1

WHAT'S INSIDE

Preparing Children and Youth 

for Adoption or Other Family 

Permanency 

BULLETINS FOR PROFESSIONALS | JANUARY 2020

Additional resources

Understanding children's emotions and feelings 

regarding permanency

Children, including youth, leaving out-ofhome care for adoption or other family 

permanency require preparation and support 

to help them understand past events in their 

lives and process feelings connected to their 

experiences of abuse and neglect, separation, 

and loss. They may be challenged by new 

surroundings and need to affirm their own 

identity and allow themselves to create new 

or different relationships with their birth and 

adoptive families as well as others. Achieving 

permanency is not just an outcome for these 

children; it is a process. 

This bulletin will help child welfare 

professionals better understand the feelings 

and emotions children may experience 

regarding permanency and prepare them for 

placements with permanent families. Its focus 

is on adoption, but much of the information 

is also applicable to children with other 

permanency goals, such as kinship care or 

guardianship. 

Preparing children for permanency

Conclusion

Children's Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov

References
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 2

UNDERSTANDING CHILDREN'S 

EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS 

REGARDING PERMANENCY

Those working with children who have been 

in out-of-home care and are preparing 

for permanency should make sure they 

understand how each child perceives his 

or her situation. How a child views the 

permanency process will likely be very 

different from how a professional views it. 

Prior to and during the transition to a new 

family, children may experience the following 

emotions or feelings: 

 Loss and grief. The loss of a parent can be 

one of the most significant losses a child 

will ever experience. Children who are 

placed in the child welfare system may have 

complex histories of loss and unresolved 

grief. The loss of a parent—temporary 

or permanent—can have a profound 

impact on a child, even if he or she was 

removed from the home as a result of a 

parent's maltreatment (National Adoption 

Competency Mental Health Training 

Initiative [NTI], 2019). In addition to the 

loss of their parents upon removal from 

the home, they also may experience the 

loss of siblings, friends, supportive adults, 

classmates, pets, familiar surroundings, 

cultural connections, and more. Each 

subsequent placement transition could 

also lead to additional losses. Children 

experiencing loss may exhibit fears of 

abandonment, lack of trust, and issues of 

holding on and letting go (NTI, 2019). 

 Uncertainty and confusion. Many children 

are left to wonder about the circumstances 

that brought them into care, why their 

families may not be able to continue caring 

for them, and who will be there to take 

care of them and protect them. A child 

may experience anger, sadness, and even 

depression. Many children struggle with 

their changed role within the family system 

or sibling status when they are removed 

from their birth family. For example, a child 

may have been the only child in his or her 

birth family, but the adoptive family may 

include several children. Children also may 

continue to worry and think about their 

birth families. They may be confused if their 

own feelings about a permanent placement 

do not match others' expectations of how 

they should react. For example, adults in 

the child's life may expect him or her to 

feel happy or grateful to be joining a new 

family, but the child may still desire to live 

with his or her birth family or be grieving 

the loss of that family (NTI, 2019). When 

children are placed with relatives, they 

may feel uncertain or confused about their 

new role within the family and about how 

others' roles may change (e.g., the child's 

grandmother or aunt may now be acting as 

the mother figure) (NTI, 2019). 

For information about working with 

parents adopting a child from foster 

care, refer to Child Welfare Information 

Gateway's Preparing Adoptive Parents 

at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/

bulletins-adoptiveparents/.
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 3

 Anxiety. Children about to join or who have 

joined a new family may feel anxious about 

the transition (Jarema, 2012). Just as they 

may grieve being separated from people 

and places familiar to them, they may worry 

about the changes and different situations 

they will encounter with their new family, 

home, school, etc.

 Divided loyalties. Many children, 

particularly adolescents, have conflicting 

feelings about being a permanent member 

of a new family. They may still have strong 

emotional ties to parents and siblings and 

may fantasize about or hold out hope for 

reconciliation even when legal ties have 

been terminated. 

