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A Discussion About Permanency for Older Adolescents [Webcast]

National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections (2010)

Presents effective models and strategies that empower and support youth in achieving permanency, hosted by Gerald P. Mallon, Executive Director, National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections, and Pat O'Brien, Founder & Executive Director of You Gotta Believe! The Older Child Adoption & Permanency Movement. Effective strategies emphasize the importance of building connections: connecting youth to caring adults, mentoring and building connections with extended family, community connections, and family search and engagement.

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HEY Guide: Youth Empowerment: A Step-by-Step Guide for Developing a Youth Board

(PDF – 1403 KB)

Honoring Emancipated Youth (2009)

Provides step-by-step instructions on how to support the growth and empowerment of youth, as well as the staff who work with them, while preparing the entire agency culture for youth incorporation and leadership.

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HHS Secretary Supports The "It Gets Better Project" in Support of LGBT Youth

Features U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius's message to LGBT youth suffering from bullying and intolerance. Secretary Sebelius's video was created for the "It Gets Better" project, a campaign featuring video messages designed to help LGBT youth who are victims of bullying.

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How Young People Can Make a Difference for Kids in Foster Care

(PDF – 766 KB)

FosterClub (2008)

Explains the Band Together initiative and calls for youth in and out of foster care to unite to advocate for change in the child welfare system.

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Increasing Youth Participation in Service and Treatment Planning: Tools and Strategies

(PDF – 635 KB)

Portland State University Research & Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health (2008)

Discusses strategies for increasing the level of participation of foster youth in treatment planning in a slide presentation for training professionals working with foster youth. Also available: Youth Participation in Planning: Why It Matters [Video]

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National Foster Care Month: Resources and Topics From an Older Youth Perspective

(PDF - 115 KB)

National Child Welfare Resource Center for Youth Development (2009)

Presents the perspective of older youth in foster care on a number of relevant topics including reunification, family engagement, in-home services, guardianship, family finding, kinship care, and more. It was produced by young adult professionals with foster care experience

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The Power of Youth Engagement

(PDF – 66 KB)

National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators (2010)

Highlights ways States are bringing foster youth and professionals together to create better conditions for young people in foster care and the strategies they use to motivate young peoples' interest in the planning process.

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The Youth Involvement Checklist

(PDF – 215 KB)

Thrive Initiative (2009)

Supplies a self-reflection tool to help organizations see how involved youth really are, and to highlight goals that organizations can use to infuse more youth voice into programming.

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Youth Aging Out Survey Issue: Family/Permanency Connections

(PDF – 89 KB)

National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators (2009)

Captures information from a national survey of child welfare directors that examined permanency and family connections for youth aging out of foster care so that States can access and use model programs and practices that have been implemented in other States.

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State and local examples

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What Is Youth In Progress?

(PDF – 219 KB)

New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Center for Development of Human Services (2009)

Describes Youth In Progress, a New York State program that teaches older foster youth to advocate for awareness of the needs of youth in foster care and better services for youth transitioning out of foster care.

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