Vol. 19, No. 1 • November 2014

CFTs: A Place to Talk about Tomorrow

by William Poindexter

My grandson just left for university. This reminded me of some discussions we had throughout his growing up.

As a young teen, I would ask him, "What do you want to do when you grow up?" A few years later, as he began thinking of where he was going to college, I said very clearly to him, "Remember, you can always call me--I'll be there for you."

My grandson left for college knowing he still belonged and could call on family at any moment. For all my grandchildren, throughout their growing up, these and many other discussions about their "tomorrows" occurred in natural, informal settings with members of family all around.

For youth growing up in foster care these important discussions are often very different. For too many youth, "when you grow up" means when you "age out" of foster care. For too many, "stay in touch" means when our house isn't your home anymore.

Who can I call? Where do I go? Who is my family? These are questions many kids have the day they enter foster care. Unfortunately, some youth leave the system at age 18 without any answers.

Permanence & Emancipation
Achieving timely "permanence" for children is one of the main goals of our child welfare system. Officially, North Carolina policy defines permanence as a lasting, nurturing, legally secure relationship with at least one adult that is characterized by mutual commitment (NCDSS, 2014a). As a system, we want to achieve permanence for children and youth as soon as possible.

If we fail to achieve legal permanence, young people often exit foster care through emancipation. This means the youth is age 18 or older--legally an adult--and no longer subject to DSS supervision (NCDSS, 2014a). Youth who "age out" of foster care are on their own.

Our Goals vs. Our Performance
Even for youth who age out, the official goal of our system is to make sure that they leave care with a nurturing relationship with at least one adult.

We don't always reach this goal. According to the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, since 1999 more than 230,000 young people in the United States left foster care without permanent family connections. Each year, 26,000 exit care without the typical growing-up experiences that teach self-sufficiency and without the family supports and community networks that facilitate successful transitions to adulthood (Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, 2014).

Given all this, the question for foster parents, social workers, and everyone who is part of the foster care system becomes how do we help youth prepare for familial relationships after emancipation from foster care?

CFTs Can Be Key
The Child and Family Team (CFT) process is a great tool for helping youth talk about what "tomorrow" will look like.

Used effectively, the CFT process creates a place for a youth on track to age out of the system to explore ways to have a lasting, nurturing relationship with at least one adult that is characterized by mutual commitment.

CFTs are a good place for youth to talk about relational permanence because in CFTs:

Partners Share Power. CFTs aren't just about court orders, the therapeutic plan, or school issues. CFTs create an environment where the thinking, wishes, and ideas of the young person are invited and listened to.

Everyone Needs to be Heard. It is all too easy to become casework-focused and lose the fact that children need relationships, not just services. Their voice needs to be included, encouraged, and respected. Youth need others to hear their views as they explore their options.

Judgments Can Wait. Done right, CFTs are a place where a young person's options can be identified, explored, and weighed without the opinions of professionals and foster parents becoming the "rule." Providing a forum for the young person to talk freely about tomorrow and who they want to face it with is essential.

Everyone Desires Respect. A critical element of the CFT process is that everyone trusts they will be respected. Achieving this level of trust requires focused preparation. Everyone must know their role and understand CFTs are a process driven by the family. In this case, the "family" is the young man or woman and the people with whom they are planning a relationship when foster care is over. Communicating respect to meeting participants allows them to be open in the meetings.

Everyone Has Strengths. When they exit foster care at age 18 or 21, most young people try to reestablish contact with their birth family, even if there has been termination of parental rights. The CFT process can provide a chance for young people to consider this option thoughtfully and with open-minded support, and to prepare for the potential benefits and possible downsides of this reconnection.

Partnership Is a Process. Helping youth in foster care build and sustain healthy, meaningful, sustainable relationships is a process. The respectful, partnership approach used in CFTs can help to nurture those ongoing relationships.

Conclusion
CFTs are a place and a process that allow young people in the foster care system to share their hopes and dreams related to legal and relational permanence. Used effectively, they are an ideal place to help youth at risk of aging out of care explore lasting, nurturing relationships with adults who are committed to them and their success.

William Poindexter is a CFT trainer for the Center for Family & Community Engagement at NC State University.

 

When Are CFT Meetings Held for Kids in Foster Care?

For children and youth who are coming into care in NC after having been served in In-Home services, a team should already have been formed, though there will be new members who join the team to support them. A CFT meeting must be held at the following times after children enter foster care: --Within 30 days of coming into care --Within 60 days of coming into care --Within 90 days after the 60-day meeting, not more than 150 days after coming into care --Every 6 months thereafter --When there is a change in the plan or family and it is necessary to reconvene the team. These timeframes are the same as the requirements for the Permanency Planning Action Team (PPAT) meeting. As the case progresses, the team may change, especially if the primary goal changes. If reunification is no longer the goal, CFT meetings must still be held. A broad definition of family should be used in these cases and children/youth should always be consulted as to whom they would like to have on their team. This is especially important if birth parents no longer attend meetings. Source: NC Division of Social Services, 2014d

To view references cited in this and other articles in this issue, click here.

~ Family and Children's Resource Program, UNC-CH School of Social Work ~