This brief discusses the importance of promoting parental and caregiver mental health during

the perinatal period and explores policy levers related to both prevention and treatment of
mental health conditions. These policy options provide examples of actions to strengthen
families and prevent child welfare involvement at the community level and in state and
federal policy. By creating conditions that nurture positive mental health for parents and
children alike, states and communities can reduce experiences of trauma, as well as costs
for the child welfare, mental health, education, and other family-serving systems.

The State Scan of Initiatives and Programs is designed to support a collaborative, state-level scan of initiatives and programs that promote connectivity to key partnerships in the state supporting implementation and sustainability of the Safe Babies approach. This tool supports states in assessing their programs, funding, and initiatives to identify where strong connections are in place, or where alignment is needed to provide supports and services for families.

 

This data brief highlights the prevalence and impacts of parental substance use on the lives of very young children, which if unaddressed, can lead to child welfare involvement. Children ages birth to three-years-old are overrepresented in child welfare systems compared to older children and youth, and the data tell us that actionable policy solutions are needed. This brief offers a selection of policy opportunities from Strengthening Families with Infants and Toddlers: A Policy Framework for States for systems leaders to consider. ZERO TO THREE, 2023

This brief draws upon the latest data and trends for very young children and synthesize key opportunities and challenges for creating policy change that addresses inequities impacting these families. ZERO TO THREE, 2023

Planning for the sustainability of Infant-Toddler Court Teams is critical to ensuring their long-term success.  The toolkit is intended for State Teams who work in collaboration with local sites to implement the Infant-Toddler Court Team (ITCT) approach, as well as for local sites that are not affiliated with a state implementation effort. 

This policy paper provides vital information to aid legislators and other stakeholders in achieving and implementing counsel for kids' policy reform. Only when children experiencing foster care are seen, heard, and represented can they experience true access to justice and fairness in processes that have a long-term impact on their lives. Legislators must act swiftly to ensure no child’s legal rights are ignored, overlooked, or forgotten. The National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) launched the Counsel for Kids Campaign to galvanize and support stakeholders in thirteen target states around legislative reform efforts to secure children’s right to counsel. 

Strengthening Families with Infants and Toddlers: A Policy Framework for States, is a new report from ZERO TO THREE designed to reframe the role of child welfare from preventing harm to children toward strengthening families and the communities where they live. The policy framework includes 11 recommendations for states and communities that aim to advance equitable outcomes supporting the health and well-being of very young children and their families, including those who are in or are at risk of entering the child welfare system. The report provides state and local policymakers with a roadmap to develop and advance policies that will drastically improve the systems and supports families with young children need to thrive and create protective factors that promote resilience.

Strengthening Families with Infants and Toddlers: A Policy Framework for States, is a new report from ZERO TO THREE designed to reframe the role of child welfare from preventing harm to children toward strengthening families and the communities where they live. The policy framework includes 11 recommendations for states and communities that aim to advance equitable outcomes supporting the health and well-being of very young children and their families, including those who are in or are at risk of entering the child welfare system. The report provides state and local policymakers with a roadmap to develop and advance policies that will drastically improve the systems and supports families with young children need to thrive and create protective factors that promote resilience.

The purpose of this guide is to assist Infant-Toddler Court Teams as they plan for their long-term sustainability. It is intended as a starting point for Infant-Toddler Court Teams and their partners, at both the community and the state level, to identify potential federal funding sources that might be accessible for supporting components of the Safe Babies Court Team™ (SBCT) approach and strengthening families. The 30 funding sources described in the guide can potentially support: specific functions of the Infant-Toddler Court Team; services that infants, toddlers or their families may access; or both.

Throughout the fall and winter of 2020, AAP advocacy staff and the expert panel of individuals with lived experience planned and engaged in a series of discussions, including through small groups and larger convenings with diverse multidisciplinary stakeholders from the child welfare community. Throughout the project there was a strong focus on understanding the short- and long-term needs of children and families due to the pandemic and the new complexities in service delivery. There also was a strong sense of urgency to correct policies and practices that contribute to chronic racial injustices in child welfare. Thus, child welfare reform practices should be specific to the disproportionality of and disparities present in the system. Through much discussion, debate, and analysis with and among the expert panel, a set of shared values emerged that in turn inform and animate the policy recommendations.