General Recruitment
Foster & Adoptive Family Retention
Diligent Recruitment
Targeted Recruitment
Child/Youth-Specific & Centered Recruitment
Older Youth & Teen Recruitment
Faith-Based Recruitment
Interjurisdictional Recruitment & Placements
General Recruitment Resources & Reports:
Profiles of the Child Welfare Demonstration Projects
Sponsor: The Children's Bureau [report prepared by James Bell & Associates]
As of May 2007, 15 States have active title IV-E waiver agreements, including several projects approved in March 2006 which have not yet been implemented. This report summarizes all current and completed waiver demonstrations and provides a brief description of the types of interventions undertaken in the demonstration projects as well as their current status. Download a copy. (PDF 618 KB / 185 pages)
Date: May 2007
Case Planning Desk Reference for Emergency Situations
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, States experienced circumstances that had never before been experienced in such magnitude and with such far-reaching impact. This event awakened the child welfare field to the need for more extensive planning for the future. As a result, the State of Louisiana asked AdoptUsKids to prepare a reference guide for their staff who might face future situations where children in care are displaced from the State or their parish of jurisdiction, from their birth parents, from their case workers and/or from the courts that held jurisdiction. The guide is intended to assist the worker in developing a well-informed recommendation to the court based upon thoughtful planning and sufficient information. It is not intended to make individual case decisions but rather to ensure critical elements are considered. Download a copy. (PDF 87.6 KB/ 9 pages)
National Adoption Month
http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/nam
Sponsor: The Children's Bureau, The Collaboration to AdoptUsKids, Child Welfare Information Gateway
Description: Web-based resources supporting the celebration of National Adoption Month, including public service announcements, recruitment & marketing toolkit, and an activities calendar.
Date: November 2007
Selected Review of Foster Care & Adoption Recruitment Models and Strategies
Click here to download a copy of the full report. (PDF 63 KB/13 pages)
Sponsor: AdoptUsKids (as prepared for Los Angeles County, CA)
Description: This report identifies resource material to guide the recruitment and retention of foster and adoptive parents. Selections address systemic issues as well as concerete intervention strategies. Sources include studies and reports by government and private organizations, practice summaries, professional literature, and internet sites. Brief summaries or abstracts are provided for each listing, along with an internet link to the full document when available. Also included are "Ideas from the Field", current examples of effective interventions as collected by AdoptUsKids.
Date: June 2006
Neighborhoods Count
http://www.fosterclub.com/neighborhoodscount/
Sponsor: Foster Club, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Oregon DHS
Contact: 1-877-216-7379
Description: A comprehensive foster parent recruitment initiative with branded, customizable media and distribution material available for purchase. Program assistance includes strategic planning, tracking/evaluation tools, and development of a strategy team comprised of foster parents, youth, caseworkers, media contacts and community members. Material is available for general, targeted, and child-specific recruitment.
Exemplary Title IV-B Recruitment Plan Elements & Necessary Components of Effective Foster Care & Adoption Recruitment
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/laws_policies/policy/pi/pi9523a3.htm
Sponsor: ACF, Children's Bureau
Description: The main article and associated attachments provide guidance from the Administration for Children & Families and the Children's Bureau to help States meet diligent recruitment requirements as outlined by provisions of the Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA).
Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) Reports
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm#afcars
Sponsor: ACF, Children's Bureau
Description: Preliminary, interim & final reports detailing adoption and foster care statistics by federal fiscal year such as the number of children entering care, adoptions, etc.
Foster Care Adoption in the United States: An Analysis of Interest in Adoption & a Review of State Recruitment Strategies
http://www.urban.org/publications/411254.html
Sponsor: The National Adoption Day Coalition
Contact: National Adoption Day, (202) 572-2993; The Urban Institute, (202) 833-7200
Description: Conducted by the Urban Institute Child Welfare Research Program, this report provides a national overview of the state of adoption recruitment by examining motivations and interest levels in adoption, the types of people who take further steps and how such interest might be translated into foster care adoption. The report also provides some innovative child-specific, faith-based, diligent and targeted recruitment activities.
