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October 2012 , Vol. 13, No. 9
This is the sixth article in our second Centennial Series, CB Decade-by-Decade. These articles will examine highlights from each decade of the Children's Bureau's first 100 years. The first Centennial Series addressed some of the social issues, practices, and policies that laid the groundwork for the creation of the Children's Bureau.
"In my first message to Congress on domestic affairs, I called for a national commitment to provide a healthful and stimulating environment for all children during their first five years of life. One of the ways in which we can promote that goal is to provide assistance for more parents in effectively planning their families…We know that involuntary childbearing often results in poor physical and emotional health for all members of the family. Unwanted or untimely childbearing is one of several forces which are driving many families into poverty or keeping them in that condition…[I]t needlessly adds to the burdens placed on all our resources by increasing population."
—President Richard Nixon, Special Message to Congress on Problems of Population Growth, 1969
During the 1960s, the Children’s Bureau began efforts to address family planning, reflecting rising concerns over population growth and the burden of large families on the poor. Several trends and events changed the landscape and set the stage for increased government involvement in family planning. One significant event was the baby boom that followed World War II, which contributed to growing concerns about a global population explosion. Family planning and population control were viewed as essential for preserving economic well-being in the face of limited world resources (Aries, 1987).
Support for family planning also was framed in social, health, and welfare issues. Research linked unintended pregnancies to health difficulties for mothers and children, an increased risk of poverty, and the need for public assistance (Alan Guttmacher Institute, 2000). According to the 1969 publication, The Children’s Bureau's Job Today (p.6), family planning efforts were largely driven by the growing recognition that:
During the 1960s, national groups representing medical professionals and social workers called for more widespread support of family planning efforts (Oettinger, 1965). Katherine B. Oettinger, then Chief of the Children's Bureau, took a strong interest in the Federal Government's role in meeting what she called "this most profound challenge to the future of the world" (Oettinger, 1965, p.212).
The 1967 Social Security Amendments, for the first time, established family planning services as a maternal and child health function and earmarked 6 percent of maternal and child health funding for family planning. The Amendments also specified that family planning services be made available to families receiving public assistance, if they desired such services.
The Children's Bureau, through its maternal and child health programs, took on a key role in early Federal family planning initiatives. The Bureau administered Federal matching funds for State health services connected with family planning under the Social Security Act public assistance titles. In 1968, it was estimated that State programs assisted more than 420,000 women (Children's Bureau, 1969). Over the course of the decade, the Bureau directed research and demonstration grants on various aspects of family planning. Research explored individual motivation for accepting or rejecting family planning, attitudes related to fertility, and the impact of birth rates on the needs for maternal and health services. In addition, the Bureau supported training of physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals in family planning strategies. Family planning services related both to spacing of children and helping families address infertility (Oettinger, 1965).
In 1970, Federal funding for family planning services expanded through passage of the Family Planning Services and Population Research Act (P.L. 91-572), which created Title X of the Public Health Services Act. This act authorized $382 million for family planning programs, State formula grants, population research, training grants, and informational and educational efforts for 3 years (Children's Bureau, 1971). The Act responded to President Nixon's appeal to establish as a national goal "the provision of adequate family planning services to all who want them but cannot afford them" (see http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=2132). The Act also established the Office of Population Affairs within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to administer and coordinate family planning and population research activities.
References
Alan Guttmacher Institute. (2000). Fulfilling the promise. Public policy and U.S. family planning clinics. New York: Author. Retrieved from http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fulfill.pdf
Aries, N. (1987). Fragmentation and reproductive freedom: Federally subsidized family planning services, 1960–80. American Journal of Public Health, 77(11), pp. 1465–1471. doi:10.2105/AJPH.77.11.1465
Children’s Bureau. (1971). Here and there. Children, 18(2), p.75.
Children’s Bureau, Social & Rehabilitation Service, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. (1969). The Children's Bureau's job today. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved from the Maternal and Child Health Library: http://www.mchlibrary.info/history/chbu/20318.pdf
Oettinger, K.B. (1965). This most profound challenge. Children, 12(6), p. 211–14, Retrieved from: http://hearth.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=hearth;idno=4761305_138_006
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: News From the Children's Bureau
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3665
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released Child Welfare Outcomes 2007–2010: Report to Congress, the eleventh in a series of reports designed to inform Congress, the States, and the public about State performance on delivering child welfare services. The report provides information about State performance on seven national child welfare outcomes related to the safety, permanency, and well-being of children involved in the child welfare system.
