Adolescent/Youth Counseling

RP-1400.8000-050

Programs that specialize in the treatment of adolescents, usually age 12 or 13 through 17, who have adjustment problems, behavior problems, emotional disturbance, a personality disorder or incipient mental illness. The programs may help youth troubled by low self-esteem, social isolation, peer pressure, bullying, school performance issues, truancy, anger management issues, family problems, grief and loss, sexual promiscuity, sexually transmitted disease, alcohol or drug addiction, eating disorders, oppositional and defiant behaviors, depression and anxiety, suicidal thoughts or other difficult issues.

Adoption and Foster/Kinship Care Support Groups

PN-8100.6500-030

Mutual support groups whose members are individuals who have adopted a child or are considering or in the process of adoption, birth parents who relinquished a child for adoption, people who were, themselves adopted, foster care providers, children in foster care, kinship caregivers (paternal or maternal grandparents, aunts, uncles and other family members, members of a child's tribe or clan, godparents, stepparents, neighbors, friends of the family or other adults who can serve as "family"), children cared for by relatives under a formal or informal kinship care arrangement and/or adults who, as children, were raised in foster or kinship care. Groups may also be structured for adoptees, siblings and/or birth parents who have been reunited; older kinship caregivers who have taken on an unexpected parenting role later in life; and people who have other kinship issues, e.g., grandparents and other relatives who have been denied access to a grandchild or other youngster due to a death or divorce in the child's family. Meeting formats may include in-person, telephone or Internet options.

Adoption Services

PH-0300

Programs that participate in arranging permanent homes under new legal parentage for individuals whose birth parents are unable or unwilling to provide for their care. Included are programs that provide counseling and assistance for people who decide to relinquish their children for adoption or arrange for an independent adoption; which recruit, select, counsel and match suitable adoptive parents with children who have been relinquished; which assist in the adoption of stepchildren, adults or foreign-born children; which provide foster care for children who have been relinquished for adoption but not yet placed; and/or which assist people who are adopted to locate their birth parents and birth parents to locate the children they relinquished.

Birth Control Counseling

LJ-2000.1000-100

Programs that provide a comprehensive overview of available birth control methods including information about fertility cycles, natural family planning, contraception and sterilization, and help people evaluate their options and select the method that bests suits their needs.

Breastfeeding Support Programs

LJ-5000.1000

Programs that provide information and instruction concerning appropriate techniques for nursing an infant for expectant parents or new mothers.

Caregiver/Care Receiver Support Groups

PN-8100.1400

Mutual support groups whose members are family, friends, significant others, non-familial caregivers or attendants who are caring for someone who has a temporary, chronic, life-threatening or terminal illness or disability or who is elderly and increasingly unable to provide for his or her own care. The groups meet in-person, by telephone or via the Internet; and provide emotional support, information and resources to help participants ensure their own well-being while remaining involved in the intense care of a loved one. Also included are care receiver support groups that help people who have a caregiver cope with the fact that they require care. Care receiver support groups are often offered in conjunction with caregiver support groups and are structured to allow care receivers to participate in their own group while their caregiver attends another.

Child Abuse Counseling

RP-1400.8000-020.15

Programs that provide therapeutic interventions for individuals and/or families who are experiencing child abuse including abandonment, neglect, or emotional, physical or sexual abuse by a parent, guardian, or other family or extended family member whom the child trusts and who is in a position of power over the child. Counseling is offered in a variety of settings and may include individual, conjoint, family and group therapy sessions for the child, the abusing or non-abusing parent(s) and siblings. Separate sessions may be available for young children who have been victimized and for older children in their teens.

Child Abuse Hotlines

RP-1500.1400-150

Programs that provide immediate assistance for parents who have abused or fear they may abuse their children with the objective of defusing the parent's anger and frustration and ensuring the child's future safety through referrals for ongoing support and treatment. Also included may be services for abused children and concerned others who are in need of advice, guidance and/or emotional support. Hotline staff are generally available via telephone, email, chat and/or text.

