ENHANCING PERMANENCY FOR YOUTH

Course overview

Participants will first consider arguments justifying the significance placed upon youth and family connections. Next, Participants will learn about Federal legislation supporting youth permanency. Additionally, Participants will focus on the following strategies for permanency planning with youth: involving youth in permanency planning; strengthening family preservation and reunification services; offering guardianship and subsidized guardianship as options; maintaining relationships with kin; recruiting foster and adoptive families for youth through the use of both media and social media, market segmentation and connecting youth and prospective families; focusing on both pre- and postplacement services; exploring relational permanency; strengthening the workforce to support enhanced permanency; and strengthening court supports. Also, Participants will examine concerns that threaten permanency for youth, such as: policies and attitudes may not reflect an emphasis on permanency for youth; sequential case planning and a focus on independent living services may be inadequate for permanency; insufficient amounts of families recruited to foster and adopt youth; youth initially may be resistant to permanency planning; and the court process may slow or hinder efforts toward permanency. This course is intended to provide child welfare professionals, mental health professionals and social workers with an overview of permanency for youth in out-of-home care. Course Objectives: To be familiar with the importance of connecting youth to family To be aware of Federal legislation that supports youth permanency To consider the following strategies for permanency planning with youth: -Involving youth in permanency planning -Strengthening family preservation and reunification services -Offering guardianship and subsidized guardianship as options -Maintaining relationships with kin -Recruiting foster and adoptive families for youth -Focusing on both pre- and postplacement services -Exploring relational permanency -Strengthening the workforce to support enhanced permanency -Strengthening court supports ¿ To learn about the different barriers to permanency for youth