Data come from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) and the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), and the report includes some data analyses across States.
Highlights of the recent report show:
The full report, including State-by-State data tables, is available on the Children's Bureau website:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cwo07-10/cwo07-10.pdf#page=7
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: News From the Children's Bureau
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3692
As the centennial year celebration continues, so do the many events and activities honoring the Children's Bureau's 100th birthday. Recent additions to the Children's Bureau's centennial website include the following:
These updates are available on the centennial website webinar page:
https://cb100.acf.hhs.gov/webinars
Visit the Children's Bureau's centennial website often for updates, historical photographs, video and audio recordings, and more!
https://cb100.acf.hhs.gov/
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: News From the Children's Bureau
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3667
The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics (the Forum) released its annual report, America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being. The Forum is a work group consisting of 22 Federal agencies focused on integrating Federal efforts to collect, analyze, and disseminate data on child and family well-being. The report provides data on child well-being spanning seven indicators: family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health.
Key findings from this year's report include the following:
America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being is available on the Forum's website:
http://childstats.gov/
Related Item
See "2012 KIDS COUNT Data Book" in this issue.
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: News From the Children's Bureau
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3666
The Children's Bureau website carries information on child welfare programs, funding, monitoring, training and technical assistance, laws, statistics, research, Federal reporting, and much more. The "New on Site" section includes grant announcements, policy announcements, agency information, and recently released publications.
Recent additions to the site include:
Visit the Children's Bureau website often to see what's new!
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: News From the Children's Bureau
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3668
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) published a report in June 2011 that details State funding levels and requirements for child and family services under title IV-B of the Social Security Act. The report was written to aid Congress in its efforts to reauthorize title IV-B funding before it expired at the end of fiscal year (FY) 2011. With some small changes, funding was reauthorized near its current levels by the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act enacted in September 2011.
The Children's Bureau released an Information Memorandum (IM) in October 2011 to introduce some of the enacted provisions. The IM notes that the reauthorization added two additional title IV-B, subpart 1 requirements. State and Tribal title IV-B agencies must describe activities undertaken to:
In April 2012, the Bureau provided a Program Instruction that laid out how these new activities should be reported in States' Annual Progress and Services Report (APSR). APSRs must include the following:
The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services (CWS) program (title IV-B, part 1) offers States more flexible funding for a broad array of services related to child protection and foster care. The reauthorization provided for funding title IV-B, subpart 1 at the current level of $325 million through FY 2016.
The CRS report, "Child Welfare: Funding for Child and Family Services Authorized Under Title IV-B of the Social Security Act," is available on the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators website:
http://www.napcwa.org/Home/docs/CRS_IV-Breport-6-13-2011-R41860.pdf (720 KB)
The Children's Bureau IM-11-06 is available on the CB website: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/cb/im1106.pdf (240 KB)
The Children's Bureau PI-12-05 is available on the CB website: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/cb/pi1205.pdf (908 KB)
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Spotlight on Developmentally Appropriate Services for Young Children
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3671
Wisconsin's Department of Children and Families (DCF) has long understood the strong connections between child welfare and early childhood education. DCF has initiated several programs to enhance cross-system collaboration and provide developmentally appropriate services to bolster outcomes for young children in care.
In 2005, Wisconsin was one of seven States to implement the Strengthening Families model, a framework that advocates the promotion of protective factors (parental resilience, social connections, parenting knowledge, concrete support, and children's social and emotional development) to prevent child maltreatment. In 2007, Wisconsin was one of three States charged with increasing collaboration between child welfare and early childhood education (Illinois and New Jersey were the other two). Kim Eithun, Program and Policy Analyst in DCF's Division of Safety and Permanence (DSP), said the State worked to integrate Strengthening Families in ways that would give early childhood education more of a voice. "We liked the strengths-based approach of Strengthening Families and the research behind it. Our partners in early childhood education have a wealth of information on children and families involved in our child welfare system, and that's an important voice to integrate into our practice."
Laura Saterfield, Director, Bureau of Quality Improvement at DCF's Division of Early Childhood Education (DECE) added, "Child care providers have an important role in ensuring that children are safe in child care settings, and providers are important resources for families in detecting early signs of stress."
