Resource families — which include foster parents, foster - to - adopt families, and kinship caregivers — are critical partners for
child welfare professionals because they provide care for children who can not live with their parents, and they can play a supportive role in reunification.
Surveillance effects9 refer to the potential for increased reporting on families who participate in
child welfare system services or research
because more
professionals are working with families and may file reports of suspected abuse and trigger an investigation, increasing the likelihood of a finding for these families compared to those who do not participate.