Resource Library

Explores in detail how Vermont implemented a survey for adoptive/guardianship families to complete to provide information about their child and family well-being and use of existing services to help sites determine support needs. Provides information to help other sites determine if the survey would work for their jurisdiction and prepare for implementation.

Is a survey that Vermont used—and other jurisdictions can use or adapt—to assess the needs of their adoptive/guardianship families. Includes questions about child and family well-being and the use of existing services.

Provides a brief overview of Vermont’s plan to survey adoptive/guardianship families about their child and family well-being and use of existing services to help the state determine support needs.

Explains burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma and provides suggestions for ways to prevent vicarious trauma, including by teaching providers about it. Discusses screening and self-assessment tools and developing a more supportive culture. 

Reports findings from conservations with 129 young people adopted from foster care, including information on the importance of adoption preparation and support for the entire family.

Provides an easy-to-understand explanation of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how ACEs can lead to toxic stress. Offers tips to reduce the impact of toxic stress.

Details the role and significance of kinship navigator programs and highlights examples of evidence-based kinship navigator programs in various states.

Contrasts components of ideal, equitable engagements with components of inequitable engagements, which staff can use to identify opportunities to strengthen efforts to engage people with lived experience.

Provides behavioral and mental health professionals with an overview of child welfare, describes how these practitioners and child welfare workers can support each other, and offers additional information resources.

Discusses Tennessee’s Post-Permanency program, Adoption Support and Preservation|Guardianship Support and Preservation (ASAP|GSAP). Tennessee has supported families who provide permanency to children in the state’s foster care system for nearly 30 years.  This robust program offers services that include training for parents transitioning to adoption or guardianship, in-home counseling services (including crisis intervention), support groups, educational advocacy, coaching for parents, training for parents and professionals related to key issues in adoption and guardianship, social and recreational events for children and parents, and information and referral. Readers will learn more about the ASAP|GSAP program, successes and values.