Permanency Tip of the Week: Impact of Substance Abuse on the Permanency Process
Some of the Youth we are seeking to find Permanency for may struggle with issues of substance abuse. For some, this can represent a major barrier to overcome in the Permanency process. It is important to take a step back and assess what role the substance abuse might play in the individual’s life. For some of our Youth, substance abuse has been a common variable present in their life. Approaching Permanency can be an emotionally laden experience full of periods of depression, anxiety and mood fluctuation. All of these mood states can make our Youth even more susceptible to Substance Abuse. It is critically important to help the Youthconcurrently connect with the new sources of Permanency and continue working to move away from substance abuse – not wait for them to get sober before seeking Permanency.
Permanency Story of the Week:
Brittany Ogurkis adopted after 4,015 days in care – At 21
Brittany and Lorine Ogurkis are our guests this broadcast. Brittany was adopted after 4,015 days in the foster care system. Listen to their inspiring story about how they met and then how their chance meeting as Professor/Student lead to Brittany moving in with the Ogurkis family as an 18 year old which lead to her adoption by them when she turned 21. Pat O’Brien and Chester Jackson host.
Current Permanency Related Articles:
A Call for Radical Change in Child Protection Practice
Kevin A. Campbell & Jill Borgeson – We can all agree that abused, neglected and abandoned children deserve every resource we have at our disposal to help them heal, grow and thrive. As child welfare professionals we share a deep commitment to protecting and supporting the children whose parents have been found lacking in their ability to provide the safety and sustenance, if not the love, that every child needs and deserves. We are attracted to this challenge because we at once understand both the immensity and the profound importance of what we strive to accomplish.
Our goal is easy to state: When we engage the child’s extended family, community and tribe we provide the child with the opportunity of relationship, and we open the door to healing and permanence. As child welfare professionals we should settle for nothing less.
Trauma-informed courts can help the vulnerable
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges – The parens patriae doctrine grants power to the state to intervene and protect children and other vulnerable individuals who are not able to protect themselves. In effect, the state serves as a “parent” to the person to ensure their needs are met. With our ever-increasing understanding of adolescent brain development, neuroscience, psychology, and human development generally, there is a growing recognition that these needs are more complex than the basics of food, shelter, and safety. Children experiencing adversity often require assistance to meet developmental needs and tasks, with a focus on promoting resilience and well-being so that they have the same opportunities for positive outcomes as youth who have not been involved with the court system. It is within this context that we consider the role juvenile and family courts can play. The daily interaction with vulnerable populations, combined with the inherent powers of the state, make juvenile and family courts ideally suited to play a strategic role in efforts to promote healing and reduce system-induced trauma. To do this, courts must become trauma-responsive by understanding and promoting the conditions of healing for children and families who come before them.
My Grief Is Real: The Tears of a Foster Parent
Dr. John DeGarmo – If you experience grief and loss when your foster child leaves, this is a reflection of the love that developed between you and your child; a reflection of the love that you gave a child in need. As you know, children in foster care need us to love them; they need us to feel for them. When they leave our homes, we should grieve for them, as it simply means that we have given them what they need the most; our love.
When you grow up in foster care and become a mother, your greatest hope is that you’ll get to be your child’s Mommy. Yet mothers who grew up in foster care are at high risk of having their own children removed. This is the first issue in a series on what it takes for young mothers who grew up in foster care to build stable families. This issue looks at the painful relationship between child welfare systems and the mothers they helped raise.
Books for Foster and Adoptive Families
Books have been a tremendous resource for us as foster and adoptive parents. Often through reading to our kids, we are able to connect and approach subjects creatively. Here we will share books for adults pertaining to foster care, adoption, trauma, attachment, special needs, and anything we feel may be helpful to caregivers, teachers, counselors, social workers, and others involved with foster or adoptive children. Books for kids are broken into different types of adoption, foster care, and general children’s books that are helpful. By clicking on “Read More,” you can learn a bit more about each book, and if we’ve had a chance to read it, we will review it on the these links. As using media to spark healing conversations is one of our main goals, we will write discussion questions for those books which we have read with our children.
Risks for Youth Transitioning to Adulthood
Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, Child Trends investigated the risk patterns for youth as they transition to adulthood. The study focused on youths’ and young adults’ issues with heavy alcohol use, criminal behavior, and financial hardship and analyzed findings based on a variety of factors, including gender, race/ethnicity, and whether the individuals were native or foreign born. The study followed the youth as they moved from their late teens or early twenties (Wave III of the study) to their late twenties and early thirties (Wave IV).