All posts by MiPSAC

Human Trafficking Awareness

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The Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign is now offering online training about how to spot the signs of and report suspected human trafficking. The training is aimed at the general public, the Federal workforce, first responders, and airline employees and focuses on:

Defining human trafficking

Differentiating between human trafficking and human smuggling

Recognizing populations vulnerable to human trafficking

Recognizing indicators of human trafficking

A glossary and additional resources also are provided. View video of the Human Trafficking Awareness Training on the Department of Homeland Security’s website:

http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/training/dhs_awareness_training_fy12/launchPage.htm

See Also: http://www.dhs.gov/human-trafficking-awareness-training

Preparing Children for Court

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Participating in court proceedings may be particularly stressful for children. The Office of Court Improvement, a division of the Office of the State Courts Administrator within the Supreme Court of Florida, released an activity book specifically for children attending dependency hearings. What’s Happening In Dependency Court? aims to familiarize children with the judicial system by providing information related to the court process, legal terms, and the role of court personnel. Information is divided into easy-to-read topical areas, including the following:

Coloring activities and crossword puzzles help children develop proper expectations, understand the importance of the rules and how to behave in court. Not specific to Florida.

What’s Happening In Dependency Court? is available on the Florida State Courts website:

http://flcourts.org/gen_public/family/bin/dependbook.pdf

NIH Free Resource Anthology

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The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) at the National Institutes of Health created a free resource designed to house all current, quality behavioral and social science research. Created with the help of New England Research Institutes, e-Source demonstrates how social science research applies to public health initiatives, trains future scientists, and enhances the biomedical research field.

e-Source consists of five major sections:

Setting the Scene introduces major concepts of behavioral and social science research.

Describing How discusses methodologies to explain how something could occur.

Explaining Why describes using qualitative methods to try to answer the question of why something is happening.

What Works discusses evaluation.

Emerging Issues highlights challenges in behavioral and social science research.

e-Source is available on the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research website:

http://www.esourceresearch.org

Child Care & Child Welfare Partnership Toolkit

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This toolkit is designed to enhance the important partnership between child care providers and family service workers in the child welfare system, with the goal of ensuring that foster children get the best care possible. As the division directors of the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS)/Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education (DCCECE), we know how important it is that we work together in the interests of the child. It is critical that child care providers understand the impact of abuse and neglect on children, the special role they can play in the lives of foster children and how they can partner with child welfare staff. It is equally important that child welfare staff understand the impact that experiences in child care have on children’s development and to partner with child care staff. Link to Toolkit

Promoting Resilience Among Youth in Care

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An issue brief from the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative addresses resilience and provides a framework for helping youth in care develop resilience. Children and youth in foster care face many challenges that place them at greater risk of experiencing negative outcomes in adult life. However, research shows that youth with adequate support systems can and do develop resilience that enables them to cope with and adapt to these hardships.

Promoting Development of Resilience Among Young People in Foster Care is available on the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative website: Link to Jim Casey Report

Improving Systems That Support Kinship Care

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About one-fourth of all children in out-of-home care are placed with kin, yet the report indicates many kinship caregivers are unaware of the numerous services and supports available to them or have inaccurate information about eligibility requirements. Given the Federal preference for kinship care and the potential cost savings of diverting children from foster care, the report identifies numerous ways in which States can improve supports for kinship families. “Stepping Up for Kids: What Government and Communities Should Do to Support Kinship Families,” is available on the Annie E. Casey Foundation website: Link to Kinship Care Report