Date: November 2005
Recruiting Foster Parents
http://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-07-00-00600.pdf (PDF 770 KB/ 28 pages)
Sponsor: DHHS Office of the Inspector General
Description: The purpose of this study was to assess States' efforts to recruit foster parents. Key findings highlight the challenges facing of states' recruitment programs and brief recommendations are given to address those areas.
Date: May 2002
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Foster & Adoptive Family Retention Resources & Reports:
Ending the Foster Care Life Sentence: The Critical Need for Adoption Subsidies
http://www.childrensrights.org/pdfs/FINAL%20ADOPTION%20SUBSIDY%20DATA%20REPORT.doc.pdf (PDF 926 KB/14 pages)
Sponsor: Children's Rights, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Description: This report summarizes survey findings from 6 states of pre-adoptive and adoptive parents in order to assess the impact of adoption subsidies and other factors on the families' ability to adopt children from foster care. Their findings highlight the important role subsidies play in offsetting many of the additional costs that arise when adopting children with special needs from foster care.
Date: July 2006
Selected Review of Foster Care & Adoption Recruitment Models and Strategies
Download the full report. (PDF 63 KB/13 pages)
Sponsor: AdoptUsKids (as prepared for Los Angeles County, CA)
Description: This report identifies resource material to guide the recruitment and retention of foster and adoptive parents. Selections address systemic issues as well as concerete intervention strategies. Sources include studies and reports by government and private organizations, practice summaries, professional literature, and internet sites. Brief summaries or abstracts are provided for each listing, along with an internet link to the full document when available. Also included are "Ideas from the Field", current examples of effective interventions as collected by AdoptUsKids.
Date: June 2006
Liability Insurance/Damage Claims for Foster Parents
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/downloads/policy-issues/Liability_Insurance.pdf
(PDF 94 KB/8 pages)
Sponsor: National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice & Permanency Planning
Contact: Susan Dougherty, (212) 452-7053, susan.dougherty@hunter.cuny.edu
Description: An overview of States that provide subsidized or free liability insurance or damage claims for their foster parents as a means of increasing retention.
Date: January 2007
Understanding Foster Parenting: Using Administrative Data to Explore Retention
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/05/foster-parenting/index.htm
Sponsor: Research Triangle Institute for the DHHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
Contact: Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, (202) 690-6562
Description: This study was conducted to extend current understanding of foster parent retention. Using data contributed by child welfare agencies in NM, OK and OR researchers analyzed characteristics of foster parents, utilization and length of service. Their findings highlight not only service dynamics such as foster parent characteristics associated with various lengths of services.
Date: January 2005
Retaining Foster Parents
http://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-07-00-00601.pdf (PDF 1.2 MB/25 pages)
Sponsor: DHHS Office of the Inspector General
Description: This study identifies challenges States face in retaining foster parents. Key findings highlight the needs of foster parents and brief recommendations are given to address those areas.
Date: May 2002
Resource Family Retention: An Overview
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/downloads/retention-overview.pdf (PDF 62 KB/1 pages)
Sponsor: National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice & Permanency Planning and Casey Family Programs
Description: This brief fact sheet outlines strategies that work for retaining foster and adoptive families for foster children and what related actions agencies need to take to implement those strategies.
Date: 2002
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Diligent Recruitment Resources & Reports:
Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) Reports
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm#afcars
Sponsor: ACF, Children's Bureau
Description: Preliminary, interim & final reports detailing adoption and foster care statistics by federal fiscal year such as the number of children entering care, adoptions, etc.
Date(s): January 1999 - April 2005
A Guide to the Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 [As Amended by the Interethnic Adoption Provisions of 1996]
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/mepa94/index.htm
Sponsor: ACF & The ABA Center on Children and the Law; National Resource Center on Legal and Court Issues
Contact: ABA Center on Children & the Law, (202) 662-1746
Description: This monograph gives the legal background of MEPA-IEP, its provisions and the practice implications and standards that it thus requires of agencies and workers.
Foster Care Adoption in the United States: An Analysis of Interest in Adoption & a Review of State Recruitment Strategies
http://www.urban.org/publications/411254.html
Sponsor: The National Adoption Day Coalition
Contact: National Adoption Day, (202) 572-2993; The Urban Institute, (202) 833-7200
Description: Conducted by the Urban Institute Child Welfare Research Program, this report provides a national overview of the state of adoption recruitment by examining motivations and interest levels in adoption, the types of people who take further steps and how such interest might be translated into foster care adoption. The report also provides some innovative child-specific, faith-based, diligent and targeted recruitment activities.
