Permanency Tip of the Week: Teen Pregnancy and Permanency
When our Youth in foster care approach adolescence and even more so as they approach adulthood, the lure of Permanency by any means can for some Youth become very powerful. Youth may be tempted to seek out the creation of their own Permanency through having a baby. This can result in devastating outcomes for both the Youth (decreased outcomes in education, housing and employment) and the baby (increased risk of entering foster care). We need to be able to both have the conversation about the risks of teen pregnancy and how to avoid it as well as continue to focus on creating Permanency for our Youth though healthier ways: Family Finding and Engagement.
Permanency Story of the Week: Justin’s Home at Last!
After Justin’s Wednesdays’ Child segment first aired, sadly very few calls came in for Justin. Without much delay, Wednesday’s Child ( a program of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption) and Justin’s foster care agency decided to repeat the segment a few months later hoping that the perfect family for Justin would see him and fall in love… and that’s exactly what happened!
“Justin looked like a angel,” said Mabel Hammer of her first time laying eyes on Justin during his Wednesday’s Child segment airing, “the minute Eddie came home, I told him Justin was meant to be our son.” Mabel and Eddie Hammer had just gotten married 2 years ago, and were thinking of having children together. The couple knew Justin, who is visually impaired, was the piece missing from their family puzzle. Life as a Hammer has been wonderful for Justin! Justin adores his new simple life; his happiness is apparent to everyone!
Current Permanency related articles:
Un-Adopting: Is Divorcing Children an Acceptable Option?
The one difference is that adopted children displaying these behaviors are labeled “defiant” and diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and also with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), a specifically adoption-related “disorder” that pinpoints the problem as the child’s inability to “bond” with a new family, and which has been called a “catch-all, garbage diagnoses.”
It’s Not What’s Wrong with the Children; It’s What’s Happened to Them
Jennifer Ng’andu – Program Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – It has been said to me many times that it’s the child who is acting out that needs you the most. And yet, all too often, the systems that are most likely to deal with young people in crisis do more damage than good.
A recent report from the Juvenile Law Center on how to improve outcomes for young people in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems underscores this point. The report, which was sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), points out that the juvenile justice system relies heavily on a strategy of harsh punishment when its real goal should be helping and healing young people who are struggling.
When young people have behavioral challenges, the system usually asks, “What is wrong with this child, and how do we stop it?” Instead, they ought to be asking, “What happened to this child, and how do we help them?”
Whether you are eight or 80, if you are adopted and have not met the parents who brought you into the world, you no doubt have questions, like those expressed by Hallee Randall, 11, who inspired this post.
A Look at Disconnected Youth Involved in Child Welfare
New findings show that three years after a report of maltreatment, 15% of youth ages 16-24 were “disconnected” – not in school or employed. For more on the characteristics and risk factors for these youths… Explore our latest look at the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being.
Living with Adoption’s Dichotomies and Myths
Imagine sharing your feelings of missing your deceased father (or brother) and hearing: “Be glad you still have your mother (or sister)” as if your loved ones are interchangeable. Such a response would be off target, dismissive, and totally lacking in compassion. Yet it seems acceptable, or at least commonplace, to tell adoptees who courageously share the difficult aspects and challenges of living life adopted that they should be “grateful” because they were “chosen” and are “better off.”
Debbie Schugg Testimony Advocating Adoption Competent Therapists
Pat O’Brien – This evening we interview adoptive mom of 8, seven adopted, Debbie Schugg about testimony she gave before the California State Assembly advocating that mental health professionals and therapists who work with adoptive families be more competent in adoption, trauma, and loss issues. AB No.1790 was passed in California and signed by the Governor on 9-29-14 that will begin the conversation in our country as to why this is so important. Ms. Schugg (a Senior Consultant with the National Center on Adoption and Permanency) shares her testimony with us and also talks about why the issue of having adoption competent mental health professionals is so crucial to adoptive families everywhere.
Permanency for Sibling Groups: The Neighbor to Family Model
Research has shown that keeping siblings together when they enter foster care bolsters positive outcomes, including reducing the trauma they experience upon being removed from their homes. The Neighbor To Family (NTF) model was designed to help keep siblings together and in their own communities. The NTF model differs from traditional foster care in its use of caregivers who are employees of the child welfare agency and who are recruited and trained specifically to serve sibling groups. The NTF caregivers receive regular support from the agency (e.g., group supervision, onsite support, monthly support groups, respite care) and are full participants in the assessment process and in the development and implementation of care plans. They also co-parent with the birth parents, extended families, and any prospective adoptive parents.