Client Resource Project
Search articles, tools, worksheets, and learning resources in one place.
Social workers serve in schools, hospitals, child welfare agencies, courts, community programs, and therapy offices. Learn what their different roles have in common and what to expect when working with one.
Open articleLearn how to find trustworthy local help for food, housing, healthcare, utilities, legal needs, and other challenges—and what to do when the first referral does not work.
Open articleChild welfare involvement does not always lead to foster care. Learn how in-home, prevention, safety-planning, and family-support services can sometimes help children remain safely with their families.
Open articleRun a short family meeting that includes wins, concerns, decisions, and clear next steps.
Open toolIdentify what is already working so plans are built around strengths, not only problems.
Open toolA plain-language guide to family-court cases, common hearings, what judges can order, how court orders work, and what can happen after a final judgment.
Open articleA short weekly check-in for wins, hard moments, upcoming events, and one goal for the next week.
Open toolBuild a calmer mealtime plan for children who have anxiety, sensory needs, food insecurity history, hoarding, refusal, or conflict around eating.
Open toolA plain-language guide to 42 CFR Part 2, including which substance use disorder records it protects, consent, permitted disclosures, legal proceedings, patient rights, and its relationship to HIPAA.
Open articlePlan for the hour or two after family contact when a child may need extra regulation and fewer demands.
Open toolHelp young children recognize, name, express, and manage feelings such as happiness, sadness, anger, fear, worry, frustration, and excitement through simple conversations, play, and everyday routines.
Open articleTurning 18 does not always mean foster-care support ends immediately. Learn how extended foster care can work and why eligibility differs by state.
Open articleCan my child emancipate from me? Learn what emancipation means, when a minor may qualify, how parents are involved, and why the rules differ from state to state.
Open articleAI tools can help students brainstorm, explain concepts, and practice skills, but school rules vary. Learn when AI use may be appropriate, when it can become cheating, and what parents should check.
Open articleIdentify how the child prefers adults to approach hard conversations and how both sides can reconnect afterward.
Open toolFormer and current foster youth may qualify for education and training assistance beyond ordinary financial aid. Learn what ETV funds are and what other supports to ask about.
Open articlePlan consequences before conflict happens so responses are calmer, related, and predictable.
Open toolMichigan families are again asking whether school meals remain free. Learn how statewide funding, school participation, meal applications, and other benefit programs can interact.
Open articleA plain-language guide to HIPAA under 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164, including who must comply, what information is protected, permitted disclosures, patient rights, security, breaches, and complaints.
Open articleCreate a short set of household rules that are concrete, understandable, and realistic.
Open toolHUD’s 2026 Continuum of Care competition emphasizes recovery, transitional housing, supportive services, and self-sufficiency. Learn why local service systems may look different.
Open articleIDEA itself was not replaced in 2026, but funding and state accountability are active issues. Learn about new federal investment and the annual IDEA state determinations.
Open articleSpecial education evaluation is more than one test. Learn about academic and cognitive testing, BASC-3 and other rating scales, adaptive behavior, speech and OT evaluations, classroom observations, FBAs, BIPs, reevaluat…
Open articleMichigan’s education budget includes major funding for per-pupil aid, mental health and safety, special education, literacy, and school meals. Here is what families should watch locally.
Open articlePrepare for family visits or parenting time with fewer surprises and smoother transitions.
Open toolA structured check-in for child adjustment, caregiver capacity, behavior, school, family contact, services, respite, disruption risk, and next steps.
Open toolWhen your child is involved with the child welfare system, it can be difficult to understand what is happening, what is expected of you, and what comes next. These questions can help biological parents get clearer infor…
Open articleFoster parents are expected to care for a child while also working within a larger child welfare team. Learn practical questions to ask your caseworker about the child’s needs, family contact, services, school, court, p…
Open articleUse after everyone is calm to understand what happened, repair the relationship, and plan one thing to do differently next time.
Open toolChoose a specific behavior, how often it will be noticed, and rewards that are realistic for the family.
Open toolLearn what probation is, how it becomes part of a sentence, common requirements, what counts as a violation, and the outcomes of successful or unsuccessful supervision.
Open articleFederal and state budgets continue to fund school-based mental-health programs, but money does not automatically equal a new counselor in every building. Learn how the funding works.
Open articlePlan how adults will respond to recurring sibling conflict before everyone is already upset.
Open toolTANF is often described simply as “welfare,” but it is a state-run federal block-grant program with work rules, time limits, exemptions, and very different state policies.
