November 2006Vol. 7, No. 8Print issueSpotlight on National Adoption Month

Family reunification is hampered for child welfare families dealing with additional challenges. Families with co-occurring problems, such as substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health problems, or housing issues, have difficulty meeting child welfare requirements for reunification unless they can make progress in these other problem areas.

A recent study of 724 Illinois families involved with child welfare and also challenged by parental substance abuse tracked the services and progress of these families. Quarterly reports by child welfare caseworkers over approximately 2 years showed that most families had additional co-occurring problems beyond substance abuse: 60 percent had mental health problems, 81 percent had housing problems, and 42 percent had domestic violence problems. Families experienced an overall family reunification rate of 12 percent; however, the rate rose to 21 percent for families dealing only with substance abuse.

Findings demonstrate the importance of integrated services that are targeted to each family's individual needs. Families that could resolve or make progress in addressing one or more of their co-occurring problems increased their chances of reunification.

The full study, "Integrated Services for Families With Multiple Problems: Obstacles to Family Reunification" by J. C. Marsh, J. P. Ryan, S. Choi, and M. F. Testa, was published in the September 2006 issue of Children and Youth Services Review and can be purchased online:

http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2005.10.012

Adoption subsidy amounts vary widely by State as well as by child and adoptive family characteristics. A study recently published in Adoption Quarterly drew on data from the national Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) for 2001 to evaluate some of the characteristics associated with the variations in assistance amounts. AFCARS collects adoption and foster care data from all States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

According to the authors of "Determinants of Adoption Subsidies," 88 percent of all children adopted from foster care in 2001 received adoption assistance. However, only 13 percent of those adopted in Puerto Rico received assistance, versus 100 percent of those adopted in South Carolina; other States and the District of Columbia fell somewhere in between those percentages. The amount of the monthly subsidies also varied widely by State, from a median of $174 in Puerto Rico to $856 in Iowa. The national median was $444.

Besides State of residence, other characteristics were associated with subsidy variations:

• Older children and African-American children were more likely to receive subsidies and to receive larger amounts.
• Children who waited for their adoption at least 18 months after termination of parental rights tended to receive a larger amount than children adopted more quickly.
• Children adopted by foster parents or relatives were more likely to receive subsidies than other children.
• Children adopted by single women were more likely to receive assistance than children adopted by married couples.
• Children adopted by African-American mothers were more likely to receive subsidies and tended to receive larger subsidies than other children.

The authors of the study suggest that many of the variations in median amounts reflect the greater need for services by certain groups, such as older children and others who have historically encountered greater barriers to adoption. Thus, the subsidies are used to reduce these barriers and to promote permanency for children.

"Determinants of Adoption Subsidies," by D. A. Gibbs, B. T. Dalberth, N. D. Berkman, and D. Weitzenkamp, was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. The article was published in Volume 9(2/3) of Adoption Quarterly and is available for online purchase:

http://haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=84865

Tablet PCs and Mobile Worker PDAs are among the new technologies that caseworkers around the country are taking into the field. In many cases, these devices are propelling workers into the 21st century by replacing paper notes with digitized documentation and by streamlining decision-making through the use of sophisticated resources such as digital mapping.

In Texas, the Department of Family and Protective Services is distributing 3,000 Tablet PCs to CPS workers and Residential Child Care Licensing staff. These lightweight, portable PCs have capabilities that extend far beyond those of typical laptops. Using the Tablet PC in the field, a worker can take notes on the screen with a digital pen, access resources through wireless Internet, use the mapping software to locate clients, send and receive email, find assignments and reports, and access the CPS case management system. The Tablet PC also includes a computerized reporting system for abuse and neglect and allows workers to take pictures with a digital camera and download and send those photos through email.

Frontline workers and ongoing case managers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, began to take Tablet PCs into the field in August of this year. Workers can download case information from their Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) into the Tablet PC, input new data into the PC while in the field, and then upload the new information into the primary SACWIS when they return to their office.

This streamlined approach to documentation came about in response to a workforce issue, according to Martha Johnson, Section Chief for Policy Development and Quality Improvement at the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services. The jurisdiction was experiencing significant turnover in case managers, and many who left cited the demands of documentation and the lack of useful technology as a reason for their resignation. The Tablet PCs were brought in to meet that need.

