All States, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico have statutes or regulations requiring background investigations of prospective foster and adoptive parents and all adults residing in their households. In most States, the background investigation includes a check of Federal and State criminal records. Most States also require checks of child… [read more]

The Division of Prevention and Community Partnerships’ Community Program Directory provides public access to statewide resources that are designed to support family success and keep children safe. The programs and services listed are funded by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families’ Division of Prevention and Community Partnerships (DPCP).  The Division is built on… [read more]

Children of color are disproportionately represented in the United States foster care system. In most states, there are higher proportions of African American/Black and Native American children in foster care than in the general child population. In some states, Hispanic/Latino children are disproportionately represented. Data also vary at the county level, with some counties experiencing… [read more]

Having the tools and information to make healthy choices and knowing how to prevent illness is a key part of staying well. This book is intended for individuals who may be living on their own for the first time and not know how to set up a kitchen, shop for groceries, or the basics of cooking. The recipes… [read more]

This pamphlet is designed to help parents, guardians and caregivers understand the legal concepts and procedures involved in disputes over the enrollment of homeless students in local public schools, and to inform them of their legal rights.  In reading this information, please remember that the requirements of the McKinney Act and of the state regulations… [read more]

A growing number of employers offer benefits to adoptive parents. In 1990, a survey by Hewitt Associates found that only 12 percent of employers surveyed offered some kind of adoption benefits; by 2004, a Hewitt survey of 936 major U.S. employers showed that the percentage had grown to 39 percent, with an average maximum reimbursement… [read more]

Older foster children and youth have a pressing need for permanency. Almost half of the 538,801 children in out-of-home care at the end of the federal 2000 reporting period were ages 10 to17 (Gibbs et al., 2004). As one youth explained, “Our time is almost up. We want a home, and people we can call… [read more]

It is common for adoptive families to need support and services after adoption. Postadoption services can help families with a wide range of issues. They are available for everything from learning how to explain adoption to a preschooler, to helping a child who experienced early childhood abuse, to supporting an adopted teen’s search for identity…. [read more]

EACH YEAR, child welfare agencies make over 40,000 requests for home studies to determine whether children in foster care can be placed with parents, relatives and others living in another state. Each of these requests is governed by the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (“ICPC”), a uniform law adopted by every state to… [read more]

What’s Inside: • Differences between foster parenting and adopting • Advantages of foster parent adoption • Strategies for foster/adoptive families • Conclusion • Resources • References Published by: Child Welfare Information Gateway Children’s Bureau/ACYF 1250 Maryland Avenue, SW Eighth Floor Washington, DC 20024 800.394.3366 Email: info@childwelfare.gov https://www.childwelfare.gov