Child Care Centers

PH-1250.1400

Programs that are licensed to provide supervised care within designated facilities for children during some portion of a 24-hour day. Staff for approved day care centers must meet defined educational requirements; the program must ensure specified adult/child ratios; and the facility must meet building, fire and zoning codes. Services may include recreational and developmental activities and snacks and/or meals, as appropriate.

Child Care Provider Referrals

PH-2400.1500

Programs that provide statewide and community-based services that are designed to improve the availability and quality of child care. These programs maintain lists of child care resources and link families who are in need of child care services with child care centers, licensed family child care homes and other organization-based providers; provide information that helps families become good consumers of child care services; recruit new child care providers to expand the availability of the service locally; provide training and technical assistance for providers; and collect and disseminate data which document the demand for child care services and the current availability of child care resources. Some programs may also make referrals to preschools and many provide referrals to children's play groups.

Child Custody/Visitation Assistance

FT-3000.1500

Programs that provide assistance for people who want to obtain custody of their children as a part of a divorce or separation action, who want to appeal all or a portion of the terms of a previous child custody decision, or in the case of a noncustodial parent, who want to establish or appeal the terms of a visitation award or a court-ordered visitation schedule. Included are programs that provide child custody/visitation assistance for people who are not legally married but have children together.

Child Passenger Safety Seats

JR-8400.1500

Programs that pay for, provide and/or install car seats that can be used to restrain infants or young children who are riding as passengers in motor vehicles. Also included are programs that provide booster seats for older children or provide referrals to organizations that provide the seats or the safety checks.

Child Support Assistance/Enforcement

FT-3000.1600

Programs that provide assistance which helps to ensure that parents fulfill their mutual obligation to financially support and provide health care for their children. Included are services for people who want to locate an absent parent; establish paternity; establish a child support order; request that the non-custodial parent provide health insurance for a child in conjunction with a child support order; change the amount of a child support award; dispute a child support award; or enforce payment of child support monies in cases where the supporting parent is delinquent in paying or refuses to pay or make health insurance arrangements altogether. Child support is money paid by one parent to another for the maintenance, including the education, of their children following the dissolution of their marriage or other relationship. Non-custodial parents enrolled in an insurance plan at work may be required to include the child under this coverage while those not covered by any insurance plan may be required to obtain medical coverage, if available at a reasonable cost. Child support assistance/enforcement may be provided by private attorneys, legal clinics, family law facilitators' offices or child support enforcement programs which are available in all states, often as a component of the district attorney's office.

Children's Protective Services

PH-6500.1500

Programs that investigate reports of child abuse, neglect or abandonment; document substantiated cases; provide for the temporary placement of children who, for their own protection, have been removed from the custody of the adults who are responsible for their care; work with families who are experiencing a problem with child abuse with the objective of facilitating continued family unification or reunification; and provide ongoing supportive services for children in permanent placement.

Community Adult Schools

HD-6000.1400

Public postsecondary educational institutions administered by local districts that provide learning opportunities for adults who want to learn new skills, prepare for a new career or advancement in their present job, earn an eighth grade or high school diploma, improve personal skills in English or another language, become a more knowledgeable consumer, or prepare to assume a more effective role as a participating member of the community.

Co-Parenting Workshops

PH-6100.1550

Programs that are specially designed for parents who are separated, in the process of divorcing or have divorced or who never married but have children and who need to develop the knowledge and skills to understand and respond to the special needs their children may have as a result of the divorce/separation and to succeed in their ongoing roles as mother and father despite the fact that they are no longer husband and wife or partners. Topics may include the impact of separation and divorce on families, developmental stages of children and expected reactions to divorce, skills parents can use to minimize stress and help children to cope, guidelines for reducing conflicts and solving custody issues out of court and recognizing when a child needs special help and where to find resources. Co-parenting workshops may also be structured for parents in other situations.

Court Ordered Parenting Programs

PH-6100.1600

Programs approved by the court that provide classes which utilize a specialized curriculum that assists families with family preservation and unification. The programs target families in which children are deemed at risk for abuse and neglect and enable parents to fulfill the requirements of court-ordered family preservation contracts.

