Charting the Course towards Permanency for Children in Pennsylvania

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Charting the Course towards Permanency for
Children in Pennsylvania

• Module 9 Out of Home Placement and Permanency
  Planning

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Agenda

• Day One
• Introduction
• The Importance of Permanency Planning
• Supporting Children, Parents, and Substitute
  Caregivers throughout the Placement Process
• Permanency Goals Overview
• Concurrent Planning

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Agenda (contd)

• Day Two
• Permanency Services
• Developing Child Permanency Plans
• Day Three
• Working the Plan and Finalizing Permanency Goals
   
• Beyond Permanency
• Course Summary and Evaluations

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Learning Objectives

• Day One
• Participants will be able to
• Identify the impact that separation has on
  children in out of home placement  
• Recognize the five permanency options and their
  casework tasks for children who come into agency
  care as outlined in ASFA
• Describe the casework tasks involved in
  concurrent planning

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Learning Objectives (contd)

• Day Two
• Participants will be able to
• Recognize the permanency services available
  through private providers, SWAN or their agency
  to aid in permanency planning
• Recognize the components of a quality Child
  Permanency Plan 
• Identify appropriate interventions to manage the
  Visitation Plan
• Day Three
• Participants will be able to
• Describe how permanency needs of a child/youth
  changes as the child matures and
• Review how casework tasks throughout the life of
  the case impact permanency outcomes for children.

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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.

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What is Permanency Planning (contd)

• Step-by-step process of assessment,
  identification of goals and objectives,
  formulation of activities, and reassessment of
  the outcomes of services.
• Reminds us - All case planning activities MUST be
  directed toward assuring that every child in our
  care has a permanent family.

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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.

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Aging Out of Care Statistics

• Up to 22 become homeless from the day they leave
  care. (AFCARS Data and Courtney, Wulczyn, Hislop,
  and Casey).
• 37 do not finish high school, nor obtain a GED
  (Courtney).
• Obtain a GED at 6 times the rate of the general
  population (Casey Family Program).
• Experience an average of 7 or more school
  changes. (Pecora et al. 2003).
• Only 1.8 obtain a bachelors degree. (Pecora et
  al. 2003).

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Advice on Placement

• What could I have done to better help you leave
  your family the first time?
• What did you want from me to help you to prepare
  to leave your new family?
• Would you still want to see the family you left
  behind?
• What help did you need to make this return
  successful?

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Residential Environment of the Child

• Drug and Alcohol Treatment Facility 
• Non-Custodial Parent 
• Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) 
• Group Home
• Foster Care
• Supervised Independent Living
• Family of Origin 
• Psychiatric Hospital 
• Kinship Foster Care

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Restrictiveness of Living Environment Quiz Answers

• Directions Rate the following living
  environments in terms of how restrictive it is
  for a child. Rank order using a 1 to 9 point
  scale, with 1.0 LEAST restrictive and 9.0
  MOST restrictive.
• Your Rating Residential Environment of the
  Child
• 1 Family of
  Origin
• 2
  Non-Custodial Parent
• 3 Kinship
  Foster Care
• 4 Supervised
  Independent Living
• 5
  Foster Care
• 6
  Group Home
• 7 Residential
  Treatment Facility
• 8 Drug and Alcohol
  Treatment Facility
• 9
  Psychiatric Hospital

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For Children who Enter the Child Welfare System

• Forty percent are born premature and/or with low
  birth weight.
• Experience developmental delays 4 to 5 times the
  rate of the general population.
• Have substantially lower grades and test scores,
  more absences and grade repetitions.
• Have increased risk of special needs.
• (Center for the Study of Social Policy, 2004).

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Benefits of Involving Parents in Placement Process

• They remain involved in a parenting role with the
  child.
• They are not deprived of their responsibility.
• It is reassuring to the child.
• It reinforces parents belief that child welfare
  professionals view parents as important to them
  and the children.
• It enhances parent/child welfare professional
  relationship.
• It empowers parents.

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Supporting Parents After Placement
Supporting Parents After Placement

• Increase contact with parents.
• Secure placements in the familys neighborhood.
• Encourage parents involvement with substitute
  caregiver.
• Encourage substitute caregivers to contact
  parents directly.
• Provide parent/child visit within 48 hours of
  placement.
• Encourage discussion of their feelings and
  preparation for visit.
• Provide parents transportation to visits.

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Supporting Parents After Placement (contd)

• Accompany them to the first few visits.
• Involve parents in making routine and major
  decisions about their child.
• Develop with parents reasonable case plans ASAP.
• Develop services that support case plan goals.
• Provide appropriate services.
• Document services provided. 
• Reinforce parenting responsibilities.
• Let them be responsible participants.