DSP conducted trainings with early childhood educators and cross walked the protective factors with family protective capacities. Families are often assessed for having (or lacking) protective capacities that can reduce the risk to child safety. The protective factors were also integrated into professional development materials for both child welfare professionals and foster parents, and the training materials were later translated into Spanish.
In addition to the implementation of Strengthening Families and collaborative training, DECE implemented the Pyramid Model for Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning Program. The Pyramid Model is an evidence-based training model that aims to prevent challenging behaviors and promote healthy social and emotional development. In 2009, DECE was awarded a technical assistance grant from the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) to support Pyramid Model implementation. "Our approach to the model is to have a comprehensive cross-disciplinary professional development program that ensures the social and emotional well-being of infants, toddlers, and their families," said Saterfield. She said the program has been helpful in reducing expulsions. According to CSEFEL research, preschool expulsion rates are three times higher than K–12 expulsion rates, mostly due to child and family behaviors. Saterfield said the Pyramid Model infant, toddler, and parent training modules provide teachers with the proper tools to work with children to prevent expulsion.
Pilot sites were chosen throughout Wisconsin to collaborate with school districts and/or Head Start programs to implement the Wisconsin Pyramid Model. Additionally, DECE has contracted for Supporting Families Together Association/Child Care Resource and Referral agencies to provide training and technical assistance support for 16 trainings to child care providers and other early care and education providers. Completion of training modules was also incorporated into DECE's 40-point child care Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS), YoungStar. If a child care center demonstrates that 50 percent of its lead teachers and its director have completed 24 hours of the Wisconsin Pyramid Model training, that center will earn one point on the QRIS. Additionally, child care centers that have lead teachers and directors complete protective factors and Strengthening Families trainings also can receive one point.
Wisconsin also has implemented an infant mental health consultation program through a Project LAUNCH grant administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). As part of this program, mental health consultation services have been provided to 80 families in LAUNCH-supported programs; mental health consultation with home visitors has been expanded; extensive professional development training for home visitation staff was expanded; Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health (WI-AIM) has offered Pyramid Model training and coaching to 40 child care teachers, their supervisors, and administrators at the Next Door Foundation; and more.
To increase educational stability for children and families involved with child welfare, a pilot project in Milwaukee aims to increase the recruitment and enrollment of eligible children in Head Start and Early Head Start programs. The Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare and area Head Start providers signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing an organized referral process, outreach strategies to foster parents, collaboration between child welfare and Head Start programs during family team meetings and permanency planning, among other policies and procedures. The template MOU is available for other counties interested in instituting similar partnership agreements.
More information about DCF, DSP, DECE, and other divisions is available on the Department of Children and Families website:
http://dcf.wi.gov/default.htm
For more information on Wisconsin's implementation of the WI Pyramid Model, visit:
http://www.collaboratingpartners.com/social-emotional-competence-competency-endorsement-system.php
For more information on Strengthening Families, visit:
http://www.strengtheningfamiliesprogram.org/about.html#ages
Special thanks to Kim Eithun, Program and Policy Analyst at the Division of Safety and Permanence (DSP), and Laura Saterfield, Director, Bureau of Quality Improvement at the Division of Early Childhood Education (DECE), for providing information for this article.
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Spotlight on Developmentally Appropriate Services for Young Children
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3669
By Patricia A. Cole, Director of Government Relations, ZERO TO THREE, and Lucy Hudson, Director, Safe Babies Court Teams Project, ZERO TO THREE
Children under age 3 compose almost one-third of children entering foster care and more than one-quarter of all substantiated cases of abuse or neglect. These events occur at the most vulnerable developmental stage of life. Research shows the critical role a baby's relationships with his closest caregivers play in the complex social, emotional, and intellectual development unfolding in the earliest years. Those relationships shape every aspect of early human development, from the brain's evolving circuitry to the child's capacity for empathy. Warm, responsive parenting nurtures healthy development. Harsh or unpredictable caregiving has negative life-long implications if not properly addressed. Fortunately, research confirms that these early years present an unparalleled window of opportunity to effectively intervene with very young victims of maltreatment. Our task is to translate what we know from the science into what we do for children.
