Permanence
Every child needs and deserves to grow up in a safe, loving, and nurturing family – a family whose support is unconditional and will last a lifetime. Yet for the half million children in foster care on any given day, these necessary family connections are too often lost. The Casey Foundation publishes and funds publications and multi-media to help policy-makers, practitioners, researchers and others address the challenge of providing lifelong connections for every child.
See also Our Work: Child Welfare/Permanence, an overview of Casey's investment in child welfare/permanence.

User’s Guide to Essential Kinship Data
2013
This brief guide identifies the types of data child welfare agencies should collect to track their progress in placing children who cannot return home to their families with kin.
more >>

Kinship Process Mapping: Improving Practice in Kinship Care
2013
Many child welfare agencies are seeking effective strategies to identify and engage extended family networks to care for and protect children who cannot safely live with their parents. This guide provides a step-by-step method public child welfare agencies can use to identify barriers to placing children with kin and to develop recommendations for removing those barriers.
more >>

The Kinship Diversion Debate: Policy and Practice Implications for Children, Families and Child Welfare Agencies
2013
This report explores different perspectives on the practice of diverting children from child welfare to live with kin when they cannot remain with their families, and identifies critical components of an effective kinship care system. This analysis is based on the insights of more than 50 child welfare and judicial personnel, advocates and researchers.
more >>
![Publication thumbnail for A Foster Care Practice Model: Lifelong Families [Brochure]](~/media/Pubs/Topics/Child Welfare Permanence/Foster Care/LifelongFamiliesBrochure/LifelongFamiliesBrochureThumb.jpg)
A Foster Care Practice Model: Lifelong Families [Brochure]
2012
This brochure provides an overview of Lifelong Families, a practice model developed and tested by the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s direct service agency, Casey Family Services. The document highlights the values, principle components and benefits of the model, as well as its early successes at improving the outcomes of children and youth in foster care. This model is intended to serve as a method of improving foster care practice within private child welfare agencies and advancing permanency outcomes for those in care, especially older youth in treatment foster care.
more >>
View the Foster Care Practice Model: Lifelong Families Series >>
![Publication thumbnail for Foster Care Practice Model: Lifelong Families [Video]](~/media/Pubs/Topics/Child Welfare Permanence/Foster Care/LifelongFamiliesVideo/LifelongFamiliesVideoWebThumb.jpg)
Foster Care Practice Model: Lifelong Families [Video]
2012
This video provides an overview of Lifelong Families, a practice model developed and tested by the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s direct service agency, Casey Family Services. This animated video highlights the values, principle components and benefits of the model, as well as its early successes at improving the outcomes of children and youth in foster care.
more >>
View the Foster Care Practice Model: Lifelong Families Series >>
view all Permanence publications