A 1980 federal law made adopting and raising special needs children affordable even for persons with limited means. However, many prospective adopters never complete the adoption process because of red tape, regulations, and institutional lethargy; among the adults who complete a home study or placement, lack of support services and advocacy…

Based on concern about the lack of information on adopting toddlers, this book examines the special needs of adopted toddlers and their adoptive parents. Chapter 1, "Why Write a Book on Toddler Adoption?" details the lack of information on the difficulties of adopted toddlers in forming attachments and parents' child rearing…

This document (also in Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian language versions) provides guidelines for practice on national and intercountry adoption and foster family care, developed under the aegis of the International Council on Social Welfare and incorporating the work of over 200 practitioners, experts, and government officials representing…

This publication is intended to help ensure full and prompt implementation of the improvements in the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act for children being raised by grandparents and other relatives. It was prepared by 18 organizations, many of whom have been working individually and together for a number of years to…

Parenting an adopted child is, for the most part, the same as parenting any other child, but is different in some unique and critical ways related to the child's separation from birth parents and genetic roots. Understanding how a child interprets, understands, and feels about adoption, and why, can help the parent guide the adopted child…

Based on the view that schools are responsible for providing a safe and supportive setting for all students and that with education the school climate will improve for sexual-minority parents and their children, this booklet provides information on how schools can become more welcoming to all students. Following introductory comments, the book is…

This manual for child welfare staff and foster/adoptive parents is intended to provide guidelines for serving abused and neglected children who are in family foster care and adoption. The first section is on substitute care and permanency planning and offers an historical perspective on substitute care and definitions of family foster care and…

Across the United States and world, children who lose their parents to HIV/AIDS are one of the fasted emerging groups affected by this epidemic. Increasingly, child welfare and family service agencies are helping infected parents to secure legal and permanent care arrangements for their children. These guidelines address the issues of placing…

This guide chronicles the ongoing work and writings of the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago, a policy research center dedicated to bringing sound information, rigorous analyses, innovative ideas, and an independent, multidisciplinary perspective to bear on policies and programs affecting children. This guide, organized…

In addition to those adjustments that any new parents must make, lesbian mothers face numerous special concerns. This book offers information and support for lesbian parents on relations between lesbian mothers and the outside world, child development and social issues, and special circumstances. Chapter 1 introduces a group of lesbian mothers and…

This guide chronicles the ongoing work and writings of the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago, a policy research center dedicated to bringing sound information, rigorous analyses, innovative ideas, and an independent, multidisciplinary perspective to bear on policies and programs affecting children. This guide, organized…

Written for social service workers involved with Indian child welfare cases in which adoption through a state court is being considered, this manual presents basic information about the requirements of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA) in cases of Indian adoption. Background material explains that the ICWA--intended to establish…

Intended to help parents find the words they need to talk to their children and answer their children's practical questions, this book offers practical guidance on a wide range of life's experiences, from family changes such as divorce and remarriage, to controversial subjects such as child abuse and AIDS. The major focus is on children ages 4 to…

Developed to assist policymakers and family service providers, this document is an inventory of programs for Nebraska children and families, focusing on service programs and excluding basic elementary and secondary education. The programs described fall into 16 areas: (1) abuse and neglect, including prevention and protection; (2) adoption; (3)…