Working with families and caregivers after permanency can involve an array of services that should be tailored to each family’s circumstances. Whether permanency was achieved through reunification, placement with kin, guardianship, or adoption, postpermanency services are important and may include support groups, financial support, case management, connections with community services, and respite care, among others. Targeting appropriate services for families of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds is also important when it comes to selecting postpermanency services. Services should be strengths based, accessible, and responsive to a family’s culture as well as other demands on the family, such as employment and child care. Use these resources to learn about a range of support options to consider when working with children, youth, and families after permanency.
All Children – All Families: Post-Permanency Support to Sustain Families
Human Rights Campaign
Explains the need for postpermanency support for LBGTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning) families and the importance of connecting family members with services such as educational sessions, support groups, counseling, and more.
Effective Facilitation of Parent Support Groups [Webinar]
AdoptUSKids (2018)
Explores how to effectively facilitate support groups for foster, adoptive, and kinship family members and caregivers and discusses how facilitating a support group can be an important skill for child welfare workers to help enhance stability in families both before and after permanency is achieved. These groups provide a safe place for parents to share their personal experiences without judgment, allow parents to learn new skills, and offer a sense of community to parents who may fear their situation is unique. Also view Engaging Parents and Caregivers in Support Groups. [Webinar].
Effectively Implementing Effective Practices for Sustainable Permanency: A Synthesis of Research and Practice (PDF - 3,256 KB)
Metz, Bartley, Farley, & Cusumano (2018)
National Implementation Research Network
Provides a summary of effective practices related to sustaining permanency for children and examines effective implementation supports for ensuring permanency practices are used.
Family Stability and Wellness Post-Permanency (PDF - 466 KB)
National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (2018)
Discusses the continuum of postadoption needs for youth and families, reviews types of adoption instability, and examines how child welfare professionals can help provide long-term support for a sustainable permanent placement.
Post Reunification Supports
Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children
Highlights several types of postreunification supports that can be provided to families to help prevent reentry into the child welfare system.
Safe and Sound: Responding to the Experiences of Children Adopted or in Foster Care: A Guide for Caseworkers (PDF - 20,117 KB)
American Academy of Pediatrics (2019)
Helps child welfare workers improve their skills to work with adoptive and foster families recognize and understand children who have experienced trauma.
Supporting Sustained Permanency [Webinar]
Child Welfare League of America & Casey Family Programs (2018)
Presents a two-part webinar series featuring recordings and slide shows on national reentry and approaches toward sustained permanency for children, youth, and families.
Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau
Describes the title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program, a grant that helps States and Tribal organizations provide guardianship assistance payments to support the care of children by relatives who have assumed legal guardianship.
Using Facebook Groups to Provide Family Support After Placement [Webinar]
AdoptUSKids (2018)
Provides information about the benefits of using Facebook groups to offer adoptive, foster, and kinship families support online. The North American Council on Adoptable Children explains their use of Facebook support groups to more than 2,000 parents across Minnesota.