Permanency in the News – Week of 05/30/16

Permanency Tip of the Week: Attachment Styles – Youth and Adoptive Family

When searching for possible Adoptive families (or other Permanent connections) for our Youth, it is important to examine the degree of similarity between the attachment styles for the Youth and those for the family.  The greater the degree of similarity, the easier it will be to facilitate the creation of a positive initial connection.  The attachment styles do not need to be identical matchers; however, we should be cautious if the attachment styles are too different from each other as this may be too big of a span to ‘build a bridge’ between the child and the family.

Permanency Story of the Week: Heart Gallery – Adoption Success Stories

A small sample of A Family For Every Child – Heart Gallery success stories

Current Permanency Related Articles:

How Colleges and Universities Can Help To Innovate The Child Welfare System

We have to be concerned with the period before kids enter foster care as much as what happens during the time they are in foster care. Equally important is what happens when they are getting ready to age out. The majority of kids under supervision have experienced neglect, not abuse.

We Must Decriminalize Trauma for Girls with Histories of Abuse or Neglect                    

We are starting to better understand the ways in which childhood exposure to trauma can lead to survival strategies and behaviors that are criminalized, while child welfare system involvement can exacerbate underlying trauma and result in law enforcement contact for youth who otherwise would have had none. Information Gateway Resource: Impact of Child Abuse & Neglect

Leaders Prepare to #HackFosterCare at the White House Foster Care and Technology Hackathon

Tomorrow (05/26/16) kicks off the first ever White House Foster Care & Technology Hackathon, and participants’ home court, the web, is buzzing with excitement as leaders in technology and child welfare leaders from around the country head to Washington to #HackFosterCare. This event will gather some of the most tech-savvy minds in the country together with child welfare organizations and foster families to generate new solutions to issues facing youth in the foster care system.

The Former Foster Youth Behind the White House’s Foster Care Hackathon

First Ever White House Foster Care & Technology Hackathon

 Today, as a step to improve the lives of youth and families in the foster care system, to prevent more young people from entering the system, and to create better outcomes for those who age out, the White House, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Think of Us are hosting the first ever White House foster care and technology hackathon. This two-day long event during National Foster Care Month brings together child welfare leaders, non-profit organizations, philanthropies, attorneys and foster care families and alumni, as well as engineers, technologists and other leaders from the technology sector. At the convening, we will discuss ways to improve our foster care system through the use of technology and highlight best practices. Additionally, those involved with child welfare will have the opportunity to team up with technology experts to “hack” challenges in child welfare and explore 21st century solutions. Also: Friday, May 27, is the second day of the White House Foster Care & Technology Hack-a-thon! The two-day event and features speakers and presenters, including the ACYF Commissioner, Rafael Lopez. Sessions continue to be streamed live starting at 1:30ET on May 27.

Foster Children Take Over Congress for a Day

Rep. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) wants members of Congress to picture the face of a constituent when they vote on legislation about the nation’s foster care system.  So this week, she brought foster kids to Washington. Ninety-nine young people trailed representatives through the halls of the Capitol, telling their stories between hearings and meetings.  Bass said it’s usually hard to get her colleagues to focus on foster kids’ issues.  In the scheme of things these kids don’t measure [up] to Iran, to water or oil,” Bass said. “They just don’t … unless you do something deliberately to raise attention.”  So she brought the kids to the Capitol in hopes of letting them talk to lawmakers. “Members of Congress really get a first-hand feel of what it’s like for these kids,” she said.  Bass started the Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Program five years ago, during her first term. It was the idea of her then-Deputy Chief of Staff Jenny Wood, who is now a chief deputy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children, Youth and Families Administration.