For information on locating and engaging adults who can provide permanent connections with children and youth, see our page on Family Search and Engagement.

Guides and Practice Resources (General)

• Love and Belonging for a Lifetime: Youth Permanency in Child Welfare 
  This special issue of Protecting Children, a Professional Publication of American Humane Association, highlights many of the nuanced practice and policy issues that support effective permanency planning and decision making with adolescents in foster care. Articles include: Love and Belonging for a Lifetime, by Stacie Hanson and Sarah Greenblatt; What Finding Permanency Means from a Youth Perspective, by Dianna Walters; Independent Living Program Transformation in California: Lessons Learned about Working with Older Youth and Implications for Permanency, by Karen Lofts Jarboe and Jen Agosti; Integrating Child Welfare and Mental Health Practices: Actualizing Youth Permanency Using the 3-5-7 Model, by Darla L. Henry and Gregory Manning; Permanency for LGBTQ Youth, by Gerald P. Mallon, D.S.W.; Reinstating Parental Rights: Another Path to Permanency?, by Susan Getman and Steve Christian; and, Adopt Cuyahoga’s Kids: Securing Adoptive Placements for Older Youth in Cuyahoga County’s Public Child Welfare System, by Sue Pearlmutter, Victor Groza, Teresa Garafolo, and Betsie Norris. (2011)
  

• 2008 National Convening on Youth Permanence: Recommendations of Youth and Young Adults 
  Does everyone deserve a forever family? Do teens and young adults desire a forever family? Which permanency option is best for youth? How do young people define permanence? These were some of the questions asked by over 30 youth and young adults that attended the 2008 National Convening on Youth Permanence, all with a desire to share their experiences about the foster care system. This summary shares their messages and encourages participants from the Convening to feel their experiences, hear their recommendations and make permanency a reality for all youth and young adults. (June 2008)
  

• Openness to Permanency Scale
  Developed to be used in a federally funded program intended to increase the number of older youth in foster care who achieve permanence and strengthened kin or fictive kin connections, this questionnaire is designed to determine a youth's willingness for adoption. The scale identifies issues such as conflicted loyalty, self-esteem, and worthiness. The questionnaire consists of 22 brief statements rated by the youth on a four-point scale from Not True At All to Exactly True. Directions are provided for administering and scoring the questionnaires. This scale is used to measure change in a youth's openness to permanency over time in the It's Up To Me/ReConnect program. It is also used for discussion purposes between the youth, case manager, adoptive parent(s), and/or birth family. The instrument is administered by the case manager at intake into Bethany Christian Services, 6 months into the program, 1 year into the program, and at termination. (2006, Revised 2007)
  

• Making the Case for Ongoing Connections Between Youth and Those Who Matter to Them - Before Permanency and Beyond
  This Guide from the Family Connections Project in Illinois is a manual that presents audience-specific education to legal and court personnel about the benefits of open permanency arrangements that are based on a parenting curriculum provided by Adoptions Unlimited, Inc. (AUI) for use in the project. (December 2006)
  

• Permanence for Young People 
  The National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections and the Casey Center for Effective Child Welfare Practice at Casey Family Services co-sponsored a meeting of experts in the field of youth permanency to develop a framework and measurements that can be used by public child welfare agencies throughout the country to improve practice. Such a framework for practice, combined with a way to measure results, can be particularly helpful to States seeking to prepare and implement Program Improvement Plans in response to the Child and Family Service Reviews. The experience and expertise in permanence for young people represented at the meeting provided the guidance to develop this comprehensive national framework and outcome measures. (June 2004)
  

• Permanency Pact 
  A Permanency Pact is a pledge by a supportive adult to provide specific supports to a young person in foster care with a goal of establishing a lifelong, kin-like relationship. This tool from FosterClub explains Permanency Pacts, describes supports an adult could provide, and includes a Permanency Pact form. (2006)
  

• Extreme Recruitment™ Toolbox
  Visit the Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition’s website to learn about their “Extreme Recruitment™” approach to matching youth with adoptive families and to access their Extreme Recruitment Toolbox. The Extreme Recruitment™ Toolbox includes a variety of resources, including a Manual, Timeline, Top Ten List, Genogram Example, Roadmap to Permanency, Weekly Action Plan, and many other helpful documents.

