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Engaging and Involving Youth

Family-centered practice focuses on the healthy growth and development of children and youth within a family context. Family-centered practice is consistent with the approach known as positive youth development, which views all youth as having inherent strengths and potential and focuses on promoting a youth's development rather than identifying and fixing his or her problems. This begins by providing youth with opportunities for full participation in decisions that affect their lives and supports that facilitate meaningful involvement.

• Youth perspectives

2007 CFSR ToolKit for Youth Involvement: Engaging Youth in the Child and Family Services Review (PDF - 3119 KB)
National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement & National Child Welfare Resource Center for Youth Development (2007)
Offers practical strategies for collaborating with youth in the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR).

Better Together: Connecting Today, Transforming Tomorrow (PDF - 1357 KB)
Foster Care Alumni of America (2006)
Better Together is a philosophy of meaningful and effective partnership between youth who were formerly in foster care (foster care alumni) and their allies. Together, alumni and their partners are working to improve the foster care system.

A Call to Action: An Integrated Approach to Youth Permanency and Preparation for Adulthood (PDF - 189 KB)
Casey Family Services (2005)
Discusses the problems youth face when aging out of foster care without a permanent family, and calls for an integrated approach to youth permanency and preparation for adulthood.

Enhancing Permanency for Older Youth in Out-Of-Home Care

Series Title:	A Bulletin for Professionals
Author(s):	Child Welfare Information Gateway
Availability:	View Publication Printable Version (PDF - 258 KB) Order Publication (Free - Add to Cart)
Year Published:	2006 - 14 pages

Finding permanent families for older children and youth in out-of-home care continues to be a challenge for child welfare professionals. Many States and local jurisdictions have begun to implement programs specifically designed to help these youth establish permanent connections. This bulletin addresses the specific challenges of permanency planning with older youth, discussing the importance of focusing on older youth, barriers to permanency, strategies for successful permanency planning, and promising programs. A list of resources for further information is provided.

First Voice Executive Summary
Ross & Bond (2004)
View Abstract
Training program designed to promote the involvement of youth in planning independent living services.

The Future for Teens in Foster Care: The Impact of Foster Care on Teens and a New Philosophy for Preparing Teens for Participating Citizenship (PDF - 755 KB)
Youth Advocacy Center (2001)
Explores the strength, intelligence, and aspirations of youth in foster care placement and the development of self-advocacy skills, preparing teens to identify their goals and take concrete steps to pursue them.

Partnering with Youth: Involving Youth in Child Welfare: Training and Curriculum Development (PDF - 178 KB)
Morse, Markowitz, Zanghi, & Penthea (2003)
Monograph designed to serve as a starting point for agencies interested in involving youth in the development of child welfare curriculum and staff development projects.

	Related Information Gateway Topics Systemwide: Cultural competence - Working with youth Systemwide: Cultural competence - Working with children and families Systemwide: Youth services Out-of-home care: Older children and youth Out-of-home care: Sibling groups Out-of-home care: Independent living Achieving & maintaining permanency: Preparing and supporting children and youth

Updated on January 18, 2008