Connecting the Dots: A Resource Guide for Meeting the Needs of Expectant and Parenting Youth, their Children, and their Families.

This guide, by showcasing programs that are evidence based, informed, and promising, encourages child welfare administrators, policymakers, and researchers to invest in building the evidence base for interventions to meet the needs of their expectant and parenting youth (EPY) in foster care. Through the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), jurisdictions have the opportunity to access new funding to support the evaluation of promising local and innovative programs and adaptations to existing evidence-based programs. These programs can be supported and evaluated using an agency’s existing continuous quality improvement efforts. Priority should be given to research and interventions that authentically center the voices of EPY and actively engage them in the development and improvement of services. This guide is an essential first step in collaborating with child welfare systems to better align funding, service provision, decision-making, and research with the needs of EPY, their children, and their families. (Author abstract modified)