• Pamphlets on Successful Adolescent Adoptions

• You’re Never Too Old…Teens Speak Out on Adoption 
  A pamphlet for adolescents who are considering adoption, including quotes from adoptees. Available in English and Spanish.

• They’re Never Too Old…Teen Adoption
  In this pamphlet, parents answer questions about their decision to adopt, their experiences with discipline, and their frustrations and successes. Adoptees respond to questions concerning their decision to be adopted, their experiences with their adoptive and biological families, and their quality of life since their adoption. Available in English and Spanish
  
  

• California:

• Emancipated Youth Connections Project - Final Report/Toolkit
  This report from the California Permanency for Youth Project describes a project that assisted 20 young adults who left the child welfare system with few or no permanent connections to find and create these relationships. The final report describes and evaluates this work, and includes a toolkit for those who are interested in replicating and/or customizing youth permanency into their agencies and organizations. (2008)

• Declaration of Commitment to Permanent Lifelong Connections for Foster Youth 
  This statement, signed by over 140 organizations, agencies, and communities in California, establishes a commitment to work toward permanence for young people in foster care. (2006)

• Iowa:
  Iowa’s Blueprint for Forever Families
  This document builds from Iowa's permanency vision and foundational principles adopted by the Child Welfare Advisory Committee and Children's Justice Council in 2009 to offer State and local child welfare and juvenile justice stakeholders a cohesive set of strategies to address the complex issue of permanence. It presents a framework for permanency efforts that can be used to guide the work of multiple partners and stakeholders. The framework is organized around five key areas: family and youth engagement, family preservation, placement and reunification, adoption and guardianship, and transitioning to adulthood. For each area, background data and recommendations are provided. These content areas are followed by additional recommendations for next steps needed to implement effective permanency efforts statewide, including: achieving race equity and cultural competence; training; engaging additional partners; and tracking data, measuring outcomes, and building in accountability. In some cases, existing efforts or strategies are highlighted that should be continued, strengthened or expanded; in other cases, new policies or practices are identified. Few of the recommendations require significant new resources and most offer no-cost or low-cost approaches to embed best permanency practice into ongoing work within existing resources. (2011)

• Massachusetts
  Promising Practices and Lessons Learned 
  From November 2005-October 2006, the Massachusetts Department of Social Services sponsored a statewide Breakthrough Series Collaborative focused on Adolescent Permanency. This initiative supported 29 teams from across Massachusetts, along with one team each from Rhode Island and Maine, as they tested and implemented practices to improve the way permanency is achieved for adolescents. This final report highlights the key themes and promising practices that emerged from these 31 participating teams. (March 2007)
  

• New England States
  Declaration of Commitment to Permanent Lifelong Connections for Foster Youth 
  Commissioners and Directors of the New England public child welfare agencies and Board Presidents of the Foster and Adoptive Parent Associations in the New England states took a symbolic step. Each of them pledged their individual commitment and the commitment of their respective agencies to support and achieve permanent lifelong connections for all children and youth that they serve. The Declaration was signed in Nashua, NH at the ninth biennial meeting of the New England Association of Child Welfare Commissioners and Directors and the New England Foster Care Association. Each organization will display the commitment document in their respective states and will work together to fulfill the obligations that it references. Members of the two groups and invited guests seek effective ways to increase collaborative efforts as a means for improving the lives of children and families they serve. (October 2006)
  

• New York
• Preparing Youth for Adulthood 
  This New York City Administration for Children's Services report focuses on strengthening and expanding supports and services for foster care youth. The initiative shifts the focus from an independent-living to a youth-development framework and establishes six goals for all youth. It requires developing a plan to achieve these goals when the child reaches age 14 and setting and tracking action steps for achieving the goals. (June 2006)
  

