• Policy, Research, and Advocacy Organizations
• 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 Families

Milwaukee, 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.

AdoptUSKids

Baltimore, 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 Foundation

Baltimore, 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 Programs

Seattle, 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 Services

New 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 Hall

Chicago, 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 Gateway

Washington, 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 America

Washington, 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 Center

Urbana-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 Division

Washington, 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 Rights

New 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 Initiative

St. 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 Center

Philadelphia, 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 Adoption

Southfield, 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 Improvement

Portland, 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 Issues

Washington 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 Association

Gig 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 Services

Albuquerque, NM
(505) 345-2444

The 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

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 Programs

Chapel 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 Planning

New 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 Development

Tulsa, 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 Children

St. 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 Families

Seattle, 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 America

Alexandria, 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.

FosterClub

Seaside, 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 America

Sterling, VA
(571) 203-0273

The 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

New York, NY
(212) 279-0708

Represent 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

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.

* Founded in 1915 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Kiwanis International is an organization of service-and-community-minded individuals who support children and young adults around the world. More than 500,000 Kiwanis-family members in more than 80 countries respond to the needs of their communities and pool their resources to address worldwide issues. There are several community service and leadership programs for youth. Key Clubs work in high schools age youth and Circle K clubs work with college age youth. Hugh O’Brian Youth (HOBY) programs work with youth leadership. Globally, Kiwanis is also dedicated to halting iodine deficiency disorders, the world’s leading preventable cause of mental retardation. Key Club International website: http://www.keyclub.org Circle K International website: http://www.circlek.org HOBY (mostly North America): http://www.hoby.org
Kiwanis International Website: http://www.kiwanis.org

* Lions Clubs International runs a number of other international youth programs including peace poster contests, youth camps, exchange programs, and clubs. The mission is to provide the young people of the world with opportunities for achievement, learning, contribution and service, individually and collectively, through sponsorship of activities identified as best practices in the field of youth development. Lions-Quest is also a youth program of Lions Clubs International and the Lions Clubs International Foundation. It is a life-skills training program for young people that is active in 33 countries and has helped more than 6 million students, ages 5 to 18, reach their full potential. The goal is to help youth build responsibility and resiliency — the ability to face and overcome life’s difficulties — and avoid self-destructive behaviors. The program was started in 1975 by an 18-year-old who was trying to solve his own life problems.
http://www.lionsclubs.org and http://www.lions-quest.org

* The Guide Movement was formally established in 1910, starting in the United Kingdom and then spreading world-wide. The first official international co-operation started in 1919, and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in its present form was established in 1928. Due to the size of the organization (136 member countries, and around 10 million members) it is divided into five regions where national associations can work together on common problems and opportunities. The World Association is a British-based charity, and the Europe Region a Belgium-based international non-profit organization. The movement is non-formal and educational, and focuses on encouraging the development of the intellectual, spiritual, physical, emotional, social and moral aspects of its members, based on the movements’ values. Its mission is to enable girls and young women to develop their fullest potential as responsible citizens of the world.
http://www.wagggsworld.org

* The World Organization of the Scout Movement is an international organization composed of its national Scout organizations. The purpose is to contribute to the development of young people and help them develop their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities. Scouting began with 20 boys and an experimental camp in 1907 organized by Robert Baden-Powell. The first world Jamboree took place in 1920 with 8,000 participants. Today the organization reaches 25 million young people in 216 countries (and territories).
http://world.scout.org

* The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with 178 member National Societies. It aims to assist the world’s most vulnerable people and focuses on health, disaster response and disaster preparedness. Young people represent a substantial part of the membership worldwide. A youth program was developed to involve young people as much as possible in the movement. It aims to promote healthy living, international friendship, and community service. A youth unit within the Federation’s Secretariat in Geneva assists National Societies to increase the involvement of young volunteers in their work. Technical support in the development of youth programs, fund-raising, identification of material and human resources, the youth unit aims to have young people recognized by National Societies leadership as equal partners who address the needs of the most vulnerable.
http://www.ifrc.org/youth

* The International Award is a self-development program open to all young people worldwide. It aims to equip them with life skills to make a difference to themselves, their communities and their world. To date over 5 million young people from over 100 countries have participated. It challenges and rewards young people for setting and reaching goals in for areas: Volunteer Public Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness, and Expedition/Exploration.
http://www.intaward.org

* The World Young Women’s Christian Association unites 25 million women and girls in over 100 countries through 94 autonomous national YWCAs which links thousands of local YWCAs whose programs meet community needs identified by women. WYCMA bases its work on Christian ecumenical principles and welcomes women of all faiths. It promotes women’s equal participation, works for social and economic justice, and mobilizes women for action.
http://www.worldywca.org

* The YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) is a world-wide Christian, ecumenical, voluntary movement for women and men with special emphasis on the involvement of young people. It seeks to build a human community of justice with love, peace and reconciliation. Founded in 1844, it now works through 14′000 local associations and 45 million members in 122 countries. The National Movements form the World Alliance of YMCAs, an international organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, which has consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
http://www.ymca.int

* The International Youth Foundation is an association of 22 different grant making agencies in 22 different countries. It facilitates knowledge sharing between these foundations and makes various publications on the international situations of youth. In 1999 Nokia Corporation provided the IYF with a grant to design an internet youth portal. After hiring a team and consulting with Nokia and a number of young leaders the YouthActionNet project was started. It presents various tools and resources that are valuable for youth organizing.
http://www.youthactionnet.org and http://www.ifynet.org