Open articlePlan transitions that are usually hardu2014school, visits, bedtime, appointments, placement changes, or leaving preferred activities.
Open toolLearn what trauma-informed means, how a trauma-informed lens changes the way behavior is understood, and why safety, choice, collaboration, and accountability all matter.
Open articleMichigan considers a student chronically absent when they miss at least 10% of school days. Learn what attendance letters mean, when absences become serious, and how parents can respond.
Open articleRepeated school behavior problems can be a sign of missing skills, stress, disability, conflict, or unmet needs. Learn what parents can ask for before discipline becomes a cycle.
Open articleWhat is a 504 plan? Learn who may qualify, what accommodations it may include, and how Section 504 protects students with disabilities at school.
Open articleIEP forms look different across states and districts, but the required pieces are similar. Learn what present levels, goals, services, accommodations, placement, progress monitoring, behavior supports, transition planni…
Open articleLearn what an Individualized Education Program is, who may qualify, what the plan contains, and how families participate in the special education process.
Open articleLearn what Free Appropriate Public Education means under IDEA and Section 504 and what families can do when required services are not provided.
Open articleHead Start provides early learning and family services for eligible young children and families. Learn about income rules, foster-care and homelessness eligibility, disabilities, and how to apply.
Open articleTreatment plans can look different across providers, but many include the same basic pieces: needs, strengths, goals, objectives, services, interventions, progress measures, and review dates.
Open articleFederal agencies are promoting a “Treatment First” approach to homelessness and addiction in 2026. Learn what the phrase means and what it could change for local programs.
Open articleLearn what a therapist should provide, what happens during early sessions, how confidentiality works, and how to recognize a healthy therapeutic relationship.
Open articleAnxiety can feel like worry, fear, tension, irritability, physical illness, or a need to avoid and control. Learn why anxiety happens, how differently it can appear, and when it may be time to seek help.
Open articleFoster-home shortages can leave agencies struggling to find safe placements that match a child’s needs. Learn why shortages happen and what they can mean for children and families.
Open articlePractical worksheets for education, families, mental health, child welfare, planning, meetings, questions, and support.
Open worksheetUnderstand the basic rights and responsibilities of legal parents, how custody and child-welfare cases can affect those rights, and why the exact rules depend on state law.
Open articleNew federal guidance urges schools to focus classroom technology on instructional value, evidence, parent transparency, and student outcomes. Here are the questions families can ask.
Open articlePrepare questions and observations before a meeting with a doctor, therapist, caseworker, teacher, or other provider.
Open toolTrack patterns around behavior without reducing the child to the behavior itself.
Open toolBuild a personalized menu of calming choices instead of trying to invent one in the middle of a hard moment.
Open toolFederal officials issued fresh FERPA and PPRA guidance in August 2026. Learn what educational records parents can request and what to do when access is delayed or denied.
Open articleCPS cannot use the same removal process in every state or every situation. Learn the general difference between an emergency safety action, a court order, and an ongoing child-protection case.
Open articleSchool cellphone restrictions expanded rapidly in 2026. Learn what school phone rules may cover, common exceptions, and what parents should check before the school year starts.
Open articleMany schools now restrict phones during class or the entire school day. Learn when a school may confiscate a phone, why searching its contents is a different issue, and what parents should check.
Open articleOrganize a concern, what has already been tried, and the specific outcome you are asking for.
Open toolPlan what happens if the caregiver becomes too overwhelmed, ill, or otherwise unable to safely manage the moment.
Open toolA quick private self-check for caregiver strain, burnout, and when additional support may be needed.
Open toolBuild a structured contact note from common visit, phone, collateral, observation, intervention, safety, and follow-up elements.
Open toolSelect age-appropriate, non-leading questions for a private child interview and print a clean interview guide with space for handwritten notes.
Open toolBuild a child-centered list of interests, motivators, skills, and connection points adults can use.
Open toolCreate a clean handoff sheet for babysitters or childcare providers, with private details added only after export.
Open toolBuild a simple daily routine that is predictable, realistic, and easy to print.
Open toolProperty taxes matter to school funding, but they are only one part of a larger federal-state-local system. Learn why a tax cut can affect districts differently from one state to another.
Open articleFederal student-loan repayment options changed on July 1, 2026. Learn the basics of the new Repayment Assistance Plan, Tiered Standard plan, and temporary auto-pay interest reduction.
