This is an updated version of the 2007 Children's Bureau packet; it offers (1) guidance for service providers in exploring protective factors with families, (2) tipsheets in both English and Spanish, (3) ideas for engaging the community in strengthening families and other tools to prevent child abuse and neglect.

Casey Family Services has released a report from the research roundtable held during the last National Convening on Youth Permanence in 2006. The report offers an overview from national experts of how to document and understand youth permanence strategies for children in foster care.

At least one-third of children in foster care have physical or mental disabilities and are at higher risk for poor educational, employment and well-being outcomes. This report from the National Council on Disability finds that federal investments are undercut by lack of coordination across programs and agencies. It offers recommendations for policymakers.

Here's a nonprofit social network (think MySpace or Facebook) for social workers, foster parents and others interested in improving the lives of foster and adoptive youth.

The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics released its latest annual report, America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-being 2006 on July 14th. The report is a compendium of statistics from 21 federal agencies with the latest available data on 26 key indicators related to children's economic security, health, behavior and social environment, and education and on 9 background measures related to population and family characteristics. The 2006 Brief highlights selected information displayed in previous reports, reflects improvements to the summary list, and fills an important data gap in children’s mental health. View, download, and order a copy of the report from the Forum's website. The web site includes detailed data tables and figures (not in the Brief), previous reports and their related links, other Forum reports, and information about the overall structure of the Forum.

In every state, African American and Native American children are disproportionately represented in the child welfare population. This report from the Michigan Department of Human Services examines the data on racial disproportionality in the state’s foster care system, and outlines steps to correct this situation. Among the recommendations for the state: identify services and funding to help keep children safely with their birth families; pursue a waiver to allow more flexibility in the use of federal funds; ensure culturally proficient practices; and make sure resources are appropriate to address families’ needs. In addition, the report recommends increasing monitoring and accountability.

Unlike the more familiar juvenile offender justice system, it’s not always clear how the juvenile victim justice system works, and how the many agencies serving young victims of crime—from police and courts to child protective services and mental health agencies—interact. This bulletin looks at how cases move through the system and the typical processes in the juvenile victim justice system.

The Fall 2005 issue of the Philadelphia Public School Notebook includes in-depth coverage of the situation of out-of-school youth in the city. Through interviews with 50 out-of-school youth and articles in English and Spanish, the issue covers topics like data shortfalls, zero tolerance, financial incentive structures, early intervention strategies, and the special circumstances affecting young people aging out of foster care and those who are pregnant and parenting.

Approximately 1 in 12 children in the U.S. are living in households headed by grandparents or other relatives. State Fact Sheets provide helpful state-specific data and information about the range of support services and benefits available

Another new study finds that informal care – using family, friends, or other arrangements --- was associated with lower cognitive-ability test scores in kids ages 3 to 6. By contrast, formal, center-based child care had no negative impact compared with remaining in mothers’ care. The study examined data from 1,519 single mothers involved in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth in the States. Household income did not seem to have any significant impact on children’s scores, particularly when mothers’ educational levels were taken into consideration.