Search Results: MCH Organizations

Annotation: Family to Family is an initiative designed in 1992 by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to help child welfare agenies respond more effectively to children who are being placed in out-of-home care. Family to Family provides an opportunity for states and communities to reconceptualize, redesign, and reconstruct their foster care system with the goal of improving care outcomes. An explicit premise of Family to Family is that the planning, implementation, and evaluation of child welfare policy and practices have to be guided by clear and specific goals, and that progress toward those goals requires good performance data. As part of the initiative, the Casey Foundation has developed specific tools for rebuilding foster care, written by leading experts on child welfare, built on lessons learned working inside child welfare agencies and with community and political leaders. Fact sheets about the tools, as well as detailed summaries and full how-to manuals, can be downloaded free of charge from the Web site.

Keywords: Electronic publications, Reform, Foster care, . Systems development, Child welfare, Data, Evaluation, Out of home care

Annotation: Kids Count, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the United States. By providing policymakers and citizens with benchmarks of child well-being, KIDS COUNT seeks to enrich local, state, and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all children. The Casey Foundation supports KIDS COUNT projects in more than 50 areas of the United States to raise public awareness and accountability for the condition of kids and families. The Kids Count project conducts surveys, collects and compiles data, hosts online data sites, including CLIKS online (a database of county, city and community level information on children), and publishes a variety of data books and pocket guides

Keywords: Statistical data, Child advocacy, Child health, Child welfare, Data collection, Online databases, Public awareness campaigns, Publications

Annotation: The Atlantic Coast Child Welfare Implementation Center is one of five regional training and technical assistance (TTA) centers funded by the Children's Bureau to partner with states and tribes to execute projects that will focus on the implementation of strategies that their child welfare systems have identified to improve the quality and effectiveness of child welfare services for children, youth, and families.

Keywords: Training, Child welfare, Region III, Region IV, Regional programs, Technical assistance

Annotation: Bethany Christian Services provides pregnancy counseling, interim care for infants awaiting adoption, shepherding care for pregnant women, and domestic and international adoption services. The crisis pregnancy hotline, 1-800-BETHANY, is available nationwide for counseling and referrals to the nearest Bethany office or to another pro-life agency. Publications and videotapes are available.

Keywords: Adoption, Child health, Child welfare

Annotation: Casey Family Programs is a national foundation that provides direct services and works to promote advances in child welfare practice and policy and collaborate with foster, kinship, and adoptive parents to provide safe, loving homes for youth. The foundation also collaborates with counties, states, and native tribes to improve services and outcomes for the more than 500,000 young people in out-of-home care across the United States. Casey Family Programs conducts studies and gathers information; offers access to innovative projects and online publications; organizes and participates in conferences, and provides life-skills tools and opportunities for young people at risk. The foundation has offices in several states.

Keywords: Child welfare, Collaboration, Electronic publications, Foster care, Foundations, Model programs, Out of home care

Annotation: The Catherine E. Cutler Institute for Child and Family Policy is funded by the Child Care Bureau to conduct a mixed method, in-depth case study in Colorado to examine current practice across systems in order to determine the degree to which the educational needs of children younger than five in the child welfare system are being addressed through collaborations between child welfare agencies, early intervention/preschool special education programs under IDEA and quality early care and education programs. The Institute also identifies best practices and develops policy recommendations for how the multiple agencies which provide these services can better coordinate their efforts.

Keywords: Child development, Child welfare, Collaboration, Early childhood education, Early intervention services, School readiness, Service integration, Young children

Annotation: The Center for Child and Family Programs has replaced the National Foster Care Resource Center at Eastern Michigan University's Institute for the Study of Children, Families, and Communities. The center maintains a strong commitment to child welfare and foster care, and the focus has broadened to reflect diverse community needs as well as children and youth in crisis. The current focus is on children and families within the child welfare system; children and families with mental health needs; women and children living in poverty; access to child care for low-income families; gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth and their families; marginalized children and youth; "zero-tolerance" in schools and preschools; and juvenile justice. Training manuals on foster care, independent living, and kindship care are available through the center.

Keywords: Child health, Child welfare, Children, Foster Care, Residential Care

Annotation: The Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare is a collaboration of experts from five Canadian organizations, including the University of Toronto, McGill University, l'Universite de Montreal, the Child Welfare League of Canada, and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society. It provides the Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal for up-to-date research on Canadian child welfare programs and policies, a network of services designed to protect children from abuse and neglect, supports for families in difficulty, and children placed in out-of-home care.

Keywords: Canada, Child abuse, Child neglect, Child welfare, International organizations, Prevention programs

Annotation: The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) brings together public and private nonprofit voluntary child welfare agencies in efforts to advance policies, best practices, and collaborative strategies that result in better outcomes for vulnerable children, youth, and families. The league sets internationally recognized standards for child welfare practice; proposes public policy initiatives; offers consultation, training, and technical assistance for member agencies; and provides reference information, publications, and referrals for consumers. Areas of concern include adolescent pregnancy and parenting, adoption, AIDS, chemical dependency, child abuse and neglect, child care, child poverty, cultural competence, developmental disabilities, foster care, family preservation, homelessness, juvenile justice, kinship care, and residential group care. Publications include the Children's Voice magazine, Child Welfare Journal, Child Welfare Standards of Excellence, and the PRIDE training curriculum, along with hundreds of books.

