Permanency planning is the formulation of methods to provide services to children and their families to help keep children with their parents if at all possible. If children cannot live with their parents, permanency planning provides for placing children with relatives. If a relative placement is not possible, permanency planning provides for temporary, short-term, foster care placement with a plan to return to the parents. Finally, if return to the parents is not possible, permanency planning provides for alternative permanence via adoption, guardianship or independent living, depending upon the age, strengths and needs of the child and family. Resource Parents are active members on the permanency planning team, helping the family and CSW formulate plans.
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