November 2023Vol. 24, No. 9 Study Findings From Project Examining Permanency Instability After Adoption and Guardianship

The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has made available slides from a presentation on study findings from the Understanding Post Adoption and Guardianship Instability (PAGI) for Children and Youth Who Exit Foster Care project. This presentation sheds light on the complexities surrounding children transitioning from foster care to adoption or guardianship using data from two comprehensive studies, the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) Adoption study and the Contact After Adoption or Guardianship Child Welfare Agency and Family Interactions study.

The presentation slides from the PAGI project offer a succinct summary of the methodologies, key findings and highlights, and practical implications of these two vital studies. Questions from these studies are focused on risk and protective factors for permanency instability after adoption, accessibility of support services, contact with child welfare agencies after adoption or guardianship is finalized, and information tracking.

A Children's Bureau Express article from June 2023 explores one of the studies, the NSCAW Adoption Study, offering a deeper dive into its findings and implications. This article provides essential context for understanding the challenges and opportunities in the postadoption and guardianship phase.

Additionally, OPRE provides a PAGI tracking toolkit, which includes a user guide, a tracking workbook, and a webinar on how to use the toolkit. A summary report from the Contact After Adoption or Guardianship study is also available. Use these resources to better support children and families during the transition from foster care to permanent adoption or guardianship.

For more indepth information, explore the presentation and related resources linked on the ACF website.