Foster Care

Some questions to consider in your analysis and reaction are:
• What did you not understand? Were there any unfamiliar words or references? What things do you hope will be explained further as you read more or hear more in class? Are you wondering what reactions your classmates have to anything in the reading?
• What connections to previous reading or information do you see in this material? Does it alter earlier opinions you may have formed? Does it deepen your understanding of the subject?
• Would you argue with the author on any points? Can you imagine others who would? Do you think the author is ignoring anything vital or misrepresenting reality in any way? Does this seem to be a conscious or unconscious choice?
• Have you had any personal experience with the subject that makes you see it in a different light? Have you talked with anyone else who has?
• What seem to be the major concepts and key terms in this piece of reading? How important are they likely to be in the course in the long run? How important are they likely to be to people outside of this course or this discipline or this college?

As a member of the Executive Team for an organization serving vulnerable children, you have been tasked to prepare a report summarizing the development of a program to support these children. Your task as an experienced manager hoping to convince others to address the problem is to prepare an Issue Brief that:

• presents facts on the nature of this problem, (incidence, prevalence, special needs of this population)
• identifies the individual, familial and community risks that have contributed to the problem,
• discusses relevant policy initiatives or laws around the problem,
• explores why it makes sense (and cents) for the community to support this population and fund programs to support the problem,
• notes other systems that may also be serving these children,
• identifies the protective factors that may be lacking in the families of these children,
• summarizes at least three program models or evidence-based interventions to improve the outcomes for these specific children and families in the child welfare system,
• presents resources already available to address the issue and support the population, and
• discusses ways that the problem could have been prevented from affecting children altogether.

The brief should be about 3-5 pages in length (not including bibliography); single spaced with one inch margins using Time New Roman 12 point font. It is to be presented in a format that clearly outlines content marked with headings for the following sections:

✓ Nature of the Problem
✓ Risk Factors
✓ Policy Implications
✓ Case for Support
✓ Collaborating Systems
✓ Protective Factors
✓ Program Models
✓ Current Resources Available
✓ Prevention
✓ Annotated Bibliography for Issue Brief: (Use APA guidelines for preparing your bibliography.)