Stepping Up for Kids: What Government and Communities Should Do to Support Kinship Families

Provides an overview of kinship care; its positive impact on children, state agencies, and society; and policy recommendations to better support kinship care families, including boosting Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and foster care benefits

Cost of Florida's Ban on Adoption by GLB Individuals and Same-Sex Couples

This memo estimates the impact on children and the cost to the State of Florida of the current prohibition on adoption by gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) individuals and same-sex couples. We use data about the number of children adopted each year as a way to estimate the number of GLB individuals and same-sex couples who would be likely to serve as adoptive parents if the ban were not in place. Prohibiting GLB individuals and same-sex couples from adopting means that 165 children must remain in foster care or must have alternative adoptive homes recruited for them. As a result, we estimate that the ban costs the State of Florida over $2.5 million in per year. As explained below, this estimate is conservative since some likely additional costs are difficult to quantify. In addition, because of the current prohibition on GLB individuals and same-sex couples adopting children in Florida, it is possible that more GLB individuals and same-sex couples would be interested in adopting if the ban were lifted. We estimate that if the ban were lifted, both adoption and foster care by GLB individuals and same-sex couples would increase to the average United States level, leading to 219 children being adopted, and saving the State of Florida$3.4 million dollars in the first year

Data on Children in Foster Care From the Census Bureau

Explores 2000 census data on foster children, data quality and potential for analysis, limitations, and the causes of those limitations. Highlights socioeconomic and other characteristics of foster families from 2006 American Community Survey data

Programs and Policies in Education, Crime and Justice and Social Welfare: Practical Recommendations Based on 14 Test-bed Reviews

Review teams tested the systematic review procedures and principles developed under the Campbell Collaboration. Fourteen review teams selected topics for intervention reviews in social policy, education, and criminal justice. Review protocols gave criteria for the extensive research literature search. Randomised Controlled Trials were selected. Systematic reviewers should give careful attention to defining the review topic, setting study inclusion and exclusion criteria, handling variability in outcome measurement and study reporting, appropriate uses of statistical meta-analysis, and reporting review results. Significant differences in review results were observed based on review criteria and procedures

How Employment Constraints Affect Low-Income Working Parents' Child Care Decisions

Based on interviews, examines how low earnings, job instability, workplace inflexibility with irregular schedules and little paid time off, and limited childcare options in poor communities shape childcare decisions. Outlines policy implications

Adoption and Foster Care by Gay and Lesbian Parents in the United States

Discussion and debate about adoption and foster care by gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) parents occurs frequently among child welfare policymakers, social service agencies, and social workers. They all need better information about GLB adoptive and foster parents and their children as they make individual and policy-level decisions about placement of children with GLB parents. This report provides new information on GLB adoption and foster care from the U.S. Census 2000, the National Survey of Family Growth (2002), and the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (2004)

Comprehensive Services: Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care Research-Based Rationale

This rationale presents research on factors that put babies and toddlers at risk for unhealthy development and the benefits of comprehensive health, mental health, and family support services. It also examines how state policies can improve care for babies. As part of the Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care project, this rationale supports the Policy Framework's recommendation to: Link necessary services for vulnerable babies and toddlers to child care settings

Child Welfare and TANF Implementation: Recent Findings

This report examines recent research findings about Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) implementation as it has affected the nation’s child welfare system. The nation’s program of cash aid for needy families with children (TANF) and its program to protect and care for children who are abused or neglected (child welfare services) are linked by history and share some of the same clients who have similar service needs