Caseworkers who understand children's 

experiences from the child's point of view 

will be better able to help them address past 

issues and explore the possibilities of new 

relationships. It is important to acknowledge 

the feelings the child is having, as minimizing 

them may result in additional unresolved 

grief (Pickover & Brown, 2016). Caseworkers 

also should recognize that each child's 

thoughts and feelings, as well as any resulting 

behaviors, stemming from the transition to 

the permanent home may be different. 

PREPARING CHILDREN FOR 

PERMANENCY

Working with children to prepare them for 

permanency in relationships should include 

both steps to address past traumas of loss 

and abuse/neglect and opportunities to give 

meaning to existing and future relationships. 

Several foundational principles can help 

agencies implement an overall approach 

to supporting and guiding children as 

they identify and establish permanent 

relationships:

 Permanency is a process for a child, not 

just an outcome. It should begin before 

placement and extend after the placement 

has occurred.

 Preparing children for a new home should 

occur regardless of the permanency goal or 

outcome.

 Encourage children to express their 

emotions, concerns, and thoughts 

regarding the placement and validate their 

feelings. 

 Maintaining connections to the birth 

family and important people from a child's 

past may help to foster positive identity 

development and mitigate negative 

outcomes.

 Permanency work with children requires 

time, consistency, honesty, and authenticity 

from social workers. 

 Work with children should not be 

considered only in the context of therapy. 

Although behavioral health services may 

be appropriate for any individual child, 

engaging the child in activities, tasks, 

and conversations to prepare him or 

her for permanency can be the work of 

caseworkers, caregivers, social workers, 

family members, court personnel, and 

others. In some cases, birth parents or 

other birth relatives may be able to help 

the permanency process by giving their 

children “permission” to move on to a new 

family.
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 4

 The readiness activities children and youth 

engage in must be developmentally

appropriate. The cognitive and emotional

abilities of the child should determine the

types of activities and resources used in

permanency preparation work. 

 Permanency planning (the legal process) is 

distinct from permanency preparation work 

(the relational process). Children can be 

empowered by their participation in the

planning process (as age appropriate and if 

desired), including their involvement in

recruitment and family-finding activities,

and by knowing and understanding the

steps in the permanency and transition

processes. Although these activities may

engage them in some of the emotional tasks 

of preparing for permanency, a more

comprehensive preparation program should

help them explore their feelings about life

events and support their readiness for

permanency.

 Children need preparation for new family

relationships, just as adoptive parents and

guardians do. 

This section describes strategies 

caseworkers can use to prepare children for 

their transition to a permanent family.

ENSURING CHILDREN UNDERSTAND 

PERMANENCY

Children, particularly younger children, may 

have difficulty understanding what joining a 

new, permanent family means. They may not 

understand the difference between foster

care and adoption (or other permanency 

options). Children being adopted by their 

foster family still may find the transition

confusing or experience difficult emotions, 

even if they have a good relationship with 

their foster family (NTI, 2019). While initially 

in foster care, children may believe that 

reunification with their birth family is 

still possible, and during the transition to 

adoption, they may experience a different set 

of emotions and behaviors than when they 

were first removed from their home. 

Below are some ideas that may help to 

encourage that process (Child Welfare 

Information Gateway, 2018; National 

Resource Center for Diligent Recruitment, 

2015): 

 Explain what a permanent family means in

terms that are appropriate to the child's age

and developmental level.

 Ask children to respond in their own

words to open-ended questions about any

perceived difference between foster care

and adoption (e.g., “How do you think being

adopted is different from being in foster

care?”).

 Let children know that being adopted does

not mean they need to forget about their

birth or foster family.

 Remind children that adoption makes them

a “forever” member of the family, even as an

adult.

 Provide opportunities for children to

speak with other children who have been

adopted about the permanency process (as

appropriate).
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 5

EXAMINING LOYALTY TO THE BIRTH FAMILY

Children who will be or have been adopted 

may still feel a sense of loyalty to their 

birth parents as well as their foster families 

or relative caregivers. This is normal. 