Keywords: Adolescent pregnancy, Adoption, Child abuse, Child care, Child health, Child neglect, Child welfare, Foster care, Nonprofit organizations, AIDS,

Annotation: Children and Family Futures (CFF) provide specialized knowledge on improving collaborative practice and policy among the substance abuse, child welfare, Tribal child welfare and family judicial systems to improve the lives of children and families, particularly those affected by substance use disorders. CFF advises Federal, State, and local government and community-based agencies, conducts research on the best ways to prevent and address the problem, and provides comprehensive and innovative solutions to policy makers and practitioners.

Keywords: California, Child advocacy, Child welfare, Children, Family support services, Substance abuse, Substance use disorders

Annotation: The Foster Care and Adoption Resource Center (FCARC) provides information and resources for Wisconsin's prospective foster and adoptive families; public, tribal, and private agency foster care, child welfare and adoption staff; and youth currently or previously involved with the foster care system. To assist in providing and locating information, the FCARC provides a toll-free information line, e-mail contact, and comprehensive web-based resources.

Keywords: State agencies, Adoption, Child advocacy, Child welfare, Children, Foster care, Foster parents, Parent support services, Resource centers, Wisconsin

Annotation: The FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) Programs provides training and technical assistance to federally funded CBCAP Programs. The Center assists in building networks, collecting data, promoting stakeholder involvement, and providing access to resources. The Web site provides access to online learning tools, print materials, a listserv, weblinks, and information on upcoming meetings and events. The Center is a participant in the Children's Bureau Training and Technical Assistance Network (TTA).

Keywords: Child abuse, Child neglect, Child welfare, Community programs, Family centered services, Family resource centers, Family support programs, Parent support services, Prevention programs, State programs

Annotation: Healthy Foster Care America (HFCA) is an initiative of the American Academy of Pediatrics and its partners to improve the health and well-being outcomes of children and adolescents in foster care. Partners have included representatives from child welfare, family practice, social work, nursing, government, the legislative and judicial fields, child psychiatry and psychology, education, advocacy organizations, alumni, and families. HFCA partners encourage collaboration among the various disciplines working with children and adolescents in foster care in an effort to develop a collaborative action plan to improve the health and well-being of these children. The Web site provides information for professionals and families on health issues and needs, health care systems, data, policy statements, and adovcacy.

Keywords: Adolescent health, Child care, Child health, Child protective services, Child welfare, Foster care, Foster children, Foster parents

Keywords: Child health, Child welfare, Health statistics, Information sources, Public health, Publications, State programs, Statistics

Annotation: The Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center is one of five regional training and technical assistance (TTA) centers funded by the Children's Bureau to partner with States and Tribes to execute projects that will focus on the implementation of strategies that their child welfare systems have identified to improve the quality and effectiveness of child welfare services for children, youth, and families. This center serves Regions V and VII.

Keywords: Training, Child welfare, Region V, Region VII, Regional programs, Technical assistance

Annotation: The Mountains and Plains Child Welfare Implementation Center is one of five regional training and technical assistance (TTA) centers funded by the Children's Bureau to partner with States and Tribes to execute projects that will focus on the implementation of strategies that their child welfare systems have identified to improve the quality and effectiveness of child welfare services for children, youth, and families. This center serves Regions VI and VIII.

Keywords: Training, Child welfare, Region VI, Region VIII, Regional programs, Technical assistance

Annotation: The National Abandoned Infants Assistance (AIA) Resource Center works to enhance the quality of social and health services delivered to drug- and HIV- affected children and their families. The resource center provides training, technical assistance, research, and information to service providers who assist these families. Publications include fact sheets, issue briefs, monographs and reports on the topics of abandoned infants, drug abuse, alcohol, HIV, child safety and well-being, and family well-being. Online training tools, including webinars, online tutorials, and a blog, are hosted on the website. The National AIA Resource Center, a member of the Training and Technical Assistance Network (TTA), is a service of the Children’s Bureau.

Keywords: Abandoned children, Child welfare, HIV, High risk infants, Resource centers, Technical assistance, Training

Annotation: The National Adoption Center (NAC) expands adoption opportunities for children with special needs (those who are older or have physical, emotional, or mental disabilities) and children from minority cultures. Many of these children are siblings who need homes together. The center's National Adoption Exchange provides information, registration, and family recruitment referral services for children and potential adoptive parents. It operates a telecommunications system that links state adoption agencies, state and regional exchanges, and other interested groups. Its Internet site, Faces of Adoption: America's Waiting Children, features photos and descriptions of children for potential adopters. NAC publishes a newsletter and policy positions on adoption topics and sponsors conferences.

Keywords: Adoption, Child welfare, Children with special health care needs, Minority groups

Annotation: The National Association for Regulatory Administration (NARA) is an international professional association that shares information and offers technical assistance on regulatory issues in child care and other areas. Membership is open to consumers, providers, lawmakers, advocates, corporate leaders, and policymakers. The association provides referrals, publishes a quarterly newsletter on development and enforcement of regulations, program and regulatory trends, conferences and training events, and significant litigation.

Keywords: Child care centers, Child care services, Child health, Child welfare, Infant health, Licensing, Regulations, Residential care

Annotation: The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) provides information, consultation, and in-depth training and technical assistance to child welfare, dependency court, and substance abuse treatment professionals working with families affected by substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders and child abuse or neglect. The center supports cross-system collaboration and works to enhance policy and practice to support information sharing and coordination among organizations that engage families in timely, appropriate, and effective services. A wide variety of online resources, including publications, presentations, and tutorials, are available on the website. NCSACW is jointly funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) and the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), Children's Bureau's Office on Child Abuse and Neglect (OCAN).

Keywords: Program improvement, Child welfare, Substance abuse, Electronic publications, Health care systems, Information dissemination, Technical assistance, Training