Agenda for Children
Agenda for Children has served as Louisiana’s statewide child advocacy organization, as well as our region’s leading support organization for early childhood education (children ages 0-8). We work to inform public conversations on children, advocate for better policies that impact children and families, increase access to high quality early care and education, improve the quality of those experiences, and connect people to community resources. Specifically, our work improves child well-being by empowering the adults who have the greatest impact on children’s lives.
Caring for a Relative's Child - The Kinship Care Subsidy Program
The Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP) gives monthly cash to eligible people taking care of children who are related, but not their own. You can also listen to a sound recording of this resource.
Child in Need of Care Cases
The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) starts Child in Need of Care (CINC) cases when they determine that a child has experienced some form of neglect. While the goal of CINC cases is "reunification," or having the child go home, parents need to know about the CINC process and parental rights and responsibilities during the process.
Child Welfare Services in Louisiana
Find out about adoption, protection from abuse and neglect, and foster care. To report suspected child abuse, call 1-855-4LA-KIDS (1-855-452-5437) toll-free 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Families Helping Families Centers
Find the Families Helping Families Center nearest you. This non-profit helps families with members who have special needs.
Foster Care: Who's Looking Out for Me?
Two-video series gives an introduction to the court system and Child In Need of Care (CINC) proceedings and an introduction to foster care.
How do I become a foster parent?
Information and resources about being a foster parent, about children who need foster homes, certification and support resources.
Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP)
The Department of Children and Family Services’ Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP) provides cash assistance of $450 per month for each eligible child who resides with a qualified relative other than a parent. A child may meet the eligibility requirements for both the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP) and Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP) but may only receive assistance in one program.
Legal Representation in Child Protection Cases
Representation of children in child protection cases is overseen by the Louisiana Supreme Court, which designates appropriate programs for qualified legal representation in accordance with a plan for service delivery approved by the Court.
Volunteers for Youth Justice
Programs include Youth Programs, The National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (CASA), Truancy Assessment Service Center (TASC), Court Programs (FINS), and Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI). The National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association, together with its state and local member programs, supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy so every abused or neglected child in the United States can be safe, have a permanent home, and the opportunity to thrive. TASC is a prevention program, providing early identification and assessment of school absences for children grades K-5. Through this program, children and families are given the opportunity to informally and voluntarily resolve chronic absenteeism without court involvement. FINS or Families in Need of Service are programs for families on the verge of crisis due to the ungovernable behavior of a child. The primary goal of FINS is to secure appropriate services to remedy the family’s dysfunction. TBRI® is an attachment-based, trauma-informed intervention that is designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. TBRI® uses Empowering Principles to address physical needs, Connecting Principles for attachment needs, and Correcting Principles to disarm fear-based behaviors. While the intervention is based on years of attachment, sensory processing, and neuroscience research, the heartbeat of TBRI® is connection.