Inspired by judges committed to changing the odds for young children in their courts, ZERO TO THREE began the Safe Babies Court Teams Project to put developmental science into action. Court Teams in eight communities promote the healthy development of infants and toddlers. A key focus is improving how the courts, child welfare agencies, and related child-serving organizations work together, share information, and expedite services for young children and their families. Safe Babies Court Teams are led by judges who collaborate with child development specialists to create teams of community stakeholders. Together, they wrap a rich web of services around maltreated infants, toddlers, and families.
Two evaluations point to the effectiveness of the Court Teams developmental approach. Key findings include:
The Court Team experience highlights the potential for better State and Federal child welfare policies that recognize the unique developmental needs of infants and toddlers. To explore what such a shift would encompass, ZERO TO THREE convened an ad hoc working group, including the American Humane Association, Center for the Study of Social Policy, Child Welfare League of America, and Children's Defense Fund. In May 2011, we jointly published A Call to Action on Behalf of Maltreated Infants and Toddlers urging State and Federal policymakers to infuse developmental science into the child welfare system. Five elements lead to an action checklist: ensuring developmentally informed decisions; promoting stable, caring relationships; providing early, comprehensive services; creating community linkages; and using data and research to drive policy and practice.
ZERO TO THREE also developed an assessment and planning tool based on the Call to Action, again collaborating with our working group that grew to include Child Trends, National Black Child Development Institute, National Council of La Raza, and Voices for America's Children.
The result was A Developmental Approach to Child Welfare Services for Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families: A Self-Assessment Tool for States and Counties Administering Child Welfare Services. This tool guides State and county child welfare administrators in examining how they embed a developmental approach in serving infants, toddlers, and their families. The process should be collaborative and data-driven. After an introductory webinar, the tool was widely disseminated to State child welfare officials and stakeholders. Copies are available here: policycenter@zerotothree.org. A survey of all States on their child welfare policies and practices around infants and toddlers is underway with results expected next spring.
Infusing the science of early development into care for maltreated infants and toddlers is an ongoing process involving local communities and State and Federal government. The Safe Babies Court Teams and the infant-toddler child welfare working group look forward to the national conversation we hope the new focus on young children will spark.
References
Hafford, C., & DeSantis, D. (2009). Evaluation of the court teams for maltreated infants and toddlers project: final report. Office of Justice Grant No. 2006-MU-MU-0065. Arlington (VA): James Bell Associates.
McCombs-Thornton, K. L., & Foster, E. M. (2012). The effect of the ZERO TO THREE Court Teams Initiative on types of exits from the foster care system—A competing risks analysis. Children and Youth Services Review, 34(1), 169-178. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.09.013
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Spotlight on Developmentally Appropriate Services for Young Children
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3670
The Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare and the Center for Education and Early Development at the University of Minnesota partnered for the first-ever fall edition of CW360°. The annual publication provides communities and child welfare and human services professionals with information related to key areas affecting child well-being. This special issue of CW360°, "Using a Developmental Approach in Child Welfare Practice," focuses on from children birth to age 5. Twenty-one articles written by a variety of child welfare and early childhood stakeholders span topics including the following:
The article "Opportunities and Challenges in Addressing the Early Years of Children in the Child Welfare System," by Esther Wattenberg, outlines the impact of early childhood trauma on lifelong development and its implications for child welfare policy and practice. "Home Visiting With Families at Risk for Maltreatment: Using Assessment Tools to Help Educate Caregivers" by Mariah Hofmeister, describes her work with a home visiting program, including the program's design, the screening tools that were administered, and the outcomes for the children and families that were served over a 3-year period.
The issue of CW360° is available for download on the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare website:
http://www.cehd.umn.edu/ssw/cascw/attributes/PDF/publications/CW360-CEED_Winter2012.pdf (12 MB)
Related Items
Children's Bureau Express featured previous issues of CW360° in the articles "CW360: Secondary Trauma in Child Welfare" (July 2012) and "Using Technology to Enhance Child Welfare Practice" (June 2011).
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Spotlight on Developmentally Appropriate Services for Young Children
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3672
A paper released in August 2011, 1 year after the Federal Early Childhood (EC) 2010: Innovations for the Next Generation meeting, details the meeting and the strides made since in improving the quality of Federal early learning and development programs. The paper highlights the meeting's events and ongoing collaboration between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) to enhance services and improve the health, social, emotional, and cognitive outcomes for young children.