Crisis Nurseries/Child Care

BH-1800.1500-050

Programs that provide temporary shelter/residential care for infants and children who are at risk for or who have experienced child abuse or neglect in the home or whose families are experiencing an emergency that makes it untenable for the child to remain in the home. Care is generally provided by licensed family child care homes that are available on a 24-hour basis when needed. Some providers are able to accommodate children to age 12 or 14 and will consider older children on a case-by-case basis, while others limit their services to very young children, generally from birth to age five or six.

Domestic Violence Support Groups

PN-8100.0200-180

Mutual support groups whose members are individuals who have been involved in physical or emotional abuse by a spouse or other partner. The groups meet in-person, by telephone or via the Internet; provide emotional support, information and resources for those who participate; and may be structured for victims of domestic violence, those responsible for battering them, or for adults or adolescents who as children were traumatized by witnessing violence in their homes.

Early Head Start

HD-1800.1800

A federally-funded child development and family support program that provides early education, health, mental health, nutrition and social services for low-income pregnant women and families with children from birth to age three. Services provided directly or through referral may include prenatal education and parenting classes for pregnant women; child development information; parent/child activities; a home visiting program for families with newborns; early education services in a variety of settings; comprehensive health and mental health services including smoking cessation and substance abuse treatment; coordination with organizations providing early intervention for infants and toddlers with disabilities; assistance in obtaining income support, housing or emergency cash; and transportation to program services.

Early Intervention for Children With Disabilities/Delays

LR-1700

Programs that identify infants, toddlers and in some cases, preschoolers who show evidence of or are at risk for lags in physical development, cognitive development, language and speech development, psychosocial development or self-help skills, and provide or coordinate the delivery of an enrichment program in order to minimize the potential for a developmental delay and to meet their current developmental needs. The program may include early identification activities (child find); a developmental evaluation; a review of family concerns, priorities and resources; meetings with the family to develop an individualized family service plan; service coordination to ensure that the individual and his or her family receive needed services which may include but are not limited to physical therapy, occupational therapy, audiology, health/medical services, nursing services, nutrition services, psychological services including specialized play groups or therapy sessions, counseling, speech and language assistance, special instructional services, transportation, and parenting skills development; and ongoing evaluation of the child's progress and his or her changing enrichment needs. Included are "birth to three" programs and federal, state or local programs that address the needs of slightly older children or children not otherwise eligible for "birth to three" programs.

Family Counseling

RF-2000

Programs that offer therapeutic sessions that focus on the system of relationships and communication patterns among family members and which attempt to modify those relationships and patterns to achieve greater harmony. The therapist focuses on the family as a unit rather than concentrating on one of the members who is singled out as the person in need of treatment.

Family Counseling Agencies

RM-6500.2000

Outpatient facilities that offer a variety of counseling services for individuals, couples, families and extended family groups who may be experiencing difficulty resolving personal or interpersonal conflicts or making personal adjustments to stressful life situations such as separation, divorce, widowhood, loss of a child, poor health, unemployment, family violence, delinquency or substance abuse.

Family Support Centers/Outreach

PH-2360.2400

Programs that provide a wide variety of social services that are designed to support the healthy development of families, improve family interaction skills and help fragile families to resolve their problems at a pre-crisis stage before they become unmanageable. Services may be center-based or provided on an outreach basis to families who are initially reluctant to seek support and generally target the specific needs of a particular community. Included may be self-sufficiency programs which help families break the cycle of poverty by addressing the barriers to self-sufficiency; early child development and school success programs; programs which address the needs of teen parents; programs which target parents at risk for becoming abusive; programs for families with children who have special developmental needs and programs that focus on the maternal and child health care needs of first-time, expectant women whose babies are at high risk for low birth weight and infant mortality.

Family Violence Prevention

FN-1500.1900

Programs that attempt to reduce the incidence of child abuse, elder abuse and spouse abuse in family settings through a variety of educational interventions which may focus on children of various ages, parents, people who work with families and/or the community at large.