There are many reasons to expect that child welfare will continue to embrace new technology. Some supervisors have noted that newer workers just entering the field of child welfare are particularly savvy with regard to new technology and expect to use sophisticated technology in their work. In addition, funding sources have increased requirements for documentation and evaluation data, and many newer technological devices are well-suited for this type of data collection.

To read more about the Texas Tablet PC rollout, go the State website:
www.dfps.state.tx.us/About/News/2006/2006-08-07_tabletpcstory.asp

To find out more about the Wisonsin Tablet PC experience, contact Martha Johnson at:
johnsma@dhfs.state.wi.us

Tell us! Does your State or jurisdiction have an innovative technology that you are piloting? We'll collect ideas for a future technology update. Drop us a line:
cb_express@childwelfare.gov

While Family Group Conferencing (FGC) seeks to involve all members of a child's family in making decisions about the child, fathers and other paternal relatives may not be as actively engaged in the process as maternal relatives. A recent article in Protecting Children discusses some of the reasons that fathers might be overlooked or even prevented from participating in the FGC process and suggests some ways of increasing attendance by fathers and paternal relatives.

Traditional child welfare practice may focus on the role of the mother and maternal relatives in the child's life, viewing the father as transient or uninvolved. In some cases, mothers may not want the father included in decisions about the child or may not provide child welfare workers with contact information for paternal relatives. However, research on fatherhood has shown the importance of fathers to children's well-being.

FGC coordinators who attempt to engage fathers may run into a number of barriers, many of which can be addressed in conversations or activities that take place before the family conference. These might include:

• Addressing a mother's misgivings or a child's expectations in conversations before the conference
• Exploring cultural norms that may preclude men from participating fully
• Drawing a child's family tree to get a full picture of the family composition before extending invitations to family members for a conference
• Modeling respectful and open communication that is inclusive of male relatives
• Affirming the father and paternal relatives for the roles they have already played

Actively engaging fathers in the decision-making process about their children increases the support available to children and may provide opportunities for children to have better relationships with their fathers and paternal relatives and expand their permanency options.

The full article, "The Business of Engaging Fathers (and Other Male Relatives) in the FGC Process," by J. Schmid, appeared in Protecting Children, Volume 21(1); the journal can be purchased on the American Humane website:

www.americanhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pb_home

The relatively new practice of child welfare law, which emerged after the passage of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) in 1974, has grown to the point where there are now law offices dedicated to the practice of child welfare law. To provide a model for best practice for child welfare law and the legal representation of abused and neglected children, the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) developed the Children's Law Office Project (CLOP). CLOP is designed to identify child welfare law practices, provide them with a network, and offer training and technical assistance.

As part of this program, NACC recently released a new publication, Child Welfare Law Office Guidebook: Best Practice Guidelines for Organizational Legal Representation of Children in Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency Cases. Drawing on the expertise of law office executives with significant experience practicing child welfare law, the book offers guidance on achieving best practices. It includes guidelines in three major areas: administration, development and outreach, and programs. Under these main areas, 33 topics are covered, including staff recruitment and retention, cultural competency, development and outreach, standards of practice, training, attorney certification, and quality review. Three appendixes provide information on standards of practice, community resources, and developing outcome measures or a logic model for practice.

The book is available for download on the NACC website:

www.naccchildlaw.org/about/documents/CLOPGuidebookFinal4-06.pdf (PDF - 1,600 KB)

Methamphetamine use has had a huge impact on the child welfare systems in many States and communities across the country. In many cases, children from methamphetamine-affected families are now being cared for by their grandparents. Generations United, a national organization dedicated to promoting programs and policies that support older people and their families, has released a new report that examines the impact of methamphetamine on families and communities.

The report, Meth and Child Welfare: Promising Solutions for Children, Their Parents, and Grandparents, presents an overview of the growth of methamphetamine use in the United States and the dangers it poses to children and families. It identifies strategies to prevent methamphetamine use, keep children safe, and help parents with addictions complete treatment. An array of promising approaches are described in seven specific areas:

• Supporting expanded permanency options for children in foster care
• Promoting and enhancing treatment options for families
• Building interagency collaborations
• Using public awareness to prevent methamphetamine use
• Providing special supports for grandfamilies
• Strengthening dependency courts and expanding the use of family drug courts
• Targeting community supports in Indian Country

These approaches are illustrated with examples of programs and strategies from around the country. The report also provides a comprehensive set of recommendations to improve the child welfare system's ability to address the issues posed by both methamphetamine and other social problems.