The report begins with a definition of "integrated State early learning and development system" and provides readers with an overview of the EC 2010 and the resulting six interrelated themes that emerged from postmeeting discussions between State stakeholders. A chapter is dedicated to each theme:
Examples of the varying strategies and activities underway in many States are included.
Federal partners, including HHS and DOE, are optimistic that this document will serve as a guide and encourage additional State and local system-building efforts devoted to improving early learning and developmental outcomes for youth.
State Issues and Innovations in Creating Integrated Early Learning and Development Systems was prepared by HHS and DOE for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The full report is available here:
http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA11-4661/SMA11-4661.pdf (2 MB)
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Spotlight on Developmentally Appropriate Services for Young Children
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3673
While research shows that 10–13 percent of children under age 3 are affected by developmental delays, just 2–3 percent of those children receive Early Intervention (EI) services. Moreover, there is a gap between the identification of a developmental delay (or the concern of a delay) and the receipt of services. A new policy brief by PolicyLab aims to identify barriers to children receiving EI services, highlight promising approaches to collaboration, and offer policy actions for improving service delivery.
The policy brief proposes the adoption of the SERIES paradigm—Screening, Early Identification, Referral, Intake, Evaluation, and Services—a coordinated approach to meeting child developmental needs. SERIES challenges all child-serving entities to share responsibility in ensuring children complete the path from identification to service delivery.
In 2006, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended developmental screening for all children from birth through age 3 as part of well-child care. From December 2008 through June 2010, the Translating Evidence-based Developmental Screening (TEDS) study followed 2,100 children under age 30 months through their well-child visits. During the 1,424 well-child visits that fell within the AAP screening schedule, an Ages and Stages Questionnaire was administered at 72.6 percent of the visits. Roughly 19 percent of the screens were failed and providers only referred the child for services 50 percent of the time. Just 66 percent of children referred completed the first step in the EI intake process.
The authors explore multiple barriers to SERIES completion and present recommendations for mitigating said barriers. Recommendations include the following:
SERIES: An Integrated Approach to Supporting Child Development, by Jane Kavanagh, Marsha Gerdes, Katherine Sell, Manuel Jimenez, and James Guevara, is available on the PolicyLab website:
http://policylab.us/images/pdf/policylab_e2a_summer2012_series.pdf (548 KB)
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Spotlight on Developmentally Appropriate Services for Young Children
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3674
Child Welfare Information Gateway recently updated its publication Selecting and Working With a Therapist Skilled in Adoption. This factsheet for families offers information on different types of therapy and suggestions for finding a therapist who will meet adoptive families' unique needs. The factsheet also outlines the varied approaches to therapy, treatment settings, and provides guidance on how families should work with therapists. A list of national resource organizations is also provided.
Definitions for the different types of therapy professionals are provided, from pediatricians or family practice physicians to psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. In addition, the factsheet informs parents about situations and treatments that should be avoided. For instance, treatments that prevent parental participation are discouraged. In fact, some States have enacted statutes prohibiting these treatments for children in the care or custody of a public agency.
Selecting and Working With a Therapist Skilled in Adoption is available for download on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website:
http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_therapist.cfm
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Training and Technical Assistance Network Updates
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3691
A new research brief explores the benefits of increasing the recruitment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) adults to be foster and adoptive parents. The paper was produced by several members of the Children's Bureau's Training and Technical Assistance (T&TA) Network. The authors suggest that recruiting more diverse resource families not only provides a larger pool of qualified families for children in care, but also can provide children with families with unique parenting abilities.
The paper discusses some of the strengths that LGBT parents can bring to the table, such as the ability to sympathize with the child's feelings of being different, to overcome barriers, and to expose children to the concepts of diversity and the acceptance of others. A detailed discussion of specific issues and strategies that agencies should be aware of when recruiting LGBT families is also provided. Some of the topics addressed include:
The collaborative paper was produced by The National Resource Center for Adoption, the National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections, and the National Resource Center for Recruitment and Retention of Foster and Adoptive Parents at AdoptUSKids. Strategies for Recruiting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship Families is available on the National Resource Center for Adoption's website:
http://www.nrcadoption.org/wp-content/uploads/Strategies-for-Recruiting-LGBT-Foster-Adoptive-and-Kinship-Families.pdf (411 KB)
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Training and Technical Assistance Network Updates
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3675
The National Resource Center for Organizational Improvement (NRCOI) recently conducted an information-gathering project in which individual State Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) data are compiled. The results of the project have been published on a new NRCOI website where data is available by State and by topic. A total of 33 States provided information on their CQI systems through phone interviews. Representatives were asked to describe their State's CQI structure and to discuss specific elements of the structure; staff qualifications, responsibilities, and training; their use of data; stakeholder involvement; and future plans, among other topics. NRCOI staff were provided a discussion guide, which is also available on the website, for their informally structured interviews with State child welfare CQI leads. The website and State descriptions also provide:
By compiling and sharing information on State CQI systems and practices, the NRCOI hopes to provide a valuable resource and inspiration for different quality improvement strategies and implementation methods.
