Finding Stability for Youth
One in four youth exiting foster care lack lasting connections to family or supportive adults. FosterClub believes that meaningful relationships post-care significantly enhance their chances to thrive.
Why It Matters
Young people in foster care often struggle to form lasting, supportive relationships. Such enduring and supportive relationships have proven to aid former foster youth in securing housing, education, and stable jobs. Professionals working with these youth should prioritize reconnecting them with birth families, chosen families, and other supportive figures through various means, including mentorship and community involvement.
There are 3 different types of permanency:
Legal Permanency
Legal family relationships like adoptive parents
Relational Permanency
Emotionally supportive relationships like a teacher or mentor
Cultural Permanency
Feeling connected to one’s culture/traditions
Quick Facts
- Youth who exit care without permanency are more likely to experience homelessness, poverty, and/or mental health challenges.
- Black and Native American youth are less likely to have supportive adult relationships after exiting foster care.
- 1 in 4 youth in foster care will live in a group placement setting. Youth in group placements are less likely to have supportive relationships with adults after exiting care.
“When I started high school, my life was in a downward spiral. I was fortunate enough to have some people that recognized that I had something better to offer and that I had the choice to change my life around. Without these people, I don’t know if I’d be here today.”
— Former foster youth
Tools You Can Use
- Here is a fact sheet of how caregivers can connect with birth parents in the hopes of family reunification.
- FosterClub has created this 1-pager with Information for LEx About Permanence.
- This is a helpful resource from Casey Family Programs about the importance of family visitation and connection for youth in foster care.
How We're Working on this issue
Journey to Success Campaign
FosterClub helps lead the Journey to Success Campaign, championing the rights of older foster youth, especially their right to permanency.
Through Washington DC visits, virtual training for child welfare professionals, and informative briefs, FosterClub collaborates with esteemed partners like Think of Us, American Academy of Pediatrics, Youth Law Center, and Partnership for America’s Children to amplify its impact.
National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council Priorities
The National Foster Care Youth + Alumni Policy Council's LEx members inform federal policymakers about real-life foster care experiences and advocate for vital child welfare reforms.
FosterClub's Permanency Pact
FosterClub's Permanency Pact is a collaborative tool, developed with LEx and adults, designed to assist youth and their support teams in achieving lasting permanency.
“They have each been very supportive of my goals. Never held judgment or bias against me for things that occurred previous to or while in care. Even after care.
— Former foster youth from Oklahoma
Want to Learn More?
Check out this resource about prioritizing family ties from the Journey to Success Program.
Data from the Casey Foundation shows how youth transition out of foster care.
Here’s a study with some helpful data that shows the need for permanency support for foster youth.
Blogs on Permanence
New Release! Ways to Grow Social Capital So Foster Youth Thrive
FosterClub LEx Leader Joins Panel on Immigration and Child Welfare
"Beyond Placement: Fostering Lifelong Support and Belonging": Expert Insights from Lived Experience Leaders
FosterClub Leadership Celebrates Supreme Court Upholding ICWA
The Supreme Court recently issued a 7-2 decision on the Brackeen v. Haaland case, fully affirming the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and dismissing all arguments against it. We at FosterClub, alongside our membership and network of Lived Experience Leaders, join advocates and tribal nations in hailing this significant ruling. The Court's decision sustains ICWA's protections for...
Council Members share Immigration Priority with Federal Leaders
This week, the National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council engaged with newly confirmed Administration of Children, Youth & Families Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston and Children’s Bureau Associate Commissioner Aysha Schomburg and members of their team. Council Members shared their newly published priority: Supporting Immigrant Children & Youth in Foster Care. Members were able to share reflections, personal experiences...
New Priority Released: Supporting Immigrant Youth & Children in Foster Care
The National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council is pleased to release its 19th priority statement: Supporting Immigrant Children & Youth in Foster Care. Recent years have seen an increase in attention to children who enter the United States as immigrants. While the focus has largely been on those who enter via the southern border, the experiences of youth...