For the 428 West Texas children and youth reported in foster care for December of 2024, their life is marked by a season of turmoil and confusion. No matter the reason for removal, separation from parents and family violates their ingrained desire for companionship and belonging. In a matter of days, and sometimes hours, a youth will be in a new city, new school, and inundated with new adults telling him or her what to do. Stability, security, and home can take on a totally different meaning.
Permanency in foster care refers to the goal of providing a stable, secure, and permanent living situation for children who are unable to live with their biological parents. The primary objective is to ensure that children have a sense of belonging and stability by establishing a lasting connection with a family. Permanency goals are established by federal and state laws and there are only four acceptable goals. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services describes the process on their website but here is the high level overview:
- Reunification: Efforts are made to address the issues that led to the child’s removal, and the child is returned to their biological parents once it is deemed safe and in the child’s best interest.
- Adoption: If reunification is not possible, adoption becomes a goal. The child may be adopted by a relative in Relative/Kinship Adoption or in an Unrelated Adoption by another suitable family, providing a permanent legal family connection.
- Permanent Managing Conservatorship (PMC): In some cases, legal guardianship is pursued. This involves appointing a guardian, who may be a relative or someone else with a significant connection to the child, to take on the responsibility for the child’s care and well-being.
- Another planned permanent living arrangement (APPLA): The least preferred permanency goal and often means that a youth will enter into adulthood while in foster care – “aging out”. This goal is selected by the youth’s caseworker when the youth is age 16 or above, when other permanency goals have been explored and ruled out, or when it is decided to be in the child’s best interest.
The focus on permanency is rooted in the understanding that youth thrive best when they have a stable and permanent family environment. It aims to provide youth with a sense of security, continuity, and a supportive family structure. Permanency planning is a critical aspect of foster care to ensure the well-being and long-term success of children.
This system does not exist in a vacuum but draws on the community to care for its own. If this at all peaks your interest, then we invite you to jump in and help out. Next week we will have two opportunities. The first; on Tuesday, February 6th at Mid-Cities on Tx Hwy 19, 6:30-8pm will be our Spring Foster/Adopt Q&A. We want you to come with your questions about foster care, adoption, or being a CASA Volunteer. Here is a link to the Facebook Event.
Second, we are hosting a Heart Gallery of West Texas Lunch and Learn at Higher Grounds Coffee Shop 11:30-1pm. We are going to talk about the state of West Texas waiting children and what you can do to help them achieve their permanency goals. Lunch will be provided. To RSVP, click on this link or you can reach out to me at jstubbs@oneaccordtx.org.
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