Permanency Planning

Permanency planning is the process of assessing and preparing a child for long term care when in out-of-home placements such as kinship, foster care or institutions. A care plan must centre on what is in the child’s best interests, and therefore requires an ongoing assessment of the child and her needs. A guardian may be appointed as a further protection of a child’s rights.

The ultimate goal of permanency planning is to ensure a secure environment with lifelong bonds that will support the child into adulthood. For most children this will be provided by their birth parents and relatives, and therefore family reunification should be the primary goal. Where reunification is not possible or suitable for the child, adoption or Islamic kafalah is usually the next best option since it offers more stability and enables the child to develop a lasting attachment to carers.

Each child is an individual and brings a unique set of requirements. The choice of placement must therefore consider the child’s cultural and religious background, abilities and any special needs, attachments to significant people and how such relationships can be maintained, their education, health and overall development. Ideally, children should be kept close to their original communities in order help maintain their identity and to reduce disruption to their everyday lives.

While short term care such as fostering can provide a safe place for a child and time to assess their needs, it is often an unsuitable long term option since it is a temporary arrangement that is prone to breakdown. Social workers or other child protection paraprofessionals in the community must determine the use of short term care and the development of longer term plans with the full participation of the child, birth family, and prospective caretakers, providing opportunities for contact with each other, and preparing all for moves.

All placements should be monitored regularly to ensure the child is safe and his/her physical, emotional, and educational needs are met. This includes children who have been recently returned to their birth family or who are newly placed with adoptive parents. Monitoring enables the provision of family support services, and helps to reduce placement breakdown and incidences of abuse.

The resources in this section focus on the factors that should be considered when planning a child’s care, and the advantages and disadvantages of placement options.

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The impact of a statewide trauma-informed child welfare initiative on children’s permanency and maltreatment outcomes

Beth Barto, et al - Child Abuse & Neglect, 05 May 2018

This article presents findings of a state-wide trauma informed child-welfare initiative with the goal of improving well-being, permanency and maltreatment outcomes for traumatized children.

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Grandparents matter: Optimizing grandparents' involvement after child safety concerns

Susan Gair, Ines Zuchowski, Lyn Munns, Ros Thorpe, Debbie Henderson - Child & Family Social Work, 26 Apr 2018

Reported here are findings from a recent partnership research project focused on optimizing grandparent contact and ongoing relationships with grandchildren after child safety concerns.

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Between Professional Norms and Professionalism Risk Assessment and Decision-Making of Arab Social Workers Regarding Children at Risk

Hani Nouman, Guy Enosh, Amal Jarjoura - Research on Social Work Practice, 01 Apr 2018

This study examined the four factors that might bias child risk assessment and recommendation of treatment for children at high risk among Arab social workers in Israel.

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Decision‐making in child welfare services: Professional discretion versus standardized templates

Inger Kristin Heggdalsvik, Per Arne Rød, Kåre Heggen - Child & Family Social Work, 15 Mar 2018

The article examines how 36 child welfare caseworkers in 6 different teams in Norway investigate, assess, and make decisions at the phase of an incoming referral.

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Child Protection Case Management Operations Manual

Catholic Relief Services, 4Children Project, 12 Mar 2018

This Manual includes background information, standard operating procedures with documentation tools and job aids on case management.

Working in Partnership to Improve Children’s Safety and Well-being: The May’khethele Programme in South Africa

Coordinating Comprehensive Care for Children (4Children), Catholic Relief Services, 09 Mar 2018

This case study is one in a series of case studies highlighting different aspects of a case management system and referral mechanisms utilized by OVC programs. The case study looks at the work of the Children in Distress Network (CINDI) in the uMgungundlovu District of KwaZulu-Natal Province (KZN) of South Africa.

Using a Systems Approach at the Community-level in a Human Resource Constrained Context: The Youthpower Action Project in Mozambique

4Children, Catholic Relief Services, 09 Mar 2018

This case study is one in a series of case studies highlighting different aspects of a case management system and referral mechanisms utilized by OVC programs. The case study presents a program in Mozambique that could be identified as a hub and spoke model of referral mechanism.

“Nothing goes as planned”: Practitioners reflect on matching children and foster families

Kirti Zeijlmans, Mónica López, Hans Grietens, Erik J. Knorth - Child & Family Social Work, 27 Feb 2018

This study answers the following question: “How does the case-specific context influence the practitioners' decision-making process regarding matching in family foster care?”

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Preserving connections: Best strategies for recruiting and retaining tribal foster families for American Indian and Alaska Native children

Casey Family Programs, 26 Feb 2018

This brief guide from Casey Family Programs lays out strategies for recruiting and retaining tribal foster families for American Indian and Alaska Native children, ensuring that indigenous children can stay in their communities.

Defining and achieving permanency among older youth in foster care

Amy M. Salazar, Kevin R. Jones, Jamie Amemiya, Adrian Cherry, Eric C. Brown, Richard F. Catalano, Kathryn C. Monahan - Children and Youth Services Review, 08 Feb 2018

This study addresses three key research questions: (1) How do older youth in foster care define their personal permanency goals? (2) How much progress have these youth made in achieving their personal permanency goals and other aspects of relational permanency, and how does this vary by gender, race, and age? and (3) What transition-related outcomes are associated with relational permanency achievement?