Credit hours:
3.00

Course Summary

For a young person in foster care, having permanence means stability and reliable, supportive lifelong connections. All youth in foster care need it. Understanding permanency and the Permanency Pact described in this course can give you confidence as you guide youth in your care towards building and strengthening relationships with supportive people in their life.

In this course, you can expect to learn:

  • The importance of permanency for youth in care

  • How young people in foster care think about permanency

  • The different types of permanent relationships and their roles in the lives of youth in care

  • The difference between positive and negative supports

  • Several ways a transitioning youth could benefit from the support of an adult

  • How to brainstorm a list of prospective Permanency Pact adults

  • How to access and create a Permanency Pact

  • The importance of understanding that permanency comes with responsibility from all people involved – including youth

Step 1

Watch the video "What Does Permanency Mean?" developed by Nebraska Children and Families Foundation to better understand what permanency means to foster youth.

Step 2

Meet the Lived Experience Leaders involved in the ACF’s All-In Youth Engagement Team, and learn from their expertise about what they would like to see for permanency in the foster care system.  Then review the All-In Youth Engagement Team’s  “Recommendations for Improving Permanency and Well-Being.”

Step 3

Review the FosterClub Permanency Pact. The Pact is designed to help foster youth identify supportive adult connections which will continue to provide positive supports through and beyond the transition from care. As a foster parent, you can introduce a young person to this tool and help them identify those continuing supports in an effort to build a strong support network.

Step 4

Watch and read how the Juvenile Law Center in Pennsylvania and its "Youth Fostering Change" program developed a "youth-perspective" toolkit for child welfare professionals that helps youth in care achieve permanency. 

Step 5

Review the following post written about the Permanency Pact by Independent Living Outreach Specialist at Children’s Aid Society Ebone Watkins.

Step 6

Review the article "Legal and Relational Permanence in Older Foster Care Youths" from Social Work Today.

Step 7

Join the discussion in the comments below to answer the following question:

How would you explain permanence to your foster youth?

Step 8

Finished the module? If you are logged in as a subscribed user, take the quiz to earn your Continuing Education Credit hours and certificate!

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Course Discussion

cmoore719's picture
4 years 5 months ago

cmoore719 said:

I would describe permanence as not just a family forever, but an unconditional support system to count on even when you are no longer living in their home.
macklen's picture
4 years 5 months ago

macklen said:

When you have Someone/ Family in life forever..
Sarahml's picture
4 years 5 months ago

Sarahml said:

Is the feeling that someone always has your back and you can count on them during a tough time. That someone cares for you no matter what!
lucksc's picture
4 years 5 months ago

lucksc said:

Permanence is knowing that you belong to a family. That you're wanted by and always welcomed by that family. It's celebrating the joys and successes of life as well as leaning on them through trials and tribulations. It's basically an understanding that we're in this together....always.
LCarcuffe's picture
4 years 5 months ago

LCarcuffe said:

Being accepted for yourself, feeling safe, secure, loved and wanted. A feeling of belonging.
Lisakyle17's picture
4 years 6 months ago

Lisakyle17 said:

it means never ending love, a forever home and a forever family
rrobinette58's picture
4 years 6 months ago

rrobinette58 said:

Providing the foster stability and a sense of belonging
joerobinette's picture
4 years 6 months ago

joerobinette said:

It means you are settled and have a safe place to stay.
vanyel1977's picture
4 years 7 months ago

vanyel1977 said:

With our young son it means having a place where he is loved and where he can call home. Having "his room" ready for him no matter what is important to him. Above all permanency is about feeling loved, no matter what happens in life by someone who truly and authentically cares about the child/youth.
eehart's picture
4 years 7 months ago

eehart said:

It means providing to a foster child what we all want on certain levels - stability, encouragement, support, love, mentoring, relationships.