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WHAT IS SWAN ANYWAY?

WHAT IS SWAN ANYWAY?. What does SWAN stand for? What was child welfare like before SWAN? Who started SWAN and when? Why was SWAN started?. SWAN MISSION. Every child in foster care deserves to achieve permanency in a timely manner

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WHAT IS SWAN ANYWAY?

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  1. WHAT IS SWAN ANYWAY? • What does SWAN stand for? • What was child welfare like before SWAN? • Who started SWAN and when? • Why was SWAN started?

  2. SWAN MISSION • Every child in foster care deserves to achieve permanency in a timely manner • Every child with a goal of adoption deserves a permanent family • County agencies must be supported to prioritize and provide permanency services

  3. SWAN MISSION Delays in achieving permanency must not be due to: Race Culture Age Geography Ability Case priority level

  4. SWAN MISSION • Permanent families must be developed for every waiting child • Resource families who step forward to provide “Continuum of Care” to children in child welfare system must be supported to remain intact

  5. WHO IS SWAN?

  6. SWAN UNITS OF SERVICE • Child profile • Child preparation • Child Specific Recruitment • Family Preparation and Profile • Child Placement • Finalization • Post permanency services

  7. WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR SWAN SERVICES? • Children in the custody of a Pennsylvania County Agency • Families who express an interest in providing permanency for children in the custody of a county agency • Pennsylvania children in need of post permanency services

  8. WHAT IS THE SWAN REFERRAL PROCESS?

  9. SWAN Benchmarks • Provide a step by step outline to guide the SWAN units of service. • Used to document where an agency is in the process of completing the service. • Are submitted to the Prime Contract in order to bill for the service upon completion.

  10. What is a Child Profile? • Document • Review • Snapshot • Collaborative Process

  11. The Intent and Purpose of the Child Profile • To provide an accurate history. • To establish an informational resource. • To maintain a chronology of life events • To reflect the uniqueness of each youth.

  12. The Intent and Purpose of the Child Profile (cont.) • To introduce youth to resource families. • To identify connections. • To highlight the youth’s strengths and risk areas. • To predict post-permanency services.

  13. The Child Profile is NOT meant to be: • A clinical assessment. • The sole source of information on a youth. • The full disclosure activity to present a child.

  14. Why is a Child Profile so Important? • We can never go back and recapture what is lost. The sooner we start to gather the information, the more we will ultimately know about our children. • Regardless of the goal, it is our duty to record the time a child is with us in care. There are no “do-overs” in the life of a child

  15. Role of the County in the Process • Charged with Safety and Well-Being of the Child • Provide oversight to the Profile process. • Provide information and access to information on the youth. • Help prepare the caregiver for the process. • Runs interference.

  16. Child Profile – ContentThe content of the Child Profile should: • Be detailed and factual. • Show sensitivity in stating information. • Reflect the areas that address the five questions that youth are consistently looking to have answered. • Follow the outline in the SWAN Bulletin.

  17. What is Child Preparation? • As children enter into permanency, certain issues need to be addressed for them to “move forward.” • These issues need to be addressed regardless of the age of the child or the type of permanency.

  18. What is Child Preparation? Most children who experience great loss, struggle with these core issues: 1. Grief/Loss 2. Abandonment 3. Identity 4. Control 5. Loyalty 6. Attachment 7. Shame

  19. Child-Centered, Child-Focused Goals • Gives Children a Voice! • Honors the Past! • Answers the Questions! • Makes the Connections! • Looks to the Future!

  20. Who can use this service? All children living in out-of-home placement are eligible to receive this service, including those with a goal of: • Reunification • Adoption • Permanent Legal Custodianship • Fit and Willing Relative • Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA)

  21. Child Preparation Plan: • Defines the roles of county and affiliate. • Pulls resources together. • Describes how the work will proceed.

  22. Role of the County Agency • Participate in development of child preparation plan • Oversee the work and make critical decisions. • Inform caregivers that Child Preparation work will begin. Explain that the county is supporting and directing the process. • Provide access to all known information about the child. • Be prepared to assist the worker in supporting the family

  23. The Work of Child Preparation . • TIME FRAME: In Pennsylvania, we currently require 10 SESSIONS over a 6 MONTH period. • CHILD’S PACE: Need to be responsive to each child and where they are in the process.

  24. The Work of Child Preparation . • Individual session - allows for one-on-one in-depth exploration of children’s feelings and emotional responses to discussions and activities. • Group work- allows the child to engage in activities and discussions with other children who have experienced similar life events. Children in groups should be of a similar age or “readiness.”. • A combination - The use of group work and individual sessions can use the strengths of both approaches and ensure children receive the opportunity to share with peers and also work with experienced workers on more personal, painful issues.

  25. Meeting Activity Report This report is submitted to the county every other month to summarize the meeting activities between the affiliate and the child.

  26. Child Preparation Final Summary This report is submitted to the county at the completion of the child preparation activity or at the end of the six month plan.

