"We will educate, direct, guide and support any grandparent or relative who seeks to save a child from the trauma of being placed in the foster care system." We strive to build, strengthen and preserve the relationship that exists between the grandparents/relative caregiver and the child. Our belief is that every child has the right to a safe, secure and stable environment, and we will work to guarantee that. We will also strive to change existing laws and create new laws that will recognize the sacrifice and dedication of the relative caregiver.

Jonathan's Place provides 24-hour housing and specialized services to at risk and underserved populations in Dallas County.

The mission of KidsPeace is to give hope, help & healing to kids in crisis.

For young people who emerge from the foster care system hoping to succeed in college, there is a disjointed patchwork of financial assistance available. But it's not always easy for young people to take advantage of what's out there. The Orphan Foundation, working with several states to administer a key new federal grant program, is using computer technology to help.

A disproportionate number of students who are placed in out-of-home care because of family neglect or abuse are already behind in school and never catch up. Many eventually drop out of school. Despite high aspirations, out-of-home students are more likely than their peers to be retained a grade and many are placed in special education when remedial education might serve them better. Better coordination between child welfare and school personnel, reductions in school mobility and regular monitoring and reporting of school progress could help improve outcomes for these students and reduce dropout rates.

This guide is designed to help adults working with adolescents and youth find appropriate assessments and support young people's career development. It also provides a learning needs screening tool for youth with suspected learning disabilities.

An Arizona study finds that three-fourths of teenagers in the child welfare system have run into trouble with the law, and half wound up in detention. Substance abuse, mental health problems, truancy and sexual abuse permeated the lives of abused and neglected children who were delinquent during 2001-02. It's unclear whether these data are indicative of a national trend.

A White House Council for Youth would put on the national agenda policies and programs that keep youth on track and provide effective pathways for those who become disconnected from their schools and families. The National Collaboration for Youth has a new information center about the Federal Youth Coordination Act, which would establish such a Council, with background information, fact sheets and updates, as well as opportunities to sign on as a supporting organization and to contact Congress.

Teenage boys in foster care are twice as likely to run away as to be reunited with their biological families. The Child Welfare League of America looks at the numbers and the reasons behind them, and what can be done to reduce the problem.

This Vera Institute report finds that most adolescents who run away from group care stay with friends and return to care voluntarily, but one-third are involved in high-risk situations such as drug use or physical violence.