1. Pennsylvania Permanency Barriers Project
Anne Marie Lancour
Heidi Redlich Epstein
Mimi Laver
Andrea Khoury
David Kelly
Elizabeth Thornton
Jeffrey Adolph
Honorable Stephen Rideout (ret.)
Scott Trowbridge
American Bar Association
Center on Children and the Law

2. History of the Project
1989 – Termination Barriers Project began with funding from the New York State Department of Social Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
1991— NYS Office of Children and Family Services continued to fund the Termination Barriers Project for the next 13 years.
2004 – The project was successfully completed in 20 small, medium, and large counties throughout NYS. 
2004 – Pennsylvania contracts with ABA for largest Permanency Barriers Project to date.
2004 – KY and WY contract with the ABA for the Permanency Barriers Project
2005 – ABA wins Adoption Excellence Award for work on the NY Permanency Barriers Project

3. Goal: Reduce children’s stay in foster care
Approach
Locally developed action plans
Small steps that add up
Permanency planning focus
Key Components
Permanency Planning Specialist
Advisory Board
ABA Project Director

4. Project Tasks The project undertakes five major tasks:
Identifying and analyzing delays;
Interactively developing recommendations and implementing reforms;
Establishing written protocols, procedures, and providing multidisciplinary training;
Monitoring reforms and changes; and
Sharing project results throughout the state.

5. Reform Efforts Early identification of children’s needs
Refining court procedures in permanency planning areas
Legal analysis and technical assistance
Training the child welfare agency and legal staff
Sharing information with other counties and states

6. Problems Causing Delays
Missing or unidentified parents
Relatives entering case late
Increase in adolescent population
Lack of training on permanency planning issues
Lack of written procedures
Late starts in offering services
Inadequate concurrent planning
Difficulty in obtaining evaluations and/or expert testimony
Delays in court procedures

7. Current PA Project Counties
Armstrong
Beaver
Centre
Lehigh
Montgomery
Westmoreland

8. Past PA Project Counties
Berks
Blair
Cumberland
Huntingdon
Lancaster
Lackawanna
Luzerne
Lycoming
McKean
Mifflin
Northampton
Northumberland
Philadelphia
Venango
Warren
York

9. Average Time Saved in 20 Counties
New York Results
New York Results
Average Time Saved in 20 Counties
15 months
Total Money Saved
$15,272,000

10. Pennsylvania Results County Avg. Time Saved Money Saved Luzerne
22 months
$660,000
Cumberland
7 months
$621,600
Northumberland
5 months
$240,000
Berks
$420,000
Mifflin
$222,000
Lancaster
$386,400
Huntingdon
$234,000
Northampton
15 months
$468,000
York
12 months
$446,400
Venango
10 months
$ 60,000
Blair
4 months
$552,000
Lycoming
9 months
$788,400
McKean
$ 60,000
Philadelphia
$2,070,000
Warren
2.4 months
$ 109,440
Totals
9 months avg
$7,338,240

11. Project Achievements: Blair County
The Barriers to Permanency Project has permitted Blair County to develop a Family Treatment Drug Court.
The Project Director in Blair County has facilitated the county’s participation in the upcoming National Drug Court Institute Training to develop a family treatment court model.
A family treatment drug court will provide coordinate services, track progress, and encourage accountability for substance abusing families.

12. Project Achievements: Northampton County
Northampton County successfully utilized the Barriers to Permanency Project to improve collaboration and communication between the Agency and the Court.
The Agency and the Juvenile Court developed an Interim Court Directive/Permanency Plan which is prepared at the conclusion of every permanency hearing and distributed to families before they leave court.
The Interim Directive outlines expectations of both the family and the agency and eliminates delays in service referrals.

13. Project Achievements: Lackawanna County
Lackawanna County successfully utilized the Project to introduce a new court procedure to increase accountability and expedite permanency.
The Agency and the Juvenile Court created an informal Dependency Compliance Conference which documents and tracks compliance by both the agency and family.
DCC hearings track both success and failure and permits an immediate response when a family starts to struggle.
More frequent and meaningful reviews of family progress promotes concurrent planning.

14. Project Achievements: York County
York County has used the Project to draft a 90-day multidisciplinary case conference process which will be implemented within the next year.
The 90-day case conference seeks to promote permanency, engage families, frontload services, and encourage cross-system collaboration.
The case conference will be used in every new case 90 days after removal from the home to evaluate progress, review service referrals, and prepare for the first permanency hearing.
York has now piloted the new 90 day procedure and it has been very successful to date.

15. Questions/Contact Information
Anne Marie Lancour
ABA Center on Children and the Law
740 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
(202) (phone)
(202) (fax)