This paper, from the Juvenile Law Center in the United States, provides an overview of the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act of 2014 as it relates to promoting well-being and normalcy for youth in foster care. The term “normalcy,” as it relates to foster youth, refers to age and developmentally-appropriate activities and experiences that allow children and youth to grow. The paper presents a definition of “normalcy” and why it is important for children and youth in foster care, as well as the current barriers to achieving normalcy and the costs of not providing opportunities for normalcy for foster youth. The paper also reviews the new federal law which supports normalcy for children and youth in foster care and individual states’ efforts to implement that law. The paper outlines core components of an effective normalcy law and particular examples of state laws that are effective in supporting normalcy for foster children and youth. The paper concludes with recommendations for implementing normalcy laws as well as for going beyond normalcy, including a call for the child welfare system to re-double efforts to find permanency within families for all foster youth, including older youth in care.
