Author Archives: Jamar Little

Child & Family Services Review Process

The Children’s Bureau (CB) conducts Child & Family Services Reviews (CFSRs) periodically to review state child welfare systems. These reviews are the federal governments’ main compliance and enforcement mechanism, but they also serve as a critical component for promoting a … Read More

Leveraging Economic and Health Policies to Prevent Infant and Toddler Maltreatment: A State Policy Toolkit

This toolkit aims to facilitate collaboration among state-level policymakers, agency leaders, administrators, and other partners to pinpoint the connections between policies that promote family well-being and those that prevent child maltreatment. The resources in this toolkit are intended to inform … Read More

“Daniel Really Suits You”: Trans Stories are Everyone’s Stories

Trans and non–binary teens face the same rites of passage into adulthood as everyone else does, and live far more relatable lives than anti-LGBTQ+ bullies would have you believe. That’s the key message of “Daniel Really Suits You,” a video … Read More

Why the Holidays Can Be Hard and How to Make Them Better by Jamerika Haynes-Lewis

When I was in foster care, I received an annual letter from a local charity. It asked which gifts I wanted for Christmas. I always asked for barbies, clothes, and a diary. When asked what I wished for the most, … Read More

12 Ideas for Supportive Adults to Help a Young Person in Foster Care Through the Holidays

1. Understand and encourage youth’s own traditions and beliefs 2. Discuss what holidays look like in your home 3. Understand if youth pull away, and prioritize mental health and wellbeing READ MORE

The Charter School Advantage: How Charter Schools can Advance the Educational Solutions that Students with Disabilities Need

Executive Summary Nearly fifty years after the initial passage of the law now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students with disabilities experience profound inequities and opportunity gaps in public education. Finding solutions to these challenges requires … Read More

Ensuring Educational Stability and Success for Students in Foster Care

Introduction Students in foster care represent one of the nation’s most vulnerable student groups. In addition to the social-emotional challenges and trauma that students in foster care experience, studies find that students in foster care are much more likely than … Read More

Inescapable AI

The Ways AI Decides How Low Income People Work, Live, Learn, and Survive Executive Summary The use of artificial intelligence, or AI, by governments, landlords, employers, and other powerful private interests restricts the opportunities of low-income people in every basic … Read More

Equitable Access to Transportation Advisory Council Releases 10 Key Recommendations to Advance Youth Transportation Equity

The Equitable Access to Transportation Advisory Council (EATAC) today announced 10 key recommendations to improve transportation access for America’s 54 million students, following the release of a comprehensive survey highlighting significant gaps in youth transportation services. The results of the survey, … Read More

Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice System Involvement

While the nexus between the child welfare and juvenile justice systems is not a new phenomenon, there is limited cross-system collaboration to provide youth and families with the services they need. Youth with histories of childhood maltreatment and Child Protective … Read More