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A key objective of the Research-to-Policy Collaboration is to facilitate working relationships and partnerships between these two communities.

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The U.S. spends over $29 billion each year to identify and protect victims of child abuse and neglect through various Child Protective Services (CPS) processes and programs. Isolated allegations of child neglect (without concurrent abuse allegations) account for 60% of substantiated CPS allegations (confirmed as true).

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Child sexual abuse (CSA; i.e., physical or nonphysical sexual acts with a child under the age of 18 in which there is no or limited capacity to provide true consent) can occur through online exploitation, child pornography, and the luring of children offline for sexual encounters.

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NCP’s financial involvement can benefit the child in various ways. Child support payments are related to the child’s school achievement, fewer behavior problems, and a lower likelihood of child maltreatment investigations. However, 2/3rds of NCPS do not pay formal child support because they are in poverty.

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An estimated 43% of children in the United States have at least one parent with a non-standard work schedule, which often include irregular shifts. Professional child care providers typically do not offer services outside of traditional weekday working hours or accommodate changing schedules on short notice, and may impose monetary penalties for unplanned schedule fluctuations.

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The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) proposed modifications to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), including the addition of data elements regarding LGBTQ youth.

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We’re kicking things off by exploring the opportunities and challenges of Pennsylvania’s child welfare system. For the past several years, there has been an ongoing partnership between Penn State researchers and government partners to change the Commonwealth’s county-based child welfare system through legislative and policy actions. We spoke to Jennie Noll, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies and the Director of the Child Maltreatment Solutions Network at Penn State University, and Brian Bornman, Esq., Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Children and Youth Administrators Association, about their collaborative process, the challenges of navigating a stressed bureaucratic system, and what the future holds for resolving issues of child welfare and maltreatment.

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COVID-19 has upended the lives of nearly every individual in the United States, with prolonged school closures one of the major driving forces of disruption for youth and families.

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Physical and social distancing due to the pandemic has negatively impacted youths’ mental health. Within the last year, youth have reported elevated levels of anxiety and depression as a result of isolation.

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Over 5.8 million people in the U.S. were victims of violent crime (e.g., domestic violence, sexual assault), in 2019.1 In the same year approximately 678,000 children were victims of abuse or neglect.

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High-quality, affordable, and reliable child care options are not accessible across the country. Child care deserts—areas with an insufficient supply of licensed child care options—are most frequently observed in marginalized and rural communities.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has produced unique challenges for parents with substance use disorders (SUDs). Although some barriers have been alleviated (e.g., medication assisted treatment is more accessible for some and telehealth is broadly available), COVID-19 has still resulted in barriers to support for parents with SUDs.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has been especially harmful to members of social groups in the most vulnerable of situations, including youth in foster care and those who have recently exited care.

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Victims of violence (VoV) often face a variety of obstacles to disclosing their victim status, which prevent them from receiving help. Victim services programs and organizations, which are often financially supported through the Crime Victims Fund, advocate for victims and connect them with necessary services.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has increased risk factors for child maltreatment [1],[2],[3]. It is, therefore, critical that policymakers ensure support in promoting safety, resilience, and overall well-being of vulnerable children and families.

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Among the many distressing ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a heightened risk for family violence including both child maltreatment and intimate partner violence.

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This issue presents research-informed policy recommendations regarding the effects of COVID-19 on welfare-youth, and human trafficking and exploitation. The prevalence of human trafficking heightens with the growing impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable communities.

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Stressful situations combined with increased drug and alcohol use set the stage for potentially dangerous situations, especially for youth in abusive homes. Youth who consider school a safe haven may now be confined at home with their abusers.

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The Coronavirus has forced many families to make significant changes in their daily lives, limiting access to important resources that strengthen family functioning and well-being.

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Nationwide, stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders have been issued in response to COVID-19 in order to facilitate physical distancing practices.

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In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, many families are facing social shifts, economic uncertainty, and disruptions in their daily life, as well as coping with closures to school and childcare facilities and demands of providing for educational and childcare needs.

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Schools, often a safe refuge for many children with an abusive parent or caregiver [i], are being closed from in-person instruction across the nation.