Foster Home Placement

PH-2400.1900

Programs that link individuals who are in need of alternative living arrangements with appropriate private family homes that are licensed to provide foster care. Licensing requirements vary from state to state and, in some situations, licensing is not required at all. Programs that provide placement services for children and adults with disabilities are generally also responsible for recruiting, training, certifying and monitoring placements in family homes and for providing support for the family and the individual(s) with disabilities who live with them.

Foster Parent/Family Recruitment

PH-2400.2000

Programs that identify and enlist people who are willing to provide foster care for dependent children who have been removed from their homes because of abuse, neglect or abandonment and need an alternative family living arrangement, or for children or adults with developmental disabilities, sensory impairments, physical disabilities, emotional problems or multiple disabilities who are unable to live with their birth families or in an independent setting. Programs that recruit families to provide foster care for children and adults with disabilities are generally also responsible for training, certifying and monitoring placements in family homes and for providing support for the family and the individual(s) with disabilities who live with them.

Head Start

HD-1800.3000

A federally-funded child development program that provides educational experiences, medical and dental services, nutritional meals, counseling and opportunities for parental involvement to help prepare low-income children and children with disabilities age three to five to enter and succeed in school.

Juvenile Delinquency Prevention

FN-1500.3600

Programs that offer a variety of activities for youth who are at risk for behavior which is likely to involve them in the juvenile justice system with the objective of assisting them to improve self-esteem, to become aware of alternative ways of dealing with feelings and leisure time, and to take responsibility for the consequences of their actions. Included may be counseling, rap and discussion groups, tutoring, companionship programs, alternative peer group experiences and supervised recreational activities.

Juvenile Detention Facilities

FF-1500.3500

Facilities that provide for the detention of minors who have been arrested for violating a federal or state law or a municipal or local ordinance pending a court hearing or release; and/or which provide for the confinement, treatment, employment, training and discipline of juveniles convicted of a criminal offense and sentenced by Youth or Juvenile Court to serve a period of time in a juvenile detention facility which may include juvenile hall, juvenile probation camp or a state reformatory site.

Library Services

TJ-4500

Libraries and other facilities that offer a range of activities and services which are designed to meet the information and learning needs of patrons and to facilitate their enjoyment of library resources. Included are reference services, programs which introduce and encourage reading, services which enable people who cannot access the facility to utilize library resources and special collections which provide access to a broad spectrum of general and specialized book and nonbook material as well as reading material in alternative formats.

Mentoring Programs

PH-1400.5000

Programs that provide companionship, guidance and/or role models for individuals who are disadvantaged because of age, income, physical or developmental disabilities or family environment.

Military Family Service/Support Centers

TM-5100

Programs located at military installations throughout the world that handle inquiries from military personnel, retirees, reservists and their family members, do an assessment of their needs and refer them to sources of help available at the installation or in the local community. The centers may provide relocation assistance, transition assistance, family life programs (e.g., parenting, stress management), individual and family counseling, employment assistance, and financial management services as well as emergency assistance.

Parent Counseling

RP-1400.8000-650

Programs that provide a wide variety of therapeutic interventions for parents who are experiencing emotional difficulties or conflicts concerning their role as parents. Included are individual or group counseling for one or both parents or conjoint parent counseling which focuses on and explores the mental, emotional or social problems of the individual(s) which contribute to their parenting problems.

Parental Visitation Facilitation

PH-6000

Programs that facilitate parental visits with minor children in situations where the court has established conditions for the visit.

Parenting Education

PH-6100

Programs that provide classes, workshops or other educational opportunities for parents or potential parents who want to acquire the knowledge and skills to be effective in their parenting role.

Parenting Helplines

PH-6100.6600

Programs that operate a telephone counseling and information line that parents can call when they have childhood development questions, need advice regarding a specific parenting problem or need a referral for parenting resources.

