Permanency Story of the Week:
Lincoln waitress receives the tip of a lifetime – Abigail Sailors, 18, doesn’t have to worry as much about paying for college after one of her Cracker Barrel customers gave her much more than a 20 percent tip after his lunch Thursday.
Current Permanency related articles:
For teens in foster care, adoption is a lifeline
When we think about adoption, we rarely think of older children. Teenagers are challenging in their own right — sometimes defiant, sullen and self-absorbed — and the perception of teenagers in foster care is that they are irredeemably troubled. But these children can be just as delightful, resilient and rewarding to parent as are younger children. More important, they can just as fully benefit from the emotional and financial stability a family offers, and they are just as much — or even more — in need of loving homes.
Hidden Gems in Adoption Incentives Bill: Counting Failure and Ending APPLA
Chronicle of Social Change – The Supporting At-Risk Youth Act, a child welfare bill passed by the Senate Finance Committee, leads with reauthorization of the federal incentive payments to states based on adoptions from foster care. If it can get through the full Senate – not a certainty, we’re told, since some states will suffer from reforms to the incentive calculation – it could pair with the adoption incentives bill passed 402-0 by the House in October. But in Youth Services Insider’s humble opinion, it will be two unrelated sections of the Senate bill that end up having the biggest effect on the field.
How to Prepare for your Foster Child
A Free eBook by Dr. John DeGarmo – Gain strategies and learn tips on how to best welcome a child from foster care into your own home.
Preparing Children and Youth for Adoption or Other Family Permanency
Published by the Child Welfare Information Gateway, this bulletin 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. This bulletin summarizes the evolution of preparation for permanency; discusses promising practices for preparing children and youth for permanency; highlights promising programs; and provides additional tools and resources. (October 2013)
Social Media: Tips for Foster Care Workers, Youth in Foster Care, and Foster Parents
The Child Welfare Information Gateway published tip sheets on social media for foster care workers, youth in foster care, and foster parents. Each tip sheet briefly describes the advantages and challenges that may be encountered when using social media, explores issues that should be considered, and offers tips for addressing these issues. (October 2013)
As 2014 Chimes In, New Foster Care Laws Take Effect
John Burton Foundation – On January 1st, eight new laws related to dependency and delinquency went into effect in California, dealing with a range of issues from child abuse reporting to sealing juvenile records. AB 506 allows social workers to consent to an HIV tests for an infant under age one taken into temporary custody, while AB 643 expands the list of those permitted to access pupil records without written parental consent or judicial order. AB 1133 gives priority consideration for the placement of medically fragile foster children to a foster parent who is a nurse, while SB 342 requires that mandated monthly visits by county social workers with children in foster care take place within the foster home. AB 545 expands the definition of “non-relative extended family member.”
To learn more about laws that took effect on January 1, read a “Summary of Court-Related Legislation,” written by the Administrative Office of the Court. The summary of laws pertaining to dependency and delinquency begins on page 16.
Lessons Learned for Search and Engagement
Based on their agencies’ experiences locating and engaging relatives to promote family connections for youth, an Ohio workgroup offers 10 lessons to help other child welfare agencies implement and maintain effective family search and engagement (FSE) practices.
Family Search and Engagement: Lessons Learned in Support of Ohio’s Child and Family Services Review Program Improvement Plan for Purposes of Dissemination to PCSAs, compiled by Jodie Hembree, is available on the website of the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program.
Becoming a Permanence-Driven Organization
Anu Family Services, a treatment foster care agency, and the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare published a how-to guidebook for child welfare agencies on improving permanency outcomes for youth in care. After implementing evidence-informed practices and undergoing a cultural and organizational change, Anu Family Services improved permanency outcomes for youth by 84 percent. The guidebook is based on the organization’s lessons learned from this work, which began in 2006.
Creating a Permanence Driven Organization: A Guidebook for Change in Child Welfare