Pane_1_Col_12_Title

Child Welfare

Pane_1_Col_6_A

teens outside

Homeless Youth Policy Scan

States are tackling youth homelessness in a variety of ways. From defining youth homelessness to addressing the disparate outcomes for vulnerable populations. This policy scan addresses these issues as well as common barriers to educational and housing stability.

Pane_1_Col_6_B

headphones with podcast in bottom right corner

Teens in Foster Care: Challenges and Solutions

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services latest “Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System” says more than 430,000 people were in foster care in the last fiscal year. About a quarter of those in the system were teenagers. On this episode of “Our American States,” we talk with two state legislators who have first-hand knowledge of foster care and are actively involved in shedding light on this topic.

NCSL Redistricting Seminar

HUMAN SERVICES

Child Welfare
All Documents

Pane_2_Col_4_A

ncsl database

Child Welfare Database

Explore the child welfare legislation enacted between 2012-2017, including topics such as child protection, kinship care, foster care, services for older youth, mental and behavioral health and more.

Pane_2_Col_4_B

foster care teen boy

Foster Care: Older Youth

Approximately 25 percent of the nearly 430,000 children in foster care are 14 or older. This toolkit looks at aspects of supporting older youth in foster care, including extending services beyond the age of 18, higher education support, normalcy, housing and engagement.

Pane_2_Col_4_C

ncsl newsletter

Quarterly Newsletter

NCSL's latest quarterly child welfare newsletter discusses the 2019 Prevention Resource Guide, long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect, 2017 foster care data, the latest child welfare outcomes and more.

Pane_4_Col_4_A

Mother with two older children playing with her hair

Supporting Foster Parents

This page contains information for state legislators about how they can become involved in helping find more foster parents for the more than 437,000 U.S. children and youth in foster care, a situation exacerbated by the opioid and substance abuse crisis.

Pane_4_Col_4_8

Overview