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February 2013Vol. 14, No. 1Permanency Planning Toolkit

Planning for permanency for older youth in care is the focus of a new publication, Permanency Planning Toolkit: A Framework for Serving Older Youth in Care. Prepared by Copia Consulting on behalf of Texas CASA, the toolkit was developed to provide practical guidance to volunteers to assist youth in developing connections to family and community that will support their transition to independent living. The toolkit is centered on the concept that permanence means youth who transition out of foster care have developed significant lifelong relationships. 

Following a brief overview of statistics and the challenges that youth face, the toolkit offers several activities and worksheets designed for volunteers to assist youth in the process of envisioning and planning for various aspects of their lives, including:

  • Cultural and personal identity formation
  • Supportive relationships and community connections
  • Physical and mental health
  • Life skills and education
  • Employment and housing

Best practices of local Texas programs are described, and links to resources are provided. The toolkit is available on the Copia Consulting website:

http://www.texascasaresources.org/files/Youth%20Permanency%20Toolkit.pdf (4 MB)