|
Home > Training & Technical Assistance > National Child Welfare Resource Center for Adoption
National Child Welfare Resource Center for Adoption
Who We Are
The National Child Welfare Resource Center for Adoption works with States, Tribes, and agencies to increase States' capacity in adoption. The Center works to improve the effectiveness and quality of adoption and postadoption services provided to children and their families.
How We Can Help
The Center is available to partner with States, Tribes, and other members of the Children's Bureau's Training and Technical Assistance Network to work with staff and stakeholders in all phases of the process. The Center helps to identify strengths, needs, and actions that can be taken to improve outcomes for children. Assistance includes:
Analyzing Adoption and Permanency Options
The Center will review CFSR Statewide Assessments, Final Reports, and Program Improvement Plans (PIPs). The Center will also provide feedback on how it might provide technical assistance, training, tools, and materials to help States and Tribes plan and implement changes in practice, programs, policies, and systems to ensure timely adoption or other permanent family connections for children and youth.
Exploring Systemic Factors
The Center will assist States and Tribes in exploring how all systemic factors affect timely permanency, especially adoption.
Increasing Cultural Competence
Children of color are disproportionately represented in the child welfare system and among those waiting to be adopted. Center staff can help States reach out to communities of color to increase adoptions of children from those communities. Using a community-based approach, the Center will help States design programs to build relationships in communities to better address the needs of children and families of color.
The Center also has experience helping States work to fully implement the Multiethnic Placement Act as amended by the Interethnic Adoption Provision (MEPA-IEP) and achieve adoptions in the context of Tribal traditions and the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).
Promoting Stakeholder Involvement
The Center can help States and Tribes work effectively with other teams and systems of service (child protective services, intake, foster care, mental health, schools, etc.) to achieve timely adoptions.
Training and Technical Assistance
The Center can provide training and technical assistance at any point in the CFSR process to enhance practice, knowledge, skills, and abilities and improve adoption program planning. Some areas of technical assistance include:
- Program planning to achieve timely adoption outcomes
- Using information systems for adoption program planning
- Developing and sustaining adoption support and preservation services, including adoption certification programs for mental health providers
- Negotiating title IV-E Adoption Assistance Agreements
- Operating under Federal regulations (Adoption and Safe Families Act, MEPA-IEP, ICWA)
- Collaborating with faith communities
- Developing culturally competent child welfare services
- Preparing, assessing, and retaining foster, kin, and adoptive families
- Preparing and assessing children and youth for adoption, including those with developmental disabilities
- Making adoption an option for older children and youth
- Finding and engaging fathers and their families in adoption planning
Curricula are available on assessment and preparation of children and families for adoption, cultural competency in child welfare, and adoption support and preservation services.
For More Information
Return to the Children's Bureau Training and Technical Assistance Network
|
|
Print
�
