1. Permanency Planning From Day One

2. Every child is born with the beautiful potential to become wonderful human beings who experience love, joy, growth and make positive contributions to themselves, the people they love, and to all members of society…

3. Sometimes things occur in children’s lives that can interfere with children’s abilities to reach their beautiful potential… such as child abuse and neglect

4. By the End of this Session
You will be able to: • Describe process of reasonable efforts and aggravated circumstances • Explain difference between reasonable efforts and active efforts • Define permanency and explain its importance in our work • Define concurrent planning

5. By the End of this Session: Continued
You will be able to: • List the types of permanent plans in their priority order and explain why that order meets the needs of children • List timeframes for permanency planning, court hearings, and shared planning meetings • Describe case practices to create timely permanency
Handout: DSHS Guidelines for Reasonable Efforts to Locate Children and/or Parents

6.  9,326

7. Reasonable Efforts Means Providing efforts to:
Prevent unnecessary removal
Reunify
Provide timely permanence
Implications
Reunification is a safety decision
Not about what family is “better”
Handout: DSHS Guidelines for Reasonable Efforts to Locate Children and/or Parents

8. In Other Words…. Reasonable efforts:
Must be made. Don’t leave court without it!
Unless
“The parent has subjected the child to aggravated circumstances as defined by state law and the court orders that efforts do not need to be made.”

9. Aggravated Circumstances
Rape of a Child
Criminal Maltreatment
1st or 2nd Degree Assault
Murder, manslaughter or homicide of the child’s other parent, sibling, or another child
Various sexual crimes
Prior TPR (with no perpetuated changed)
RCW (4) Handout Exceptions to Reasonable Efforts

10. Active Efforts for ICW
Advocacy: counseling, treatment, housing, financial assistance
Setting up and confirming appointments
Providing transportation
Involving extended family and cultural resources
Maintaining contact and consultation with tribes and organizations
The concept of “active efforts” goes along with what we know is best practice. Active efforts are especially required on Native American/ Alaskan Native/ First Nations cases. They imply “going the extra mile” to assure that historically underserved and oppressed people are supported and their family structure maintained.
These are some examples of what “active efforts” mean. The Solution-Based Casework principle of eliciting the family’s perspective and potential solutions, and collaborating with the family in a strength-based service and case plan fits well with the concept of active efforts.

11. Break into groups of 3
Write down your definition of Permanency

12. Definition of Permanency
An unconditional life-long commitment by an adult who is nurturing and competent, who can provide a child with physical safety, emotional security and a sense of belonging.

13. What is Permanency Planning?
Permanency planning is, first and foremost, planning.
Process directed toward the goal of a permanent, stable home for a child. 
Begins at intake, and focuses Child Welfare services on the child's need for a stable, permanent home during all phases of practice.

14. Basic Permanency Assumptions
Children have a right and need to live and develop within safe, secure, and permanent families.
Children have a right to live with parents/caregivers whom they can love, trust, and depend upon.
Separation for extended periods of time may result in tremendous psychological and developmental disruption.
A child's perception and experience of time are determined by his level of cognitive developmental maturity.

15. Permanency Planning Starts at first contact Protects the child
Preserves cultural and family connections
Protects primary attachments OR
Creates new ones

16. Permanency Options/Legal Plans
In order of preference:
Return Home
Adoption
Third-party custody
Guardianship
Not a Permanent Legal Plan
Long Term Care Agreement with Foster Parent or Relative

17. Return Home First priority for most cases
Parent(s) resume all legal rights and responsibilities
Court may close case or maintain adjudication of dependency
Agency may provide follow up service or close case

18. Conditions for Return Home
3 Conditions for Return Home include: ●
Existing threats can be controlled and managed with an in-home plan or threats no longer exist and the child is safe ●
Parent’s recognizing, acknowledging, and understanding the threats
Conditions for return home are determined by CA following a thorough safety plan analysis. The 4 safety plan analysis criteria identifies what needs to be different in the family home for an in home safety plan to work. These conditions are shared with caregivers and documented in the out-of-home safety plan. Safety threats don’t have to be reduced or eliminated in order for a child to return home with an in home safety plan. ●
Development of a sustainable in-home safety plan

