Congregate care provides full-time care for children and youth in the child welfare system in the following types of settings: (a) emergency shelters, (b) hospitals, (c) semi-independent living, (d) residential treatment centers, or (e) group homes. There has been sustained national and state focus to decrease the number of children and teens living in congregate care. Between 2004 and 2013, congregate care use decreased by 37% in the U.S. and 43% in Rhode Island. However, Rhode Island had the second highest percentage of children in congregate care (not living with families) in 2013, twice the national average. 

There were 429 children and youth in congregate care placement in Rhode Island on September 30, 2016. To learn more, please see Focus on Congregate Care.

Bullying behavior is a social, educational, and health problem that affects many children and adolescents in Rhode Island and in the U.S. Youth involved in bullying can experience higher rates of mental health problems, aggression, suicide, drug use, school absence, physical health problems, and deficits in cognitive functioning during childhood and adolescence as well as into adulthood. For more, please see the full Issue Brief. 

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Kinship care is the full-time care, nurturing, and protection provided to a child by a relative or family friend. Most children living with kin are in informal arrangements established within families. Children can also be placed with kin by state child welfare agencies when they cannot safely live with their parent(s). 

For children removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect, placement in kinship foster homes is often the best option for ensuring that they are able to maintain familial and community connections and minimize the trauma of being separated from parents. 

To learn more about kinship care in Rhode Island, please see Focus on Kinship Care. This publication has been updated with the latest 2014-2016 data.

A new Annie E. Casey Foundation report, A Movement to Transform Foster Parenting, explores ways for public agencies to ensure that children receive the care they need by enlisting more volunteers to step forward as foster parents and by encouraging the extraordinary individuals who have already answered the call to continue their commitment to care. The report identifies three major themes for engaging and empowering foster parents: ensuring quality caregiving for children; forging strong relationships; and, finding and keeping more amazing caregivers.  

To learn more, and see the full report, please click here.

Are you interested in specific areas of child well-being? Rhode Island KIDS COUNT publishes E-Newsletters on specific areas related to child well-being: 

• Children's Health and Health Insurance 
• Child Welfare/Juvenile Justice 
• Early Childhood/Early Learning 
• Student-Centered Learning
• RI Campaign for Grade-Level Reading 
• Rhode Island KIDS COUNT also publishes a general interest E-Newsletter. 

Please click here to start receiving these updates today!