Relationships are important in helping youth, including vulnerable youth, achieve their goals and a transition into adulthood. Having the skills to manage healthy intimate partner relationships can make a difference as youth make decisions related to school, employment, pregnancy prevention, and establishing strong relationships. These skills may…

The 2011 U.S. Government Evidence Summit on Protecting Children Outside of Family Care brought together leading researchers and technical experts to assess the available evidence to inform policies, strategies, and programs relevant to protecting children outside of family care in lower and middle income countries. While child vulnerabilities are…

This paper reviews the research on youth empowerment in seven child welfare programmatic areas. A lack of studies specifically focused on the empowerment of youth in foster care was found. Conceptual perspectives and existing data, however, suggest that the empowerment of youth in and transitioning out of care is essential and should be overtly…

Guided by research and the experiences of judges nationwide, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges made a commitment in 1998 to improve community response to families experiencing domestic violence and child maltreatment. A year later, the council's work culminated in a set of recommendations commonly called the "Greenbook,"…

The paper will present findings from a Social Science and Humanities Research (SSHRC) funded participatory evaluation conducted over the past four years in the Cree nation of Wemindji in Quebec, Canada. COOL (Challenging Our Own Limits) or "Nigawchiisuun" in Cree, was launched in 2003 as part of a broader program of governance…

Explores the implementation and development of an emergency street-kid shelter in Montreal. Concludes that, by merging locality development with a commitment to social action, the program has fostered an empowered community. (Author/JOW)

To provide a baseline for assessing how welfare reform affects child welfare agencies, this paper reviews the challenges that state child welfare systems face, and how states respond to these challenges. Information in this paper is based on studies of the 13 focus states included in the Urban Institute's New Federalism project. In each state,…

In 1994, the Carnegie Corporation called for an action agenda to promote responsible parenthood, guarantee quality child care choice, ensure good health and protection, and mobilize communities to support young children and families. In 1996, the Corporation created the Starting Points grant program to encourage states and communities to address…

This summary report describes the findings of a study undertaken in 1995 by the Academy for Educational Development, a nonprofit educational evaluation and research organization for the New York Women's Foundation. The major purposes of the study were to document the status of girls aged 9 to 15 in New York City, identify exemplary programs for…

The New Zealand early childhood center charter is a contract between the Ministry of Education and an individual center. The charter was introduced with the 1989 publication of the "Early Childhood Management Handbook." It was thought to be the key to improving quality in services, since it outlined official center policies,…

Summarizes the objectives, conceptual model, results, and implications of a project called Foster Care Training: A Comprehensive Approach, in British Columbia, Canada, which was designed to illustrate ways in which a networking model can provide increased support and training for participating foster parents. (BB)

According to superintendent of San Diego (California) City Schools, days are past when schools could concentrate simply on basic education and leave child's social, physical, psychological, and economic needs to others. New Beginnings, a collaborative effort to meet student and family needs, succeeds because participants developed shared…

Describes implementation of a computerized version of the Child Welfare League of America's Child Well-Being Scales by a family services agency in southern Ontario. Reviews results obtained from 172 families to illustrate the potential for using computerized risk assessment as an aid in clinical, supervisory, and management decision-making…

Describes how to create a safe, healing environment for children recovering from the effects of trauma. Discusses basic assumptions, values, goals, and the process that must be shared by all system members. Moving to an injury-based perspective can increase teachers' understanding of students' problematic behaviors and help students avoid…

This report examines "permanency planning" and "special needs adoption" for children with disabilities, based on the experience of Project STAR in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Project STAR (Specialized Training for Adoption Readiness) was established in 1985 to provide support services for families of children with disabilities…