Helping identify and care for infants and their parents, caregivers, and families |
We provide training and technical assistance to Tribes, states, counties, and community agencies that improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women, as well as their infants and family members affected by prenatal substance exposure.
Resources focus on health, well-being, and the implementation of Plans of Safe Care. Training and technical assistance may include:
- Education on best practices related to the treatment and care of infants, parents, and families affected by substance use
- Development of tools for collaboration and integrated case planning across the service continuum including the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) Plans of Safe Care
- A review of existing tools, practice guidelines and policy related to infants with prenatal substance exposure, their parents, and family members
- Connections to national experts and persons with lived experience to share what’s working in their jurisdictions
Prenatal exposure to alcohol, tobacco, and drugs may cause a spectrum of physical and developmental challenges related to growth, behavior, cognition, executive functioning, language, and achievement.
Prenatal exposure, along with other safety and risk factors, can have implications for child welfare services involvement. A range of prevention, early intervention, and treatment efforts can reduce negative outcomes for these infants, parents, and families. Examples of these strategies include early identification, comprehensive assessment, and engagement of pregnant women with a substance use disorder in treatment and services, collaborative development and implementation of a Plan of Safe Care, and early engagement into developmental services for identified infants and children.
The intersection of pregnancy and substance use creates a need for a collaborative approach that brings health, substance use treatment, child welfare, and early childhood providers together to identify and provide intervention for the multifaceted needs of infants, parents, caregivers, and family members.
CFF ACTIVITIES
SOME DATA POINTS
FEATURED PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES
Through federally- and foundation-funded projects, Children and Family Futures and its small business subsidiary, Center for Children and Family Futures, produces publications, reports, Technical Assistance tools and web-based learning for the field. The following are featured resources from our work. For more resources or information related to a specific topic, please visit our resources page or click the “Request Assistance” button below or at the top of the page.
Related Projects and Web-Based Learning
Learn more by exploring related projects and web-based learning.
Related Projects
Related Web-based Learning
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. (2025). Child Maltreatment 2023. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/data-research/child-maltreatment
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. (2025). Child Maltreatment 2023. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/data-research/child-maltreatment
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. (2025). Child Maltreatment 2023. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/data-research/child-maltreatment
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. (2025). Child Maltreatment 2023. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/data-research/child-maltreatment