Caseworkers can help children understand 

these feelings and seek ways to establish 

new, loving relationships with their adoptive 

family while also honoring their birth family. 

For example, it is often in the child or youth's 

best interests to maintain postadoption 

contact with his or her birth family. This 

ongoing connection can lessen the loss and 

grief associated with separation, support 

identity development, and help children and 

youth overcome adversity as they prepare for 

adulthood. (See the Discussing Postadoption 

Contact section of this bulletin for more 

information). 

Names may also be a worry for some children. 

Some children may want to change their 

last name to match that of their adoptive 

family, but others may want to maintain the 

name they have always had, which is part 

Helping Foster Parents to Support Children Transitioning to Permanency 

Foster parents can play a critical role in helping a child transition from foster care to adoption 

or other permanency. In some cases, they may become the child's adoptive parents, but they 

frequently also may be helping the child prepare to join another family. Foster parents can also 

give children "permission" to join—or explore joining—a new family. Caseworkers can support 

foster parents in this process by providing them with the following tips and responsibilities (Oregon 

Department of Human Services, 2019):

 Consider themselves part of the transition team.

 Read books to the child related to adoption and families.

 Help the child recognize and manage their feelings.

 Provide relevant information to the caseworker and therapist, if applicable.

 Provide material to the caseworker to assist in keeping the child's lifebook current. (See the

Lifebooks section in this bulletin for more information.)

 Remind the child they will always care about the child and reinforce a positive self-image for

the child.

Caseworkers should also be aware that foster parents may experience their own grief when a child 

leaves their home. To help reduce and resolve the grief foster parents may feel, caseworkers and 

agencies can ensure that foster parent training or other preparation includes information about 

what it may be like for them when a child leaves their home, allow the foster parents to participate 

in the child's transition to a permanent home, and provide support to them during and after the 

transition (Hebert, Kulkin, & McLean, 2013). This may also assist in retaining foster parents for future 

placements.
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 6

of their identity and birth family (Jarema, 

2012). Caseworkers can address this issue 

with the child as well as the adoptive 

family. Additionally, some children may be 

apprehensive about calling their adoptive 

parents "mom," "dad," or another familiar 

name (National Resource Center for Diligent 

Recruitment, 2015). Caseworkers can explain 

to children that they can refer to their 

adoptive parents by a name with which they 

are comfortable. It can be a different term 

than how they referred to their birth parents. 

If a relative is the adoptive parent, the child 

may want to continue addressing them as 

before (e.g., grandpa, aunt).

Caseworkers also can discuss these issues 

with the birth, foster, and adoptive families 

so they can ensure children feel they have 

"permission" to establish new relationships. 

It is necessary for children to hear and feel 

from people who are important to them that 

it is okay to love another family (Child Welfare 

Information Gateway, 2018).

DISCUSSING POSTADOPTION CONTACT

Whenever possible, children who are adopted 

should maintain connections with their 

birth family, including siblings and others. 

Postplacement contact with birth families, as 

well as other prior caregivers, can enhance 

children's emotional well-being and help 

them navigate this journey in several ways, 

including the following (NTI, 2019):

 Prevents denial and avoidance of their 

circumstances 

 Manages emotions about separation 

 Provides opportunities to validate their 

feelings 

 Allows them to consider the reasons why 

they were separated from their family 

 Decreases magical thinking (i.e., children's 

creation of unrealistic fantasies to fill in 

unknown information about their birth 

families)

 Decreases feelings of conflicted loyalty

 Helps the child develop his or her cultural 

identity

Caseworkers should explain to children in 

a developmentally appropriate way that 

they may be able to maintain some degree 

of contact with their birth family and other 

prior caregivers (National Resource Center 

for Diligent Recruitment, 2015). However, 

caseworkers should also be honest with 

them about circumstances that may hinder 

potential communication (e.g., safety 

issues, mental health issues). Additionally, 

caseworkers should let children know that the 

number and duration of the visits may change 

over time and the caseworker or other agency 

staff will not be there to supervise the visits.

