Parenting & Families
Isabelle’s Kids
National Policy, Research, Advocacy and Youth Organizations
Policy, Research, and Advocacy Organizations
Click on the links below to find publications and organizations regarding addressing the needs of children with disabilities as they transition or age out of the foster care system.
Alliance for Children and FamiliesMilwaukee, WI
(414) 359-1040
The Alliance is a nonprofit membership organization representing more than 300 child- and family-serving and economic empowerment organizations in the United States and Canada. Alliance members are nonprofit human service organizations providing a vast array of services that strengthen communities and addressing drug and alcohol abuse, family violence, teenage pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, family preservation, and homelessness. The Alliance provides advocacy and public policy expertise to members, other national organizations and federal, state and local lawmakers.
AdoptUSKidsBaltimore, MD
(888) 200-4005
The Collaboration to AdoptUSKids is a project of The Children’s Bureau, and was developed to devise and implement a national adoptive family recruitment and retention strategy, as well as to encourage and enhance adoptive family support organizations and conduct a variety of adoption research projects. The website offers many articles on the adoption of children with disabilities, and photolistings of waiting children with special needs.
Annie E. Casey FoundationBaltimore, MD
(410) 547-6600
The primary mission of the Annie E. Casey Foundation is to foster public policies, human service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today’s vulnerable children and families. The Foundation’s website provides access to numerous publications regarding child welfare reforms.
Casey Family ProgramsSeattle, WA
(206) 282-3555
Casey Family Programs (CFP) mission is to provide and improve foster care by offering both direct services and promoting advances in child welfare practice and policy. CFP offers trainings and resources for both youth in foster care and foster care providers; web-based assessment services for students (life skills) and foster parents (identifying weaknesses and strengths); and other educational and permanency planning publications.
Casey Family ServicesNew Haven, CT
(203) 401-6900
Casey Family Services (CFS) is a fully licensed and accredited non-profit child welfare agency that offers a broad range of programs for vulnerable children and families throughout the Northeast, including foster care, post-adoption, family reunification, preservation, advocacy, and other services. The CFS website offers a range of publications and other resources for parents, youth, and child welfare professionals.
Chapin HallChicago, IL
(773) 753-5900
Chapin Hall is a research and development center that works behind the scenes with lawmakers and government administrators, as well as on the front lines with program providers. Chapin Hall offers a monthly e-newsletter that provides information about their current projects and research.
Child Welfare Information GatewayWashington, DC
(703) 385-7565
The Child Welfare Information Gateway connects professionals and the general public to information and resources targeted towards the safety, permanency, and well being of children and families. The Gateway website provides access to programs, research, laws and policies, statistics, and training resources. It offers a resource list with publications, websites, and organizations on such topics as preventing child abuse and neglect, out-of-home care, adoption, achieving and maintaining permanency, children with disabilities, and many more.
Child Welfare League of AmericaWashington, DC
(202) 638-2952
The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) is a membership-based child welfare organization whose goal is to make children a national priority. CWLA offers its members consultation, expertise and advocacy on standards, best practices and a wide range of foster care issues, including behavioral health, mental health, juvenile justice, health care, permanency, and youth development. CWLA’s website offers a broad list of publications, schedules of conferences/trainings, information on advocacy, online links to sites with data and research, and information about specific programs.
Children and Family Research CenterUrbana-Champaign, IL
(217) 333-5837
The Children and Family Research Center is an independent research organization created in 1996 at the School of Social Work by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Center is dedicated to supporting and conducting research that contributes to keeping children safe, assuring permanent homes for children, and supporting child and family well being. The website offers links to other child welfare organizations, as well as links to their publications and projects.
Children’s Defense Fund - Child Welfare and Mental Health DivisionWashington, DC
(202) 628-8787
The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) provides a strong, effective voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves. CDF’s Child Welfare and Mental Health Division promotes federal policies that support the capacity of states and communities to provide the comprehensive supports children and families need, and provides information and fact sheets on prevention and early intervention; crisis services; quality foster care; specialized treatment for children and families; and post-adoption and other post-permanency services.
Children's RightsNew York, NY
(212) 683-2210
Children's Rights is a national watchdog organization advocating on behalf of abused and neglected children in the U.S. Since 1995, the organization has used legal action and policy initiatives to create lasting improvements in child protection, foster care and adoption. The website includes links to national organizations regarding the child welfare system.
Jim Casey Youth Opportunities InitiativeSt. Louis, MO
(314) 863-7003
Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative is a national organization whose mission is to help youth in foster care make successful transitions into adulthood. The Initiative brings together people and resources needed to help youth make the connections they need to education, employment, health care, housing, and supportive personal and community relationships. The website offers useful links to national organizations/agencies and youth-run organizations.
National Adoption CenterPhiladelphia, PA
(215) 735-9988
The National Adoption Center (NAC) expands adoption opportunities for children throughout the United States, particularly for children with special needs and from minority cultures. NAC offers online parenting trainings for prospective and adoptive parents through the Learning Center, as well a comprehensive list of state and national resources on adoption.
National Child Welfare Resource Center for AdoptionSouthfield, MI
(248) 443-0306
The National Child Welfare Resource Center for Adoption (NCWRCA) works with agencies to help improve their ability to ensure the well-being and permanency of abused and neglected children through adoption and post-adoption services. The Center provides training, consultation and informational materials for professionals, organizations, and parents, including special needs assessment and preparation of children with disabilities for adoption.