• Adolescent Services and Outcomes Practice Guidance Paper 
  This New York State Office of Children & Family Services guide provides local social services districts, voluntary agencies and Division of Rehabilitative Services with guidance on a framework for practice with adolescents in foster care that is intended to strengthen services to adolescents and improve their achievement of permanency. This framework for practice represents a major shift in thinking, by focusing on establishing permanent, nurturing adult connections for adolescents in foster care as well as providing these youth with life skills. (July 2004)

• Rhode Island
  Achieving Permanency for Children and Youth in Foster Care 
  This issue brief is from Rhode Island Kids Count. It discusses essential elements of the child welfare system for achieving permanency, barriers to achieving permanency, opportunities to achieve permanency, changes to the Rhode Island DCYF approach to permanency planning, examples of innovative Rhode Island approaches, and recommendations. It also addresses children with special needs and disproportionate minority representation in child welfare. It highlights sources of federal funding. (May 2008)

Resources: Research, Studies, and Strategies

• An Examination of Theory and Promising Practice for Achieving Permanency for Teens Before They Age Out of Foster Care
  In this paper, research is presented that examines the efficacy of Independent Living (IL) services in preparing foster youth to live “independently”, and calls into question the appropriateness of an “independence” goal for youth aging out of foster care. The paper reviews the emerging conceptualization of youth permanency in child welfare practice that focuses on lifelong connections to kin and fictive kin as requirements for permanency. The paper then reports on the success of a federally funded demonstration project that served youth in residential treatment facilities and group homes in New York City aging out of care. It examines elements of the project model that were highly successful in achieving family-based permanency for a significant proportion of youth referred to the program and concludes that it is a promising practice model for the profession. This article, by Rosemary J. Avery, was published in Children and Youth Services Review, Vol. 32. (October 2009)

• A Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime: Relational Permanence Among Young Adults with Foster Care Backgrounds 
  This study from Chapin Hall conducted in-depth interviews and created personal network maps with twenty-nine young adults participating in a program offering resources to help them make successful transitions to adulthood. The aim of this study was to explore their social support networks and examine how foster care might constrain or facilitate supportive relationships into adulthood. The report closes with implications for practice and policy. (2008)

• Permanent Solutions: Seeking Family Stability for Youth in Foster Care
  Children's Rights conducted an in-depth analysis of New York City's child welfare system with the Administration for Children's Services on the permanency outcomes facing children in the foster care system. Concrete recommendations suggest actions that can be taken to avoid having children languish without a plan for either reunification or adoption. (2005)

• Successful Adolescent Adoptions
  This study from the Center for Child and Family Studies, College of Social Work, University of South Carolina, used interviews with adoptive parents and adoptees to discover some of the factors that contribute to successful adolescent adoptions. (2004)

• Who Am I? Why Family Really Matters
  This article from Focal Point describes the positive results of efforts to reunite children in foster care with their families. It includes a case study, reunification and support strategies, and outcome information. (2001)

• Permanency Planning: Creating Lifelong Connections
  This monograph from the National Resource Center for Youth Development provides an overview of the permanency issues for older youth in care, presents the results and outcomes of the Adolescents and Permanency Think Tank in 1999, and presents next steps and recommendations for achieving permanency for adolescents. (April 2000)

• National Convenings on Youth Permanence Reports
  The Stuart Foundation hosted annual convenings from 2002 to 2005 to explore permanency for older children and adolescents as part of the California Permanency for Youth Project. In 2006, Casey Family Programs took over sponsorship of the convenings. The reports for 2002-2005, 2006, and 2008 are available online on the Seneca Center website.

