Engaging Partners to Achieve Timely Permanency for Children and Youth Waiting to Be Adopted

Currently, an estimated 122,000 children in foster care are awaiting adoption, according to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (2020). Working with partners is an effective way to reduce the time children and youth in foster care must wait to become a permanent part of a family. This series provides tips and strategies to engage organizations, families, and youth to reduce the number of children waiting for permanency.

Publications

The Role of Leaders in Engaging Youth and Families to Achieve Timely Permanency for Children and Youth Waiting to Be Adopted
Publication year: 2021
Learn how to develop an organizational culture of engagement and support authentic partnership with youth and families to achieve permanency in practice. This publication focuses on how leaders can support, prioritize, and model authentic engagement at the system, program, and practice levels.

Supervisor Toolkit: Engaging Youth and Families to Achieve Timely Permanency for Children and Youth Waiting to Be Adopted
Publication year: 2021
Support agency staff in the authentic engagement of youth and families in individual permanency planning processes. This publication includes suggested activities for use in supervision or with teams and a set of worksheets for caseworkers to complete and discuss with their supervisor.

Engaging Faith-Based Communities to Achieve Timely Permanency for Children and Youth Waiting to Be Adopted
Publication year: 2019
Learn how to partner with faith-based communities and leaders on behalf of children and youth in foster care waiting to be adopted. This tip sheet gives suggestions about how agencies can work with places of worship to raise awareness about the number of children and youth waiting to be adopted in their area, reach potential adoptive parents, and provide support to adoptive parents.

Engaging Nongovernmental Organizations to Achieve Timely Permanency for Children and Youth Waiting to Be Adopted
Publication year: 2019
Discover ways to reach out to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to tap into their expertise. This tip sheet explains how agencies can learn about strategies used by NGOs to achieve permanency for children and youth, remove potential barriers to adoption, expand successful pilot programs, and leverage their proficiency in serving specific populations.

Engaging Philanthropic Partners to Achieve Timely Permanency for Children and Youth Waiting to Be Adopted
Publication year: 2019
Learn how to work with community foundations, endowments, and charitable trusts to leverage valuable community resources to improve outcomes for children and youth. This tip sheet presents strategies and examples of how agencies can draw on the expertise and extensive relationships of philanthropic partners to raise awareness of the importance of achieving permanency for children and youth and to fund adoption recruitment, support efforts, and program evaluation.