Concurrent Planning for Timely Permanency for Children - Tennessee

Defining Concurrent Planning

Citation: Admin. Pol. & Proc. § 16.31

In policy: Concurrent Planning is the identification and active pursuit of more than one permanency goal. Much like in our own families, some of our best planning is achieved when several options are considered. Concurrent planning can help to expedite the achievement of permanency for the child/youth. Family Service Workers must fully disclose all concurrent planning information with parents, resource parents, and other Child and Family Team members regarding timeframes, expectations, services, and court actions. The Family Service Worker must include identification of appropriate in-state and out-of-state placement options as part of the concurrent planning process. This option may be optimal when: 

a) There is not a clear, singular goal that would reflect best practice standard of having children/youth move to appropriate permanency in the most timely fashion; 

b) A child has had a previous commitment in state custody; 

c) There is a judicial determination that reasonable efforts are not required; or, 

d) A youth is in full guardianship, seventeen (17) years old or older, and has no identified adoptive family. This option is intended to assure that the youth has family connections and support as he or she enters adulthood

State Approaches to Concurrent Planning

Citation: Ann. Code § 37-1-166(g)(6); Admin. Pol. & Proc. § 16.31(E), (M)

Reasonable efforts to place a child for adoption or with a legal guardian may be made concurrently with reasonable efforts to preserve and reunify the family.

In policy: Concurrent planning is the identification and active pursuit of more than one permanency goal at the same time and can help expedite the achievement of permanency. Caseworkers fully disclose all concurrent-planning information with parents, foster parents, and other child and family team members regarding timeframes, expectations, services, and court actions. The caseworker includes identification of appropriate in-State and out-of-State placement options as part of the concurrent-planning process.

Each child in State custody has an identified permanency plan goal or concurrent permanency goals. At the annual permanency hearing, the court reviews the appropriateness of the established goal(s) and reviews progress that has been made toward achieving the permanency goal(s). Services provided to the child and/or family also are reviewed.