Permanency Tip of the Week:For Youth in foster care, especially older Youth who have lived in congregate care / group home settings, “Institutionalized behavior” is often difficult to let go of, even when they are with a Permanent Connection. This behavior (which may include: not actively seeking out attachments to others, demonstrating externalizing behavior in order to get their needs met or not asking for assistance from others) has a strong adaptive / survival quality in congregate care / group home settings. This adaptive / survival quality should be both honored and acknowledged by the Youth’s support team. With repeated and supportive time spent with the Permanent Connection, along with guidance from support adults / professionals, these behaviors can be replaced by those that enhance, strengthen and deepen interpersonal relationships.
Permanency Story of the Week: Katie Couric’s recent series of segments on Foster Care: Here are links to the segments on Katie about foster care from a recent episode of her show: 1) Katie talking to Lisa Ling on tacking the foster care system; 2) Katie talking to Lisa Ling, foster parents and Jennifer Perry about what it takes to be a foster parent; 3) Katie talking to inspiring foster youth;
Current Permanency related articles:
New Studies on Adoption Support and Preservation – TheDonaldson Adoption Institutehas issued two new studies related to post-adoption services. Supporting and Preserving Adoptive Families: Profiles of Publicly Funded Post-Adoption Services, funded by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption,reports on the post-adoption services provided by states, including eligibility and funding information. A companion publication, Keeping the Promise: The Case for Adoption Support and Preservation (ASAP), funded by The Freddie Mac Foundation, synthesizes what is known about post-adoption adjustment and provides new research on the extent and circumstances of adopted children re-entering out-of-home care and adoption dissolutions.
Archived NRCPFC Webcast: Re-Envisioning Foster Care in America – The Treehouse Community – This NRCPFC webcast is now archived and available for viewing. Watch this webcast to learn more about the Treehouse Community, a unique multi-generational community located in Easthampton, Massachusetts, that was designed to support families who are fostering and adopting children from the public foster care system. Through this webcast, you can hear about the experiences of the Treehouse Founder/Executive Director, Judy Cockerton, Treehouse staff members, and parents and elders living as part of the Treehouse Community. (June 2014)
Fiscal Analysis of a Child Welfare Financing Reform Proposal – May 2014 – At the request of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Child Trends conducted analyses pursuant to a child welfare financing reform proposal, as outlined in “When Child Welfare Works: A Working Paper—A Proposal to Finance Best Practices.” This report provides estimates of the federal cost and savings resulting from the major provisions.
Trauma-Informed Practice with LGBTQ Young People in Foster Care – Dr. Gerald Mallon presented this PowerPoint on Trauma-Informed Practice with LGBTQ Young People in Foster Care at the Indiana State Conference on Trauma in Child Welfare, in Indianapolis, Indiana, on May 14, 2014. The PowerPoint discusses levels of trauma, physical and emotional reactions to trauma, LGBTQ adolescents’ internal and external reactions to trauma, and trauma-informed care for LGBTQ youth in foster care, and provides recommendations for competent practice with LGBTQ youth.
ACF and DOE Joint Letter Regarding Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care – This joint letter regarding the educational stability of children in foster care was issued by the Children’s Bureau (CB), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Department of Education (DOE) on May 30, 2014. The letter outlines requirements of the Fostering Connections Act and discusses the coordination necessary to ensure effective implementation of these requirements. The letter also discusses resources and information (including guidance on the Uninterrupted Scholars Act) available through a new ED webpage, Students in Foster Care, as well as the HHS resources available through the National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections website.
Billionaire wants to apply digital revolution to judicial system – The wealthiest man in Los Angeles is looking to team up with UC Irvine’s School of Law in hopes of transforming the country’s judicial system. Patrick Soon-Shiong has expressed interest in spending some of his money on is improving how the courts manage foster children.
Update on Re-Homing – Child Welfare League of America – Recently CWLA has highlighted news reports on re-homing through Reuters, NBC News and other outlets. Re-homing is a practice by some individuals and families who have sought to relinquish their adopted children (generally children adopted through an international process or placement agencies). There is new guidance by the Department of Health and Humans Services in response to this challenge.