Casey Family Programs

Are there lessons we can learn from ICWA courts? Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) courts are created to better support American Indian/Alaska Native families in child protection cases. The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges identified five key principles of ICWA courts; and while each of these principles is evident in ICWA court practice, all courts should strive to practice them. https://bit.ly/44V1KSZ #ChildWelfare #ICWACourts

Becoming a parent is a big transition. Becoming a parent as a teen in foster care is much more difficult. For pregnant and parenting teens in foster care, an already difficult transition from adolescence to adulthood is exacerbated by the stresses of adjusting to life in the child welfare system as a young parent, often with limited or no family connections and frequently lacking resources for basic needs. This brief shares some strategies to support pregnant and parenting teens in foster care. https://bit.ly/4fjMItw #ChildWelfare

In our final back-to-school post, we examine how academic achievement differs for children in kinship placements versus traditional foster care. This study examined differences in reading and math scores on standardized tests between children in the general population and in out-of-home care (non-kin foster care, formal kinship care, and informal kinship care). https://bit.ly/44eavpI #ChildWelfare #BackToSchool #TestScores #Kinship

"Support Over Separate: Rethinking 40 Years of Child Protection with David Sanders" Casey Family Programs executive vice president for Systems Improvement, Dr. David Sanders, joined Valerie Frost on the Community In-Site podcast to talk about the Thriving Families, Safer Children initiative and reflect on the bold idea that sparked it: the belief that we must shift from a system centered on child removal to one that supports families and promotes child and community well-being. Together, David and Valerie explore how the dominant intervention in child protection for the past 40 years, family separation, has shaped the system, and why a different path is both possible and necessary. Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3Jc4xyE Spotify: https://bit.ly/3UqpGaN

In our second of three posts with education-related resources, we address this question: How do jurisdictions ensure that youth in care receive the academic credits they have earned when they move? https://bit.ly/3jlcWPS #ChildWelfare #BackToSchool #AcademicCredits

It’s time to head back to school, so today we’re offering the first of three posts with education-related resources for those involved in child welfare. This brief explores how the child welfare system can help youth and families access needed technology. Ensuring all youth and families have equal access to virtual services is key to promoting overall child and family well-being, so computers and internet access should be considered basic needs for those involved with the child welfare system. https://bit.ly/3A8adQv #ChildWelfare #BackToSchool #Technology

Child Trends research brief: Young People With Lived Experience in Foster Care Recommend Improvements to Mental Health Supports: https://bit.ly/46u6vUK

Back-to-school is coming... While we may still be in the height of summer, it’s not too soon to think about the academic performance of children and youth in care. A research summary on our website explores how math and reading scores compare among elementary school children in various out-of-home placement settings. https://bit.ly/44eavpI #ChildWelfare #BackToSchool #KinshipCare

Deadline this Wednesday! This Wednesday, July 16 (at 5 p.m. PDT) is the deadline to nominate someone for a 2026 Casey Excellence for Children Award. If you know an alumnus of foster care, birth parent, kinship caregiver or resource parent who has made extraordinary efforts on behalf of those involved in child welfare, consider nominating them for this national award. Don’t delay – head over to our website and submit your nomination today: https://www.casey.org/ceca #ChildWelfare #CECA #BuildingCommunitiesOfHope

One week. That’s how long you have left to nominate someone for a 2026 Casey Excellence for Children Award. Do you know an alum of foster care, a birth parent, kinship caregiver or resource parent who has made extraordinary efforts on behalf of those involved in child welfare? Deadline for nominations is Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at 5 p.m. PDT. Visit our website and nominate someone deserving: https://www.casey.org/ceca #ChildWelfare #CECA #BuildingCommunitiesOfHope