For more information about maintaining 

connections, read Information Gateway's 

Helping Children and Youth Maintain 

Relationships With Birth Families (https://

www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/bulletinsmaintainrelationships/) or visit the 

Information Gateway website at https://

www.childwelfare.gov/topics/adoption/

postplacement/connections/. 

HELPING CHILDREN GET TO KNOW THEIR 

PERMANENT FAMILIES

Children will likely be curious or anxious 

about living with a new family. Caseworkers 

can help ease children's minds by providing 

information, as appropriate, about the family 
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 7

and their new home and by arranging for 

preplacement visits. Information that could 

be shared with children includes, but is not 

limited to, the following:

 Basic information about the adoptive 

parents

 Information about any other children in the 

family

 Where the family lives

 What the family's interests are

 Pictures of the family

 Information about pets

 The family's culture or religion, if different 

from the child's

Reviewing this information with children prior 

to them meeting the prospective parents 

helps ensure they are not complete strangers 

to the child (Jarema, 2012).

Caseworkers also may want to help the 

child understand family rules as well as the 

consequences when rules are broken (Wynne, 

2016). If a child has been maltreated, he or 

she may perceive any physical punishment as 

abusive. Consequently, caseworkers should 

urge adoptive parents to use nonphysical 

methods of punishment. 

Preplacement visits should occur before 

the official placement to help the child and 

family become better acquainted and ease 

the transition (Wynne, 2016). Even if the child 

already has a relationship with the family, 

these visits are an important part of the 

process. If possible, these visits should begin 

with daytime visits in the child's current 

home or somewhere they are comfortable 

and then progress to visits in the adoptive 

family's home, beginning with day visits 

and eventually leading to overnight and 

weekend visits. During visits that occur in 

the adoptive family's home, the caseworker 

could encourage the child to bring one or 

two of their personal belongings to leave 

there. Additionally, the caseworker could 

recommend to the adoptive family to allow 

the child to provide input on what items are 

placed in the room or what colors will be 

present (AdoptUSKids, n.d.). 

If in-person visits are not possible due 

to long distances, online meetings (e.g., 

Skype) may help the child and family get 

to know each other and build familiarity. 

The caseworker should assess the child's 

comfort level before and after visits. These 

visits can assist in lessening children's fears 

and worries, transferring attachment to 

the adoptive parents, initiating the grieving 

process, empowering the new caregivers, and 

reassuring commitments for the future (NTI, 

2019).

LIFEBOOKS

When children spend extended periods in 

out-of-home care, memories of significant 

events and people can be lost. Children may 

lose their sense of self: who they are, where 

they have lived, the people they have lived 

with, where they went to school, memories 

of favorite items (e.g., stuffed animals or 

blankets), and more. Lifebooks help children 

remember and maintain connections from 

their past as well as integrate their previous 

experiences into their current lives. Several 

resources exist to help caseworkers, birth 

families, foster and adoptive parents, and 

other important adults work with children 
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 8

on creating and maintaining this record 

of their lives. For additional information, 

visit Information Gateway at https://www.

childwelfare.gov/topics/adoption/adoptparenting/lifebooks/.

GOODBYE VISITS

During goodbye visits, children and their birth 

parents meet prior to the final placement 

decision to help each of them process the 

upcoming adoption. (In some cases, these 

visits may occur when a termination of 

parental rights is granted, even if an adoption 

is not imminent.) Contrary to the term, 

however, this meeting does not necessarily 

signify that the child and birth parents will 

cease all contact. Many birth parents and 

children maintain relationships well past this 

visit. During the goodbye visit, it is helpful for 

the child to hear the following messages from 

his or her birth parents (Arkansas Department 

of Human Services, Division of Children and 

Family Services, 2013):

 He or she is loved.

 He or she will be missed.

 The family's involvement with the child 

welfare system is not the child's fault.

 It is okay to be happy and love someone 

else.

