What's new
Let’s improve out-of-state child abuse and neglect checks (“Adam Walsh checks”).
Inconsistencies in how we conduct out-of-state child abuse and neglect registry checks are putting children at risk. To solve this problem, we need to approach it from both sides — how we fulfill background check requests and how we make these requests.
Get tips on how to find family and kin.
Children do better when they’re placed with family members or other known adults ("kin"). But identifying and connecting with extended family members can be a challenge for foster care programs. Learn more.
Make a genogram.
Keeping track of a youth’s connections can get complicated, and a genogram offers a helpful, visual solution. See key relationships easily and start identifying possible additions. Learn more.
Popular topics
Extended Foster Care
Foster Parent Licensing
Inquiry Management
License Renewal
Recruitment

Our mission
We’re working with experts from across the country to identify and document practical, scalable strategies for improving child welfare. Everything in this playbook comes from our growing community of child welfare practitioners — whether it’s tips for improving background checks or resources for finding family members.
This playbook is designed specifically for you to copy these ideas. (Seriously, you don’t need to ask us – just take whatever you find useful!)
This playbook is the result of a collaboration between states at the cutting edge of child welfare and New America’s Public Interest Technology team, in partnership with Foster America and Think of Us.