  27. What Is The Purpose of CSR? • To Find a Permanent Resource for a Child/Youth • To Assist Youth in Making Permanent Connections

  28. The New Face of CSR • Current initiatives and impact on current CSR practice • Fostering Connections • Family Finding

  29. Children Aging Out Are Asking: • Have you done everything possible for me? • If I was your child, would you have done more?

  30. Guidelines to Providing CSR • Counties can do their own or make a referral to an affiliate • Create a plan in conjunction with relevant people including the child • Review it regularly • Benchmarks outline the steps

  31. Finding Permanency • Characteristics of Successful Counties • Understand the importance of the worker’s attitude in achieving permanency • Top goal is PERMANENCY • Open to a variety of families (non-traditional, single, out of state, all income levels) • No geographic boundaries • Open about subsidy if it provides permanency

  32. CSR Plan Child Matching Log CSR Plan – Inquires Child Registration w/ PAE Diligent Search Flyers/Power Point Child Prep Waiting Child Segments Life Book Sears Photos Various Adoption Web Sites Basic Tools

  33. Building a Successful CSR Unit:What can a county do? • Being involved with the plan can clearly identify the child’s needs & strengths • County and affiliate worker meeting face to face • Meets monthly to review possible families • Referring for Child Prep/Child Profile/CSR • Empowering CSR staff to be involved in the selection process

  34. WHAT IS FAMILY PREPARATION PROCESS? • FAMILY PREPARATION • FAMILY PROFILE • COUNTY AND AFFILIATE REFERRED • CAN BE USED FOR ALL PERMANENCY GOALS • 120 DAY TIMELINE

  35. FAMILY PROFILES SHOULD ADDRESS 3 IMPORTANT ISSUES • SAFETY • NURTURING • COMMITMENT

  36. WHY REFER FAMILY PROFILE? • HELPS FAMILIES MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS • IDENTIFIES MOTIVATION, STRENGTHS AND AREAS WHERE THE FAMILY MAY NEED ASSISTANCE • PREPARE FAMILIES FOR ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ROLES OF THEIR LIVES • PROVIDES THE COUNTY WITH INFORMATION NEEDED IN SELECTING A FAMILY • PROVIDES THE COURT WITH NECESSARY INFORMATION

  37. WHAT IS CHILD PLACEMENT? • Activities related to matching waiting children and families • Activities involved in pre-placement and transitioning child into home • Filing of Report of Intent • Referred only for children with a goal of adoption

  38. WHY REFER CHILD PLACEMENT? • Affiliates should receive reimbursement for activities related to searching for a family for a child • A child’s successful transition into a permanent home requires attention and skill

  39. WHAT ARE ADOPTION FINALIZATION SERVICES • ACTIVITIES FROM PLACEMENT TO FINALIZATION • REFERRED FOR CHILDREN WITH A GOAL OF ADOPTION

  40. WHY REFER FINALIZATION? • GEOGRAPHY SHOULD NOT GET IN THE WAY OF PERMANENCY. • FINALIZATION IS MORE THAN A DAY IN COURT • SUCCESSFUL ADOPTIONS REQUIRE FAMILY AND CHILD CENTERED PERMANENCY ORIENTED SUPERVISION. • MANY FAMILIES WILL NEED SUPPORT IN THE FUTURE. WHO WILL THEY CONTACT?

  41. WHAT ARE THE POST PERMANENCY SERVICES? • FAMILIES ARE ELIGIBLE IF THEY HAVE ADOPTED, PROVIDE KINSHIP CARE OR LEGAL CUSTODIANSHIP • ACCESSED BY FAMLIES CONTACTING THE HELPINE (1-800-585-SWAN) • FAMILY-DRIVEN SERVICES • SERVICES PROVIDED BY AFFILIATES • ASSESSMENT/CASE ADVOCACY • RESPITE • SUPPORT GROUP

  42. WHY ENCOURAGE FAMILIES TO ACCESS POST PERMANENCY SERVICES? • ALL FAMILIES NEED SUPPORT AT TIMES. • FAMILIES PROVIDING PERMANENCY HAVE A RIGHT TO ACCESS SUPPORT WHEN THEY NEED IT. • POST PERMANENCY SERVICES CAN PREVENT REENTRY INTO FOSTER CARE

  43. WHAT ARE OTHER SWAN RESOURCES? • THE HELPLINE (1-800-585-SWAN) • THE SWAN WEBSITE (www.diakon-swan.org) • DIAKON PORTAL SYSTEM • SWAN NETWORK MEETINGS • PENNSYLVANIA ADOPTION EXCHANGE (PAE) (www.adoptpakids.org) • LEGAL SERVICES INITIATIVE PROGRAM (LSI)

  44. WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN FOR ME?

  45. WHAT DIFFERENCE CAN I MAKE? “ONE PERSON’S GENUINE BELIEF IN THE POSSIBLITY OF A FAMILY FOR A CHILD IS A MESSAGE OF HOPE.” --ROBERT LEWIS

  46. I AM WONDERING?

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