This factsheet discusses how you can help children in your care by educating yourself about child sexual abuse, establishing guidelines for safety and privacy in your family, and understanding when and how to seek help if you need it. Reading this factsheet alone will not guarantee that you will know what to do in every… [read more]

Children ages 3 to 5 are limited in how much they can understand about adoption. Like all young children, adopted children are naturally curious and may ask many questions. They are also growing and changing rapidly. As their abilities develop, so will their understanding of their place in their families and communities.

School-age children—those between the ages of 6 and 12—learn critical skills and gain interests that carry into adolescence and adulthood. Adoption can add layers of complexity to a child’s normal developmental tasks. You can support your child by learning as much as possible about the impact of adoption on your child’s emotional growth and overall… [read more]

The teenage years bridge the transition from childhood to young adulthood. It is a time of enormous change and development, when youth forge an identity and embrace new interests. Adoption adds complexity to the normal development of teenagers, regardless of whether they were adopted as infants or when they were older. This factsheet is designed… [read more]

Child Protection and Permanency (CP&P) is New Jersey’s child protection and child welfare agency within the Department of Children and Families. Its mission is to ensure the safety, permanency and well-being of children and to support families. As mandated by state law (Title 9 and Title 30), CP&P is required to investigate all reports of… [read more]

Parenting is rewarding, but it is not always easy. When problems arise in a family, it is often the children who are emotionally or physically affected. Unfortunately, some parents do not know where to turn to get help for their children or themselves. This handbook was written to explain the role of CP&P workers and… [read more]

This Resource Guide was developed by the Office on Child Abuse and Neglect (OCAN) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau, Child Welfare Information Gateway, and the FRIENDS National Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention. OCAN released its first Resource Guide more than 15 years ago with the goal of raising… [read more]

Providing Respite Supporting People and Families Across the Lifespan Defining Respite Respite is a service that offers a short-term break for caregivers that regularly provide support to a child, adult, or senior family member with a disability or chronic health care need. Respite may be planned, providing scheduled services to allow for intermittent breaks from… [read more]

Quick Reference Mental Health Guide The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact every aspect of our lives. This public health emergency has presented unprecedented challenges to our schools and communities. In June, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) released The Road Back: Restart and Recovery Plan providing necessary information and considerations for a return to… [read more]

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… [read more]