August 31, 2009

Promising Practices in Concurrent Planning: Integration of Child Welfare and Adoption Units and Agencies

This brief is one of a series that provides descriptions of select practices identified through preliminary analysis of data from the study: Child Welfare Permanency Reforms. This study examined the implementation of concurrent planning in 6 California counties through focus groups and interviews with a variety of stakeholders in concurrent planning cases. Promising practices from several non-study counties and agencies with well-developed concurrent planning approaches were also examined. The practice approach described represents work conducted in one or more of the following county child welfare agencies: Contra Costa, Mendocino, Monterey, Placer, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Mateo, and Yolo counties, as well as the Foster Family Agency, Sierra Adoptions. This brief highlights the practice of integrating the goals of child welfare and adoption units and agencies to promote concurrent planning, and carefully coordinating the functions of each to meet these goals. This includes a formalized process of identification and referral of cases appropriate for concurrent placement, and training in the process conducted with workers and supervisors in all units of an agency. Best practices for communication, service provision, and compromise are discussed.