Permanency Tip of the Week: Why do Youth say ‘I am not Willing to Pursue Permanency’?
When we try to imagine what it would be like to experience the repeated losses that some of our Youth face, it becomes a little bit easier to see why they begin saying they are not willing to pursue Permanency. It is important for us to consider whether they are saying No to Permanency or are they actually saying No to the potential for additional losses / rejections. One of the only ways an individual can prevent themselves from experiencing more losses, is to stop developing new relationships. When our Youth say they are not willing to pursue Permanency, let us first respond with compassion, validate their fears and help them process their experience of loss. Then, they might be more willing to pursue Permanency.
Permanency Success Story of the Week: At Home with the Crenshaws
A video series provides a behind-the-scenes look at one family’s adoption journey…The Crenshaws wanted to share their adoption story and invited AdoptUSKids to spend a few days filming their family in action. The resulting three-part video series offers a behind-the-scenes look at this loving, dynamic family.
Current Permanency Related Articles:
ReMoved Film – Jojo spent ten years in California’s foster care system, eventually aging out. Defying the odds, she went on to attend college and become an advocate for other children who, like herself, find themselves in a bureaucratic system. She currently works helping foster youth successfully transition out of the foster care system, teaching them to find their voice and empowering them to share their story. Jojo entered foster care at the age of 8, and she credits her success in life to one particular foster mom, Sue Crowley, who welcomed her into the family and believed in her. Later as an adult, Jojo and Sue decided to become a permanent family through adoption.
Making the Case for Evidence-Based Decision-Making
Stanford Social Innovation Review – Evidence-based practice has great potential to improve social outcomes, but only if we do a better job marketing and adapting it to address the specific problems at hand.
Silicon Valley Mobilizes to Hack Foster Care
Chronicle of Social Change – Early next year, when it hosts its own “Hack Foster Care Summit,” Silicon Valley will pick up the baton in the third leg of what is becoming a national effort to better use technology to improve the lives of children and youth in foster care. Back in May the Administration for Children Youth and Families convened the first ever White House Foster Care hackathon, which has sparked follow up events in New York, Santa Clara, Los Angeles and likely Massachusetts.
Parent Herald – For those of you who don’t know what foster parenting is, with the help of LACDCFS, this means that one could temporarily provide a haven or home for a child until such time that he or she can reunite with his or her biological family. It is far different from adoption because this requires less paperwork. Although you would still need to be qualified to be a foster parent before being able to offer any child your home or care.
Almost a Half Million Children Are in the Foster Care System, But here’s what you can do to help.
Good Housekeeping – How You Can Make a Difference? Not everyone can become a foster or adoptive parent, but there are many ways we all can help. If you have…
One minute: Fund a foster child’s wish (a new doll, for instance) at One Simple Wish; One hour: Put together a “first-night kit” for a foster kid. Call a local foster care agency first to see what it will accept; find one at National Foster Care & Adoption Directory or the National Foster Parent Association; One day a week: Tutor or mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters, Foster Care to Success or National Mentoring Partnership; A weekend: Hold a fundraiser or collect school supplies, toys and suitcases to donate to local foster care centers; Flexible time for a year or more: Become a volunteer for CASA — Court Appointed Special Advocates. A lifetime: Foster or adopt.
Tools for Professionals – Finding Permanency for Older Youth in Foster Care
Child Welfare Information Gateway – Whatever your role is as a child welfare or adoption professional, finding permanency for older youth in foster care can be both a challenging and a rewarding goal. In this section for professionals, you will find information about how to target your recruitment strategies, tools to help you talk with teens about adoption, and resources on how to develop and support adoptive parents from the very beginning of the process to help them meet the needs of older youth.