Brief
The purpose of this brief is to draw attention to the issue of post-permanency with its focus on the family, and move attention away from re-entry, which focuses on the system. Addressing the gaps in post-permanency practices will strengthen families and prevent children from re-entering care. There are many ways to support families after exiting foster care, including establishing clear funding streams for the most effective post-permanency supports, standardizing data elements to examine who does and does not re-enter care, and conducting rigorous research to identify what has helped…
Brief
The science of child development and the core capabilities of adults point to a set of “design principles” that policymakers and practitioners in many different sectors can use to improve outcomes for children and families. That is, to be maximally effective, policies and services should: 1) Support responsive relationships for children and adults; 2) Strengthen core life skills; and 3) Reduce sources of stress in the lives of children and families.These three principles can guide decision-makers as they choose among policy alternatives, design new approaches, and shift existing practice in…
Brief
Using data from the National Survey of Early Care and Education, this brief reports differences in the child care settings foreign-born and US-born parents select for their young children. The authors explore differences in parents’ child care preferences and perceptions and how being an immigrant and having limited English proficiency, among other factors, might influence parents’ interest in and ability to access different child care. (Author abstract)
Brief
Low-income families face significant challenges navigating both low-wage employment or education and training programs and also finding good-quality child care. Programs that intentionally combine services for parents and children can help families move toward economic security and create conditions that promote child and family well-being. Although these programs in general are not new (see Background), policymakers and program leaders are now experimenting with innovative approaches to combining services. Yet, most currently operating programs, sometimes called “two-generation” or “dual…
Brief
Over the past several decades, fathers have nearly tripled the time they spend with their children. Involved fatherhood is associated with better outcomes on nearly every measure of child wellbeing. Healthy father involvement can also serve as a protective factor to strengthen families at risk for child maltreatment. Most children are not at risk for maltreatment by their parents, and child abuse prevention programs have evolved from focusing solely on reducing risk factors to also building protective factors in families. Some programs target fathers specifically, and aim to promote positive…
Brief
Understanding the community and family challenges that create conditions that disproportionately subject some youth to the juvenile justice system is critical to developing community-based interventions that offer a holistic approach to both preventing youth justice system involvement and setting justice-system-involved youth on a more positive path.
Brief
This research snapshot describes work schedules of parents of young children during a reference week in 2012. We describe how work schedules differ for households of different income levels; between one-parent and two-parent families; and in households where neither, one, or both parents work. One group of particular focus is ‘fully-employed’ households; these are households where all parents work – a one-parent/one-worker household or a two-parent/two-worker household. (Author abstract)
