Written by Legal Services of New Jersey .

In recent decades, the significant percentage of births to unmarried parents1 has led to an increased focus on the fathers of these children. Referred to as alleged, presumed, reputed, or putative fathers, many of them seek recognition of their legal rights and expanded roles in raising their children.
Constitutional Rights
Historically, unmarried fathers have had fewer rights with regard to their children than either unwed mothers or married parents. Over the past several decades, unmarried fathers have challenged the termination of their parental rights under the Fourteenth Amendment in cases in which birth mothers relinquished their children for adoption. In a series of cases involving unmarried fathers, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the constitutional protection of such a father’s parental rights when he has established a substantial relationship with his child. The court found that the existence of a biological link between a child and an unmarried father gives the father the opportunity to establish a substantial relationship, which it defined as the father’s commitment to the responsibilities of parenthood, as demonstrated by being involved or attempting to be involved in the child’s upbringing..

Is the child of a relative or close friend living in your home? Has the child been living with you for more than the last 12 months? Is this arrangement likely to continue? Do the parents have serious problems that prevent them from caring for their child? Are you
willing to raise the child to adulthood?
If you answered “yes” to these questions, then you may want to become the child’s kinship legal guardian. The Kinship Legal Guardianship law allows you — the caregiver — to become the child’s legal guardian. That means you act, in almost every way, like the child’s parent.
This manual describes what a kinship legal guardian is and the governing law. It also explains the process you follow to become a kinship legal guardian and some financial supports that may be available to you together with the eligibility requirements. It is important that you learn about all your options and consider the effect of a kinship subsidy on any benefits that you presently receive before making your final decision.

The state Division of Child Protection and Permanency, (DCP&P), formerly the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) has placed a child in your home. You may be related to the child, a close friend of the family or perhaps the child is unrelated, but has been in your home for a long time. Your DCP&P case manager has explained that it is unlikely the child will return to his parents. DCP&P is asking you to make a permanent commitment to raise this child. You have lots of questions. What are your options? What financial supports will be available to  you?
It is important for you to understand the different permanency options available to you and the child in your home. You should learn about all the options, the financial supports available with each, and how those supports may affect other benefits you receive before making your final decision.
This guide gives you an overview of one permanency option — kinship legal guardianship (KLG) as a first step toward making this all-important decision. It also provides information about adoption supports..

From the time our children are born, we imagine a bright future for them: a solid foundation of education and development in their early years, excellent health care, high school graduation, a good college education and a career path that launches them toward lifelong achievement and economic self-sufficiency. As parents, nothing will stop us from doing everything within our power to make that happen.
And as Americans, our concern extends beyond our own doorsteps. We want success for children in rural towns and urban communities across the nation because we understand that providing opportunity to all children, regardless of their race or ethnicity, is essential to America’s future prosperity.

A proactive guide for recognizing the warning signs and
identifying children who may turn to violence.
“STEP UP, TAKE ACTION” – When Does a Child Need Help?
Dear Parents and Teachers of Elementary School Children,
The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, made clear the urgent need to protect our children and to reduce violence
in our communities. Many “shooters,” who are described after the tragedies they cause, are isolated individuals who have had emotional problems for
years. But, they never received the attention and help they needed early enough to prevent them from putting themselves or others in danger.

From Rights to Reality: A blueprint for parent advocacy and family-centered child welfare reform
September 01, 2015 by Rise
From Rights to Reality is designed to unite parents and parent advocacy around a common set of goals. It identifies 15 rights for parents affected by the child welfare system. Most parents do not yet have these rights in child welfare proceedings. From Rights to Reality represents a commitment to working in our communities and nationwide to make these rights a reality.

Published By: © 2013 The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Every year, more than 26,000 young people age out of foster care, many with no permanent home and no parent to help them navigate the road to adulthood. For some young people, like Rivera, stolen identities and bad credit pose yet another obstacle on the road to independence. For youth who have faced years of instability and uncertainty, bad credit stands in the way of some basic life activities, such as renting an apartment, buying a car, getting a job, having a bank account or securing student loans.

Published by:

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop S2-26-12 Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850

“A Changing World” represents the most extensive independent research into intercountry adoption to date, including into the regulatory framework/treaty called the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption (HCIA). The research – funded by the American Ireland Fund and the Adoption Institute – was conducted over the past two years by scholars at Tufts University and the Institute; among its components are surveys of about 1,500 adoptive parents, adoption professionals in the U.S. and other “receiving” countries and countries of origin, as well as interviews with senior policymakers in 19 nations.

Funded by:
American Ireland Fund and the Donaldson Adoption Institute
This report was researched and written by Dr. Ellen Pinderhughes, Associate Professor, Eliot-
Pearson Department of Child Development, Tufts University; Jessica Matthews, Doctoral Student,
Tufts University; Georgia Deoudes, Legislation & Policy Director of the Adoption Institute; and Adam Pertman, President of the Adoption Institute.