Date: November 2005
Executive summary of research report: Racial disproportionality in the child welfare system in King County, Washington
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/downloads/
KingCountyReportonRacialDisproportionalityExecutiveSummary.pdf (PDF 38 KB/1 page)
Sponsors: King County (WA) Coalition on Racial Disparity
Contact: Catalyst for Kids, 206-695-3238 or marikoo@chs-wa.org
Description: this executive summary documents effort undertaken by a broad coalition in King County (WA) to identify where racial disproportionality existed, to what extent, and with what factors contributing. The report highlights both quantitative and qualitative data that was gathered through the process as well as conclusions with action steps for the agency.
Date: 2004
Synthesis of Research on Disproportionality in Child Welfare: An Update
Read Full Report (PDF 511 KB/60 pages)
Sponsor: Casey-CSSP Alliance for Racial Equity in the Child Welfare System
Author: Robert B. Hill, PhD
Description: This report identifies and explores patterns of racial inequity in the child welfare system, contributing factors to those patterns, and the system-wide impacts on actions, decisions and outcomes. The research is primarily focused on black children and families due to the amount of prior research on the topic as well as the disproportionate representation of black children in the child welfare system. The paper attempts to not only open a dialogue around the topic, but suggests future research needs.
Date: October 2006
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Targeted Recruitment Resources & Reports:
Foster Care Adoption in the United States: An Analysis of Interest in Adoption & a Review of State Recruitment Strategies
http://www.urban.org/publications/411254.html
Sponsor: The National Adoption Day Coalition
Contact: National Adoption Day, (202) 572-2993; The Urban Institute, (202) 833-7200
Description: Conducted by the Urban Institute Child Welfare Research Program, this report provides a national overview of the state of adoption recruitment by examining motivations and interest levels in adoption, the types of people who take further steps and how such interest might be translated into foster care adoption. The report also provides some innovative child-specific, faith-based, diligent and targeted recruitment activities.
Date: November 2005
Individualized & Targeted Recruitment for Adoption
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/downloads/targeted-recruitment.pdf
(PDF 141 KB/13 pages)
Sponsor: Casey Family Programs
Contact: cncinfo@casey.org
Description: An overview of child-specific and targeted recruitment efforts and strategies that have achieved observable results. Targeted recruitment programs highlighted include One Church One Child, Strategic Recruitment, RESULTS and the Utah Foster Care Foundation.
Date: March 25, 2003
Neighborhoods Count
http://www.fosterclub.com/neighborhoodscount/
Sponsor: Foster Club, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Oregon DHS
Contact: 1-877-216-7379
Description: A comprehensive foster parent recruitment initiative with branded, customizable media and distribution material available for purchase. Program assistance includes strategic planning, tracking/evaluation tools, and development of a strategy team comprised of foster parents, youth, caseworkers, media contacts and community members. Material is available for general, targeted, and child-specific recruitment.
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Child/Youth-Specific & Centered Recruitment Resources & Reports:
Foster Care Adoption in the United States: An Analysis of Interest in Adoption & a Review of State Recruitment Strategies
http://www.urban.org/publications/411254.html
Sponsor: The National Adoption Day Coalition
Contact: National Adoption Day, (202) 572-2993; The Urban Institute, (202) 833-7200
Description: Conducted by the Urban Institute Child Welfare Research Program, this report provides a national overview of the state of adoption recruitment by examining motivations and interest levels in adoption, the types of people who take further steps and how such interest might be translated into foster care adoption. The report also provides some innovative child-specific, faith-based, diligent and targeted recruitment activities.
Date: November 2005
Individualized & Targeted Recruitment for Adoption
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/downloads/targeted-recruitment.pdf
(PDF 141 KB/13 pg)
Sponsor: Casey Family Programs
Contact: cncinfo@casey.org
Description: An overview of child-specific and targeted recruitment efforts and strategies that have achieved observable results. Some of the child-specific programs highlighted include Wednesday's Child, New Mexico's Heart Gallery, Georgia's Video Conference Matching Meetings, and Iowa's Permanency for Teens Project.
