Breadcrumb
- Federal Resources
Federal Resources
Upcoming Event: November is National Adoption Month
This observance aims to increase national awareness of the need for permanent families for children and youth in the foster care system. This year’s theme, “We Never Outgrow the Need for Family—Just Ask Us,” reflects a focus on the importance of identifying permanent families for the thousands of 15- to 18-year-olds in foster care who are currently less likely to be adopted or who may age out of the system without a stable home. A new tip sheet, Talking with Older Youth About Adoption (PDF, 2 pages) provides child welfare professionals with a framework for how to talk with older youth about permanency and includes suggestions for how to make these conversations more effective.
Program Evaluation: A Variety of Rigorous Methods Can Help Identify Effective Interventions
This GAO report describes how program evaluations can help identify effective interventions.
Report: Access to Federal Financial Assistance for Homeless and Foster Youth
This report highlights obstacles faced by homeless youth and youth who have been in foster care in securing financial aid for college. The report includes six recommendations to improve access to financial assistance for these youth, including centralizing college information and considering legislative proposals to simplify federal requirements.
Charting the Course: Supporting the Career Development of Youth with Learning Disabilities
This Guide was developed to help youth service professionals better understand issues related to learning disabilities so that they can help youth with learning disabilities develop individual strategies that will enable them to succeed in the workplace.
Enhancing Program Performance with Logic Models
This course, from the University of Wisconsin Extension, provides a holistic approach to planning and evaluating education and outreach programs. It helps program practitioners use and apply logic models - a framework and way of thinking to help us improve our work and be accountable for results. You will learn what a logic model is and how to use one for planning, implementation, evaluation or communicating about your program.
Guideposts for Success for Youth with Mental Health Needs
The Guideposts for Success are a framework to assist the multiple organizations that need to be involved to meet the needs and improve the transition outcomes of all youth, including youth with disabilities. The guideposts discuss school-based services, career preparation, leadership opportunities, community services, and family involvement supports for youth with mental health needs. These documents were developed by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability, which is supported by funds from the Department of Labor.
Tunnels and Cliffs: A Guide for Workforce Development Practitioners and Policymakers Serving Youth with Mental Health Needs
This guide provides practical information and resources for youth service professionals. In addition, it provides policymakers, from the program to the state level, with information to help them address system and policy obstacles in order to improve service delivery systems for youth with mental health needs.
Share with Youth: Hitting the Open Road After High School
Co-written by teens for teens, this resource can help youth with disabilities (PDF, 16 pages) think about their options for life after high school. It provides information on post-graduation options and guides students in making choices that are right for them, finding activities that can help them get ready now, and accessing supportive services.
Resource: Personal Competencies for College & Career Success
This guide describes strategies postsecondary professionals can use to assist all students, including those with disabilities, to develop personal competencies that will increase their chances of success.
Resource: National Dialogue with Youth People with Disabilities
This resource (PDF, 36 pages) provides a summary of the recent online event “YouthACT Transition Truths,” which provided an opportunity for youth with disabilities, as well as allies of the disability community, to virtually share ideas about the strategies and supports that can help young people with disabilities successfully transition to adulthood.
Are You A Teen Worker?
This informational booklet is targeted to workers ages 13 to 18 in non-farm industries. The booklet provides facts youth need to stay safe and healthy at work. The guide also informs young workers about the jobs they can and cannot do and about permissible work hours as defined under Federal child labor laws. The booklet also helps youth recognize common workplace hazards and teaches young people about their rights and responsibilities on non-farm jobs.
National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety
This Center strives to enhance the health and safety of all children exposed to hazards associated with agricultural work and rural environments. The Center is funded by HHS/CDC/NIOSH and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau within HHS/Health Resources Services Administration
State-based Occupational Health Surveillance Clearinghouse
This is a clearinghouse of state-developed products supported through NIOSH Surveillance cooperative agreements. Data and products focused on young workers can be identified by using the search link and terms such as "youth" and "young worker.
Youth@Work: Talking Safety
This curriculum in occupational safety and health can be used in the classroom or other group training sessions. It is designed to teach core health and safety skills and knowledge, and covers basic information relevant to any occupation. The target audience for the curriculum is high school age students; however, much of the material can be used in post-secondary job training environments like apprenticeship programs. The curriculum includes instructions for teachers and a step-by-step guide for presenting the material. The bulk of the curriculum is focused on teaching fundamental principles of occupational safety that young workers can use on their first jobs and carry with them into adulthood
Young Worker Safety and Health
This Workplace Safety & Health Topic from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention provides information for young people on workplace safety and health.
Resource: Young Drivers in the Workplace: How Employers and Parents Can Keep Them Safe on the Road
This fact sheet (PDF, 5 pages) provides information on workplace driving laws that create safe driving conditions for young drivers. It also provides recommendations for employers and parents on how to promote safe driving and prevent motor vehicle crashes among young workers who drive as part of their job.
Report: Rates of Nonmedical Prescription Opioid Use and Opioid Use Disorder Double in 10 Years
This report illustrates the urgent public health problem of prescription opioid misuse. As described in the report, a recent study by the NIAAA shows the use of prescription opioids more than doubled among adults in the United States from 2001-2002 to 2012-2013.
Internet Safety
This site, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology, includes a consolidated list of federal links providing information on internet safety for children and youth.
Defending Childhood
Attorney General Eric Holder launched the Defending Childhood initiative, which strives to harness resources from across the Department of Justice to prevent children's exposure to violence; mitigate the negative impact of children's exposure to violence when it does occur, and; develop knowledge and spread awareness about children's exposure to violence.