This webpage will connect you to the most frequently asked questions and answers (FAQs) on many child welfare topics, including child abuse and neglect, foster care and other out-of-home placements, adoption, and more.
If you do not find an answer to your question, you can submit a question by clicking on the Ask a Question box.
The issue of whether or not visitation rights extend to the grandparents is a matter for the family courts to decide. You may wish to consult with and/or obtain the services of an attorney in your State who practices in the area of family law. If assistance is needed in locating an attorney, the American Bar Association (ABA) website provides a variety of services to the general public, including a lawyer referral directory and the Find Legal Help webpage, which includes pro bono attorney referrals and links to court resources.
Most state laws, policies, and regulations require districts and schools to implement a bullying policy and procedures to investigate and respond to bullying when it occurs. Stopbullying.gov provides information on state antibullying laws and policies.
Custody and visitation orders are handled by the courts and enforceable by State law. If your visitation order was violated, you may wish to consult with and/or obtain the services of an attorney who is knowledgeable in family law matters in the applicable State. Your attorney should be able to help you explore your legal options and/or provide guidance on how to file a motion for contempt of court.
If you have any specific questions concerning the Trauma Interventions for Children and Youth in Foster Care With Complex Mental, Behavioral, and Physical Health Needs NOFO, please email cb@grantreview.org.
The Administration for Children and Families does not provide direct guidance or instruction in the development of an applicant’s project design or on the writing of their applications. Applicants should use their best judgment in determining whether they are able to meet the requirements contained in the NOFO, whether they are able to develop an application they believe to be responsive to the NOFO, and in designing and writing their applications. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by objective review panels using the criteria described in the Merit Review Criteria section of the NOFO, which aligns with the requirements listed in the Format and Application Components sections. The review panels will use the NOFO as the principal guidance available to them in the same way that it is the principal guidance for applicants.
Associations and organizations throughout the United States work to promote the safety, well-being, and permanency of families by empowering parents to be engaged in family life through education, support, advocacy, and outreach activities.
Child Welfare Information Gateway, a service of the Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, provides links to summaries of some aspects of State adoption laws and other relevant legal information in its web section State Laws on Adoption.
The adoption of children who are in the custody of their State or county's Department of Child and Family Services is usually handled by local public agencies and/or private agencies under contract with their State or county.
Just as there are various types of abuse and neglect, the symptoms of abuse and neglect may vary from child to child.
There are more than 400,000 children and youth in our nation's foster care system, and each year over 20,000 age out. As youth get ready to transition to adult life, they may face significant challenges in accessing the resources they need to become self-sufficient. Federal law requires that child welfare agencies assist youth in developing personalized transition plans that address specific topics such as education, housing, employment, finances, physical and mental health, health insurance, mentoring, and close relationships with supportive adults. A transition plan should start early and be broken into short-term, age-appropriate, and manageable goals in alignment with a youth's individual needs, hopes, and strengths.
Legal guardianship is one of the options available to parents who are planning for the care of their children in their absence due to a variety of situations, such as illness or incarceration. It allows parents to name a caregiver and to give the caregiver certain legal rights regarding the care of the child(ren). In most cases, the parents’ legal rights are not terminated, and the parents still play a role in their children’s lives. Legal guardians have custody of the children and the authority to make decisions concerning the child(ren)’s protection, education, care, discipline, etc.