|
This National Adoption Month, let’s reflect on the words of Rita F. Pierson: “Every child deserves a champion—an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best they can possibly be[1].
While permanency in child welfare is sometimes defined narrowly as legal permanency, widening the lens to meet the individual needs and priorities of youth is more likely to lead to a lifetime of love and supportive connections. Permanency can include:
-
Legal permanency: A permanent family relationship recognized by the law, such as reunification, guardianship, or adoption[2].
-
Relational permanency: Lifelong and permanent connections with people a youth cares about and can count on[3].
-
Geographic permanency: Connections to communities, schools, and stable housing, for example.
Youth and young adults should be the drivers of their own permanency goals. Regardless of their circumstances, all youth deserve the opportunity to plan for their future and make meaningful lifetime connections with the people they love.
Examples in Action
The following are examples of approaches to support youth-centered permanency planning:
-
SOUL Family (Support • Opportunity • Unity • Legal Relationship) is a youth-developed legal permanency proposal that recognizes each young person’s unique circumstances and priorities. The model, in which older youth in foster care choose the adults in their SOUL Family, allows for the maintenance of legal relationships with birth parents and siblings while establishing new legal relationships and permanent connections with other supportive adults[3].
-
FosterClub’s Permanency Pact involves a defined commitment between a supportive adult and a young person, with the goal of establishing a “lifelong, kin-like relationship.” The process of commitment is supported by a facilitator who helps navigate the process in partnership with the young person and the supportive adult[4].
Successfully integrating youth and families into permanency planning requires intentional approaches that mitigate power differentials and incorporate lived expertise in policy and practice decisions. The importance of collaborative approaches that center the voices of lived experts is reflected in the Capacity Building Center for States’ (the Center’s) approach, as Young Adult Consultants and Family Consultants partner to support agencies in their change efforts.
The State Adoption Managers Peer Group promotes collaboration among members of the National Association of State Adoption Programs (NASAP) to achieve positive outcomes in the areas of adoption and guardianship. NASAP exists to enable state adoption managers to pool their expertise for progressive improvement in the quality of care to children, youth, and families served by state adoption services. Learn more on the Center’s website.
The Center has several resources to help agencies build capacity for youth-centered permanency planning:
Series and Publications
Related Resources
Related Organizations
-
AdoptUSKids – AdoptUSKids is a national project that supports child welfare systems and connects children in foster care with families.
-
Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago – Chapin Hall is dedicated to the idea that evidence should drive decisions. They work in three primary impact areas: child welfare systems; community capacity, including schools, courts, and before- and after-school programs; and youth homelessness.
|
Did you receive this message from a friend? Get it delivered to your inbox.
|
