Quality Case Planning with Young Adults in Extended Foster Care

Summary

This issue brief identifies key elements to quality child welfare case planning for young adults in extended care. It makes a clear case for rethinking traditional approaches, starting early and empowering youth to take the planning lead. It is a product of Success Beyond 18, a national campaign by the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative aimed at forging a better path for young people who are transitioning from foster care to adulthood.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Traditional Case Planning
• What Young Adults Want in Case Planning
• The Foundation for Case Planning With Young Adults: Quality Case Planning In Early Adolescence
• A Transitional Model for Case Planning With Young Adults in Extended Care
• The Key Elements of A Quality Case Planning Process with Young Adults in Extended Foster Care
• Conclusion
• References

Key Takeaway

When it comes to case planning, young people know what they want, and it’s not what we’re offering them

Young people too often walk into their caseworker’s office and find their transition plan already complete. But what these young people want and what traditional case planning offers them aren’t always in sync.