Administrators and program managers play key roles in identifying and initiating system reform and inspiring innovation throughout their organizations. Building and sustaining reform efforts requires careful thought and consideration. Keeping abreast of evidence-based practices, legislation and policy, and other system change agents can be challenging, and understanding the roles of each of these factors is an important part of the improvement process. The following resources discuss a range of approaches to help administrators and managers keep pace with the permanency needs of the children, youth, and families they serve. Resources include State and local examples.
Achieving Permanency for Children in Care: Barriers and Future Directions (PDF - 2,478 KB)
Madden & Aguiniga (2017)
Describes why permanency matters for youth, factors that influence permanency, and system reform and innovations efforts to promote permanency. The end of the presentation also discusses future directions for child welfare agencies working to increase permanency for youth.
Capacity Building for Innovation in Child Welfare
Capacity Building Center for States (2018)
Explores current research and practice about building organizational capacity for innovation in child welfare in five areas: resources, infrastructure, knowledge and skills, culture and climate, and engagement and partnership.
Decisions Related to the Development of a Clearinghouse of Evidence-Based Practices in Accordance With the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018
Federal Register (2018)
Discusses the intended creation of a clearinghouse of practices identified via a systematic review of evidence on relevant programs and services in accordance with the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018. The clearinghouse will house promising and well-supported practices for mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment programs, in-home parenting programs, and kinship navigator programs appropriate for children who are candidates for foster care, pregnant or parenting foster youth, and the parents or caregivers of those children or youth.
Family First Prevention Services Act
ZERO to THREE (2018)
Highlights the 2018 Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) and describes how the act will lead to funding for evidence-based services to prevent foster care placements. The resource also outlines how ZERO to THREE's Safe Babies Court Team approach can help States implement FFPSA.
How Agencies and Courts Improve Outcomes Together
Capacity Building Center for States (2017)
Offers strategies for child welfare agencies to enhance collaboration with courts to promote safety, permanency, and child and family well-being. This free learning experience requires registration.
New Opportunities for Kinship Families: Action Steps to Implement the Family First Prevention Services Act in Your Community (PDF - 440 KB)
American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, Children's Defense Fund, and Generations United (2019)
Reviews provisions of the 2018 Family First Prevention Services Act that help kinship families as well as steps caregivers and other advocates can take to help implement the act.
Promoting Permanency for Teens: A 50 State Review of Law and Policy (PDF - 3,154 KB)
Johnson, Speiglman, Mauldon, Grimm, & Perry (2018)
National Center for Youth Law
Explores State policy and practices on permanency and transitioning to adulthood for youth in foster care. The report also includes recommendations for permanency standards for States.
Research Update: Child Welfare Agencies That Use More Research Evidence Have Higher Rates of Permanency for Children in Foster Care
The Center for State Child Welfare Data (2016)
Explores child welfare agencies' use of research evidence to support their decisions and examines the theory that this method leads to improved outcomes for youth.
Using Child Welfare Administrative Data in the Permanency Innovations Initiative Evaluation [OPRE Report 2016-47] (PDF - 263 KB)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Permanency Innovations Initiative (2016)
Discusses the use of administrative data by the Permanency Innovations Initiative's (PII's) evaluation team and grantees, provides information about the most commonly used child welfare administrative datasets, outlines challenges associated with using administrative data, and highlights ways in which administrative data are used in the PII evaluation.
What's New in Laws & Policies
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau (2019)
Provides resources and information about the latest Federal legislation, regulations, and Children's Bureau policies. The page also details the 2018 Family First Prevention Services Act, which includes reforms to help keep children safely with their families and out of foster care; emphasizes the importance of children growing up in families; and helps ensure children are placed in the least restrictive, most appropriate family-like setting when placements are necessary.
State and local examples
California Partners for Permanency (CAPP)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau (2015)
Describes the CAPP project, which developed a practice model to address disparities in child welfare outcomes and to support positive permanency outcomes for all children who receive services. The website links to the CAPP project webpage, the practice model, and other relevant resources.
Child and Family Services Agency Exit to Permanence Roadmap
D.C. Child and Family Services Agency
Presents a permanence roadmap used in Washington, DC, that functions as a tool to help child welfare professionals and families move children to permanence more effectively and efficiently. Each square on the map represents a step to take, such as engaging kin or planning parent/child visits. Each step also includes the information needed to help the child welfare professional achieve the goal.
Colorado Engages Constituents in Family First Prevention Services Act Planning
Family Voices United (2019)
Reviews steps being taken by Colorado's Office of Youth, Children & Families to begin planning for the provisions of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). The State has created an advisory committee, which will create a roadmap for Colorado's effort that represents understanding, planning, and implementation of the FFPSA.
Effectively Implementing Effective Practices for Sustainable Permanency: A Synthesis of Research and Practice (PDF - 3,256 KB)
National Implementation Research Network (2018)
Outlines the work being done by the Colorado Department of Human Services' Division of Child Welfare on creating a sustainable permanency practice model that meets the needs of children, youth, and families and increases permanency outcomes. The brief describes effective practices, effective implementation supports, and how to support stakeholder engagement and data use in these efforts.
Family First Prevention Services Act: What You Need to Know
Illinois Collaboration on Youth (2019)
Details plans for implementation of the Families First Prevention Services Act in Illinois. The resource describes the law, eligible populations to be served, prevention services, evidence-based services, challenges to implementation, and more.
How Have Some States Developed and Funded Kinship Navigator Programs?
Casey Family Programs (2018)
Describes the implementation of kinship navigator programs in several States, including Washington, New York, Georgia, Connecticut, and Florida. The resource explores local approaches to funding and operations, Federal sources of funding and support, jurisdictional efforts to support program development and sustainability, and more.
Illinois: Trauma Focus Model for Reducing Long-Term Foster Care (PDF - 97 KB)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Permanency Innovations Initiative (2016)
Discusses Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy (TARGET), an initiative implemented in Illinois to provide education and therapy for youth and parents who have been affected by trauma or experience stress related to adverse experiences. Its purpose is to reduce length of time in foster care and improve permanency for youth.
Kansas Intensive Permanency Project (KIPP)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau (2015)
Explains how the University of Kansas is working with the Kansas Department for Children and Families and two foster care providers to accelerate stable permanency for families with children who have serious emotional disturbance by delivering intensive, in-home parent training and support services. The webpage links to the KIPP program manual, evaluations, and additional resources.
Nevada Initiative to Reduce Long-Term Foster Care
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau (2015)
Describes the Safety Assessment Family Evaluation – Family Connections (SAFE-FC) program implemented in Washoe County, Nevada, which aims to reduce the number of children in foster care by preventing children from coming into care and improving permanency outcomes for those who have permanency barriers. The webpage also provides links to additional information on SAFE-FC.
Recognize Intervene Support Empower (RISE)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau (2015)
Highlights the RISE program in Los Angeles, which works to improve permanency outcomes for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning children and youth in the foster care system. The webpage also links to resources on the project, including a microsite, evaluation results, program manual, and others.