Understanding and Using Concurrent Planning to Achieve Permanency for Children and Youth

Understanding and Using CONCURRENT PLANNING To Achieve Permanency for Children and Youth ABA Conference June 6, 2002 Best Practices to Implement ASFA: Creative Strategies for Practitioners

Definition of Concurrent Planning To work towards family reunification while, at the same time, developing an alternative permanent plan. Concurrent rather than sequential planning. It involves a mix of family centered casework and legal strategies aimed at achieving timely reunification, while at the same time establishing a concurrent permanency plan if reunification cannot be accomplished. It is not a fast track to adoption, but to permanency

Goals of Concurrent Planning promote safety, permanency, well-being of children; achieve early permanency; reduce # of moves; continue significant relationships

Goals of Concurrent Planning To develop a network of foster parents (relatives and non-relatives) who can work toward reunification and also serve as permanency resource families for children and youth To engage families in early case planning, case review, and decision-making about the array of permanency options to meet children and youth’s urgent need for stability and continuity in their family relationships To maintain continuity in children’ and Youth’s family, siblings, and community relationships

Why Concurrent Planning Now? Children are spending too much time in foster care Response to Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 – PL: 96-272 Response to Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 - ASFA Major strategy used for child welfare agencies to meet National Outcomes and Performance Standards (Children and Family Service Reviews)

Success Redefined Permanency is the Goal. Reunification is a primary but only one of several acceptable permanency goals.

Core Components of Concurrent Planning Success redefined Differential assessment and prognostic case review Full disclosure Frequent child-family visitation Crises and time limits as opportunity Early search for absent parents (including fathers) and relatives (including paternal resources)

Core Components of Concurrent Planning (continued) Plan A and Plan B – Placement with a permanency planning resource families Written Agreements, scrupulous documentation and timely case review Collaboration between social work and legal service providers

Legal Strategies Indian Child Welfare Act - 1978 Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act 1980 – PL:96-272 Adoption and Safe Families Act 1997 – (ASFA) Multi-Ethnic Placement Act – (MEPA) and Inter-Ethnic Placement Provisions (IEP) – 1994 [Amended in 1996 to remove barriers] The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act 1996

Response to Legal Strategies Family-Centered and Strengths-Based Practice Models Community-Based Service Delivery Cultural Responsive Practice Models Open and Inclusive Practice Non-Adversarial Approaches ~ Solution-Focused Concurrent rather than Sequential Consideration of all Permanency Options

Principles of Strengths/Needs Based Practice Children belong in families, and need nurturing relationship with adults Children should be helped to stay with (or return to) their families People can change with the right services, education and supports Families (biological, foster and adoptive) should be viewed as partners Foster care and other placements used for family support

Principles of Strengths/Needs Based Practice Child’s attachment needs can be addressed through strengthening family resources Comprehensive and individualized services focused on family empowerment – considering family strengths and underlying needs in developing individualized family service plans Culturally responsive services

Differential Assessment Is a Process of: Individualizing our understanding of the individual, family, or group in the context of their present circumstances, past experiences, and potential for future functioning Deepening our family-centered understanding of the child in the context of their family, culture, and community Strengthening our understanding of the personal, interpersonal, and environmental context in which children and families live and interact.

Differential Assessment (continued) Engaging families in culturally competent, early comprehensive assessments, case planning and services needed to achieve timely permanency – reunification or an alternative plan b Engaging in a “Differential Prognostic Assessment” process to identify family situations in which a concurrent permanency plan/placement with a resource family is needed.

Differential Assessment (continued) Using the crisis of placement as a motivator to engage families in case planning and to make behavioral changes. Increasing birth and foster parent partnerships in case planning

Differential Assessment (continued) Recruiting, training, and supporting permanency planning resource families in addition to other types of foster families. Engaging in discussions with foster families about the need for a concurrent permanency plan and their interest in serving as a back-up permanency resource for children who may not return to their birth parents.

Differential Assessment (continued) Identifying relatives and tribal resources who can be placement/permanency resources early on in the case planning process. Respectfully using full disclosure with birth families and foster/adoptive families throughout the life of the case.

Differential Assessment (continued) Collaborating with courts, attorneys, and service providers to better serve children and families. Determining when to pursue the alternative permanency plan such as adoption or guardianship when it is clear the parent(s) can not or will not care for their children.

The Cycle of Change Pre-contemplation Maintenance Contemplation Relapse Action Determination

Benefits To the child To the Parent Reduced placements Earlier permanency through reunification or other permanency option To the Parent Creates sense of urgency Parent benefits from early accessible services outcome is determined by parent. When outcome is not reunification, lays the groundwork for openness with permanent caregiver

Current Challenges Decision-Making when child is placed early and attached to non related caregiver and relative requests placement Foster Parents intervening when reunification planning occurs Continued training needs:staff turnover

Reflections Consider and normalize the language in concurrent planning,i.e. assessment, backup plan, resource foster families Collaborating with courts, attorneys, and service providers to better serve children and families Determining when to pursue the alternative permanency plan such as adoption or guardianship when it is clear the parent(s) can not or will not care for their children. Early Potentially Permanent Kinship Placements Use concurrent planning for all forms of permanency, not only adoption

Associate Professor and Executive Director Gerald P. Mallon, DSW Associate Professor and Executive Director National Resource Center for Foster Care and Permanency Planning at the Hunter College School of Social Work A Service of the Children’s Bureau\ACF\DHHS 129 East 79th Street, Suite 801 New York, New York 10021 (212) 452-7053 - Center line (212) 452-7043 – Private line (212) 452-7051 - fax mrengmal@aol.com - Email www.hunter.cuny.edu\socwork\nrcfcpp