If an in-person goodbye visit is not possible, 

caseworkers can work with the adoptive and 

birth parents to find an alternative, such as 

having the adoptive parents read a letter 

written by the birth parent, playing a video 

of the birth parents, having a virtual meeting 

(e.g., Skype), or conducting the meeting with 

another birth relative (NTI, 2019). 

Below are some resources for how goodbye 

visits are conducted in select jurisdictions: 

 How We Do the Work of Preparing a Child 

for Adoption: Good-Bye Visits (Arkansas): 

https://humanservices.arkansas.gov/

images/uploads/dcfs/Preparing%20for%20

Adoption%20Good-bye%20Visits.pdf

 Tip Sheet: Preparing for the "Goodbye" Visit

(Kentucky): http://manuals.sp.chfs.ky.gov/

Resources/Related%20Resources%20

Library/Preparing%20for%20the%20

Goodbye%20Visit%20Tip%20Sheet.doc

 DHS Child Welfare Procedure Manual

(Oregon): http://www.dhs.state.or.us/caf/

safety_model/procedure_manual/OregonDHS-Child-Welfare-Procedure-Manual.pdf

It is also important for caseworkers to ensure 

birth parents are emotionally ready for 

goodbye visits as part of the transition process. 

The links above also provide information about 

how to prepare birth parents.

ENSURING APPROPRIATE BEHAVIORAL 

HEALTH SUPPORT

Even when caseworkers use the other 

strategies described in this bulletin, issues 

such as loss and grief may emerge as children 

and families move through different stages. 

Children in foster care often have traumatic 

histories that affect them in ways that may 

be difficult for them to put into words and 

that may make it harder for them to form 

trusting relationships with new family 

members (Lefebvre, 2013). The sense of loss 

may be greater if the child has experienced 

multiple foster placements. An adoptioncompetent behavioral health professional can 

be exceptionally valuable in helping children 
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 9

understand and, if needed, resolve any related 

emotions and feelings. For information about 

helping families select a behavioral health 

professional, refer to Information Gateway's 

Finding and Working With AdoptionCompetent Therapists at https://www.

childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-therapist/.

3-5-7 Model 

The 3-5-7 Model helps children frame past experiences and address current circumstances to help 

them explore and understand permanency in relationships. It specifies three tasks, five questions, 

and seven skill elements (Denby, Gomez, & Alford, 2018). 

The tasks are (1) clarification of life events, (2) integration of the experiences and meanings of 

relationships in different families, and (3) actualization of memberships in their identified network 

of families. The child works on these tasks by exploring five conceptual questions, each of which 

addresses a specific issue: 

1. What happened to me? 

2. Who am I? 

3. Where am I going? 

4. How will I get there? 

5. When will I know I belong? 

The final component of the model is the seven skill elements used by those working with the 

children: 

1. Use engagement activities that encourage expression of feelings and thoughts about life 

experiences.

2. Create a safe space for expressing feelings.

3. Recognize that behaviors are based in pain and trauma.

4. Respond briefly to the child's comments in order to provide space to grieve.

5. Listen.

6. Affirm their stories.

7. Be present as they do the work of grieving.

These elements may vary slightly according to the age of the child.

For more information about the 3-5-7 Model, visit http://darlahenry.org/the-3-5-7-model/.
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 10

CONCLUSION

Preparing children for adoption and other 

permanent relationships should be a process 

that involves the caseworker, foster and 

adoptive families, relative caregivers, and 

others who are important to the child. 