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The fast-moving Coronavirus pandemic (also known as COVID-19) has numerous implications on the health and well-being children and families.

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The fast-moving Coronavirus pandemic (also known as COVID-19) has numerous implications on the health and well-being children and families.

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County C-Stat effort ensures collaboration to enhance community outcomes

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There is Good News. China has turned the curve on the coronavirus (no new cases as of 3/19/20); South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong internationally are containing the virus….but America is not ready.

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Due to issues of confidentiality that often prevent data and information sharing, the established bureaucratic process often doesn’t allow organizations to collaborate.

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Trauma-informed care (TIC) refers to strategies that agencies, programs, and service providers can use to understand, identify, and respond to individuals who may have experienced trauma.

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Multiple organizations responded to this issue by summarizing the empirical evidence on the adverse psychological and physical health consequences of trauma anticipated from forced family separation, detention, feared deportation and acclimation.

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Domestic violence and child maltreatment co-occur in 30-60% of families experiencing violence. Yet agencies serving children and adults too often fail to coordinate, resulting in disjointed, erratic and less effective services, leaving children and adults experiencing violence and trauma unidentified, untreated, and less safe.

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Governments at all levels possess comprehensive information systems on citizen services that often exist in silos.

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How well children and their families adapt to adoption depends on a few things, including social environments, biology, and time. This document reviews information associated with adoption permanency.

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The following information was gathered to respond to the efficacy of TANF in promoting self-sustainability:

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Local and county stakeholders benefit from systemic process to identify gaps in services

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This brief summarizes child trauma and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)

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We have identified several research-oriented professionals who have expertise in intercountry (international) adoption and the quality of orphanages abroad. We are currently in the process of engaging more experts both in and outside of our network.

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Building Strong Wisconsin Families: Evidence-Based Approaches to Address Toxic Stress in Children

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Over the last decade, the number of infants affected by prenatal substance exposure, withdrawal symptoms or alcohol use has significantly increased with the opioid crisis.

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Child maltreatment (sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect) results in a yearly economic burden of $124 billion1 Approximately 4 million reports are made to Child Protective Services (CPS) each year involving 7.4 million children.

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Clearinghouses and a ranking tool put focus on effectiveness of efforts to help vulnerable children

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The Kids Are Not All Right: Policy Options to Address Youth Trauma in Massachusetts

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The Adverse Effects of Childhood Trauma

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Transitioning from Foster Care to Adulthood

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Intersections of Child Welfare and Substance Abuse: Strategies for Supporting Families

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“Children’s Services and Foster Care: Policy and Practices That Work”

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Aging Out of Foster Care: Fostering Future Into Adulthood

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Reducing Child Abuse and Neglect: Evidence-Based Parent Education and Other Support Programs

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Helping Kids in Foster Care Succeed: Strategies for North Carolina to Strengthen Families and Save Money

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Youth Aging Out of Foster Care: Eliminating Barriers for College Success

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Helping Foster Kids Succeed: State Strategies for Saving Lives, Saving Money

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Toxic Stress and Early Childhood: What Policy Makers and Funders Need to Know

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Strengthening Families

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Youth Aging out of Foster Care

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Youth at Risk: Part 2

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Families and Mental Health: Childhood Exposure to Traumatic Events

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Missouri Policy Opportunities: New Evidence and Innovations in Child Welfare Systems

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Differential Response: A New Approach to Fighting Child Abuse and Neglect

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Youth at Risk: Part 1

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Family Courts: Past and Future

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Foster Care: Challenges and Policy Issues

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Kinship Care and Child Welfare: Current Challenges and Future Policy Direction

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Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect

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Saving Lives, Saving Dollars: Mitigating the Impact of Child Maltreatment

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Children of Prisoners

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Prostituted Teens: More than a Runaway Problem

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Raising the Next Generation: Public and Private Parenting Initiatives

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Finding Families: DC’s Foster Family Deficit

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Building Resiliency and Reducing Risk: What Youth Need from Families and Communities to Succeed

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Child Support: The Effects of the Current System on Families