To read more about the project and to access State data and descriptions, visit the NRCOI website:
http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/cqiproject.htm
Related Item
The Administration for Children and Families(ACF) released an Information Memorandum (IM) in August providing State title IV-B and IV-E child welfare agencies with information about establishing and maintaining CQI systems and claiming allowable Federal financial participation costs for CQI. The IM is available on ACF's website:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/laws_policies/policy/im/2012/im1207.pdf (315 KB)
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Training and Technical Assistance Network Updates
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3676
The Children's Bureau's Training and Technical Assistance (T&TA) Network continues to produce resources that can help States and Tribes in their work with children and families. Some recent resources are listed below:
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Training and Technical Assistance Network Updates
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3690
Annie E. Casey's 2012 KIDS COUNT Data Book is now available and features data demonstrating the continued impact of the nation's economic recession on children and families. KIDS COUNT is an annual report that presents statistics on key indicators of child well-being and State rankings on overall well-being. This year's report—the 23rd—includes a new, domain-specific index centered on four child-level indicators: (1) economic well-being, (2) education, (3) health, and (4) family and community.
Each of the four new domains is composed of four indicators, for a total of 16 indicators. The domain categories are equally weighted, and the new index places greater emphasis on education and family and community. The new health domain also is focused more on health status and less on mortality.
Trends in this year's Data Book begin with 2005 and continue through the most recent year for which data are available for each indicator. Well-being across the health and education domains show long-term improvement. However, data shows that the recent U.S. recession caused a spike in child poverty levels. The number of children living in poverty increased by nearly 30 percent from 12.2 million in 2000 to 15.7 million in 2010.
The full report, State rankings, and media resources are available on the KIDS COUNT Data Center website:
http://datacenter.kidscount.org/databook/2012/
Related Item
See "America's Children in Brief" in this issue.
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Child Welfare News
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3677
A new series of research briefs details a Catawba County, NC, project to improve the well-being of children and youth who leave foster care through reunification, guardianship, or adoption. The Catawba County Department of Social Services began its Child Wellbeing Project in 2006—in partnership with the Duke Endowment—and will finish its 2-year pilot implementation phase at the end of 2012. The first brief in the series provides a project overview, while the second and third briefs examine the project's use of implementation science to ensure high-quality implementation of services countywide.
The Child Wellbeing Project focused on evidence-based/evidence-informed practices from the outset, implementing the following array of services based on an assessment of families' postpermanency needs:
The project is assessing outcomes using well-being measures from the North Carolina Family Assessment Scale, including family safety and interactions, parenting ability, and child outcomes related to education, health, housing, employment, permanent connections, and good decision-making. Although a formal project evaluation has not been completed, the briefs describe several implementation science strategies staff believe have contributed to the project's success to date:
Each brief in the series, Building a Post-Care Service System in Child Welfare: Lessons Learned from the Frontlines of Implementation Science in Catawba County, is available on the Child Trends website:
http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_07_01_RB_Catawba1.pdf (488 KB)
http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_07_01_RB_Catawba2.pdf (519 KB)
http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_07_01_RB_Catawba3.pdf (405 KB)
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Child Welfare News
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3679
The Vera Institute of Justice recently published a report describing the experiences of unaccompanied children—children who are younger than 18, have no lawful immigration status, and have no parent or legal guardian in the United States. The report provides background on the Federal Government's custodial authority over these children, reviews recent legislation affecting this population, and describes their involvement in immigration proceedings.
