Permanency Tip of the Week: Running from Permanency vs Running to Safety – It’s All a Matter of Perspective
Let’s now focus on putting the last two tips together in an action plan. When we address the issue of Permanency vs Safety. Among the most perplexing, frustrating and saddening actions that we face in dealing with seeking Permanency for our Youth in Foster Care is when our Youth run away from our homes, refuse to be adopted or appear to purposely get removed from a family home. One way to view this is that the Youth is running from Permanency (Our view). Another could be that the Youth is running to Safety (Their view).
Permanency Success Story of the Week: After 5 Kids, My Wife and I Became Parents. Here’s Our Story
Cincinnati Enquirer – My wife and I are foster parents. The blanket trick, which seemed like magic, happened the first night we ever had a child in our home. We learned it during our foster care training, which we completed just over two years ago.
Since that time, five children have come into our home. We’ve said good-bye to four. Those who left are back with their families, not their parents, but other relatives. On Thursday, we adopted the fifth. Lucas is stuck with us forever. He’s lived with us for over a year now. About three months ago, Hamilton County moved to the adoption phase of the case. In some ways, this was our goal all along, but fostering kids has changed us.
After battling major health problems for about eight years, my wife and I developed a motto: We do hard s***… Being a foster parent has now provided both the best and worst days of my life. It’s been the hardest challenge and the biggest reward. For me, it’s not that the good days outnumber the bad. It’s that the bad days are a battle worth fighting regardless.
Permanency Related Articles:
Preventing Child Abuse – “We all have the power to change someone’s life through our relationships.” That is a key takeaway from this past Sunday’s 60 Minutes segment on childhood trauma where Oprah interviewed Dr. Bruce Perry, Senior Fellow of the Child Trauma Academy and member of the Board of Directors of Prevent Child Abuse America. Healthy relationships – between adults and children, and adults and adults – are the critical factor that can prevent children from experiencing traumatic events, also known as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Research shows that ACEs, like child abuse and neglect, actually disrupt the development of a child’s growing brain.
These disruptions lead to negative, lifelong health consequences such as increased risk for heart disease, mental health issues and suicide. However, healthy relationships reduce social isolation and promote connectedness, providing a supportive presence for adults and children and helping to prevent ACEs in the first place… #oprah #bruceperry #childtraumaacademy #60minutes #cbs
Using Data to Solve our Toughest Challenges
New York City Data Leaders – Striving Toward Excellent Practice (STEP) is a data leadership and quality improvement program that educates and empowers local child welfare staff across the city in order to increase positive outcomes for children and families. STEP provides the NYC child welfare workforce with the skills, resources and support to strengthen Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) through data mining, analysis, research, planning, project development, evaluation, communication, brainstorming and effective use of technology
New Mapping Tool to Help Advocate for Prevention of Abuse and Neglect
Chronicle of Social Change – Casey Family Programs, a national grant maker in the child welfare field, has launched the Community Opportunity Map, a tool that allows users to see localized indicators connected to community health and maltreatment prevention. “We hope the tool will be used by community members, policymakers, child welfare leaders, city government officials and other stakeholders to build hope and promote well-being for…Casey said the indicators available on the map were “carefully selected based on their association with rates of child maltreatment at different levels of geography and their availability to the public.”
New UCLA Center Aims to Build Paths to Success for Foster Youth, Families
UCLA News – A new center at UCLA will address the needs of children who are disconnected from traditional paths to success, with a particular focus on youth in foster care. The UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families, which opened in March, is a collaborative hub for research, prevention and intervention efforts that will work to strengthen families and help children avoid entering the child welfare system.
Alabama Child Welfare Reforms Hold Lessons for Everyone
NCCPR Child Welfare Blog – The reforms began with a lawsuit brought by the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program. (The Bazelon Center’s Legal Director, Ira Burnim, also is a member of NCCPR’s volunteer Board of Directors.) The Star stories show that, even though the system is no longer under court supervision, and though there has been some backsliding, the reforms remain in place. And, precisely because Alabama is a leader in family preservation, it’s also a leader in keeping children safe.
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Take care and keep up the Permanency work – Our children, youth, young adults, families
and communities are depending on it!