Foster Care

On the Threshold of Change

About the On the Threshold of Change Report As youth grapple with so many new crises in our current world, how may we harness strategic foresight to create better and more hopeful outcomes for young adults exiting foster care so they can … Read More

Supporting Kinship Families of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children

Introduction n recent years, record numbers of unaccompanied immigrant children (UC) have crossed into the United States. Between 2017 and 2022, over 385,000 UC were apprehended crossing U.S. borders. This special population of immigrants are defined as children under the age of 18 who … Read More

All Children – All Families: The State of LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Child Welfare – 2023 Report

All Children – All Families and the child welfare leaders participating in the program are driving the field forward to reshape the delivery of services to LGBTQ+ youth and families. Since 2007, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s All Children – All … Read More

Sexual Post-traumatic Stress Among Investigators Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

Statement of relevance to a police audience The findings of this study have important implications for law enforcement officers who are exposed to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) as part of their investigative work. The study identified several factors associated … Read More

Supporting the Sexual and Reproductive Health of Youth in Foster Care After Roe

Bodily autonomy—or the ability to make decisions about our bodies, health, and sexuality without policing or coercion by others—is essential to living a life with dignity, and yet, in this country, it is not guaranteed to all. The U.S. has … Read More

Kids and Teens Need Resilience

They can learn it—and we can help December 8, 2023 By: Mary K. Alvord, Ph.D. Read time: 8 min A few decades ago, I met a 6-year-old girl from Russia. For her privacy, I’ll call her K. I saw many Russian-born … Read More

Parents and Caregivers

Children do best in their families. Child welfare professionals’ authentic engagement and partnership with parents should be based on meeting them where they are and recognizing their strengths and resilience. Parents should be involved in case planning and decision-making, including … Read More

Expectant and Parenting Youth in Child Welfare

Navigating the child welfare system while expecting or raising a child can be challenging. Expectant and parenting youth in care have unique needs related to their physical, emotional, social, and financial health that require individualized support. Because of their involvement … Read More

Adoption and Guardianship for Children in Kinship Foster Care

The laws dictating how adoption and guardianship are granted, by which court, and what those options entail are developed at the state and tribal levels, so the intricacies for obtaining these legal relationships differ. The Brief The brief provides general … Read More

2023 State of Grandfamilies Report Release Event

Over 2.4 million children in the United States are living in grandfamilies. These are families where grandparents, other relatives, or close family friends are raising children because the children’s parents are unable to do so. The report aims to bring … Read More