Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

CAPTA Plans of Safe Care

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) Plan of Safe Care (POSC) is designed to improve the 1) safety and well-being of infants affected by prenatal substance exposure and 2) recovery outcomes for their caregivers.

Highlighted Resource

Plans of Safe Care Learning Modules Series

Module 1: Preparing for Plan of Safe Care Implementation

National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, 2020

A five-part series on POSC for infants born with and identified as affected by substance abuse or withdrawal symptoms resulting from

...(Read More)
View Series

Policy and Practice Resources

Child Welfare Policy Manual (CWPM) - CAPTA

Children’s Bureau, Administration for Childr..., 2024

Contains policy questions and answers applicable to child welfare programs operated

... (Read More)
View Website

Foster Care Entry Rates Grew Faster for Infants than for Children of Other Ages, 2011-2018

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planni..., 2021

Summarizes national, state, and county increases in foster care entry. A rising

... (Read More)
View Document (PDF 2.9 MB)

Plans of Safe Care Learning Modules Series

National Center on Substance Abuse and Child..., 2020

A five-part series on POSC for infants born with and identified as affected by substance abuse or withdrawal symptoms resulting from

... (Read More)
View Series

State and Local Examples

State Plan of Safe Care Informational Websites

NCSACW has identified several states with its state’s plan of safe care. You can view each state’s informational website.

... (Read More)
View Series

Additional Resources

How can Plans of Safe Care help infants and families affected by prenatal substance exposure?

Casey Family Programs, 2023

Provides legislative and policy context for developing Plans of Safe Care for infants

... (Read More)
View Website

Child Abuse and Prevention Treatment Act (CAPTA), Prenatal Substance Exposure Statutory Station Summary

National Center on Substance Abuse and Child..., 2017

Covers the history of the CAPTA prenatal exposure provisions, including the July 201

... (Read More)
View Document (PDF 539 KB)

Find Help with a Personal Situation

Substance Use and Mental Health Treatment Locator

To find treatment facilities confidentially, 24/7, please call 1-800-662-4357 (HELP).

To locate general treatment services, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Treatment Locator online or call 1-800-662-4357 (HELP). This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. It is a free, confidential, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a year information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members needing treatment for a mental and/or substance use disorder.

To locate general treatment services, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Treatment Locator online or call 1-800-662-4357 (HELP). This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. It is a free, confidential, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a year information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members needing treatment for a mental and/or substance use disorder.

National Child Abuse Hotline

If you suspect a child has been harmed by abuse or neglect, please call 1-800-422-4453.

If you suspect that a child has been harmed or is at risk of being harmed by abuse or neglect, call the National Child Abuse Hotline at Call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453. Serving the United States and Canada, the hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with professional crisis counselors who—through interpreters—provide assistance in over 170 languages. All calls, texts, and chats are confidential. If you believe a child is in immediate danger of harm, call 911 first.

If you suspect that a child has been harmed or is at risk of being harmed by abuse or neglect, call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453. Serving the United States and Canada, the hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with professional crisis counselors who—through interpreters—provide assistance in over 170 languages. All calls, texts, and chats are confidential. If you believe a child is in immediate danger of harm, call 911 first.

National Suicide Prevention Line

For free and confidential support for people in distress, 24/7, please call or text 988, chat 988Lifeline.org, or call 1-800-273-8255.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, help is available and there are options to receive compassionate care. You can call or text 988 or chat 988Lifeline.org. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). Both are confidential and available 24/7 to everyone in the United States and will connect you to a trained counselor at a suicide crisis center nearest you.

If you or someone you know are in crisis, thinking about harming yourself, attempting suicide, or harming another person, tell someone who can help right away. There are options to help you cope. Call the toll-free, 24-hour hotline of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to be connected to a trained counselor at a suicide crisis center nearest you. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is confidential support, available 24/7 to everyone in the United States.

Contact Us

The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare offers free technical assistance to a variety of systems on making policy and practice changes to improve outcomes for families affected by substance use disorders and involvement with child welfare services. To learn more about technical assistance services or if you have a question please email NCSACW at ncsacw@cffutures.org or call toll-free at 1–866–493–2758.

Administration for Children & FamiliesSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
https://ncsacw.acf.hhs.gov

An official website of the Administration for Children and Families and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare