Child Well-Being

Supporting Child and Student Social, Emotional, Behavioral and Mental Health Needs

Many children and students struggle with mental health challenges that impact their full access to and participation in learning, and these challenges are often misunderstood and can lead to behaviors that are inconsistent with school or program expectations. The COVID-19 … Read More

Child Safety Guide Cover

Safety Guide: A Guide for Judges and Attorneys

The purpose of this Guide is to provide judges and attorneys with a practical summary about child safety so they can: Evaluate whether agency recommendations regarding child safety are based on sufficient information; Recognize recommendations that follow logical reasoning and … Read More

Resources for Responding to Communities Affected by Hurricane Ida – NCTSN

National Child Traumatic Stress Network Being in a hurricane can be very frightening, and the days, weeks, and months following the stormcan be very stressful. Most families recover over time, especially with the support of relatives,friends, and their community. But … Read More

QRTP Cover Page

NEW Qualified Residential Treatment Programs (QRTPs) Louisiana Judicial Toolkit

The Court Improvement Program of the Louisiana Supreme Court and Pelican Center for Children and Families is pleased to introduce the Qualified Residential Treatment Programs (QRTPs) Louisiana Judicial Toolkit. QRTPs are a key component of the Family First Prevention Services … Read More

Step Forward 2021 Report to the Community

About Step Forward Step Forward convenes community leaders and uses data to illuminate obstacles faced by children of color and those living in poverty.  Through a shared community vision, Step Forward and its partners use evidence-based decision making and collaborative … Read More

Child Family Development FY20

Child & Family Development Research – Fiscal Year 2020 (released 2021)

This report describes the research and evaluation activities undertaken by Division of Child and Family Development in 2020. Brief project descriptions provide an overview of the range of projects conducted by the Division during the year in early childhood research, … Read More

Compendium Brief Cover

How Legal Professionals Can Use the Compendium of Measures and Data Sources: Understanding Judicial Decision-Making and Hearing Quality in Child Welfare

This two-page overview<https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/how-legal-professionals-can-use-compendium-measures-and-data-sources-understanding> highlights a new resource legal professionals can use in child welfare court improvement work: the “Compendium of Measures and Data Sources: Understanding Judicial Decision-Making and Hearing Quality in Child Welfare” (Compendium)<https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/compendium-measures-and-data-sources-understanding-judicial-decision-making-and-hearing>. It explains the Compendium and its … Read More

The Art of Listening Effectively

Ten important ideas to keep in mind when representing or advocating for your child and youth clients In order to build strong lawyer-client relationships with children and youth, listening is foundational and essential. To help strengthen our listening skills, here … Read More

Conceptual Model of Judicial Decision-Making and Hearing Quality in Child Welfare

This new brief presents a conceptual model that shows how aspects of the child welfare court process relate to case outcomes for children and families. This model can help researchers, practitioners, and policymakers better understand the child welfare court process … Read More

Trauma Caused by Separation of Children from Parents

A Tool to Help Lawyers Information is up to date as of January, 2020. Children are seriously harmed when they are separated from their parents. There has been quite a bit of research that proves that harm and outlines the specific … Read More