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Permanency Options(In Order of Preference)

• Return to Parent
• 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.

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Permanency Options(In Order of
Preference)(contd)

• Adoption
• 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
  subsidy.
• Parent(s) are no longer responsible to pay child
  support.
• Agency and court will close case.

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Permanency Options(In Order of Preference)
(contd)

• Permanent Legal Custodianship
• No TPR is required.
• The custodian is granted legal custody of the
  child.
• The parent(s) typically retain visitation rights.
• Can be financially subsidized (SPLC).
• Parent(s) remain responsible to pay child
  support.
• Typically, no further agency or court
  involvement.
• Parent(s) may petition the court to be
  reconsidered as a placement option in the future.

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Permanency Options(In Order of Preference)
(contd)

• Permanent Placement (with a fit and willing
  relative)
• Agency maintains legal custody and is responsible
  for placement.
• Parent(s) maintain right to participate in case
  planning and visitation.
• Parent(s) have the right to ask the court to
  reconsider them as placement option at any time.
• Parent(s) responsible for child support.
• Relative would be eligible for public assistance
  or foster home maintenance payment.
• Agency and court will keep the case open until
  child is discharged from care.

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Permanency Options(In Order of Preference)
(contd)

• Another Planned Permanent Living
  Arrangement-APPLA (requires compelling reason
  and court approval)
• Agency maintains legal custody and is responsible
  for placement.
• Parent(s) maintain right to participate in case
  planning and visitation.
• Parent(s) have the right to ask the court to
  reconsider them as placement option at any time.
• Parent(s) responsible for child support.
• Agency and court keeps the case open until child
  is discharged from care.

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Concurrent Planning

• 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.

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The Purpose of Concurrent Planning

• Achieve early permanency for children
• Decrease childrens length of stay in out of home
  care
• Reduce the number of moves and disruptions of
  relationships
• Put the risk of loss on the adults instead of the
  child and
• Maintain continuity in family and sibling
  relationships.

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Agenda

• Day One
• Introduction
• The Importance of Permanency Planning
• Supporting Children, Parents, and Substitute
  Caregivers throughout the Placement Process
• Permanency Goals Overview
• Concurrent Planning

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Agenda (contd)

• Day Two
• Permanency Services
• Developing Child Permanency Plans
• Day Three
• Working the Plan and Finalizing Permanency Goals
   
• Beyond Permanency
• Course Summary and Evaluations

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Visitation Practices

• Who is responsible for planning visitation in
  your agency?
• Do parents receive transportation support for
  visits?
• Where are visits held?
• Are visits supervised? By whom?
• What resources are available to support
  visitation?
• Does the worker discuss parenting
  skills/knowledge with the parent after visits?

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Visitation

• Is the single most important factor in
  maintaining the relationship between the child
  and the parents
• Enhances the childs emotional well-being
• Improves parents positive feelings about the
  placement
• Decreases parents worries about their children
  and
• Is associated with achieving permanency and
  decreasing time in care.

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Visitation Guidelines

• Child Safety MUST be assured
• Visitation MUST occur frequently
• Visits MUST be held in the least restrictive
  environment
• If safety can be assured, visits should be
  unsupervised
• Monthly visits must occur between siblings not
  placed together in substitute care and
• Children should be allowed regular opportunities
  to telephone significant people in their lives.

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The Purpose of the Pennsylvania Independent
Living Program

• The purpose of the Pennsylvania Independent
  Living Program is to make every effort possible
  to reduce or eliminate the instances of
  homelessness, poverty, delinquent or criminal
  behavior, and non-marital childbirth and to
  increase employability, high school graduation
  rates, enrollment in post-secondary or vocational
  institutions and successful transition to
  adulthood.

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The Vision of the Pennsylvania Independent Living
Program

• A system of services and supports that empowers
  youth and young adults to reach their fullest
  potential.

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Six Service Areas of Pennsylvania Independent
Living

• Education
• Employment
• Housing
• Life Skills
• Prevention
• Support

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Effective Visitation Requirements

• Careful safety assessments
• Attention to the CPP objectives
• Attention to both permanency plans
• Creativity

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Agenda

• Day One
• Introduction
• The Importance of Permanency Planning
• Supporting Children, Parents, and Substitute
  Caregivers throughout the Placement Process
• Permanency Goals Overview
• Concurrent Planning

34
Agenda (contd)

• Day Two
• Permanency Services
• Developing Child Permanency Plans
• Day Three
• Working the Plan and Finalizing Permanency Goals
   
• Beyond Permanency
• Course Summary and Evaluations

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Reunification Principles

• Reunification is best.
• Regular and frequent contact is critical between
  child and parents and child and siblings (when
  not placed together).
• Extended family and community support are
  important.
• Early identification of barriers is imperative.