19. Reunification Prevalence
Most likely outcome
Federal standard
68 returned home in 12 months
Washington State
About 50% of exits from care each year are reunifications**
About 70% of children returned home within 12 months***
* Children’s Bureau, 2011; ** Year in Review 2011, 2010; *** WA state Quality Assurance Report, 2010

20. Reunification Case Scenario Mr. Lopez and Kristina

21. Adoption as a Permanency Goal
Parental rights are terminated either involuntarily or through relinquishment
Adoptive parent(s) are granted permanently all legal rights they would have had they been the biological parents
Child is issued a new birth certificate
Adoptive parent(s) could receive adoption support
Parent(s) are no longer responsible to pay child support
Agency and court will close case
Consider Adoption per Adoption Services policy when a child is unable to return home and when all the following conditions are met:
The child was removed from parents and is dependent.
Parental rights will likely be terminated by the court or relinquishment has been or will be accepted by both CA and the court.
Reasonable efforts were provided to the parent(s) to safely reunify the child to their care. The parent(s) have not made sufficient and timely progress in addressing the parental deficiencies that brought the child into care and this is documented in the case file.
The plan is in the best interests of the child.
Aggravated circumstances may exist.
The child has been consulted about the permanent plan when age appropriate. Children over the age of 14 must sign consent for the adoption.
The child and sibling are in the same placement and the permanent plan is adoption for that sibling.
The prospective adoptive apparent has an approved adoptive home study per 5330 Family Home Study policy.

22. Third Party Custody as a Permanency Goal
Is in the best interests of the child
Reunification and adoption have been ruled out as permanent plans
The proposed custodian(s) has made a commitment to parent the child
Parental rights are not terminated
Typically, no further agency or court involvement.
Parent(s) may petition the court to be reconsidered as a placement option in the future
Consider Adoption per Adoption Services policy when a child is unable to return home and when all the following conditions are met:
The child was removed from parents and is dependent.
Parental rights will likely be terminated by the court or relinquishment has been or will be accepted by both CA and the court.
Reasonable efforts were provided to the parent(s) to safely reunify the child to their care. The parent(s) have not made sufficient and timely progress in addressing the parental deficiencies that brought the child into care and this is documented in the case file.
The plan is in the best interests of the child.
Aggravated circumstances may exist.
The child has been consulted about the permanent plan when age appropriate. Children over the age of 14 must sign consent for the adoption.
The child and sibling are in the same placement and the permanent plan is adoption for that sibling.
The prospective adoptive apparent has an approved adoptive home study per 5330 Family Home Study policy.

23. Guardianship as a Permanency Goal
Reunification, adoption and third party custody have been ruled out as permanent plans
The proposed guardian(s) has made a commitment to parent the child
The proposed guardian has completed a home study
The child is 12 years or older
The Regional Administrator or designee must approve the proposed dependency guardianship.

24. Long Term Care Agreement
Reunification, adoption, third party custody, and guardianship have been ruled out
The child has been in this identified home for a minimum of 6 months
The child is 16 years or older
Agency maintains legal custody and is responsible for placement
Parent(s) maintain right to participate in case planning and visitation
Consider Adoption per Adoption Services policy when a child is unable to return home and when all the following conditions are met:
The child was removed from parents and is dependent.
Parental rights will likely be terminated by the court or relinquishment has been or will be accepted by both CA and the court.
Reasonable efforts were provided to the parent(s) to safely reunify the child to their care. The parent(s) have not made sufficient and timely progress in addressing the parental deficiencies that brought the child into care and this is documented in the case file.
The plan is in the best interests of the child.
Aggravated circumstances may exist.
The child has been consulted about the permanent plan when age appropriate. Children over the age of 14 must sign consent for the adoption.
The child and sibling are in the same placement and the permanent plan is adoption for that sibling.
The prospective adoptive apparent has an approved adoptive home study per 5330 Family Home Study policy.

