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The Daily Insight

What is a concurrent plan

Author

Victoria Simmons

Published Mar 03, 2026

‘Concurrent planning’ means an ongoing assessment, planning, and service process with concurrent service planning, treatment, and. permanency goals depending upon the family situation to ensure the safety, permanency, and well-being of the child.

What is the focus of concurrent planning?

Concurrent planning, required by the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, is an approach that seeks to eliminate delays in attaining permanent families for children and youth in foster care.

At what point does permanency planning begin?

Permanency planning must begin before a child or youth enters foster care. The first choice, of course, is to help a birth family stay intact. If that is not possible, the next choice would be appropriate relatives.

What does concurrent mean in foster care?

A concurrent plan means two simultaneous plans begin when a child enters foster care: a plan for reunification with the family and a plan for adoption if reunification is not possible. Often, foster families who agree to be part of a concurrent plan are called resource families.

What is a legal permanency goal?

Permanency goal means the desired outcome of intervention and service, which is determined to be consistent with the health, safety, well-being, and best interests of the child. A permanent legal status is usually a component of the permanency goal.

Why is reunification The goal?

The goal of reunification is the child returning to the primary caregiver(s) once the child is safe. It’s natural to feel a variety of emotions when children are removed from their homes. It’s a traumatic experience for all parties and no one wants to find themselves facing the reality of a child welfare case.

Who attends permanency planning meeting?

5. Attendance at the Permanency Planning Meeting. The Permanency Planning Meeting should be organised by the Child’s Social Worker. The relevant Social Work Team Manager (and sometimes the Service Manager) should chair the Permanency Planning Meeting.

What is the process of reunification?

The reunification process in foster care is when a foster child is in the process of being reunified with their parents. … At that time, parents have regained placement of the child, and Social Services has deemed the home safe for the child’s return. Each foster care case begins with the goal of reunification.

What does a permanency worker do?

The Permanency Worker performs a vital service in society by helping to find permanent homes for children who are in state care. This impacts the lives of the children and their adoptive families in a profound and lasting manner.

What is permanency planning?

Permanency planning involves decisive, time-limited, and goal-oriented activities to maintain children within their families of origin or place them with other permanent families.

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Why is concurrent planning important?

Concurrent planning in California is mandatory for all court dependent children in out-of-home care for whom reunification services have been ordered. The purpose of concurrent planning is to honor the child’s attachment needs and to expedite a permanent home for the child should reunification fail.

What does permanency look like?

Simply put, “permanency” means family. It means having positive, healthy, nurturing relationships with adults who provide emotional, financial, moral, educational, and other kinds of support as youth mature into adults.

Why is permanency planning so important?

The ultimate goal of permanency planning is to ensure a secure environment with lifelong bonds that will support the child into adulthood. … All placements should be monitored regularly to ensure the child is safe and his/her physical, emotional, and educational needs are met.

What is the goal of fostering?

The goal of foster care is to temporarily care for a child, keep them safe, and meet their ongoing needs until it is safe to reunify them with their birth parents or other family members.

What is a permanency order?

A permanence order is a new type of court order which will regulate the exercise of parental responsibilities and parental rights in respect of children who cannot reside with their parents but where contact or shared exercise of parental responsibilities and parental rights is or may be appropriate.

What happens at a permanency hearing?

At the permanency hearing, the DCP&P will present a plan for the child’s permanent placement. The plan can be to return the child to his or her parent, terminate parental rights and find an adoptive family, or naming the relative who is caring for the child the legal guardian.

When should a placement planning meeting take place?

Placement Planning Meetings should take place before or within 5 days of the placement being made.

What happens at a permanency planning meeting?

(1) The purpose of a permanency planning hearing is to review the permanency plan for the child, inquire into the welfare of the child and progress of the case, and reach decisions regarding the permanent placement of the child.

What is a placement agreement meeting?

Placement Agreement meetings should be held for all new placements, including emergency placements. Placement Agreement Meetings should be held prior to placement. In the case of unplanned or emergency placements, they should be held within 72 hours of placement. … All meetings to follow the following agenda.

What is the difference between permanency planning and concurrent planning?

Legal permanency is achieved when a child is successfully reunited with their parent(s), is adopted, or obtains a legal guardian. Concurrent planning: Identifies and creates alternative permanent plans for children who cannot safely return home.

Why reunification in foster care is bad?

This study suggests that although children who are reunified benefit in some respects from their return home, they also risk exposure to family problems, which subsequently increase the risk for poor internalizing behavioral outcomes.

When would reunification of a family be appropriate?

When family members are genuinely unable to safely care for their children, a long-term and stable home should be found for them. All members of a child’s family, including parents, siblings, relatives and foster carers, should be involved in making decisions about reunification.

What is family permanency?

Permanent placement of a child in a committed relationship intended to last a lifetime—with the child’s family if that is possible or another loving family if it’s not—is the goal of the juvenile court process.

What does a permanency case manager do?

Permanency Coordinators are the primary case managers for the youth. They meet with and provide support and counseling to parents and families, while representing the Becket Family of Services at court and in community based meetings with service providers.

What is a permanency coach?

Active 18 days ago. A coach builds trusting, long-term relationships with young people throughout foster care, regardless if they leave foster care and achieve permanency. Persist in post-secondary settings,.

What happens after goal is changed to adoption?

Once a child’s goal is changed to adoption, the legal process can take from six months to two years to complete before a child is fully free to be adopted. Many children are placed for adoption during the process in what is known as “legal risk” placement. … There are no fees for any part of this type of adoption.

What rights do biological parents have?

Biological parents have a right to seek legal or physical custody of their child or child visitation, regardless of whether they were married or not when the child was born. As a father, you are still a biological parent, and so you have as many parental rights to your child as their biological mother does.

What is a CPS case plan?

Case planning is about identifying the decisions and actions required to achieve stability and security for the child or young person in care. Wherever possible the child or young person, their family and their carer, as well as their caseworker, are all involved in the development of the Case Plan.

What is a CPS permanency conference?

One of the most important hearings that you will attend in your child’s CPS case is a Permanency Hearing. … The report will detail opinions about you and your child and if anything is incorrect or off base be sure to bring that up to the judge in the hearing.

What is a permanency hearing in Texas?

Permanency Hearings examine progress made by the parties since the last hearing and provide an opportunity for correction and revision of the permanency or case plan.

Why was the Adoption and Safe Families Act created?

The Adoption and Safe Families Act was intended to clarify federal policy to ensure safety for children who come into contact with the child welfare system.