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Understanding and Using Concurrent Planning to Achieve

Permanency for Children and Youth

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Understanding and Using CONCURRENT PLANNING

To Achieve Permanency for Children and Youth

ABA ConferenceJune 6, 2002

Best Practices to Implement ASFA: Creative Strategies for Practitioners

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Definition of Concurrent Planning

To work towards family reunification while, at the same time, developing an alternative permanent plan.

Concurrent rather than sequential planning. It involves a mix of family centered casework

and legal strategies aimed at achieving timely reunification, while at the same time establishing a concurrent permanency plan if reunification cannot be accomplished.

It is not a fast track to adoption, but to permanency

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Goals of Concurrent Planning promote safety,

permanency, well-being of children;

achieve early permanency;

reduce # of moves; continue significant

relationships

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Goals of Concurrent Planning

To develop a network of foster parents (relatives and non-relatives) who can work toward reunification and also serve as permanency resource families for children and youth

To engage families in early case planning, case review, and decision-making about the array of permanency options to meet children and youth’s urgent need for stability and continuity in their family relationships

To maintain continuity in children’ and Youth’s family, siblings, and community relationships

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Why Concurrent Planning Now?

Children are spending too much time in foster care

Response to Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 – PL: 96-272

Response to Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 - ASFA

Major strategy used for child welfare agencies to meet National Outcomes and Performance Standards (Children and Family Service Reviews)

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Success Redefined

Permanency is the Goal.

Reunification is a primary but onlyone of several acceptable

permanencygoals.

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Core Components of Concurrent Planning

Success redefined

Differential assessment and prognostic case review

Full disclosure

Frequent child-family visitation

Crises and time limits as opportunity

Early search for absent parents (including fathers) and relatives (including paternal resources)

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Plan A and Plan B – Placement with a permanency planning resource families

Written Agreements, scrupulous documentation and timely case review

Collaboration between social work and legal service providers

Core Components of Concurrent Planning (continued)

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Legal Strategies

Indian Child Welfare Act - 1978

Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act 1980 – PL:96-272

Adoption and Safe Families Act 1997 – (ASFA)

Multi-Ethnic Placement Act – (MEPA) and Inter-Ethnic Placement Provisions (IEP) – 1994 [Amended in 1996 to remove barriers]

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act 1996

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Response to Legal Strategies Family-Centered and Strengths-Based Practice

Models

Community-Based Service Delivery

Cultural Responsive Practice Models

Open and Inclusive Practice

Non-Adversarial Approaches ~ Solution-Focused

Concurrent rather than Sequential Consideration of all Permanency Options

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Principles of Strengths/Needs Based Practice

Children belong in families, and need nurturing relationship with adults

Children should be helped to stay with (or return to) their families

People can change with the right services, education and supports

Families (biological, foster and adoptive) should be viewed as partners

Foster care and other placements used for family support

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Principles of Strengths/Needs Based Practice

Child’s attachment needs can be addressed through strengthening family resources

Comprehensive and individualized services focused on family empowerment – considering family strengths and underlying needs in developing individualized family service plans

Culturally responsive services

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Differential Assessment

Is a Process of: Individualizing our understanding of the individual,

family, or group in the context of their present circumstances, past experiences, and potential for future functioning

Deepening our family-centered understanding of the child in the context of their family, culture, and community

Strengthening our understanding of the personal, interpersonal, and environmental context in which children and families live and interact.

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Differential Assessment (continued)

• Engaging families in culturally competent, early comprehensive assessments, case planning and services needed to achieve timely permanency – reunification or an alternative plan b

• Engaging in a “Differential Prognostic Assessment” process to identify family situations in which a concurrent permanency plan/placement with a resource family is needed.

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Differential Assessment (continued)

• Using the crisis of placement as a motivator to engage families in case planning and to make behavioral changes.

• Increasing birth and foster parent partnerships in case planning

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Differential Assessment (continued)

• Recruiting, training, and supporting permanency planning resource families in addition to other types of foster families.

• Engaging in discussions with foster families about the need for a concurrent permanency plan and their interest in serving as a back-up permanency resource for children who may not return to their birth parents.

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Differential Assessment (continued)

• Identifying relatives and tribal resources who can be placement/permanency resources early on in the case planning process.

• Respectfully using full disclosure with birth families and foster/adoptive families throughout the life of the case.

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Differential Assessment (continued)

• Collaborating with courts, attorneys, and service providers to better serve children and families.

• Determining when to pursue the alternative permanency plan such as adoption or guardianship when it is clear the parent(s) can not or will not care for their children.

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The Cycle of ChangePre-contemplation

Contemplation

DeterminationAction

Relapse

Maintenance

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BenefitsTo the child

Reduced placements

Earlier permanency through reunification or other permanency option

To the Parent

Creates sense of urgency

Parent benefits from early accessible services outcome is determined by parent.

When outcome is not reunification, lays the groundwork for openness with permanent caregiver

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Current Challenges Decision-Making when child is

placed early and attached to non related caregiver and relative requests placement

Foster Parents intervening when reunification planning occurs

Continued training needs:staff turnover

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Reflections Consider and normalize the language in

concurrent planning,i.e. assessment, backup plan, resource foster families

Collaborating with courts, attorneys, and service providers to better serve children and families

Determining when to pursue the alternative permanency plan such as adoption or guardianship when it is clear the parent(s) can not or will not care for their children.

Early Potentially Permanent Kinship Placements Use concurrent planning for all forms of

permanency, not only adoption

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Gerald P. Mallon, DSWAssociate Professor and Executive Director

National Resource Center for Foster Care and Permanency Planning

at the Hunter College School of Social WorkA Service of the Children’s Bureau\ACF\DHHS

129 East 79th Street, Suite 801New York, New York 10021

(212) 452-7053 - Center line (212) 452-7043 – Private line

(212) 452-7051 - faxmrengmal@aol.com - Email

www.hunter.cuny.edu\socwork\nrcfcpp