Resource Library

The Center for States designs products, services, and learning experiences to increase understanding and awareness, and build knowledge and skills. The Center focuses its attention on developing products and resources on several core organizational and practice topics.

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The Center for States provides research assistance and responds to information requests on building capacity in child welfare.

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Showing 46 - 60 of 85 resources
Video

Portrays a young woman's story of growing up in foster care, from 5 months through 7 years old, and the difficulties of transitioning back to her family. 

Publication Year 2019
Video

Describes the complex nature and special support needs of kinship care. 

Publication Year 2019
Video

Demonstrates the importance of collaboration and trusting relationships between a grandmother, a resource parent, and a social worker.

Publication Year 2019
Video

Portrays one family's story from the perspectives of the child’s mother, the grandmother, and the resource parent.

Publication Year 2019
Video

Tells the story of a family from the perspectives of the father of five children; his mother, who takes on the parenting role for her five grandchildren; and their social worker.

Publication Year 2019
PDF

Use this guide for tips, and strategies concerning the critical role leadership plays in creating and sustaining positive organizational culture.

Publication Year 2019
PDF

Explore tips and strategies to effectively engage and sustain the involvement of families and youth at the agency level. 

Publication Year 2019
Podcast

In this episode leaders from the District of Columbia child welfare agency and a community collaborative organization discuss their longstanding partnership. The commissioner for Kentucky's child welfare agency describes the agency’s strategic communication plan and considers the role of the agency as part of the larger child welfare system.

Publication Year 2019
Podcast

In this introduction to the podcast series How We Partner With the Community to Improve Service Options, agency leaders talk about the changing culture of their organizations. Leaders from Kentucky discuss their Child Welfare Transformation initiative, three transformational goals, and culture of safety.

Publication Year 2019
Video

Highlights the rewards and challenges of providing permanency and stability for relative children with differing needs. In this video, a single grandparent of five discusses her experience becoming a kinship caregiver, foster parent, and then legal guardian for her daughter's children, support the caseworker provided for her to become a certified foster parent, and the joy of watching her grandchildren thrive.

Publication Year 2018
Video

Emphasizes the necessity of strong community supports to create a secure and stable environment for a new kinship family. In this video, a grandparent discusses moving across the country to ensure her grandchildren could see their parents.

Publication Year 2018
Video

Demonstrates the dedication and flexibility needed when providing kinship care in order to navigate visitation schedules, foster care certification processes, and permanency proceedings.

Publication Year 2018
Video

Addresses the challenges that some caregivers face in their dual roles as grandparents and kinship parents and the value of support networks. In this video, a paternal grandparent discusses how she and her husband provide security and stability for their family by focusing on their grandchildren's emotional and educational needs with valuable agency support and maternal family involvement.

Publication Year 2018
Video

Demonstrates the life adjustments and rewards of becoming a kinship caregiver. In this video, a caregiver shares his story of what motivated him to become a kinship parent. He discusses how caring for his sister's children and a child with special needs, as well as managing a household, have changed his life and what encourages him to continue.

Publication Year 2018
Video

Demonstrates the benefits and challenges of serving as a kinship/foster parent and supporting and collaborating with children's biological parents. This video highlights one caregiver's decision to foster and adopt her son and become a kinship caregiver to his younger sibling. She discusses how she maintained a close, supportive relationship with their biological mother and how they ultimately created a united, blended family.

Publication Year 2018