Resource Library

Provides general information on adoption and guardianship, highlighting differences and trends in state laws. This resource also includes a National Comparison chart and state specific charts to provide addeitional information.

Provides a broad, national overview of the adoption and guardianship legal pathways. This chart is intended as an accopanying tool to the Adoption and Guardianship for Children in Kinship Foster Care brief to help child welfare professionals assist kinship foster parents.

Provides state-specific charts that focus on adoption and guardianship for children in kinship foster care so that these children can exit foster care into permanent families.

Designed to prepare prospective adoptive and guardianship parents deepen their awareness and understanding about themselves and their children and to help build a strong foundation and lasting commitment for families who pursue adoption/guardianship.  The curriculum is divided into four sessions, each lasting about two hours.  This curriculum was developed by Harmony Family Center’s Adoption Support and Preservation Program in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. It is available to use in part or whole, free of charge.   AGPT Trainer’s Guide.2024 AGPT Session 1 AGPT Session 2 AGPT Session 3 AGPT Session 4  

Examines the links between early adversity, trauma, and adoption. Describes how pre-placement adversity can undermine neurobehavioral and interpersonal functioning, increasing the risk for long-term psychological difficulties. Examines children’s recovery when placed in a stable adoptive home. Explores adoption as a lived experience, highlighting contextual and developmental factors that facilitate the person’s positive or negative attributions about being adopted, leading to varying patterns of emotional adjustment.

Describes 25 psychological issues that are more common in adoption, including abandonment and attachment, control and defiance, stealth, and rage and grief.

Highlights the importance of cultural identify and the challenges children in foster care and adoption face. This article provides strategies and resources to assist professionals with understanding and respecting the cultural identities of children and youth.

Discusses the need for specialized interventions for adoptive families to address underlying emotional issues and change behavior patterns. This article highlights adoption preservation services like those provided in Illinois that can help families manage their children’s behaviors. With specialized interventions and adoption preservation services, families report positive outcomes.

Offers an example of a survey sites can use to assess the needs of adoptive and guardianship families and the value of any services they have accessed.

Showcases a selection of services and programs focusing on kinship relationships originating from Rhode Island. Key topics discussed encompass the distinct treatment of kinship caregivers by agencies and caseworkers, the challenges faced by kinship caregivers, strategies to enhance relationships between caseworkers and kinship caregivers, the roles and responsibilities of Rhode Island’s Family Search and Engagement team, and the implementation of a customer-service approach within the State’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families, with a focus on “managing emotions first.”