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Concurrent Planning

Concurrent planning involves identifying and working toward a child's primary permanency goal (such as reunification with the birth family) while simultaneously identifying and working on an alternative plan as a secondary goal (such as adoption or guardianship with a relative). Concurrent planning shortens the time to achieve permanency, because progress has already been made toward the secondary goal if efforts toward the primary goal prove unsuccessful.

Effective implementation of concurrent planning requires comprehensive and early assessment of families, determining the need for out-of-home care and the need to place the child or youth with a resource family who can support family reunification and commit to providing an alternative permanent home if reunification is impossible. Resources include State and local examples.

Concurrent Planning: What the Evidence Shows Series Title: Issue Brief Author(s): Child Welfare Information Gateway Availability: View Publication Printable Version (PDF - 156 KB) Year Published: 2005 - 11 pages Concurrent planning is an approach that seeks to eliminate delays in attaining permanent family placements for children in the foster care system. This process involves considering all reasonable options for permanency at the earliest possible point following a child's entry into foster care. This issue brief examines examples of and support for concurrent planning across the United States; reports on practices and evaluations of research in recent literature; emphasizes the important roles of court personnel in achieving timely permanence via concurrent planning; illustrates examples associated with the successful planning and implementation of concurrent planning in public agencies; and establishes some ... Concurrent Permanency Planning National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning Training curricula and other resources to help State, local, and tribal child welfare agencies implement concurrent planning.

Chafee Foster Care Independence Act (PDF - 189 KB)
P.L. 106-169 mandated expanding concurrent planning beyond very young children to older children and youth, including aggressive adoptive home recruitment and efforts to develop positive relationships with extended relatives and other adults.

Child Welfare Permanency Reforms in California
Child Welfare Research Center
Series of brief publications and presentations from this study which examined the implementation of concurrent planning and reunification bypass in six California counties.

Concurrent Planning in Public Child Welfare Agencies: Oxymoron or Work in Progress?
D'Andrade, Frame, & Berrick
Children and Youth Services Review, 28(1), 2006
View Abstract
Examines the implementation of concurrent planning in six county child welfare agencies in a large western State.

Implementing Concurrent Planning: A Handbook for Child Welfare Administrators (PDF - 115 KB)
National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement (2001)
Describes the implementation and outcomes of concurrent planning models in three States and provides guidelines for managing changes in policy and practice.

Overcoming Systemic Barriers to Concurrent Planning: Teleconference Program
National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement (2003)
View Abstract
Explores approaches to overcoming States' continuing struggle to achieve timely permanency for children in out-of-home care.

Concurrent Planning for Permanency for Children

Series Title:	State Statutes Series
Author(s):	Child Welfare Information Gateway
Availability:	View Publication Printable Version (PDF - 115 KB)
Year Published:	2007 - 4 pages

Reviews State laws that permit an agency to plan for another permanent placement for a child at the same time efforts are made to reunify the child with his or her family of origin.

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State and local examples

Adoption, Foster Care and Concurrent Planning: A Study of Awareness, Attitudes, Motivations, Barriers and Implications for Communication (PDF - 164 KB)
Bay Area Homes for Kids (2001)
Five counties in the San Francisco Bay Area conducted a multiphase research project designed to strengthen communication strategies directed at recruiting and retaining potential families for foster care, adoption, and concurrent planning.

A Critical Assessment of Concurrent Planning in New York State
Gerstenzang & Freundlich
Adoption Quarterly, 8(4), 2005
View Abstract
Examined the experiences of child welfare experts, parents, foster parents, and caseworkers regarding concurrent planning in New York State.

Evaluation of the Families Together Project
Families Together Project (2000)
View Abstract
Utilized concurrent planning and family group conferencing to expedite permanency and increase family involvement in plans for children in foster care.

A Family to Family Model Concurrent Kinship and Foster to Adopt Family Plan for Special Needs Children (Two Ways Home): Final Report
Two Ways Home (2004)
View Abstract
Discusses the activities and outcomes of a community-based program designed to increase and expedite permanency for children with special needs.

STAR Project Program Evaluation: October 1, 1998 to September 30, 1999
Epiphany Center (2000)
View Abstract
A concurrent planning approach was used to prevent abandonment and increase permanency for infants served by the Epiphany Center in San Francisco.

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	Information Gateway Library Search Includes publications from 2000 to present Concurrent planning

Updated on December 7, 2007