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Court Adoption
and Permanency Resource Guide
This guide is a compilation of many state and national programs that have been developed and designed to promote permanency for foster care children. Many of the program descriptions and resources found in the guide address the specific challenges to permanency that local courts have identified.
The guide has been updated this year to include many state and national promising practices and model programs that courts and agencies have used successfully to promote permanency for children, as well as to address identified obstacles to permanency. Many of these programs are collaborative and involve local courts, public and private agencies, CASA, as well as other service providers. The guide has been reorganized to highlight specific themes and programs and to provide an easy reference for each local court system.
The
2007 Supplement to the guide is a continuation of the goals of providing
permanency-focused programs and resources for the courts and their partners,
as contained in the original Court Adoption and Permanency Resource Guide.
We hope you will use this guide to:
- Hold an Adoption Saturday in the month of November.
- Plan and schedule several permanency events throughout the year, such as providing a child with a commemorative item, for example a teddy bear, at the finalization of his or her adoption or setting a time in the morning that will allow anyone wanting to finalize an adoption to take priority on the court calendar.
- Coordinate a working group of practitioners to strategize about how to launch any of the innovative, permanency-based model programs in this guide that are not being used in your local county.
- Convene a stakeholders meeting to develop and bring about complete systemic change in the area of permanency.
- Serve as a resource as issues arise.
Click here to view the entire Court Adoption and Permanency Resource Guide. You may download the entire guide or by individual sections. NOTE: The guide is over 400 pages, so if you would prefer printing only a particular section, please use the Table of Contents below to find and print only the area in which you are interested. To receive a hardcopy please contact CFCC.
This section contains a copy of the 2006 Judicial Council Resolution proclaiming November to be Court Adoption and Permanency Month. Click on the picture to view a full size image of the 2006 resolution signed on October 20, 2006. The section also includes copies of resolutions and letters of support from the Legislature, Governor Schwarzenegger, and two California counties, as well as advice on passing a resolution in your own court or county.
How to Get a Resolution Passed in Your County I-3 2006 Judicial Council Resolution I-5 2006 Legislative Resolution I-7 2005 Governor's Letter I-9 2005 Alameda County Resolution I-11 2005 Ventura County Resolution I-13
II.
Court Outreach to the Public
This section contains information about programs that the court can use
when highlighting either Adoption Month or other displays of permanency-related
projects.
A. Programs II-3 Adoption Family Tree Display II-5 Heart Gallery II-7 Open Courthouse to Educate the Public II-9 Volunteer or Mentor Attorney Program II-11 B. Resources II-13 Adoption Family Tree Display (Sample Cover from 2005 Court Adoption and Permanency Guide) II-15 The Adoption Pathway: Questions and Answers (Kinship Center Brochure) II-17 Heart Galleries:Bay Area II-19 Orange County II-21 Sacramento County II-23 San Diego County Fact Sheet and Agreement II-25 Shasta County II-27
III.
Court Outreach to the Media
This section contains information to help guide the court and court personnel
when dealing with the media, in their effort to bring attention to any
permanency, related programs.
A. Programs III-3 Ideas for Media Outreach III-5 Press Releases and Media Coverage III-9 How to Create a Media Contact List III-11 Tips for Working With the Media III-13 B. Resources III-15 Santa Clara County Post-Adoption Services Newsletter III-17 Sacramento County News: Heart Gallery of Sacramento Exhibit on Display at County Administration Building III-21 Inyo County Register: November is Court Adoption and Permanency Month (Op-Ed Article by Supervising Superior CourtJudge Dean Stout) III-23 Court Press Releases:
Alameda County 2004
III-25 Los Angeles County 2005
III-27 Sacramento County 2005
III-29 Ventura County 2005
III-31 Juvenile Court Administrative Deskbook: Media Relations Plan for the Juvenile Court III-33 Trust and Confidence in the California Courts 2005: A Survey of the Public and Attorneys: Introduction and Executive Survey III-39
IV.
Maintaining Birth Family Relationships and Finding Lifelong Connections
This section contains new technological advances in finding family members
for youth, including additional programs that focus on engaging youth
in finding important connections and permanence.
A. Programs IV-3 California Permanency for Youth Project: Model Programs Update IV-5 Group Home Step-Up Project IV-7 Lighting the Fire of Urgency IV-9 Permanency Partners Project-P[3] IV-11 Using Funds for Permanence Project IV-13 B. Resources IV-15 Finding Foster Kid's Families Must Become Our Mandate IV-17 California Permanency for Youth Project Project Description IV-19 Declaration of Commitment IV-23 Model Programs Update IV-29 Lighting the Fire of Urgency IV-47 Kinship Practices in Washington State: A View From the Field IV-51 Group Home StepUp Project: Moving Up & Out of Congregate Care: Executive Summary and Recommendations IV-69 Robert G. Lewis Programs:Preparing Everyone, An Interactive Workshop Youth Centered Family Group Conference: Engaging Caring Adults IV-73 Tips for Successful Family Team Conferences
IV-75Families for Teens (ACS, NYC): Looking for Connections With Teens IV-77 Remembered People Chart Exercise and Example IV-79
V.
Collaborative Permanency Programs
This section contains many programs that focus on engaging both the youths
and families in permanency planning. The programs emphasize developing
collaborative relationships among youths, families, social workers, and
service providers, rather than tolerating adversarial relationships.
