Preparing Children and Youth for Permanency

Children and youth in out-of-home care must be involved in planning for their own permanency to the extent possible. Discussing permanency options, explaining the processes, and helping children and youth deal with the emotional ups and downs are all activities that can help prepare and support them to achieve permanency. The following resources can help professionals prepare youth throughout the permanency process, including State and local examples.

Enhancing Permanency for Youth in Out-of-Home Care
Series Title Bulletins for Professionals
Author(s)
Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Year Published 2013
Addresses the specific challenges of permanency planning with youth and highlights successful models and strategies. After reviewing background statistics and research on outcomes for youth who leave foster care without a permanent family, the bulletin looks at Federal legislation enacted to improve these outcomes. Specific strategies for improving youth permanency are described, and examples of programs across the country using these strategies are provided.
Preparing Children and Youth for Adoption or Other Family Permanency
Series Title Bulletins for Professionals
Author(s)
Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Year Published 2013
Discusses services for children and youth in foster care to address their readiness and preparation for adoption and other permanent relationships. It focuses on ways that child welfare workers and other adults can help to prepare those children and youth whose goal is adoption; however, much of the information on preparation is also applicable to children and youth with other permanency goals. The bulletin examines what has previously been considered adequate preparation as well as current practices and those in development to more effectively ensure that children and youth are better prepared for permanent family relationships, including both legal and relational permanency (permanent relationships with caring adults).
Talking With Older Youth About Adoption
Author(s)
Child Welfare Information Gateway; AdoptUSKids
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Year Published 2016
Provides child welfare professionals with a framework for how to talk with older youth about permanency, including key considerations and suggestions for starting a conversation as well as ways to make these discussions more effective and meaningful.

We Never Outgrow the Need for Family—Just Ask Us: Talking With Older Youth About Adoption [Video]
Administration for Children and Families (2016)
Features teens involved with the child welfare system and their perspectives and experiences in developing permanent connections.

Working With Youth to Develop a Transition Plan
Series Title Bulletins for Professionals
Author(s)
Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Year Published 2013
Provides information to help child welfare professionals and others who work with transitioning youth to understand the Federal legislative requirements for transition plans and partner with youth to develop a plan that builds on their strengths while supporting their needs.

State and local examples

Permanency for Older Youth [Video]
Public Children Services Association of Ohio YouTube Channel (2016)
Highlights a pilot program used by Ohio's children's services agencies that focuses on finding permanency for older youth in foster care and reunifying them with birth their parents, even if parental rights have been terminated.

Perspectives on Normalcy: Videos and Discussion Questions
Capacity Building Center for States (2016)
Shares the perspectives of diverse individuals as they discuss their experiences with normalcy within the child welfare system. This product is designed to support States and territories implementing the reasonable and prudent parent standard (RPPS) by illustrating normalcy and generating discussion about the complexities of implementing normalcy using the RPPS.