These webpages identify external resources on specific topics of interest to foster, kinship and adoptive families.
The joint ED and HHS Letter to Chief State School Officers and Child Welfare Directors on Implementing the Fostering Connections Act.
Information about children in foster care from the US Department of Education.
Information and links about Fostering Connections from the Children’s Defense Fund.
General information about Fostering Connections Act from the Child Welfare Information Gateway.
Some students with mental health challenges and other conditions may be considered students with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; some may also be considered students with disabilities who require special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Learn more about Section 504 with this Parent and Educator Resource Guide on Section 504 from the US Department of Education.
Understanding Addiction, from Harvard Health. Provided by HelpGuide.org, and independent nonprofit organization.
Information about substance use disorder treatment and referral to treatment resources is available from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
NIDA website
Find Treatment referral for mental health and substance use disorder treatment
Report of Expert Panel: What Does Research Tell Us About Services for Children in Therapeutic/Treatment Foster Care with Behavioral Health Issues? This 2012 report summarizes findings from an expert panel convened by federal agencies to address research on effective approaches to TFC.
Main Report
Appendices Revised
The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion is engaged in research and knowledge development activities that are translated into practical information to support full and meaningful community participation of individuals with mental illnesses. A webpage on the site offers resources for parents/caregivers who have mental illness.
Collaborative website
Resources on supporting parents experiencing mental health challenges
The Learning & Working Transitions RTC at University of Massachusetts Medical Center focuses on youth and young adults ages 14-30 who have serious mental health conditions, conducting cutting-edge research on age appropriate programs that support education, training, and working during the transition to adulthood.
Children’s Mental Health Network provides weekly news and unbiased analysis of key issues through accessible web-based platforms focused on children, youth and families’ mental health and well-being.
The Child Mind Institute in New York City hosts a website that reports latest developments in children and adolescent mental health research and intervention.
The National Institute of Mental Health provides information and resources on specific disorders, the latest research and how to access treatments.
The US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers a number of web resources including a Behavioral Health Treatment Locator and the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices.
Behavioral Health Treatment Locator
Programs and Practices
The National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health offers a wealth of resources and free membership.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Virginia offers opportunities that support, educate, and empower other families with children and youth with mental health needs while also promoting family driven and youth guided policy throughout the child serving systems.
Community Services Boards (CSBs) throughout Virginia offer a range of services for adults and youth with mental health challenges, as well as for those with intellectual disabilities and substance abuse problems. Emergency services are available.
Community Service Boards
Virginia’s Children’s Services Act provides for services to children and youth who are in foster care or require foster care preventive services, who require placement in private schools to receive special education, who have behavioral and mental health challenges, or who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.
CrisisLink offers free and confidential phone and text hotlines.
Beacon Tree is a Richmond-area foundation that is dedicated to being an advocate for the family, providing education and financial resources to help heal children struggling with mental health.