• Using Non-Judicial Court Staff to Help Achieve Permanency for Children
  In discussing ways to improve a court's ability to achieve permanency for children, people often focus on the responsibilities of judges, attorneys and caseworkers. The activities of non-judicial court staff are often overlooked, even though their activities play a central role in the functioning of the court and can have a significant impact on the court's ability to achieve permanency for children. This article from the National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues discusses innovative docketing practices, additional activities reported to help achieve permanency in a timely and effective manner and the pre-appointment of counsel as a means to improved outcomes.

• Report to Congress on Adoption and Other Permanency Outcomes for Children in Foster Care: Focus on Older Children
  The Adoption Promotion Act (the Act), passed in 2003, supported efforts to find adoptive homes for children in foster care by reauthorizing the Adoption Incentive Program, a key outcome-focused tool for promoting adoption, and also introduced a special focus on the need to find adoptive homes for children ages 9 and older. Congress included in the Act a requirement for a report that presents the strategies and promising approaches being undertaken to achieve permanency outcomes for children in foster care. In keeping with the legislative requirement, this report addresses not only adoption, but also the achievement of other permanency outcomes for children, with a special focus on older children. The challenges faced in attempts to achieve these outcomes are summarized, along with strategies for addressing these challenges. The report concludes with a summary of the progress that has been made and strategies that show promise of improving outcomes for children in foster care.

Curricula

• Ongoing Connections: Parenting Curriculum - Trainer's Guide
  This training from the Family Connections Project is designed to prepare prospective adoptive parents and others interested in offering a permanent family to older youth in the foster care system. It will assist them in exploring the importance of permanence for the youth as well as the benefits gained when the youth maintain connections with significant people from their past after they join a family. (May 2007)

• Preparing Youth for Permanent Family Connections - Preparing Everyone for Permanent Family Connections
  This one-day curriculum from the Bay Area Academy in California is designed to train child welfare professionals in preparing youth for permanent placements. It provides step-by-step instructions for providing training that addresses: the definition of permanence as it pertains to youth in foster care; assessing whether a "permanency orientation" has been incorporated into personal and agency practices; critical stages of youth development that impact the ability to think, communicate, and make decisions about permanence; respectful and effective approaches to communicating with youth and their surrounding support systems regarding permanence, including respectful listening, engagement, and follow-up; the development of youth-specific permanency plans in collaboration with youth; appropriate strategies to assist youth in preparing for family living; and meaningful records-search when reviewing a case record. Exercises are included to foster understanding of key concepts. (December 2005)

• Supervisory Training to Enhance Permanency Solutions
  This professional development program, comprised of six training modules, was designed to enhance Massachusetts Department of Social Services supervisory practices with respect to specific strategies to engage and support social workers in the management of adolescent care, including promoting permanency and preparing adolescents for young adulthood.

Teleconferences, Webcasts, and Audio Files

• Reinstating Parental Rights for Youth in Care 
  Despite laws that require termination of parental rights when a child has remained in foster care for a specified period of time, studies indicate that relationships with their biological parents/relatives are important to children/youth in foster care. Youth who become “legal orphans” through the court process often make efforts to maintain that connection. In some cases where the purpose for terminating parental rights (i.e. adoption) is not fulfilled, the child, child welfare agency, or parent has asked that the court reinstate the legal relationship between the child and parent. This NRCPFC teleconference discussed how some States are finding permanency for youth by reinstating parental rights or by biological parents adopting their birth children. This session provided an overview of issues, discussed legal actions taken by States, considered possible solutions, and explored the question, “Where do we go from here?” (April 2011)

• A Discussion About Permanency for Older Adolescents 
  Effective models that empower and support youth in achieving permanency must be multidimensional. Such models include recruiting and training appropriate foster and adoptive families, many of whom were previously known by the young person prior to their adoption. Effective strategies also include connecting youth to caring adults; mentoring and building connections with extended family; and strategies to effectively address the emotional/mental health issues of youth, including grief and loss. Strategies can also include community connections, family search and engagement, family connections, and caseworker and supervisor support in assessing and supporting a range of permanency options early and often in their work with youth. In this webcast, NRCPFC Executive Director, Gerald P. Mallon, and Pat O'Brien, Founder & Executive Director of You Gotta Believe! The Older Child Adoption & Permanency Movement, discuss strategies for achieving permanency with older adolescents. (March 2010)
  