Date: March 25, 2003
Neighborhoods Count
http://www.fosterclub.com/neighborhoodscount/
Sponsor: Foster Club, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Oregon DHS
Contact: 1-877-216-7379
Description: A comprehensive foster parent recruitment initiative with branded, customizable media and distribution material available for purchase. Program assistance includes strategic planning, tracking/evaluation tools, and development of a strategy team comprised of foster parents, youth, caseworkers, media contacts and community members. Material is available for general, targeted, and child-specific recruitment.
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Older Youth & Teen Recruitment Resources & Reports:
Fostering Youth Engagement on Community Teams
http://www.nae4ha.org/directory/jyd/showdoc.aspx?id=d4d218b6-2440-4b13-b4da-967da882f90a
(PDF 524 KB/9 pages)
Sponsors: Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada & Pennsylvania State University
Description: This article published in the Journal of Youth Development discusses a growing movement in the youth development field to establish youth member positions on community teams (e.g. organizational boards and planning committees), also commonly refered to as youth engagement. The authors highlight existing research on the potential positive impacts youth engagement efforts may produce and encourage youth practitioners to incorporate such efforts into their programs and organizations. Successful youth engagement efforts may be sustained within teams that best adapt their organizational structure, policies, and practices to complement the developmental needs of youth. Such adaptations begin with the four team characteristics presented in this paper: adult support, a youth-friendly environment, opportunities to complete meaningful tasks, and opportunities to learn and use new skills. (Author abstract)
Date: May 2006
Report to Congress on Adoption and Other Permanency Outcomes for Children in Foster Care: Focus on Older Children
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/congress_adopt/index.htm
Sponsor: US DHHS, Administration for Children & Families
Description: Full documentation of the report given to Congress on the challenges older children in foster care face in finding permanency, including promising practices gathered nationally.
Date: 2005
Family to Family: A Family for Every Child: Strategies to Achieve Permanence for Older Foster Children & Youth
http://www.aecf.org/MajorInitiatives/Family%20to%20Family/Resources.aspx
Sponsor: North American Council on Adoptable Children & the Annie E. Casey Foundation
Description: This booklet provides detailed background into the characteristics of older youth in care, the barriers that keep them from permanency, and a new emerging youth permanency philosophy. It also provides recommendations and action steps agencies can take to affect organizational change toward permanency for older foster children & youth.
Date: Spring 2006
Field-Initiated Research on Successful Adolescent Adoptions
http://www.sc.edu/ccfs/research/fullfinalreport.pdf (PDF 1 MB/100 pages)
Sponsor: ACF/Children's Bureau & South Carolina Department of Social Services [Adoption Opportunities Demonstration Project]
Description: This report begins by defining success in adolescent adoption on a variety of levels, and goes on to explore the factors of success through qualitative analysis of interviews with 58 adoptive parents of teens and their children. The report also includes a number of practice recommendations and implications.
Dates: Project Period Oct 1999-Sept 2003; Final Report 2004
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Faith Based Recruitment Resources & Reports:
Finding Common Ground: A Guide for Child Welfare Agencies Working with Communities of Faith
http://www.adoptuskids.org/images/resourceCenter/faithbook.pdf (PDF 2.8 MB/100 pages)
Sponsor: The Collaboration to AdoptUsKids
Foster Care Adoption in the United States: An Analysis of Interest in Adoption & a Review of State Recruitment Strategies
http://www.urban.org/publications/411254.html
Sponsor: The National Adoption Day Coalition
Contact: National Adoption Day, (202) 572-2993; The Urban Institute, (202) 833-7200
Description: Conducted by the Urban Institute Child Welfare Research Program, this report provides a national overview of the state of adoption recruitment by examining motivations and interest levels in adoption, the types of people who take further steps and how such interest might be translated into foster care adoption. The report also provides some innovative child-specific, faith-based, diligent and targeted recruitment activities.
Date: November 2005
Recruiting News: Faith Communities
http://www.nacac.org/adoptalk/faithbased.pdf (PDF 76 KB/8 pages)
Sponsor: North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC)
Description: NACAC recruitment newsletter on the topic of recruiting within communities of faith. Articles address successful projects and partnerships.
