Category Archives: CA&N Resources

Icebreaker Meetings: Building Relationships Between Birth and Foster Parents

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Annie E. Casey Foundation: Building working relationships between birth parents, foster parents, and caseworkers can be extremely important for foster children, and using Icebreaker meetings can be an effective mechanism for doing that. However, to be successful, an agency seeking to introduce Icebreakers must understand how the practice works. This publication is designed to:

  • Give agencies an overview of Icebreaker meetings;
  • Describe a work group process for planning and implementing Icebreaker meetings;
  • Identify common barriers and roadblocks to successful implementation of Icebreaker meetings;
  • Identify implementation steps that are often overlooked or missed;
  • Share successes and examples of agencies using Icebreaker meetings;
  • Share samples of Icebreaker documents and materials developed by agencies from across the country; and
  • Provide a self-assessment tool to guide your planning and implementation.

Link to Web Page Guide

Building Successful Resource Families: A Guide for Public Agencies

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Annie E. Casey Foundation: The Foundation recognizes the critical role played by resource families who often function as a bridge to reunification, kinship care or adoption. In many instances, resource families have not received the institutional support needed to ensure that a pool of appropriate families is available to serve children in need in a given community. We have worked with jurisdictions in which 25 percent of resource families discontinue providing foster care each year, and estimates indicate that 40 percent of the families who leave foster parenting do so primarily because of inadequate agency support. We have partnered with national experts in designing systems to recruit, develop and support resource families. The goal of this guide is to leverage our experience with different jurisdictions by sharing information and encouraging the use of best practices in working with resource families. Link to pdf Guide; Link to AECF Web Page Guide

Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s 2012 Foster Youth Internship Report

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CCAI’s Foster Youth Internship (FYI) Program is a Congressional Internship for young adults who spent time in the United State’s foster care system. The FYI program began in 2003 as an effort to raise awareness to federal policymakers about the needs and unique perspectives of those who spent time in foster care. As part of the program, CCAI organizes retreats, advocacy trainings and various networking opportunities with experts in the child welfare field. Throughout the summer, the FYI interns spend time researching about policy issues affecting foster children across the country. These experiences allow them to create a policy report that is presented at a Congressional briefing and released to child welfare advocates across the country. Link to Report

CMCS Informational Bulletin: Collaborative Efforts and Technical Assistance Resources to Strengthen the Management of Psychotropic Medications for Vulnerable Populations

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Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services: This Informational Bulletin was issued to inform states about additional opportunities and resources to address the use of psychotropic drugs in vulnerable populations. The collaborative efforts and technical assistance resources highlighted in this bulletin provide states with additional tools and mechanisms to promote the appropriate use, and enhance oversight of, psychotropic medications for children in foster care and individuals living in nursing facilities. Link to Information Bulletin Includes many links to additional information.

Peer Youth Advocates in Residential Programs

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SAMHSA: The Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) is a national effort that promotes partnerships among residential and community providers, families, youth, advocates, and policy makers to achieve positive outcomes for youth and families touched by a residential intervention.

The BBI produced a handbook, Peer Youth Advocates in Residential Programs, to provide a conceptual framework and links to specific tools and technical assistance resources for organizations interested in expanding youth voice and adding Peer Youth Advocate (PYA) positions to their teams. The recommendations contained in the handbook are largely based on the positive experiences of eleven residential provider organizations. Over 250 hours of interviews were conducted, with Peer Youth Advocates, clinicians, agency executives, researchers, provider association directors, and leaders in youth services policy. Youth who had lived or who were currently living in a residential program provided input through several focus groups. Link to pdf Handbook

Establishing and Maintaining Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Systems in State Child Welfare Agencies

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Provides State title IV-B and IV-E child welfare agencies with information to establish and maintain CQI systems and to provide information on claiming allowable federal financial participation costs for CQI. While the Children’s Bureau considers how to revise the CFSR process, States are advised to maintain their QA systems and enhance them through a continuous quality improvement approach. A continuous quality improvement approach allows States to measure the quality of services provided by determining the impact those services have on child and family level outcomes and functioning and the effectiveness of processes and systems in operation in the State and/or required by Federal law. Link to pdf Information Memorandum