Open articleA practical first-month checklist for foster and kinship caregivers.
Open toolA practical checklist for preparing for a home visit, assessing the environment, checking in privately with the child, and identifying follow-up tasks.
Open toolFair-housing enforcement remains an important resource when housing decisions may involve unlawful discrimination. Learn what information HUD asks for and why timing matters.
Open articleTurn hygiene into predictable steps instead of repeated reminders and arguments.
Open toolTrack practical skills a teen or young adult is learning and where more practice is needed.
Open toolNew Medicaid community-engagement rules can require some adults to document 80 hours a month of qualifying activities. Learn what counts and why state implementation matters.
Open articleTrack observable changes to discuss with the prescribing professional. This tool does not diagnose, recommend doses, or tell you to start or stop medication.
Open toolA plain-language guide to Michigan Mental Health Code Section 748, including what information it protects, when records may be disclosed, access rights, and how it works alongside HIPAA and federal substance-use confide…
Open articleA monthly review tool to catch missed contacts, safety issues, appointments, school concerns, service tasks, permanency work, and upcoming deadlines.
Open toolCreate a short, repeatable morning sequence for children who struggle with transitions or time pressure.
Open toolCreate a blank, organized information sheet so important details can be added safely after printing or in Word.
Open toolA simple crisis-plan builder for parents and foster parents that focuses on adult regulation, co-regulation, triggers, de-escalation, physical safety, repair, and support.
Open toolA new Pell Grant eligibility rule took effect for the 2026–27 award year. Learn how large nonfederal scholarships and grants can interact with Pell eligibility.
Open articlePlan a move into or out of a foster, kinship, or other caregiving placement with as much predictability as possible.
Open toolPrepare caregiver questions about goals, progress, home strategies, and what to do when things get harder.
Open toolSelect questions before a meeting so important issues do not get lost in the conversation.
Open toolPrepare for respite so the child and respite caregiver both know what to expect.
Open toolPlan for warning signs, likely situations, prevention, and what adults will do if the child leaves an agreed safe area.
Open toolGo into a school call or meeting with the concerns, questions, and requested next steps already organized.
Open toolCreate predictable rules for devices, transitions, and how screen time is earned or paused.
Open toolBuild a predictable bedtime routine with fewer decisions and fewer surprises.
Open toolSNAP work rules changed for many adults in 2026. Learn how time-limited benefits, 80-hour requirements, exemptions, and state waivers can affect food assistance.
Open articleThe biggest social-media risks are not limited to screen time. Learn what parents should watch for, including sleep disruption, secrecy, harmful content, harassment, exploitation, and loss of offline activities.
Open articlePlan how children will remain supervised and protected if alcohol, drugs, or impairment could affect caregiving.
Open toolBuild basic household protections for social media, gaming, messaging, privacy, and unsafe online contact.
Open toolConnect increased freedom to clear responsibilities without turning every disagreement into a new rule.
Open toolA plain-language guide to Section 6032 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, including the $5 million Medicaid threshold, required written policies, employee handbooks, contractors, whistleblower protections, and practi…
Open articleA plain-language guide to the federal False Claims Act, including prohibited conduct, the knowledge and materiality standards, treble damages, civil penalties, qui tam lawsuits, relator awards, anti-retaliation protecti…
Open articleTreatment plans can appear in therapy, behavioral health, foster care, and other services. Learn what a treatment plan is, why it is used, who may have one, and how it differs from a case plan.
Open articleIdentify what tends to activate stress and what early warning signs show up first.
Open toolGrad PLUS changed significantly on July 1, 2026. Learn what the elimination of new Grad PLUS borrowing and new federal graduate loan limits can mean for students.
Open articleA new federal education tax-credit program is creating school-choice questions across the country. Learn what the $1,700 credit is, why state participation matters, and what families should verify.
Open articleEnrollment decline is putting pressure on school systems in many parts of the country. Learn why fewer students can lead to school closures, consolidations, boundary changes, and staffing cuts.
Open articleSpecial-education staffing shortages can affect caseloads, evaluations, service delivery, and classroom stability. Learn what new 2026 federal workforce efforts are trying to address.
Open articleCPS timelines can be affected by state law, safety concerns, court schedules, records, interviews, service availability, and workforce capacity. Learn what families can ask when a case stalls.
Open articleWorkforce Pell began July 1, 2026, opening federal Pell Grant eligibility to approved short-term workforce programs. Learn what “eligible” really means before enrolling.
Open article