Congressional hearings were held to discuss the proposed national foster care system, which is intended to provide temporary homes for children, most frequently victims of abuse or neglect, when their own families are incapable of providing suitable parental supervision. The committee heard testimony from 11 representatives of state and federal…

Discussed are initiatives of the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families (ACYF) in the areas of Head Start, child care, the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, support of historically black colleges and universities, foster care and adoption assistance, the Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, and current and future plans. The…

The goal of ensuring that all children are "ready for school" has become a national priority. As a result, programs that support children's school readiness are becoming more and more important to policy-makers, funders, and parents. It is becoming very clear that efforts to improve school success cannot begin at kindergarten, nor focus…

Noting that children's educational success is a high priority for California parents, voters, public officials, and business leaders, this report card documents how economic, health, and other conditions affect California children's learning and well-being. The report's introduction discusses factors influencing educational success, including…

The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV) at the University of Colorado at Boulder identified 11 prevention and intervention programs that met a strict scientific standard of program effectiveness. This bulletin describes the CSPV's selection criteria in choosing model programs (e.g., evidence of deterrent effect when using a…

This handbook presents standards for kinship foster care services. The handbook begins with introductory sections describing standards development, detailing how to use the standards, and differentiating standards of excellence; Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children, Inc. (COA) standards for accreditation; and state…

Noting that there has been little research attention on the ability of foster children to form emotional attachments, this literature review looks at available research related to attachment and children in foster care. The review suggests that foster children are at risk for insecure attachment due to experiences of abuse and neglect, parental…

Recognizing that the child welfare, education, and judicial systems are uniquely positioned to support the improvement of educational outcomes for youth in out-of-home care, the Child Welfare League of America and the National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges convened a symposium in 2002 to initiate a dialogue among the child welfare,…

This book is intended to provide social services welfare professionals a comprehensive discussion from a multidisciplinary perspective of infants and preschool-age children in the child welfare system. Contributors to the book are specialists in the fields of pediatrics, psychology, child welfare, social policy, legal advocacy, speech-language…

Ideally, there is a close interaction between research and practice in human services, and program planning is based on such interaction, particularly the findings of outcome research. This book reviews the bodies of outcome research about child welfare programs from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, particularly outcomes in…

Examines the dynamics of foster care in a range of countries at different stages of economic development, focusing on the context of the family, social networks, the state, and nongovernmental organizations, and from the perspective of professional support. Argues that foster care should be addressed within the context of wider child protective…

Discusses the effect that fetal exposure to cocaine and other drugs is having on infants and small children. Disputes the most widely cited estimate of the numbers of crack babies. Calls for restructuring foster care, group home placement, adoption, and general social welfare provision. Termination of parental rights is difficult but probably…

Examines patterns associated with placement and subsequent discharge of rural children in emergency shelter care. Suggests that the growing numbers of children being placed out of their homes, runaway adolescents, and homeless children, underscore the importance of identifying children likely to be referred for emergency services, as those…

Describes an approach to welfare services based on a home visitor model. Notes that child welfare agencies have moved to a decidedly short-term orientation toward service delivery, whereas the problems faced by many families require a more long-term approach, with services designed to address problems with roots in a host of social, economic, and…

Examined views of urban American Indian parents regarding foster care and American Indian family issues. Addressed themes of: (1) discouragement from working within foster care system; (2) role of culture in caregiving; (3) differing definitions of family; and (4) effects of historical pain due to past family disruption. Formulated guidelines for…