In 2005, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) partnered with Vera to develop the Unaccompanied Children Program. Since its inception, the program has provided legal services access to unaccompanied children. Vera's involvement in this project has given the Institute access to a national network of legal services providers who represent this population, as well as quantitative and qualitative data on unaccompanied youth and their experiences navigating the immigration system. Vera analyzed this information and combined it with material collected from a literature review on the subject.
Major findings presented in the research report include the following:
The full report, The Flow of Unaccompanied Children Through the Immigration System: A Resource for Practitioners, Policy Makers, and Researchers, is available on the Vera Institute of Justice website:
http://www.vera.org/pubs/flow-unaccompanied-children-through-immigration-system-resource-practitioners-policy-makers-and
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Child Welfare News
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3680
The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law partnered with The Palette Fund and the True Colors Fund to present Serving Our Youth: Findings from a National Survey of Services Providers Working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth Who Are Homeless or At Risk of Becoming Homeless. This report presents data from a web-based Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Homeless Youth Provider Survey, which was conducted from October 2011 through March 2012. The goal of the survey was to evaluate how homeless youth organizations are serving the LGBT population as well as the population's prevalence. More than 350 agencies in the United States are represented in the survey data.
Nearly 95 percent of respondents said they worked with LGBT homeless and runaway youth in the past year. Approximately 40 percent of the clientele requesting services from the agencies are LGBT youth. Roughly 46 percent of homeless LGBT youth cited family rejection because of his/her sexual orientation as the primary reason they ran away and are now homeless. Approximately 68 percent of LGBT homeless youth seeking services have experienced family rejection and 54 percent have experienced abuse.
The 15-page report includes a description of the survey, background information on the group surveyed, as well as final observations.
Serving Our Youth: Findings from a National Survey of Services Providers Working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth Who Are Homeless or At Risk of Becoming Homeless is available for download on the Williams Institute website:
http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Durso-Gates-LGBT-Homeless-Youth-Survey-July-2012.pdf (2 MB)
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Child Welfare News
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3678
The spring 2012 issue of Casey Connects from the Annie E. Casey Foundation focuses on reducing the use of congregate care. The article "Reducing Congregate Care" looks at Casey's Child Welfare Strategy Group, which has helped Louisiana, Maryland, Maine, New York City, and Virginia transition youth from congregate care to family settings and includes the story of a youth who is preparing to be adopted after having spent several years in group care. The article also highlights the negative impact of long-term congregate care on youth and State child welfare systems.
Another article highlights the Casey Lifelong Families model. The story is centered on the Brochero family and how the tools and trainings they received as part of the Lifelong Families model helped them connect with two girls with special needs, whom they are preparing to adopt. Other articles highlight recent research on teenage brain development and an interview with researcher and University of Chicago Associate Professor Gina Miranda Samuels. Samuels explains her views and opinions on permanence and what it really means to a child or youth.
To view the spring issue of Casey Connects, visit the Annie E. Casey Foundation website:
http://www.aecf.org/KnowledgeCenter/Publications.aspx?pubguid={D7DF0B98-C7CA-4DBE-88AB-B218E3524EA3}
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Strategies and Tools for Practice
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3681
The Michigan Association for Infant Public Health has published its winter edition of The Infant Crier. This season's edition focuses on adoption and foster care, with articles centered on the themes of loss and adoption, trauma in young children, and diversity in child protective services.
Two articles focus on the theme of loss and adoption. The first discusses "adoption ghosts," events from the past that may influence experiences of grief, loss, guilt, and the pressure of perfection. The second article on adoption and loss discusses fear and the length of time and amount of trust required to help a newly adopted child feel protected. A clinical article highlights the importance of relationship-based work and the promotion of healthy social emotional development in young children and their families.
The Infant Crier is available on the Michigan Association for Infant Public Health website:
http://www.mi-aimh.org/documents/infant_crier_winter_2012.pdf (2 MB)
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Strategies and Tools for Practice
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3682
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy released a tip sheet for engaging the foster care and juvenile justice communities in teenage pregnancy prevention efforts. The tip sheet, funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides statistics on teenage pregnancy among youth involved with foster care and juvenile justice and tips for working with members of the foster care and juvenile justice communities.
"Preventing Teen Pregnancy Through Outreach and Engagement: Tips for Working With Foster Care and Juvenile Justice" is available on the National Campaign's website:
http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/CDC-foster-care.pdf (230 KB)
Related Items
New York City's (NYC) Administration for Children's Services published a guide for professionals working with pregnant or young parents in care. The guide is centered on a strengths-based approach to safety for young parents and their children.
