Young people are especially vulnerable to the negative effects of natural disasters, and those who are involved in the juvenile justice system are at particularly high risk for experiencing disaster-related traumatic stress and other mental health and behavioral challenges. However, … Read More
Safety Permanency & Well-being

National Adoption Month Resources for Legal Professionals
Legal professionals often collaborate with the child welfare system and are integral to achieving permanency for teens. To provide quality representation and ensure the case plan meets the young person’s needs, legal professionals must engage youth. The resources below provide … Read More

Family Treatment Courts – Strategy Briefs
Children and Family Futures (CFF), in partnership with Casey Family Programs, has developed a series of three briefs on family treatment courts (FTCs). The briefs inform professionals in child welfare, substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, courts, and other key stakeholders about the … Read More

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

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

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

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

Compendium of Measures and Data Sources: Understanding Judicial Decision-Making and Hearing Quality in Child Welfare
Understanding Judicial Decision-Making and Hearing Quality in ChildWelfare The child welfare court process is intended to help protect abused and neglected children, encourage family stability, support child well-being, and provide children who enter the foster care system with a safe … Read More