Building Bridges to Improve Mental Health™
The National Center envisions a world where individuals impacted by the child welfare system reach their full potential and are supported by an adoption competent mental health workforce. We work to ensure that children, youth, and families receive responsive, high-quality services that reflect their experiences and support healing, stability, and permanency.
Click below to discover how the National Center is strengthening systems and advancing adoption competence nationwide.
Knowledge Hub
Our Knowledge Hub is the adoption competence capacity-building repository for child welfare and mental health professionals. Explore evidence-informed trainings, best practices, models of intervention and more resources to expand your adoption competent services.
National Directory of Therapists
Access a nationwide network of adoption competent mental health therapists. The individuals listed in this Directory have successfully completed the training required by TAC and/or NTI.
Capacity Building
Tailored and responsive technical assistance built around the needs and goals of your State, Tribe, or territory and intended to improve collaboration, enhance workforce competency, and increase accessibility of competent mental health services. Learn more about how our team of subject matter experts partners with child-serving systems to advance and sustain adoption competency.
Youth & Family
This page is your touchpoint for understanding adoption competent mental health services and how they can provide meaningful support for youth and families navigating the unique challenges of adoption, foster care, and child welfare involvement.
%
of children in foster care have a mental health disorder
Fewer mental health professionals than needed by 2025
%
of children who need mental health treatment receive it
%
of children enter foster care to access behavioral health services
“I’m honored to represent Director Mueller of Illinois DCFS as we collaborate with the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative to improve mental health outcomes for Illinois’ children and youth. Together, we can ensure that every individual in Illinois takes the time to address these layers of trauma and prepare for the important work ahead.”
“We are proud to lead the way as the first of thirty sites who will engage in technical assistance over the next five years with The National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services, thanks to the generous support from the Children’s Bureau, and are excited for the positive outcomes this work will bring for our children and families.”
“This partnership highlights the state’s commitment to improving mental health services outcomes for children and families who have experienced or are highly likely to encounter the child welfare and/or juvenile justice system. Engaging with the National Center, Rhode Island aims to strengthen its systems and workforce to enhance the state’s ability to deliver trauma-informed care, foster cross-system collaboration, and strengthen general understanding of adoption competence. The interagency Rhode Island team looks forward to embarking on this work in collaboration with families, youth, and key community partners.”
Recent Blog Posts
Strengthening Mental Health Through Connection, Collaboration, and Competency: Reflections from NAMICon 2026
The National Center reflects on NAMICon 2026, highlighting adoption competent mental health, workforce development, and cross-system collaboration.
Beyond Intervention: Why Foster Care Must Be Paired with Adoption Competent Mental Health Care
Finding adoption competent mental health care isn’t easy. Explore why access gaps exist, why specialized training matters, and how stronger systems can better support adoptive, foster, and kinship families.
When “Just Get Therapy” Isn’t That Simple: The Access Gap in Adoption-Competent Care
Ashley Garcia-Rivera, Policy Advisor (C.A.S.E.), explores how mental health support helps sustain permanency and that recognizing the need for counseling is only the first step. For many families, the harder challenge is finding adoption-competent care in the first place.
Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.
For two decades, the Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) has been developing and providing specialized mental health services to thousands of foster, kinship and adoptive families. Through this pioneering work (and the work of our contributing partners), C.A.S.E. was a awarded a 5-year cooperative agreement to fund the National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services by the United States Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families, Children’s Bureau.
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