"Guide to Working With Young Parents in Out of Home Care" is available on the NYC Administration for Children's Services website:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/acs/downloads/pdf/a_Guide%20to%20Working%20with%20Young%20Parents_LR.pdf (6 MB)
A desk guide for professionals, "ABCs of Working With Young Parents in Out of Home Care: Expectations, Responsibilities and Resources" is also available on the NYC's Administration for Children's Services website:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/acs/downloads/pdf/a_ABCs%20of%20Young%20Parents%20Out%20of%20Home.pdf (1 MB)
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Strategies and Tools for Practice
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3683
Legally enforceable agreements for contact between birth and adoptive families after an adoption is finalized have been permitted in Washington, DC, since the passage of an adoption reform law in 2010. A factsheet from DC's Children's Law Center, Post-Adoption Contact Agreements, highlights the different types of contact between families and other issues that should be considered when drafting such agreements.
The factsheet includes the text of the new law, five practice points for child welfare professionals, and a sample postadoption contact agreement. The five practice points include:
The factsheet is available on the Children's Law Center website:
http://www.childrenslawcenter.org/sites/default/files/clc/Fact%20Sheet%20Post%20Adoption%20Contact%20Agreement%20%28May%202011%29.pdf (485 KB)
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Strategies and Tools for Practice
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3684
Western Michigan University and Fostering Success Michigan produced a resource guide featuring a variety of postsecondary education supports for Michigan's foster care alumni. The four-page guide lists Michigan colleges that offer both programming and scholarship supports dedicated to increasing access to and success in postsecondary education for youth. Contact information is also provided for each college program.
Additionally, the guide highlights Michigan State University's (MSU's) precollege program, the FAME Summer Camp. FAME Camp is a 3-day program for youth in care who are considering attending college. The program aims to inform students about financial aid eligibility, student life at MSU, and other important college preparation topics.
Resource Guide to Higher Education Campus Support for Alumni of Foster Care is available here:
http://www.detroitcollegepromise.com/fostercare.pdf (477 KB)
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Resources
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3686
Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (BRYCS), a refugee child welfare technical assistance provider, created a web portal for refugee families. The web portal provides a variety of resources in languages most commonly spoken by refugee families in the United States, including Spanish, Arabic, Burmese, Karen, Nepali, and Somali. Resources span such topics as family life and parenting, early childhood, the United States school system, and health and mental health.
BRYCS is funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services. The portal is available on the BRYCS website:
http://www.brycs.org/refugee-portal/index.cfm
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Resources
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3685
A new database provides resources for older youth and young adults transitioning out of foster care in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Juvenile Law Center's database provides information on a wide array of services, searchable by county. Resource topics include housing, employment, education, health and behavioral health, legal advocacy, child care and parenting, financial assistance, recreation, transportation, and mentoring programs.
Each program listing provides a brief description and contact information. Recognizing the database may not represent a complete list of resources available in each county, the Juvenile Law Center accepts suggestions and corrections via email at resources@jlc.org.
The database is available on the Juvenile Law Center website:
http://www.jlc.org/resources/county-resource-guide
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Resources
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3687
The University of Minnesota's School of Social Work is offering a suite of early education professional development courses this fall. The Center for Early Education and Development (CEED) provides eight online courses for 24, 36, or 48 credit hours that are issued by the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota.
Courses that began in September include:
Courses beginning in October include:
For more information on each course and to register, visit the University of Minnesota's website:
http://www.cehd.umn.edu/CEED/onlinecourses/default.html
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Training and Conferences
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3688
Upcoming national conferences on child welfare and adoption through January 2013 include:
November/December 2012
January 2013
Further details about national and regional child welfare and adoption conferences can be found through the Conference Calendar Search feature on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website:
http://www.childwelfare.gov/calendar/index.cfm
Issue Date:
October 2012
Section: Training and Conferences
URL: http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewArticles&issueid=140&articleid=3689
Child Welfare Information Gateway
www.childwelfare.gov
800.394.3366
Children's Bureau, 1250 Maryland Avenue, SW, Eighth Floor
Washington, DC 20024
EMAIL: cb_express@childwelfare.gov