With the appropriate supports, children 

and families can heal from difficult life 

experiences, move toward resolution of past 

losses, and build readiness for relational and 

legal permanency. It is also important to 

remember that helping children transition to 

a new permanent family does not mean they 

must sever all ties with their past. Maintaining 

relationships with their birth family and other 

connections to their past can help children 

form positive identities and promote their 

well-being.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

 Center for Adoption Support and 

Education: Offers resources for children, 

teens, and adults 

https://www.adoptionsupport.org

 National Adoption Competency Mental 

Health Training Initiative: Provides two 

state-of-the-art web-based trainings that 

focus on building the capacity of child 

welfare and mental health professionals 

to understand and effectively address 

the mental health challenges for children 

experiencing foster care, adoption, or 

guardianship and their families 

https://learn.childwelfare.gov/

 Books About Adoption (PBS Kids for 

Parents): Lists books for children about 

adoption 

https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/

books-about-adoption

 Helping Your Child Transition From 

Foster Care to Adoption (Child Welfare 

Information Gateway): Offers tips to help 

foster parents prepare children in their care 

for adoption 

https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/ftransition/

 Talking With Older Youth About Adoption 

(Child Welfare Information Gateway & 

AdoptUSKids): Provides child welfare 

professionals with a framework for how to 

talk with older youth about permanency, 

including key considerations and 

suggestions for starting a conversation 

as well as ways to make these discussions 

more effective and meaningful

https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/

talking/

 Talking About Adoption (Child Welfare 

Information Gateway): Presents resources 

to help families and people who have been 

adopted discuss adoption 

https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/

adoption/adopt-parenting/talking/

REFERENCES

AdoptUSKids. (n.d.). Receiving an adoptive 

placement. Retrieved from https://www.

adoptuskids.org/adoption-and-fostercare/how-to-adopt-and-foster/receivinga-placement#prepare-for-transition

Arkansas Department of Human Services, 

Division of Children and Family Services. 

(2013). How we do the work of preparing 

a child for adoption: Good-bye visits. 

Retrieved from https://humanservices.

arkansas.gov/images/uploads/dcfs/

Preparing%20for%20Adoption%20Goodbye%20Visits.pdf 
Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS | 800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov 11

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2018). 

Helping your child transition from foster 

care to adoption. Retrieved from https://

www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-transition/

Denby, R., Gomez, E., & Alford, K. (2018). 

Helping youth in foster care with grief 

and loss: Facilitating well-being and 

reconciliation using the 3-5-7 Model. 

Children's Voice, 27(1), 28–29.

Hebert, C., Kulkin, H. S., & McLean, M. (2013). 

Grief and foster parents: How do foster 

parents feel when a foster child leaves their 

home? Adoption & Fostering, 37, 253–267. 

doi: 10.1177/0308575913501615

Jarema, R. (2012). Preparing older children 

for adoption. Retrieved from https://

www.adoptioncouncil.org/images/

stories/documents/NCFA_ADOPTION_

ADVOCATE_NO54.pdf 

Lefebvre, R. (2013, November). 10 things to 

know about foster care. Adoption Today, 

16(3), 18–19.

National Adoption Competency Mental Health 

Training Initiative. (2019). Training for 

child welfare professionals. Retrieved from 

https://learn.childwelfare.gov/

National Resource Center for Diligent 

Recruitment. (2015). Going beyond 

recruitment for older youth: Increasing your 

system's capacity to respond to prospective 

parents and prepare older youth for 

adoption. Retrieved from http://www.nrcdr.

org/_assets/files/NRCDR-org/goingbeyond-recruitment-for-older-youth.pdf

Oregon Department of Human Services. 

(2019). DHS child welfare procedure manual. 

Retrieved from http://www.dhs.state.

or.us/caf/safety_model/procedure_

manual/Oregon-DHS-Child-WelfareProcedure-Manual.pdf 

Pickover, S., & Brown, H. (2016). Therapeutic 

interventions for families and children 

in the child welfare system. New York: 

Springer Publishing Company.

Wynne, D. (2016). Child placement best practices 

to support permanency and preservation 

across the continuum. Retrieved from 

https://www.adoptioncouncil.org/

publications/2016/07/adoption-advocateno-97

SUGGESTED CITATION: 

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2020). 

Preparing children and youth for adoption 

or other family permanency. Washington, 

DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services, Administration for Children and 

Families, Children's Bureau.

This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information 

Gateway. This publication is available online at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/bulletins-preparingchildren/.

U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services Administration for Children and 

Families Administration on Children, 

Youth and Families Children's Bureau