Explore the various aspects of the importance of normalcy for children and youth in care.

Examine a five-step framework that helps organizations promote youth engagement in normalcy conversations about the youth’s own care.

Learn to facilitate a normalcy conversation and to promote normal and developmentally appropriate experiences for youth in foster care.

Bruce and Brenda have been married for 33 years and have four daughters. From 2006 to 2009, they provided a kinship placement for their four grandchildren. In 2010, the couple adopted Bruce (now 18 years old), Tre’Nae (now 15 years old), Mason (now 13 years old), and Kiaunna (now 10 years old).

Learn how child welfare organizations can create equity in the workforce. 

Explore additional resources to learn how incorporating voices of lived experience can help improve child welfare services. 

Hear about the challenges and experiences of an adoptive family and how they created belonging, healthy development, and normal experiences.

This handout is part of the series, “Perspectives on Normalcy: Videos and Discussion Questions.” It is designed to facilitate discussion about the issues raised in the video, “Kinship Adoption: You Get a Call, ‘Do You Want These Kids?’”

Explore additional resources on how to increase commitment to partnering with people with lived expertise in child welfare. 

Explore ways to increase commitment to partnering with people with lived expertise in child welfare.

Discover how the reasonable and prudent parent standard (RPPS) has been implemented in one state to promote normalcy for children and youth in foster care.

Explore tips and strategies to effectively engage and sustain the involvement of families and youth at the agency level. 

Learn to prepare transgender children and youth for court and support them in the courtroom.

Ensure that youth and young adults exiting foster care can obtain their vital documents before transitioning from foster care.

Addressed developmentally appropriate services for youth in foster care and identified best practices for Federal support of States and territories in implementing provisions of the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (P.L. 113-183).