Parenting Skills Classes

PH-6100.6800

Programs that teach skills that enable parents to deal constructively and consistently with a broad spectrum of child rearing problems which may include sibling rivalry; school behavior and performance; poor self-esteem; shyness; drug use; sexual promiscuity; and the whole range of negative, acting-out behaviors including whining, temper tantrums, disobedience, insolence and destructiveness. Some parenting skills development programs utilize a step-by-step approach for managing specific problems and may incorporate application at home of techniques that were discussed and practiced in the classroom setting. Other programs may offer participatory family workshops which provide opportunities for parents and children to learn and practice methods for dealing with one another under the guidance of a trained facilitator. Most training programs teach the parent a particular way of talking and relating to their children that reinforces positive behaviors and communication and decreases negative behaviors while supporting the development of a relationship that is built on fairness, mutual caring and respect.

Poison Control

LH-2700.6500

Programs that provide emergency information, usually on a 24-hour basis, for medical personnel or others who may need to take immediate corrective action to treat an individual who has been poisoned or to prevent such an occurrence.

Preadoptive Foster Care

PH-0300.6500

Programs that provide temporary family living arrangements in agency-supervised private family homes for children who have been relinquished for adoption but have not yet been permanently placed. Some programs may also provide care for infants while birth parents decide whether to parent or place their child for adoption.

Pregnancy Counseling

LJ-2000.6500

Programs that help people who are experiencing a crisis pregnancy resolve any social or personal problems that have arisen as a result of their pregnancy or the prospect of parenthood, and help them understand their conflicting emotions, put their feelings in perspective, evaluate their options and make a decision that right is for them.

Pregnancy/Childbirth Support Groups

PN-8100.6500-680

Mutual support groups whose members are pregnant women or women who have had difficulties in areas relating to family planning, pregnancy and childbirth. Included are groups for individuals who are pregnant for the first time, women who are contemplating a home birth, breastfeeding women, families making decisions relating to birth control, women who have had a cesarean birth, women who are at high risk for a problem pregnancy and parents of premature or high-risk infants. The groups meet in-person, by telephone or via the Internet; and provide an opportunity for participants to share their experience, strengths and hopes, understand their relationships and work through related emotions.

Prenatal Care

LJ-5000.6600

Programs that provide medical care for expectant mothers from the time of conception to the onset of labor to ensure their own physical well-being and the healthy development and birth of their child. Services generally include identification of risk factors based on age, health and/or personal and family history that may affect a woman's pregnancy; diet and lifestyle advice; routine checkups to look for signs of problems associated with pregnancy (such as edema, preeclampsia, or gestational diabetes) and to assure that the pregnancy is progressing well; ultrasound and other forms of prenatal testing to monitor fetal development and check for possible birth defects; and general information about being pregnant, e.g., what is normal and what is cause for concern, remedies for morning sickness or sleeplessness, managing weight gain and other common issues.

Preschools

HD-1800.6500

Programs that provide educational experiences and activities for children who are younger than compulsory school age, supplement parental care and home play and stimulate intellectual, social, emotional and motor skills development. Activities generally include preacademic skill development such as shape, color and number recognition; active outdoor play; observation of nature and pets; dancing and rhythms; block building; playhouse activities; games; simple excursions outside the school; stories and picture books. Children are also given a nutritious snack and/or meal and a period for adequate rest, and are taught basic cleanliness and good health habits.

Public Schools

HD-8000

Educational institutions for students in grades K-12 (or 1-12) supported by public funds that provide a formal education through a graded system of instruction that focuses initially on basic skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics and later on a broader curriculum of study which terminates in preparation for specific employment opportunities or undergraduate study at the postsecondary level.

Runaway/Homeless Youth Helplines

RP-1500.1400-700

Programs that provide immediate assistance for children and youth who have run away from or have been pushed out of their homes or who are acting out and at risk of abuse. Included may be steps to ensure the youth's safety, information regarding the youth's rights and alternatives, and referrals for shelter, medical care, ongoing counseling or group support and other related services. Also included are programs that maintain a message relay system which allows runaways to contact their parents or other concerned individuals and receive messages from them. Helpline staff are generally available via telephone, email, chat and/or text.

