A description for each component can be accessed by clicking the individual headings. Under each component are hyperlinks to tip sheets that expound upon specific topics.
Set Stage for Permanency
Start down the path to permanency
Involve stakeholders in the permanency process
Develop Foster/Adoptive Families
Find families with capacity to meet the needs of children in care
Implement the “right time” training
Set expectations
Develop a circle of support
Manage Transitions
Lessen trauma related to transitions
Prepare children for permanency
Develop a Continuum of Permanency Support and Preservation Programs/Services Throughout the Journey
Create a continuum of response strategies
Engage the community to support and to enhance post-permanency services
Prepare for Adoption/Guardianship
Implement full disclosure as a process, not an event
Respond to the unique dynamics of kinship
Engage birth families
Path to Positive Adoption/Guardianship Outcomes highlights some of the fundamental components that must be embedded in the child welfare system to successfully achieve these outcomes. This framework is rooted in the idea that improved capacity related to permanency outcomes requires changes in the child welfare system from entry to post finalization. Positive adoption/guardianship outcomes, as conceptualized in this model, represent not simply the volume of cases that achieve permanency but also the long-term stability of the placements and the well-being of children/youth and families.
This path provides a conceptual structure to use when assessing a state’s focus on permanency support and preservation services throughout the continuum of care. There are five components to this structure highlighted in green around the path. Although not exhaustive, these five components are fundamental in achieving positive adoption/guardianship outcomes. Some components may involve new programs or practices; however, most reframe current practice in a manner that promotes permanency outcomes throughout the continuum. The components are not in any type of order but instead ebb and flow throughout the continuum of care. Even though reunification is the first permanency option that should be pursued, it is imperative that a strong foundation for all permanency options be implemented immediately when children enter care
