There’s a common saying that, “it takes a village to raise a child.” Within the foster care system, that could not be more true. As child welfare professionals or family units involved in foster care, you witness this firsthand through the many people participating in child and family team meetings or even in the court room. And when there’s a multitude involved, roles can often feel blurry.
To help navigate the system, here are some common villagers surrounding young people in foster care:
Family
- Family of origin: The family who has custody of the child in foster care at the time of removal. Most children placed in care have a primary goal of reunification with their family of origin. They are invited to participate in meetings around the plan’s progress and granted visitation with their child.
- Extended family: Relatives who are beyond the immediate family, like grandparents, aunts and uncles. During a child’s time in foster care, extended family can step in to support them in multiple ways, including being their kinship provider, to ensure the child maintains a connection.
- Fictive kin: People who have a close, emotional relationship with the child, but who are not related by law. Fictive kin could also serve as another option for a child’s kinship provider or support the child’s journey in other ways during their time in the system.
Custodial Agency
- Custodial agency caseworker: Child welfare professional responsible for child’s case, working closely with the family of origin to complete the case plan and making decisions about which services and placements are appropriate for the child during their time in care.
- Supervisor of the custodial agency caseworkers: A manager who leads a team of caseworkers, providing guidance and oversight of the child welfare cases the team handles on behalf of their agency.
Placement Provider
- Kinship care: Extended family members or fictive kin who are able to provide temporary care for children while they are in foster care. Kinship caregivers have a close relationship to the child, youth or family of origin.
- Foster parent: Individuals or families licensed to provide temporary care for children unable to live with their family of origin. Foster parents often do not previously have a relationship with the young person in care.
- Group care: In increasingly rare cases, group homes or specialized institutional care may be a short-term option for youth.
Legal Roles
- Agency attorney: This attorney represents the custodial agency responsible for the case, filing motions in court on the agency’s behalf to change a child’s permanency goal, legal status or placement.
- Parent’s attorney: For jurisdictions that give parents the right to an attorney, this professional represents the interests of the family of origin. Parents having access to an attorney can be dependent on several factors.
- CASA / GAL: Court Appointed Special Advocates® (CASA) and guardians ad litem (GAL) are trained volunteers or attorneys assigned through the courts to advocate for the best interests of children who have experienced abuse and neglect.
- Child’s attorney: Some states appoint an attorney for every child, while others only appoint an attorney to the case when there is a conflict between the child’s wishes and the child’s best interests, as determined by the CASA/GAL. This attorney represents the child’s wishes versus the child’s best interests.
- Judge: Legal professional who oversees many aspects of a child’s time in foster care, including placement, service plans, visitation schedules, termination of parental rights and the permanency plan.
Community Support Services
- Therapist: Most children in foster care receive therapeutic services to equip them with coping strategies. These professionals also provide placement recommendations and support to the foster / kinship family. This level of therapy will vary based on the child’s needs.
- Independent living worker: For older youth in foster care, a caseworker will be assigned by age 16 (or younger in some states) to help the youth learn life skills and access resources to support their transition out of foster care to adulthood. This role can still advocate for the youth to achieve legal permanency versus aging out of the system.
- Community members: Teacher, coach, neighbor, bus driver and the list goes on and on of people in a child’s network who can provide support and help the child feel a sense of belonging within their community.
Every child’s case is different and so are the people in their village. Some are just present in the court room, like attorneys and the judge, while others are present in the child’s day-to-day, like foster or kinship parents. There are many other villagers who may share a previous connection with the child through school, sports or other activities in the community. But all play an important role in achieving permanency for the child.
So, how do you bring all these villagers to the table to serve the best interests of the child? Here are 5 practical steps:
- Identify the child’s village: There are many people who impact a child’s journey to permanency. It is important to understand who is serving in what role, along with understanding what type of relationship they have with the young person. Trust will vary between villagers, so identifying the people who are closest to the youth is instrumental in ensuring their wishes are heard.
- Agree legal permanency is important and possible: Every person in the child’s village must believe that legal permanency is possible for that child … no exceptions. As cases progress in the foster care system, the team needs to stay flexible. What may have been true a few years ago, could be nonexistent now. Circumstances can change for the family of origin, kin, fictive kin and who is important to the youth, which is why it is important to continually engage with the youth and everyone in the youth’s village until legal permanency is achieved. Hear from Wanda, an adoption professional, about her experience helping to reunite a child with their family of origin.
- Work in partnership: Once the team is in place, determine each member’s role and responsibilities. This also may vary case by case, depending on the bandwidth of each individual team member. Then establish ongoing communication and feedback loops for everyone involved to feel equipped to advocate for legal permanency for the child.
- Understand the youth: As the village works together, reinforce who the team is serving — the child. Also consider engaging older children in the conversation. Studies show that when youth are involved in their permanency planning, it helps improve everyone’s understanding of why it is important.
- Stay consistent and persistent: Navigating the foster care system is a marathon. A child who is placed within the system can remain in care for years, and research shows that change in their village can be a reason this time is increased. The team’s commitment to consistently showing up can be a game changer for the child’s case. The marathon also requires persistence to ensure the child’s path to legal permanency aligns with their wishes and best interests.
How the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Supports a Child’s Village
Through our Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption supports the hiring of adoption professionals, known as recruiters, who implement an evidence-based, child-focused model to achieve permanency for the longest-waiting children in foster care. The model reinforces the five practical steps above to help find the right family for every child.
Learn more about Wendy’s Wonderful Kids and our child-focused recruitment model.
