Research & Reports

• Child Welfare Outcomes 2003-2006: Report to Congress
  Child Welfare Outcomes 2003–2006: Report to Congress is a report created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (the Department) to meet requirements of section 203(a) of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA).1 ASFA amended section 479A of the Social Security Act to require an annual report on State performance. Child Welfare Outcomes 1998 was the first report created in the Child Welfare Outcomes series of reports.
• Reasonable Efforts to Preserve or Reunify Families and Achieve Permanency for Children
  A description of Reasonable Efforts as it applies to family reunification.
• New Help for Children Raised by Grandparents and Other Relatives: Questions and Answers About the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008
  This question and answer guide aims to ensure full and prompt implementation of the improvements in the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act for children being raised by grandparents and other relatives.
• New York Fostering Connections Act Implementation Report
  Provides an overview of the state's child welfare population, budget, native tribes, and the progress (as of 2009) the state has made in implementing the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act.
• New York State Kinship Navigator
  This program offers a comprehensive information and referral network for caregivers to learn more about services and to obtain referrals to legal, financial, educational, health/mental health, support-group and housing resources in their area. Information provided includes answers to frequently asked questions; eligibility requirements for public assistance, tax credits and childcare; access to official records; facts sheets on laws; and forums for service providers.
• Having a Voice and a Choice: New York State Handbook for Relatives Raising Children
  Developed by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) in partnership with the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), Having a Voice & a Choice: New York State Handbook for Relatives Raising Children was written for relatives who are raising, or considering raising, children in need of a stable home because their parents are unable to take care of them. The handbook discusses the various options available to relatives so they can make the best decisions for their own situations. Chapters cover topics such as how children come into the care of relatives, legal arrangements, financial support for nonparent caregivers and foster parents, health care and health insurance, and school-related issues. At the end is a list of websites and other resources.
• Key Considerations for Implementing the Notice Requirement of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act
  This document outlines the components that are required by the federal Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Fostering Connections Act) in order for a state or tribe to comply with the Notification of Relatives Provision (Section 103) of the law.

National Resources

Research & Reports

• Child Welfare Outcomes 2003-2006: Report to Congress
  Child Welfare Outcomes 2003–2006: Report to Congress is a report created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (the Department) to meet requirements of section 203(a) of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA).1 ASFA amended section 479A of the Social Security Act to require an annual report on State performance. Child Welfare Outcomes 1998 was the first report created in the Child Welfare Outcomes series of reports.
• "Green Book"- Child Welfare section
  The U.S. House Ways and Means Committee "Green Book" section on child welfare includes information on federal programs dedicated to child welfare purposes, including program requirements, spending and characteristics of children served.
• Reasonable Efforts to Preserve or Reunify Families and Achieve Permanency for Children
  A description of Reasonable Efforts as it applies to family reunification.
• New Help for Children Raised by Grandparents and Other Relatives: Questions and Answers About the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008
  This question and answer guide aims to ensure full and prompt implementation of the improvements in the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act for children being raised by grandparents and other relatives.
• Strengthening Families Through Guardianship
  This publication provides a brief overview of guardianship and why it is important as a permanency option for children in foster care
• Subsidized Guardianship: Testing the Generalizability of an Idea Whose Time Has Finally Come
  This powerpoint presentation provides an overview of the results of Tennessee's subsidized guardianship waiver
• Child Welfare and Child Support: Working Together to Help Families
  Published by the Administration for Children and Families, this document provides advice on how child support and child welfare agencies can work together to identify family resources for children at risk of or in foster care
• The Indian Extended Family and Its Relationship to Parenting
• Securing Child Safety, Well-being, and Permanency Through Placement Stability in Foster Care
  Provides an overview of how to achieve successful placement stability within foster care.
• Key Considerations for Implementing the Notice Requirement of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act
  This document outlines the components that are required by the federal Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Fostering Connections Act) in order for a state or tribe to comply with the Notification of Relatives Provision (Section 103) of the law.