Topic: Post-Permanency Services
Definition for Post-Permanency Services:
Post-Permanency Services are defined by the CEBC as those services that ensure the continuing stability, safety, and well-being for children and youth who have moved from the temporary custody of the child welfare system into a permanent legal arrangement with committed caregivers. These arrangements may include reunification with the child's birth parents or adoption or legal guardianship by relatives (kinship care) or non-relatives. Many of these post-permanency services are developed as part of the planning process prior to the attainment of legal permanence. These services meet the unique and ever-changing needs of children and the families that care for them and may include information and referral; education (e.g., parenting skills, advocacy skills with school systems, etc.); clinical and therapeutic services; access to material resources; and access to community-based supportive networks (e.g., support groups, recreational activities, and respite care).
These services are provided through referrals to community-based agencies many of which provide services through contractual arrangements that the child welfare agency has in place.
- Target population: Families and youth who have been reunified with their birth family or who have exited the child welfare system into a permanent placement
- Services/types that fit: Services that include assessment, case planning, case management, education, and/or skill building
- Delivered by: Child welfare workers, mental health professionals, or trained paraprofessionals
- In order to be included: Program must specifically target families and children who have been reunified or have entered a permanent placement
- In order to be rated: There must be research evidence (as specified by the Scientific Rating Scale) that examines permanency-related outcomes, such as disruptions, re-entries to care, and maltreatment reports
Programs in this Topic Area
The programs listed below have been reviewed by the CEBC and, if appropriate, been rated using the Scientific Rating Scale.
Topic Expert
Peter Pecora, PhD, Professor and Senior Director of Research Services at Casey Family Programs
University of Washington School of Social Work
Seattle, WA