Right now, there are almost 100 youth in Onondaga County between the ages of 12-18 who have been in foster care for more than 12 consecutive months. Without the permanency of a family or lifetime support network, many of these young people will exit the foster care system without the care and resources they need to thrive as adults. We want to do better, and are inviting you to help.
On April 8, the Onondaga County Department of Children and Family Services will host a Permanency for Youth Summit focused on improving permanency outcomes for older youth. A wide variety of stakeholders have been invited, including youth, family members, representatives from private and public agencies, individuals involved in the court system, and other interested participants.
The goals of the Permanency Summit are to:
-understand the scope of the issue in our community
-identify the reasons why older youth linger in foster care and/or exit without permanent supports, including obstacles in the child welfare and legal systems
-learn about best practices to support permanency for older youth
-develop a community strategy and implementation plan to improve permanency outcomes
The Summit will be held on Friday, April 8 at Bethany Baptist Church (149 Beattie St, Syracuse). Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., and the Summit will run from 9 a.m.-4:30 pm. Free parking is available, and lunch will be provided.
Space is limited, so please fill out the registration form and reserve your spot by April 1. Feel free to forward the survey link to others who might be interested. We would appreciate help in inviting youth who are/were in foster care, and foster/adoptive families who have supported older youth in foster care.
Thank you for your interest in this important issue--we look forward to seeing you April 8!
CLICK "Next" TO COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION FORM