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Reunification Principles (contd)

• Respect the uniqueness of every family.
• Individual child rearing methods that represent
  human diversity MUST be accepted as long as they
  promote the childs health and safety.
• Teamwork is essential.

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Reasonable Efforts

• Must be made. Dont 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.

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Reunification Decisions

• Reunification should be considered when
• Completion of treatment and successful change in
  overall caregiver functioning
• OR
• Sustainable progress toward enhancing protective
  capacities and the ability to implement an
  in-home safety plan.

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Reunification Decisions (contd)

• A reunification recommendation should be made to
  the court when each of the safety threats can be
  determined to be ameliorated by one of the
  following
• Progress toward enhancement of diminished
  protective capacities is occurring
• Change or adjustment to circumstances that
  created the threats has occurred and
• An in-home safety plan can be implemented.

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Child Permanency Plan Review-Carley

• Progress Made during Review Period
• Crystal got a job. 
• Crystal has learned and demonstrated age
  appropriate expectations for her children through
  parenting classes.
• Crystal completed detox and inpatient treatment.
  She goes to aftercare, including NA meetings and
  had a sponsor.
• Crystal and James attended most of the scheduled
  visits with Carley.
• Carley is developing increased trust with
  Crystal.
• Childs relatives have on-going positive contact
  with child.

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Child Permanency Plan Review-Carley (contd)

• Circumstances and Concerns During The Review
  Period
• Crystal has not completed parenting classes.
• Crystals finances are limited.
• James was not approved through the ICPC home
  study.
• James housing is still not stable.
• James referred himself for Section 8 housing.
• James lost one of his jobs.
• James is on a waiting list for a psychiatric
  evaluation.

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Child Permanency Plan Review-Christian

• Progress Made during Review Period
• Crystal got a job.
• Crystal has learned and demonstrated age
  appropriate expectations for her children through
  parenting classes.
• Crystal completed detox and inpatient treatment.
  She goes to aftercare, including NA meetings and
  had a sponsor.
• Crystal attended most of scheduled visits with
  Christian.
• Christian has an IEP for his learning disability
  and is now less withdrawn.
• Childs relatives have on-going positive contact
  with child.

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Child Permanency Plan Review-Christian, (contd)

• Circumstances and Concerns During The Review
  Period
• Crystal has not completed parenting classes.
• Crystals finances are limited.
• Michael Johnson has stated he cannot parent
  Christian.
• Michael Johnson has not maintained contact with
  the agency or Christian.

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Child Permanency Plan Review-Cameron

• Progress Made during Review Period
• Crystal got a job.
• Crystal has learned and demonstrated age
  appropriate expectations for her children through
  parenting classes.
• Crystal completed detox and inpatient treatment.
  She goes to aftercare, including NA meetings and
  had a sponsor.
• Crystal attended most of scheduled visits with
  Cameron.
• Cameron does not exhibit developmental delays at
  this time.
• Childs relatives have on-going positive contact
  with child.

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Child Permanency Plan Review-Cameron, (contd)

• Circumstances and Concerns During The Review
  Period
• Crystal has not completed parenting classes.
• Crystals finances are limited. 
• Colin has not maintained contact with the agency
  or his child.
• Colin will be incarcerated for 14 months.
• Colin has not participated in services.

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Documentation for TPR Hearing

• Includes formal progress reports from service
  providers
• Progress and goal changes that were discussed
  with family
• Case activities and progress, or lack thereof
  and
• Be prepared the parents and childs attorney
  may challenge you!

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Aging Out of Care Statistics

• Up to 22 become homeless from the day they leave
  care. (AFCARS Data and Courtney, Wulczyn, Hislop,
  and Casey).
• 37 do not finish high school, nor obtain a GED
  (Courtney).
• Obtain a GED at 6 times the rate of the general
  population (Casey Family Program).
• Experience an average of 7 or more school
  changes. (Pecora et al. 2003).
• Only 1.8 obtain a bachelors degree. (Pecora et
  al. 2003).

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Definition of Permanent Connections

• Positive relationships that are intended to last
  a lifetime.
• Formal or informal.
• Can provide for emotional, physical, mental and
  spiritual well being on a permanent basis.