The report is available on the Generations United website:

http://ipath.gu.org/documents/A0/Meth_Child_Welfare_Final_cover.pdf (PDF - 2,560 KB)

Casey Family Programs has published a new resource in its series of guides to transition services for foster youth. The new guide, It's My Life: Postsecondary Education and Training, is designed to help foster youth successfully prepare for and complete postsecondary education or training. The guide's recommendations address specific areas of need, including:

• Fostering high academic aspirations
• Long-term planning and preparation for postsecondary education
• Support in taking standardized tests
• Choosing, applying for, and enrolling in postsecondary education
• Obtaining financial aid
• Adjusting to and completing college or training programs

Two appendixes provide information on Chafee programs for youth and on activities that children in foster care should complete every academic year, beginning in seventh grade.

The guide can be found on the Casey Family Programs website:

www.casey.org/resources/publications/pdf/ItsMyLife_PostsecondaryEducation.pdf (PDF - 1,007 KB)

The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress conducts research on preparing for and responding to the psychological and health effects of traumatic events. For the past 10 years, the Center has operated the Family Violence and Trauma Project (FVTP) to provide support to social workers and family advocacy managers with the Department of the Army in the form of briefings, papers, staff studies, and a quarterly newsletter on the scientific and medical aspects of child and spouse abuse.

FVTP completed two empirical research studies of family violence and deployment. These studies documented the importance of predeployment family violence as a risk factor for postdeployment family violence and the possible role of the "honeymoon phase" of troops returning home.

More information, as well as recent issues of Joining Forces Joining Families, the quarterly newsletter, can be found on the website:

www.centerforthestudyoftraumaticstress.org/

In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a number of organizations have created disaster response resources and compiled information on disaster preparedness. The following three webpages offer resources to those who work with families affected by the hurricanes:

• The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), in partnership with the American Bar Association and the National Center for State Courts, and with support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, sponsors an online discussion forum for judges, court staff, attorneys, caseworkers, service providers, and others working with abused and neglected children and their families in jurisdictions affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Persons who live or work in a jurisdiction that suffered damage or a jurisdiction that is serving evacuees are invited to register and join the discussion forum. The forum is designed to allow participants to pose questions, exchange information, and inform others of their challenges and successes.
  www.ncjfcj.org/forums
• Child Welfare Information Gateway recently posted a special webpage devoted to disaster preparedness and response. The webpage offers links to a variety of web resources in the areas of preparedness, response, and recovery. Federal Government resources on disaster preparedness are highlighted.
  www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/disaster_preparedness
• The Urban Institute has posted a page of their own post-Katrina resources. Papers cover the topics of children and families, the economy, education, cultural vitality, housing, employment, and government and social services.
  www.urban.org/afterkatrina

The Native American Children's Alliance (NACA) is a chapter of the National Children's Alliance that provides technical assistance and support for developing multidisciplinary teams and child advocacy centers serving Native American and Alaska Native communities. The Alliance also provides training to tribes on an array of topics, including developing interagency agreements and protocols, increasing prevention and intervention services, identifying resources for maintaining programs, and preparing for accreditation by the National Children's Alliance.

www.nationalcac.org/professionals/organizations/naca.html

A new resource is available to help professionals who provide parenting training to families from many cultures. Culture and Parenting: A Guide for Delivering Parenting Curriculums to Diverse Families was written to help practitioners evaluate the cultural sensitivity of their programs. The book covers topics found in parenting education curriculums for which there are significant variations among cultures:

• Communication
• Discipline
• Parent-child emotional bonding
• Family structures and roles
• Gender role development
• Play
• Sleeping arrangements

For each topic, key research findings, tips for the field, and a checklist to assess the cultural sensitivity of parent training are included. In addition, the book offers some background information on cultural values found in independent versus interdependent cultures.

