The Census Bureau’s annual data-release of income, poverty, and health coverage statistics offers important insight into the economic circumstances of children and families in the previous year. The aggregate data released last week paints a picture of relative stability, with … Read More
Child Well-Being
Practice Guidelines 2025
Opposing Showing CSAM and Sexted Images to Parents, Guardians, and Other Adults As the leading organization of professionals who serve children and families affected by child maltreatment, the Association of Professionals Solving the Abuse of Children (APSAC) has the responsibility … Read More
The Importance of Healthy Workplaces for Young People with Systems Experience
The workplace experiences of young people — particularly those who have interacted with juvenile justice or foster care systems — is examined in a brief from the Shift Project at Harvard University. The publication, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, draws from recent survey … Read More
Child Poverty Nearly Triples to 13% Over Three Years
Child poverty in the U.S. has surged, nearly tripling from 5% in 2021 to 13% in 2024. This dramatic increase follows the expiration of pandemic-era economic policies and rising prices that have strained family budgets nationwide. However, a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, “Measuring … Read More
Predicting Maltreatment in Foster Homes: The Role of Child Welfare Agency Policies
Although maltreatment of children living in substitute care has significant negative consequences for both the children who experience it and for child welfare agencies, research examining this outcome is underdeveloped and has focused on a limited number of risk factors. … Read More
Measuring Access To Opportunity In The United States: A 10-Year Update
Child poverty in the United States swung from historic lows to troubling highs in just three years. In 2021, with federal pandemic relief and an expanded child tax credit in place, the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) showed child poverty at … Read More
Child Welfare Intelligence? Opportunities and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence Tools in the Child Protective Services Arena
Child protective services and Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Can high-powered digital tools support families and children? We think they can, when used with care and forethought. No commissioner or supervisor wants to read about a career ending incident caused by a … Read More
The Need For a Paradigm Shift in Child Welfare Research in The United States
Introduction Child welfare researchers have begun to examine the need to transform the system from an entity that routinely results in stress and adversity in the lives of those who interact with the investigative and service components, to one that … Read More
Experts Find Foster Youth Fare Better In College Than Once Thought— But Still Need More Support Than They Get
At a gathering of state and federal officials in the U.S. Capitol this summer, former foster youth Ivy Smith described the rocky path she traveled through higher education to earn three degrees from Boise State University. She recalled the foster mom who … Read More
New Findings from Rx Kids Shows that Unconditional Cash in Perinatal Stage Can Improve Health and Well-being for Moms and Babies
Two recently-published papers coming out of the Rx Kids cash program in Flint, MI reveal that universal, unconditional cash transfers can have significant positive effects on birth outcomes as well as on maternal economic stability, mental health, and well-being. These … Read More