Childhood and Adolescence
Services for children and adolescents must meet their unique health, developmental, and social-emotional needs. Use these resources to gain insight about the needs of youth involved in child welfare and affected by substance use.
Highlighted Resource
Connecting with Youth: A Toolkit for Child Welfare Professionals Supporting Families Affected by Substance Use
National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, 2026
Equips child welfare professionals with practical strategies, conversation starters, and evidence-based practices to engage and support youth
... (Read More)Policy and Practice Resources
Connecting with Youth
National Center on Substance Abuse and Child..., 2026
Equips child welfare professionals with practical strategies, conversation starters
... (Read More)Stronger Than You Know
National Center on Substance Abuse and Child..., 2026
A youth-friendly guide for adolescents and young adults affected by substance use
... (Read More)Apprenticeship Pathways: A Tip Sheet for Child Welfare Professionals
National Child Welfare Center for Innovation..., 2026
Use this tip sheet to help youth in foster care explore, access, and thrive in
... (Read More)Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development
Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development, 2026
A comprehensive registry of scientifically proven and scalable interventions that
... (Read More)Improving Early Childhood Outcomes and Systems for Families Affected by Parental Substance Use, Substance U...
National Center on Substance Abuse and Child..., 2025
Helps build capacity for child welfare, substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health treatment, and early childhood service providers
... (Read More)Infants with Prenatal Substance Exposure and their Families: Five Points of Family Intervention
National Center on Substance Abuse and Child..., 2023
Enables collaborative teams to learn about the Five Points of Family Intervention
... (Read More)Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Child Welfare Practice Tips
National Center on Substance Abuse and Child..., 2022
Provides an overview of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD); the effect of FASD on
... (Read More)Engaging Parents and Youths: Strengthening Collaborative Policy and Practice Initiatives for Families with ...
National Center on Substance Abuse and Child..., 2022
Provides key considerations for collaboratives engaging parents involved with the
... (Read More)Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders for Substance Use Treatment Professionals
National Center on Substance Abuse and Child..., 2022
Designed for substance use treatment professionals who serve: 1) parents with alcohol
... (Read More)Screening and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders Among Adolescents
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services A..., 2021
Summarizes key messages and considerations for screening and treating adolescents
... (Read More)Preventing, Identifying, and Treating Substance Use Among Youth in Foster Care
Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2020
Provides child welfare professionals with information about the extent and effects of
... (Read More)Cultural Connectedness and Indigenous Youth Well-Being
National Indian Child Welfare Association, 2019
Explores the concept of “cultural connectedness” and its importance for: 1) positive
... (Read More)How Adolescent Brain Science Supports Youth Engagement in Court Hearings and Case Planning
American Bar Association, 2019
Part of the Adolescent Brain Research Toolkit . Provides a basic framework of
... (Read More)Promoting Permanency for Older Youth in Out-of-Home Care
Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2019
Provides child welfare professionals with information on the importance of permanency
... (Read More)Related Online Training, Videos, and Webinars
Adolescents & Parental Substance Use
Date: September 2026
Demonstrates actionable strategies for child welfare workers to support adolescents affected by parental substance use disorder. By
...(Read More)Child Welfare Strategies for Supporting Young Children Affected by Parental Substance Use
Date: September 2026
Offers practical strategies for child welfare workers supporting young children affected by parental substance use. Through a home visit
...(Read More)Reshaping Your Story
Date: August 2026
This video offers real stories from youth affected by child welfare and parental substance use. Youth voices emphasize resilience
...(Read More)Video Series: Improving Early Childhood Outcomes and Systems
National Center on Substance Abuse and Child..., 2025
Includes nine brief videos that feature subject matter experts including parents in recovery from a substance use disorder. Learn of the
... (Read More)Common Developmental Trajectories of Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Date: December 2022
Dr. Douglas Waite describes the history of our understanding of the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on neurodevelopment, traces the
...(Read More)Additional Resources
National and State Estimates of Children Living with Parents Using Substances, 2015-2019
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services..., 2022
Estimates of the number of children whose parents engage in problematic substance use
... (Read More)Talk. They Hear You: Substance Use Prevention
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services A..., 2021
Provides tools to help parents and caregivers discuss the dangers of substances and
... (Read More)