Resources for Parents
The child welfare system can be difficult to understand—especially if you are a parent dealing with this system for the first time. Your child or children may be placed in an out-of-home setting. That setting could be a foster home, a relative's home, a treatment foster home, or group or residential care. The resources and information provided here will help you learn about what to expect from the child welfare system and where to find support during this difficult time. This section also provides some guides and additional information to help you navigate the system on your journey toward reunification.
What to expect
Series Title | Factsheets |
Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability | View Download (PDF - 393KB) Order (Free) |
Disponibilidad | Ver Versión para imprimir (PDF - 397KB) Ordene (Gratis) |
Year Published | 2013 |
Series Title | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability | View Download (PDF - 575KB) Order (Free) |
Disponibilidad | Ver Versión para imprimir (PDF - 837KB) Ordene (Gratis) |
Year Published | 2016 |
Series Title | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability | View Download (PDF - 544KB) Order (Free) |
Year Published | 2016 |
One Step at a Time: A Parent-to-Parent Guide to the Child Welfare System (PDF - 4,116 KB)
Rise Magazine (2015)
Explore articles written by parents with experience navigating the child welfare system.
Series Title | Factsheets for Families |
Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
Availability | View Download (PDF - 496KB) |
Disponibilidad | Ver Versión para imprimir (PDF - 693KB) |
Year Published | 2014 |
Finding support
Circle of Parents
Provides information about parent support support groups These groups offer a friendly, supportive environment led by parents and other caregivers where anyone in a parenting role can openly discuss the successes and challenges of raising children.
Birth Parent National Network
Provides information about a group that works with those who are committed to improving policies for better outcomes for children and families, with a focus on establishing parent leaders who are willing to share their challenges and successes across the country to affect change.
Single Father Uses Experience to Help Other Parents
Casey Family Programs (2016)
Presents how Corey Best reunified with his son and uses his experience to mentor other families navigating the child welfare system.
Guides and additional information
Guide for Incarcerated Parents Who Have Children in the Child Welfare System (PDF - 613 KB)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, the Administration for Children and Families, & U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons (2015)
Explains the ways in which parents involved in the criminal justice system can stay connected with their child and actively participate in decisions about their child’s well-being.
Guide to Dependency Court—For Parents
California Courts
Outlines standard court processes for parents whose children have been placed into the child welfare system.
Clients Rights and Responsibilities Statement
Our Kids of Miami-Dade/Monroe. Inc.
Outlines behavioral and legal expectations for clients participating in child welfare programs.
Foster Care (FC) Virginia Department of Social Services
Virginia Department of Social Services
Defines foster care and the role of foster care plays in working with families towards reunification and permanency.