Date: March 2001
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Interjurisdictional Recruitment Resources & Reports:
State by State Resources to Facilitate the Interjurisdictional Placement Process
In response to the many concerns about the delays in and complexities of interjurisdictional placements for children in foster care, the Children’s Bureau developed and conducted a national survey focused on identifying strategies and possible solutions for resolving these issues. A report was developed that describes the survey’s findings and presents ten recommendations for improving the overall process. Recommendation 3 was identified for immediate action by AdoptUsKids: Create a national Web site with either State pages or links to State Web sites containing information on the following State requirements: criminal background checks, coverage of medical and educational expenses as a sending and as a receiving State, a list of Purchase of Service (POS) agencies with active contracts and POS requirements within the State, home study requirements, and post-placement standards for supervision. Click here to access a chart detailing State-by-State resource information. (PDF 133 KB/1 pg)
ICPC Receiving and Sending State Checklists
ICPC Receiving State Checklist (PDF 398 KB/2 pages) and ICPC Sending State Checklist (PDF 466 KB/2 pages): to serve as an overview and generalized description of how ICPC might operate for children and youth being placed across State lines with recruited, general applicant families for the purpose of adoption.
State by State Resources to Facilitate the Interjurisdictional Placement Process
State by State Resource Information (PDF 133 KB/1 page)
Description: In response to the many concerns about the delays in and complexities of interjurisdictional placements for children in foster care, the Children’s Bureau developed and conducted a national survey focused on identifying strategies and possible solutions for resolving these issues. A report was developed that describes the survey’s findings and presents ten recommendations for improving the overall process. Recommendation 3 was identified for immediate action by AdoptUsKids: Create a national Web site with either State pages or links to State Web sites containing information on the following State requirements: criminal background checks, coverage of medical and educational expenses as a sending and as a receiving State, a list of Purchase of Service (POS) agencies with active contracts and POS requirements within the State, home study requirements, and post-placement standards for supervision.
Date: March 2007
Indian Child Welfare Act Compliance Desk Aid for New York State Child Welfare Workers
ICWA Desk Aid (DOC 109 KB/11 pages)
Sponsor: New York State Office of Children & Family Services
Description: Informational Letter from New York State OCFS introducing the Indian Child Welfare Compliance Desk Aid for NY State child welfare workers and model notification letters to social service districts and voluntary authorized agencies. The desk aid was developed as a staff resource to assist in their work of placing children, improving compliance with the requirements of ICWA.
Date: October 2006
Interjurisdictional Placement of Children in the Child Welfare Process: Improving the Process
ACF Introductory Letter (PDF 456 KB/1 page)
Full Text of Report (PDF 1.2 MB/265 pages)
Description: Final report prepared for the Children's Bureau on improving the interjurisdictional placement process for children in the child welfare system. Data includes the results of suveys highlighting the existing barriers to interjurisdictional placement, efforts being undertaken to address those barriers and summary suggestions in specific categories for making improvements.
Date: September 2006
Safe and Timely Interstate Placement of Foster Children Act of 2006
ACF Information Memorandum (PDF 49 KB/5 pages)
Read Full Text of Bill (PDF 43 KB/8 pages)
Description: Links to recently passed legislation amending Titles IV-B and IV-E of the Social Security Act, encouraging states to improve protections for children and holding state accountable for the safe and timely placement of children across State lines.
Date: August 11, 2006
The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) and Geographical Barriers to Adoption
http://www.childrensrights.org/Policy/policy_analysis_safefamilies.htm
Sponsor: Children's Rights
Description: A policy brief on the impact of ASFA on permanency planning and adoption. The report highlights five categories of barriers to interjurisdictional placements: practice; policy and the law; infrastructure and leadership; belief systems; and resources. It also provides some statistical data on children placed across state lines.
Military Families and Adoption: A Bulletin for Professionals
http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/militarybulletin.cfm
Sponsor: National Adoption Information Clearinghouse
Description: A bulletin giving an overview of the benefits and potential challenges in utilizing military families as adoptive resources. Also includes a list of programs, organizations and resources useful in supporting, facilitating or assisting military families in their pursuit of adoption.
Date: January 2003
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