Culture and Parenting was written by L. L. Ontai, A. M. Mastergeorge, and the Families With Young Children Workgroup at the University of California, Davis. It can be downloaded at the university's website:

http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/5264/20355.pdf (PDF - 289 KB)

The White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives has released a new booklet, Federal Funds for Organizations That Help Those in Need, designed to provide basic "how-to" information to assist community-based organizations identify and apply for Federal grants for expanding and maintaining their community service programs.

The booklet lists over 170 Federal programs of interest to small faith-based and community groups. The programs are organized into general categories and include Federal programs that accept direct grant applications, as well as State and locally administered Federal programs.

www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci/GrantCatalog2005.pdf (PDF - 1,680 KB)

Meeting the needs of children who are placed in foster care when a parent is incarcerated is the focus of a new report published by the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law. Rebuilding Families, Reclaiming Lives: State Obligations to Children in Foster Care and Their Incarcerated Parents looks at the unique challenges faced by families separated by incarceration and offers guidance to States in meeting the obligation to provide "reasonable efforts" to reunify families. The report emphasizes that preserving family relationships not only is important for the children of incarcerated parents, but it also has positive effects on parents' rehabilitation that can result in stronger families. Specific recommendations are provided for addressing these issues.

The report is available on the Brennan Center's website:

www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/rebuilding_families_reclaiming_lives

The California Social Work Education Center has published a new curriculum that focuses on child maltreatment issues and effective practice strategies among immigrant Asian families. Child Abuse: Characteristics and Patterns Among Cambodian, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese American Families, by S. Rhee and J. Chang, is intended for use by child welfare faculty who educate M.S.W. and B.S.W. students and by public child welfare workers seeking to increase cultural competency. Curriculum modules provide information on immigration history, patterns of child abuse, and characteristics of victims and perpetrators for immigrants from Cambodia, Korea, China, and Vietnam. Suggested intervention strategies and topics for discussion are also included for each population group.

www.csulb.edu/projects/ccwrl/Rhee_module.pdf (PDF - 442 KB)

The University of Michigan School of Social Work offers an online training program to update the knowledge and skills of child welfare supervisors in public agencies and voluntary agencies providing contractual child welfare services, as well as supervisory personnel in the courts. The training covers child welfare policy and practice as well as supervisory skills.

Federal legislation covered in the training includes the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, the Multi-ethnic Placement Act as amended by the Inter-ethnic Provisions of 1996, the Indian Child Welfare Act, and the Foster Care Independence Program. Child welfare practice principles selected for the training include permanency planning, family-centered practice, culturally competent practice, and outcome-based supervision/practice.

[Editor's note: This link is no longer available.]

Upcoming national conferences on adoption and child welfare through February 2007 include:

December 2006

• FFCMH 18th Annual Conference
  Improving Outcomes Through Practice-Based Evidence: Youth & Families Speak Out!
  Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health
  December 1–3, St. Louis, MO
   
• ZERO TO THREE's 21st Annual National Training Institute
  Sharing a Vision for Babies and Families
  December 1–3, Albuquerque, NM
   

January 2007

• 21st Annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment
  The Chadwick Center for Children and Families
  January 22–26, San Diego, CA
   
• The National Conference on Substance Abuse, Child Welfare, and the Courts
  Putting the Pieces Together for Children and Families
  Children and Family Futures
  January 31–February 2, Anaheim, CA
  

February 2007

• 3rd International Conference on Post Adoption Policy and Practice
  Adoption Connections Training Institute: OneWorld Network
  February 19–21, Cambridge, MA
   
• BACW 2007 Annual Conference
  Celebrating Our Legacy: The Gateway to New Village Leadership in Child Welfare
  Black Administrators in Child Welfare, Inc.
  February 22–24, Baltimore, MD
   
• CWLA 2007 National Conference
  Children 2007: Raising Our Voices for Children
  Child Welfare League of America
  February 26–28, Washington, DC

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:

www.childwelfare.gov/calendar/index.cfm

The University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work has developed the Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training Program to offer training, technical assistance, and evaluation services for child welfare administrators, supervisors, and caseworkers throughout Pennsylvania. Free online training in general child welfare topics such as child development, mental health issues, and interviewing skills is also available.

www.pacwcbt.pitt.edu