Safe Havens for Abandoned Newborns

LJ-5000.8000

Hospitals, health centers, police stations, fire houses and other facilities that are willing to accept, without questions, newborn babies delivered by mothers who are unwilling or unable to care for an infant and are thereby at risk for abandonment. Police reports are generally not filed and no attempt is made to contact the mother's family, even in situations where her identity is known. Infant safe haven statutes vary by jurisdiction with regard to who may leave a baby at a safe haven, the age of the baby at the time of relinquishment, the facilities that can be designated as safe havens, the responsibilities of safe haven providers, anonymity protection for parents and the consequences of relinquishment.

School Based Integrated Services

PH-2360.8000

Programs, often offered directly by schools, that develop collaborative partnerships with public and private community agencies to meet the mental health, juvenile justice, social service and academic needs of school children whose struggles with multiple problems including poor physical or mental health, inadequate nutrition, substance abuse, family dysfunction or insufficient community support are affecting their educational performance. The purpose of these programs is to develop an integrated services delivery system through which existing resources are coordinated and made available to children and youth, their parents and family members at or near the school site.

School Districts

HD-8200

Local administrative units that operate schools or contract for school services in specific geographical areas.

Spouse/Intimate Partner Abuse Counseling

RP-1400.8000-020.80

Programs that provide individual, conjoint, family or group treatment for individuals who are being physically, sexually and/or emotionally abused by their partners, and/or for perpetrators. Included are programs that provide therapeutic interventions for married couples, people who have live-in mates and/or gay and lesbian couples who are experiencing problems with abuse.

State/Local Health Insurance Programs

NL-5000.8000

Programs that provide health insurance for people who do not qualify for Medicaid, do not have access to insurance provided by an employer or cannot afford privately purchased health insurance. Services covered by these programs vary by state but generally include hospitalization, physician services, emergency room visits, family planning, immunizations, laboratory and x-ray services, outpatient surgery, chiropractic care, prescriptions, eye exams, eye glasses and dental care. Other services may include alcohol and drug treatment, mental health services, medical and equipment and supplies and rehabilitative therapy. Eligibility requirements also vary. Included are state and/or local government health insurance programs which may be administered by the state or at the local level, and public/private partnerships between state and/or local government entities and health insurance companies or other private organizations. Health care is generally provided through participating managed care plans in the area.

Teen Expectant/New Parent Assistance

PH-6100.1800-900

Programs that provide educational and supportive services that help teens who are or are about to become parents, to prepare them on an emotional and practical level for the impact the newborn will have on their lives and relationships. Initial focus areas include healthy eating for the mother, danger signs in pregnancy, sibling preparation and being ready for labor and delivery, followed by practical information on basic infant care, newborn behaviors, baby supplies, bathing techniques, diapering, breastfeeding and other feeding options, as well as infant and childhood illnesses. Later topics may include walking, talking, toilet training and other aspects of child development, all to help ensure that infants and toddlers are nurtured, live in a safe environment and receive proper health care.

Therapeutic Foster Homes

PH-6300.8500

Agency-supervised private family homes in which foster parents have been trained to provide individualized, structured services in a safe, nurturing family living environment for children and adolescents with significant emotional or behavioral problems who require a higher level of care than is found in a conventional foster home but do not require placement in a more restrictive setting. Therapeutic foster parents receive special training in mental health issues, behavior management and parenting techniques; and implement the in-home portion of the treatment plan with close supervision and support. They serve as integral members of the team of professionals providing services for the child, get the child to therapy and other treatment appointments, write daily notes about interventions and attend treatment team meetings. Therapeutic foster care is considered the least restrictive out-of-home placement for children with severe emotional disorders.

Youth Enrichment Programs

PS-9800.9900

Programs that offer a wide variety of activities including arts and crafts, academic programs, sports, reading clubs, workshops and other recreational, leisure, cultural, social and civic activities for school-age children and youth in out-of-school hours. The objective of youth enrichment programs is to promote healthy social interaction and help participants maximize their social, emotional, physical and academic potential.