Vista, FL
  http://www.ffta.org/conference/index.html
• 2014 NASW National Conference
  National Association of Social Workers
  July 23–26, Washington DC
  http://www.nrcys.ou.edu/nrcconferences
   

August 2014

• National Pathways to Adulthood 2014
  National Resource Center for Youth Development
  August 6–8, Philadelphia, PA
  http://www.nrcyd.ou.edu/
• 26th Annual Crimes Against Children Conference
  Children's Advocacy Center
  August 11–14, Dallas, TX
  http://cacconference.org/dcac/default.aspx 
• The 27th Annual National Independent Living Conference
  Growing Pains 2014" For Adults and Youth
  Daniel Memorial
  August 26–29, Denver, CO
  http://www.danielkids.org/page.aspx?pid=430

September 2014

• 19th International Conference & Summit on Violence, Abuse & Trauma
  Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT)
  September 7–10, San Diego, CA
  http://www.ivatcenters.org
• CWLA National Kinship Care Conference
  Building Communities of Caring for Children and Families
  Child Welfare League of America (CWLA)
  September 17–19, New Orleans, LA
  https://netforum.avectra.com/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?Site=cwla&WebCode=Kinship14 

Further details about national and regional child welfare and adoption conferences can be found through the Conference Calendar Search feature on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website:

http://www.childwelfare.gov/calendar/index.cfm