Reports and Results of the Child and Family Service Reviews (CFSRs)

The Children’s Bureau has developed a tool to examine statewide assessments, final reports, program improvement plans, and individual key findings reports. You can look at these items by type of report or by state.

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National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning

This link will take you to a list of the services provided by this site and a Hot Topics section of folios of online information about specific topics associated with dependency issues. This is one of my favorite sites for child welfare and dependency court resources.

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Tribal-State Relations in Child Welfare

NCCAN (National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information) has released a new publication on how States and Tribes can work together more effectively to protect the safety, permanency, and well-being of American Indian/Alaska Native children. This issue brief examines factors affecting Tribal-State relations in child welfare; components of successful Tribal-State relations; and includes examples of promising practices in Tribal-State relations. Downloadable. 14 page pdf file.

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2005 State Fact Sheets

CWLA’s web site includes a section of state fact sheets that provide descriptive information on the condition of vulnerable children using indicators of child protection, health, child care, education and income support.

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An Underground Network Moving Children From Home To Home

This article examines a largely unknown aspect of the nation’s child welfare system: an underground network of families that takes in children others do not want. Some families do so legally, but others may violate child-welfare laws by failing to notify authorities. A trial for a couple in Tennessee who took in 18 children will begin January 30. They are charged with abuse and neglect and with child trafficking for moving a girl to Arizona without permission from state child-welfare officials.

++++++++++Annie E. Casey Foundation 2006 FAMILIES COUNT Honorees

Three organizations are being honored by the Casey Foundation for their work to improve the odds for vulnerable children by helping them have strong, capable and economically successful families. Each of the award winners has received an award of $500,000.

• Atlantic Street Center helps low-income families strengthen their roles as parents, wage earners and engaged community members through a wealth of programs and services, ranging from parents support groups and child care to citizenship classes for immigrant and refugee families. Grandparents and Kinship Care in Action is a support group for caregivers raising the children of relatives.
  
• Georgia Justice Project couples pro bono legal counsel with social services and even jobs in its landscaping company to help clients put their lives and their families on the right track for the long term. As a result of this holistic approach, GJP's recidivism rate is one-third the national average.
  
• Grace Hill Settlement House lives by the credo, “neighbors helping neighbors” to strengthen families and communities.   Its innovative Member Organized Resource Exchange (MORE engages community members in designing courses for their own Neighborhood College and in operating a time-dollar exchange. Families can use "time dollars" to barter for other services, purchase health care at a Grace Hill Health Center or redeem for household items at a MORE store.

More information on all three organizations at the link above.

++++++++++Focusing on Child Welfare Systems: The Role of State Legislators

This six page brief provides information about the use of child and family services reviews that will enhance the role of legislators in creating effective child welfare policy and overseeing child welfare agency practice. Informative for the rest of us too.

++++++++++Child Welfare Outcomes 2002

Just released by HHS and now in its fifth year, this report provides data on the performance of States in meeting the needs of children and families who come into contract with the child welfare system. Full report is available for download in html or pdf. The executive summary is a 13 page pdf file.

++++++++++Promising Approaches in Child Welfare

The Children’s Bureau provides descriptions of promising approaches online both by topic and by state.

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NCCAN (National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect) has information and links online to statistics, treatment for meth use, and more at the website above.

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