National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational ImprovementPortland, ME
(800) 435-7543
The National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement (NRCOI) offers technical assistance, training, teleconferences, and publications to assist states with strategic planning, quality improvement, evaluating outcomes, facilitating stakeholder involvement, and improving training and workforce development.
National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial IssuesWashington DC
(800) 285-2221
The National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues is dedicated to achieving safety, permanence, and well-being for abused and neglected children through improved laws and judicial decision-making. It offers states assistance with collecting and analyzing data, legal and judicial issue analysis, promoting stakeholder involvement, action planning, and implementation of improvement plans.
National Foster Parent AssociationGig Harbor, WA
(253) 853-4000
National Foster Parent Association (NFPA) membership is open to anyone interested in improving the foster care system and enhancing the lives of children and families. Affiliate memberships are open to local or state foster parent associations, local or state agencies, social workers, foster parents and all other individuals interested in the foster care program. The NFPA provides an annual education conference, a quarterly newsletter, a speaker's bureau, scholarships, awards, legislative input, Internet Web page, training resources, and a variety of other activities to help and inform people who are involved in the foster care system.
National Resource Center for Child Protective ServicesAlbuquerque, NMThe National Resource Center for Child Protective Services (NRCCPS) focuses on building State, local, and Tribal capacity through training and technical assistance, practice and program guidelines, and staff development in child protection. NRCCPS offers information and training resources regarding addressing maltreatment in out-of-home care, maltreatment recurrence, enhancing child protective service functions, and improving the safety of all children. National Resource Center for Child Welfare Data and Technology
(505) 345-2444
Washington, DC
(877) 672-4829
The National Resource Center for Child Welfare Data and Technology (NRCCWDT) addresses a broad range of program and technical issues, including training on data use and management, adoption and foster care data assistance, coordinating peer consultation, and preparation and use of State Data Profiles.
National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention ProgramsChapel Hill, NC
(919) 490-5577 x222
The National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention programs (NRCCCAP) provides expertise and consultation to states and organizations working with the community and families to prevent child abuse and neglect. NRCCCAP offers materials, listservs, training and expertise to enhance practice information to the prevention community and serves on various workgroups to promote the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency PlanningNew York, NY
(212) 452-7043
The National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning (NRCFCPPP) offers training, technical assistance, and information services to help strengthen the capacity of local, State, Tribal, and other publicly administered or supported child welfare agencies to institutionalize a safety-focused, family-centered, and community-based approach to meet the needs of children, youth, and families. The Center offers several online trainings focused on improving permanency planning in the context of national standards, and a clearinghouse of “hot topics” and “best practices” in child welfare, including children with disabilities and permanency planning.
National Child Welfare Resource Center for Youth DevelopmentTulsa, OK
(918) 660-3700
The University of Oklahoma’s National Child Welfare Resource Center for Youth Development (NCWRCYD) increases the capacity and resources of States and Tribes to effectively help youth in care establish permanent connections and achieve successful transitions to adulthood. The website offers a variety of trainings regarding youth development on a wide range of topics (positive youth development, skill development, youth/adult partnership building, etc.)
North American Council on Adoptable ChildrenSt. Paul, MN
(651) 644-3036
The North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) is committed to meeting the needs of waiting children and the families who adopt them. The Council provides advocacy, education, adoption support, and leadership development in an effort to reform systems, alter viewpoints, and change lives. The Council offers training sessions, as well as links to other organizations and agencies.
Northwest Institute for Children and FamiliesSeattle, WA
(206) 543-1517
Located at the University of Washington, School of Social Work, the Northwest Institute for Children and Families is dedicated to the promotion of excellence and leadership in services to children and families. The Institute offers education for social workers, child welfare training for agencies, program evaluation for public and private agencies, and support for policy makers and grant-makers interested in child welfare.
Youth Organizations
Click on the links below to learn more about organizations offering resources and information specifically directed to children and youth in foster care.
Foster Care Alumni of AmericaAlexandria, VA
(888) 258-6640
The mission of Foster Care Alumni of America (FCAA) is to connect members of the alumni community, transform policy and practice, and ensure opportunities for people in and from foster care. FCAA believes that alumni of foster care possess an expertise about foster care that is not available anywhere else, and that this expertise is essential for influencing public opinions about foster care, creating the best public policy, and improving foster care practice.
FosterClubSeaside, OR
(503) 717-1552
FosterClub’s mission is to provide encouragement, motivation, information, education and benefits for youth in foster care. The website provides a forum for youth to speak with and hear from other youth in foster care, and their publications, contests and events offer support and encouragement to youth in foster care. The website offers a state-by-state resource list, a glossary of terms, a reading list, and information on laws and legislation regarding the child welfare system.
Orphan Foundation of AmericaSterling, VAThe Orphan Foundation of America (OFA) serves thousands of foster youth across the United States by teaching them how to balance a checkbook, write a resume, and apply for jobs. The website offers many online resources for foster youth. Represent
(571) 203-0273
New York, NYRepresent is a bi-monthly magazine written by and for young people in foster care. It is designed to give a voice to youth in the foster care system by providing a forum for an open exchange of views and experiences by those most impacted by foster care. Youth Advocacy Center
(212) 279-0708
New York, NY
(212) 675-6181
The Youth Advocacy Center (YAC) aims to teach young adults in and at risk of foster care placement to advocate for themselves and take control of their lives. YAC offers various trainings to both youth and professionals.
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