A. Programs V-3 5 Acres, The Boys' and Girls' Aid Society of Los Angeles County V-5 Destination Family Youth Project V-7 EMQ Children & Family Services Wraparound With Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services V-9 Enhanced Family Participation in Case Planning; Family Group Conferencing; Family Group Decision Making V-11 Team Decision Making V-13 You Gotta Believe Project V-15 Youth Involvement in Case Planning V-17 B. Resources V-19 Adolescents and Families for Life: A Review V-21 A Toolkit for Supervisors V-23 Child Welfare System Improvements, Permanency and Youth Transition Workshop V-25 Families for Teens: Asking Key Questions V-41 Family to Family: A Family for Every Child: Strategies to Achieve Permanence for Older Foster Children and Youth: Introduction and Summary V-47 The Annie E. Casey Family To Family Initiative V-55 Tools for Permanency: Family Group Decision Making V-57 Unconditional Commitment: The Only Love That Matters to Teens V-65
VI.
Adoptive Families: Training, Recruitment, and Support
This section contains information about collaborating with private agencies
to recruit adoptive parents as well as programs designed to help train
and support adoptive parents before placement.
A. Programs VI-3 Adoption and Permanency Information Fair
VI-5Celebration for Adoptive Families VI-7 Ceremony to Call Out the Names of Children Who Wait VI-9 Faith-Based Outreach VI-11 Meetings and Support Groups for Recent Adoptive Parents VI-13 Training for Adoptive Parents and Children VI-15 Collaborative Permanency Training and Materials VI-17 B. Resources VI-19 Faith-Based Outreach: National Adoption Day: Faith Community Talking Points 2005
VI-21 National Adoption Day: Faith Leader Announcement 2005
VI-23 National Adoption Day: Template Letter to Faith Organizations 2005
VI-25 Church Groups Asked to Help Foster Kids (Orange County)
VI-27 Adoption Assistance Program Brochure
VI-29 Listening to Parents: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Children From Foster Care
VI-31 Foster Care Adoption in the United States: An Analysis of Interest in Adoption and a Review of State Recruitment
Strategies: Executive SummaryVI-37 National Adoption Information Clearinghouse: The Value of Adoptive Parent Groups
VI-39 Child Welfare Information Gateway: Postadoption Services
VI-45 Navigating the Foster Care System: A Roadmap (Legal Advocates for Permanent Parenting (LAPP) Brochure)
VI-55 Family Builders
VI-57
VII.
Open Adoption for Children in Care
This section outlines information about why open adoption should be made
available in certain dependency cases as well as information about how
to work with families to develop a post adoption contact agreement.
A. Programs VII-3 Child Welfare Mediation Programs VII-5 Permanent Resource Families; Shared Parenting VII-7 B. Resources VII-9 Child Welfare Information Gateway: Openness in Adoption VII-11 Tools for Permanency: Child Welfare Mediation VII-21 Child Welfare Information Gateway: Postadoption Contact Agreements Between Birth and Adoptive Families VII-31 Openness in Adoption: Fact Sheet VII-35 Robert G. Lewis Biography VII-37 What Do You Think? Newsletters: Shared Parenting: What Is It? (May 2006)
VII-39 Shared Parenting: Where to Begin (June 2006)
VII-41 Shared Parenting: Assessment (Summer 2006)
VII-43 Resource Family and Foster Family: How These Types of Caregivers Defined and Used the Concurrent Planning Model
VII-45 Sample Copy of Post Adoption Contact Agreement
VII-53
VIII.
Celebrating Adoption Finalizations
This section describes the history of Adoption Saturdays from their beginning
in Los Angeles-and their spread throughout the state and the nation-as
well as advice and contacts to plan an event in your court.
A. Programs VIII-3 Adoption Saturdays VIII-5 Dedication of a Court Calendar to Adoptions VIII-7 Commemorative Item for Adopted Child or Whole Family VIII-9 B. Resources VIII-11
Adoption Saturdays: History of Adoption Day in Los Angeles
VIII-13 Photograph From Los Angeles' 1999 Adoption
Saturday With Chief Justice Ronald M. George and Adopted Children
VIII-15 Connect for Kids: Great Idea, Great Results
VIII-17 Home at Last: 22 Children's Permanent Placement With Families is Cemented at Adoption Ceremony
VIII-21 Bay Area's 6th Annual Adoption Day!
VIII-23
IX.
Web Sites, Trainings, and Other Useful Resources
This section provides a list of Web site addresses to be used to download
information and also how to contact specific programs including those
that provide training and technical assistance. Resources include court
check sheets that are helpful during adoption and permanency hearings
as well as several others. Trainings materials include those available
from the Center for Families, Children & the Courts and a sample agenda
from the annual National Convening on Youth Permanence.
A. Web Sites IX-3 General Information Adoption and Foster Care Court Adoption and Permanency Month Permanency Recruitment and Support for Foster/Adoptive Parents B. Training Materials and Information IX-11 Judicial Review and Technical Assistance (JRTA) Project-Permanency Fact Sheet IX-13 Annual National Convening on Youth Permanence, Sample Agenda and Press Release From 2006 Conference IX-17 C. Other Resources IX-21 Judicial Check Sheets: Completion of Adoption Hearing IX-23 Completion of Adoptive Parent(s) Homestudy IX-25 Planning for Permanency (All Hearings) IX-27 Identifying Connections for Youth IX-29 Planning for Permanency: Handout for Judicial Officers IX-31 Parentage/Paternity Inquiry IX-33 Planning for Permanency (Removal Hearings) IX-35 Comment Form (We Welcome Your Suggestions) IX-37
X.
Inside Folder: Resource CD and List of Contents
The inside folder contains the original resource binder materials, now
on CD-Rom, which was developed by the Administrative Office of the Courts,
Center for Families Children and the Courts, Permanency Project. This
CD contains a collection of additional resource materials and programs
that relate to permanency. The materials are available on the Judicial
Review and Technical Assistance Projects program description site.
Please contact CFCC@jud.ca.gov for more information.
