This paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research examines the effect of labor market conditions — such as unemployment, mass layoffs and predicted employment — on child abuse and neglect. According to a large body of research, poverty and parental unemployment are key predictors of child maltreatment, but state- and county-level studies assessing the link between economic conditions and child maltreatment have had mixed and contradictory results. In this study, the authors analyzed county-level data in California to assess the effect of gender-specific labor market shocks on child maltreatment rates. They found that overall economic conditions are only modestly linked to child maltreatment rates. However, economic downturns that disproportionately affect men increase maltreatment, whereas downturns that disproportionately affect women reduce maltreatment. The authors suggest that child maltreatment may be reduced by targeting employment search assistance, child care subsidies, and mental health services.

This guide is a product of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau, its Child Welfare Information Gateway, and the FRIENDS (Family Resource Information, Education, and Network Development Service) National Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention. It provides information, strategies, and resources to help communities support and strengthen families and ensure the well-being of children. The guide offers support to service providers who work with parents, caregivers, and children to prevent child maltreatment. It shares strategies on building protective factors within families and for children through service delivery and community partnerships. Protective factors discussed range from knowledge of child development to building social capital and parental resilience.

This article, which appeared in the Journal of Urban Health, takes data from the Building Wealth and Health Network Randomized Controlled Trial Pilot and examines the relationship between employment resilience and exposure to violence and depression for TANF families. The associations were found to be mixed, and implications for working with TANF families are given.

This web article from Psychology Today looks at how we are falling short in treating trauma victims and what we can do to fix it. The article addresses how coping mechanisms for post-trauma are poorly understood even by those in the best situation to provide assistance, and that it is important to understand that victims of trauma might not always react or behave as one might expect. It further suggests that many factors including public education, early identification, and effective trauma treatment are necessary to break the cycle of violence, and that we need to intensify and expand the availability of trauma-informed care. Various examples of trauma are illustrated, along with how victims react differently and often unexpectedly to trauma, and that just because someone might not show a lack of emotion, it does not mean they have not been abused. Without shattering the myths that limit the understanding of trauma victims, providers will not be able to deliver assistance effectively.

This brief by the Center for the Study of Social Policy and supported by The Annie E. Casey Foundation is based on more than 80 interviews with organizations, their workers, and the youth that they support. The intent of the brief is to generate and share knowledge that is useful in dealing with youth that face serious challenges. Findings include that when youth face serious adversity, the relationship they establish with a worker is often incremental. The report looks at these “transitional relationships,” what workers actually do to forge successful relationships with the youth, and what their organizations do to create a culture for the workers to succeed. Interviewees for this report are between 16-25 years old and have faced serious challenges including child welfare involvement, substance abuse, and homelessness. Workers interviewed are leaders of organizations noted for their exemplary work and who have repeatedly formed bonds and relationships with such youth.

This blog post from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) refers to an article written by Jerry Milner, associate commissioner of the Children’s Bureau and acting commissioner for ACF’s Administration for Children, Youth and Families. This article for The Chronicle of Social Change pertains to the Family First Prevention Services Act. The Act is legislation passed as part of the spending bill that changes the funding structure for the child welfare system by trying to prevent at-risk children from entering the foster care system. Milner praises the Act but concentrates on other actions that need to take place to get to true prevention.

In this report from the Center for Promise, three different data sets are examined to research and uncover how adversity affects the lives of young people and what practitioners can to do help them overcome barriers to success. The report summarizes findings collected on youth in America and their caregivers. Findings outlined include that there are too many youth experiencing adversity, and that there is a large disparity in exposure to adversity in terms of income, maternal education, and race and ethnicity. Findings also indicate that the number and types of adversities that youth experience matter, and that relationships within and outside the family can buffer the effects of multiple adversities. Recommendations are outlined to help young people persevere through adversity and achieve success. They include engaging schools as a first line of defense, adopting two-generation approaches to support caregivers and youth in high-adversity situations, and increasing and strengthening opportunities such as re-engagement programs and career pathway programs for young people.

In this three-part video podcast series, Paul Rada from the Truman Medical Center Behavioral Health unit in Kansas City, Missouri presents information and strategies for TANF programs to better serve participants experiencing toxic stress. This resource is intended to aid TANF program administrators and staff in: 

• Understanding the concepts of toxic stress and trauma‐informed care (TIC)
• Distinguishing between toxic stress, trauma, PTSD, and specific related interventions
• Explaining and applying toxic stress and TIC principles within TANF serving systems—specifically as they relate to improving employment outcomes and achieving program goals
• Identifying administrative areas within TANF programs that can be assessed for TIC integration, as well as opportunities for cultural/organizational change which integrates TIC principles
• Understanding methods for TANF participants to assess levels of toxic stress and apply appropriate coping strategies.

This report from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University highlights three principles that, in light of recent advances in the science of brain development of children, can guide policy change that most supports healthy brain development. The three evidence-based principles include supporting responsive relationships for children and adults, strengthening core life skills, and reducing sources of stress in the lives of children and families. Policymakers can use these principles at all levels to improve outcomes for children, which improves adult outcomes and economic productivity.

Children who are exposed to violence can experience negative effects throughout their lives, regardless of whether it is violence in the community or domestic violence or abuse at home. This RAND report, sponsored by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, details the Safe Start project, which evaluated evidence-based programs aimed at mitigating the negative impact of violence on children. Safe Start consisted of two phases: the first phase was a demonstration of promising practices to address children’s exposure to violence and the second phase implemented those promising practices in 15 cities across the country. All sites were able to implement their programs, but families received fewer services than planned. The report includes these implementation challenges and offers recommendations for future programs serving children who have been exposed to violence.