25. Achieving Permanency in a More Timely Manner
CONCURRENT PLANNING
Achieving Permanency in a More Timely Manner

26. Concurrent Planning
Concurrent planning is working towards family reunification while, at the same time, implementing an alternative permanent plan
Concurrent Planning is a process of working towards family reunification while, at the same time, developing an alternative permanent plan. Planning occurs concurrently rather than sequentially.
In addition to the development of the plan itself, concurrent planning requires that caseworkers work toward reunification of a child with his or her own family while, at the same time, work on the tasks identified in the alternate plan that has been developed to help the child achieve permanency.

27. History of Concurrent Planning
Conceptual birth of concurrent planning
Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980
Washington State lead the way!!
Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997
Concurrent Planning is a process of working towards family reunification while, at the same time, developing an alternative permanent plan. Planning occurs concurrently rather than sequentially.
In addition to the development of the plan itself, concurrent planning requires that caseworkers work toward reunification of a child with his or her own family while, at the same time, work on the tasks identified in the alternate plan that has been developed to help the child achieve permanency.

28. Goals of Concurrent Planning
To promote safety, permanency, well-being of children/youth
To achieve timely permanency
To reduce the number of moves for children and youth
To continue significant relationships
Fewer placements while in foster care when children/ youth are placed with resource families who support reunification and relative placement, yet stand ready to be the child/youth’s permanent family should such efforts not be successful
Earlier permanency through reunification or another permanency option
Greater opportunities to benefit from all the caring adults in their lives as resource families and birth parents jointly work together to meet the child/youth’s needs

29. Concurrent Planning Includes:

30. Concurrent Planning Practices
Parents informed of concurrent permanency planning process from day one
Parents must have opportunity to provide input on the alternate plan
Alternate plan is only initiated after court determines reunification is no longer the goal
Goal is timely permanency for children in care
Large Group Discussion:
CPS must make attempts to introduce the concept, but focus on the agency’s efforts to ensure timely permanency.
Make sure that parents understand that reunification is first and foremost. A concurrent plan is only a back up plan.
The court, not the agency, determines when permanency goals change.
Ask the group for best ways to bring up concurrent planning to parents during early team meetings. Utilize experience in the room to develop strategies that have or are likely to be successful with various types of client.
Possible answers:
Discuss permanency plans with parents and placement caregivers early and often. Use shared planning meetings.
Ensure that foster parents/caregivers are involved and informed.
Always let parents know exactly when and how services/action steps are to be completed

31. Where in my casework does all this happen?

32. Timeframes for Permanency
30 days from OPD- Identify initial primary and alternate permanent plans
90 days from OPD - The first court review
6 months from OPD – File TPR when the parents have failed to engage in case plan
9 to12 months from OPD - Permanency planning hearing
Alternative Plan becomes Primary Plan if child will not be returned home in next three months
15 of the last 22 months – File TPR unless compelling reason exists or alternate plan is finalized

33. Compelling Reasons
IF NOT FILING A TPR when a child has been out of home 12 of past 19 months.
DOCUMENT COMPELLING REASONS:
Youth opposes adoption
Relatives, who are permanent placement, do not want to adopt
Parents have made significant progress and reunification will occur in the next 3 months

34. Why All This Matters Length of Stay Impacts Permanency
The Longer a Child is in Care:
- The more likely to experience repeated moves
- The less likely to be reunified
In Washington 40% of children in care for longer than 1 year are still in care after 3 years.

35. How Can We Help

36. Case Practices to Create Timely Permanency
Completing a comprehensive relative search
Providing monthly parent-child-sibling visits
Doing a genogram with the family to identify placement resources
Quickly placing a child with a permanency family
Referring child for a comprehensive assessment
Referring permanency family for an AHS

37. Steps to Decrease Length of Stay
Reasonable efforts to reunify
Comprehensive relative search
Shared planning meetings
Early court reviews
Visits
Permanency Roundtables

38. Thoughts to Remember Reunification is best
Monthly contacts with parents should always refer back to case plan objectives
Extended family and community supports are important
Respect the uniqueness of every family

39. More Thoughts to Remember
Individual child rearing methods that represent human diversity MUST be accepted as long as they promote the child’s health and safety
Teamwork is essential
All decisions are based on child safety

40. And Finally………
The Best Interest of the Child Should Not Be Confused With:
Best interest of the worker
Best interest of the parent
Best interest of the relative
Best interest of the foster parent
Best momentary interest of the child