  
• Youth Permanency
  NRCPFC and CWLA hosted this teleconference on youth permanency for state foster care and adoption managers. Presenters provide an overview of youth permanency and the Region VIII Youth Permanency Initiative. A youth perspective and Massachusetts State perspective are also shared. (March 2007)
  

PowerPoint Presentations

• Unpacking the “No” of Permanency for Older Adolescents
  This PowerPoint focusing on "Unpacking the "No" of Permanency for Adolescents" is a part of approved on-site Technical Assistance (TA) which NRCPFC engaged in with the State of Florida in three Regions (Ocala, Volusia and Orlando). This work supported the Permanency Roundtables Initiative by Casey Family Programs in these same Regions and underpins the framework of "Permanency Values" for the Permanency Roundtable Initiatives. NRCPFC was proud to collaborate with Casey Family Programs on this important permanency initiative. (November 2011)

• A Framework and Measures for Youth Permanency 
  This NRCPFC presentation describes the framework and measures developed at a national experts meeting in 2004 co-sponsored by NRCPFC and the Casey Center for Effective Child Welfare Practice. The organizing framework for the Breakthrough Series Collaborative on Permanence for Young People can guide child welfare agencies across the country to help young people achieve and maintain permanent family relationships. It proposes six key components of successfully identifying and supporting permanent family relationships for young people in out-of-home care. (August 2005)

• Facilitating Permanency for Youth
  This presentation was given by Joan Morse from NRCPFC at Permanence and Preparation: Connections = Success, a policy forum on improving transitions for system-involved youth sponsored by the Iowa Collaboration for Youth Development. (June 2004)

• Exploring Permanency for Youth 
  This PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Gerald Mallon, NRCPFC Executive Director, addresses the array of permanency options, as well as barriers to change and recommendations related to the following challenges: developing a comprehensive definition of permanency, prioritizing youth in permanency planning, reliance on the practice of sequential planning, limited involvement of youth in their own permanency plans, lack of permanent resources, lack of pre-post placement support services, lack of financial flexibility to foster permanent relationships, and legal barriers to alternate forms of permanency.  (May 2002)
• Facilitating Permanency for Older Adolescents 
  This PowerPoint presentation from NRCPFC discusses what permanency means for young people, various pathways to permanence, and how to work with youth to help them achieve permanency.

NRCPFC Information Packets

• Adolescent Identity & the Impact on Adoptive Parents by Percio Bernal (May 2003)

Bibliographies

• Older Adolescent Permanency and APPLA (2005-2011)
  NRCPFC compiled this list of resources on the topics of 1) older adolescent permanency and 2) Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement. Website links are included for resources that are available for free online. (September 2011)

• Youth Permanency
  Prepared for NRCPFC by the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information/National Adoption Information Clearinghouse (now the Child Welfare Information Gateway). (April 2006)

  For newer titles added to the Gateway database, click here.

Websites

• Child Welfare Information Gateway: Youth Permanency
  This section of the Child Welfare Information Gateway website is devoted to Youth Permanency, with sections on Strategies and Programs, Spotlight on Adoption, Supporting Youth in Foster Care, Youth Perspectives, and Outcomes for Emancipated Youth.

• National Resource Center for Youth Development: Engaging Youth in Permanency Planning
  This NRCYD webpage discusses why it is important to involve youth in permanency planning, what permanency means to adolescents, how we can talk to young people about permanency, programs that support permanency for foster youth, and legislation that supports permanency for adolescents.

• Seneca Center: Helping Families Through Their Most Difficult Times
  The California Permanency for Youth Project and Seneca’s Center for Family Finding and Youth Connectedness (founded by Kevin Campbell) have merged and forged a new identity as the National Institute for Permanent Family Connectedness. Visit the website to access information and a variety of resources related to permanency.