Montgomery County News

Kristean Thompson of Pencil Bluff attended the 2008 National Convening on Youth Permanence for the care of youth in foster care, held April 30 in Washington D.C. Each state has a panel of six members representing the state and the continued improvement of Permanency Planning for youth in Foster Care. Thompson was asked to represent Arkansas on its panel by Pat Page, Arkansas Head Director of DHHS.

The 2008 National Convening on Youth Permanence builds on previous convenings and provides states and tribes with the knowledge and skills to make family permanence a priority for all youth in foster care, regardless of race, background, orientation or emotional and physical challenges. Goals worked toward at this convention 2008 were deepening awareness that family permanence for all youth in foster care is urgently needed – and possible, expanding understanding of the vital and powerful role of youth, parents, and family members in their own permanency planning and decision-making, and improvement in building states’ and tribal capacity to make achieving and sustaining family permanence a priority for all youth in foster care and addressing disparities in permanency outcomes for youth of color in foster care.

This is the nation’s largest gathering of administrators, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers, as well as youth and parents, focused on achieving and sustaining family permanence for youth in foster care today.

The National Convenings on Youth Permanence began in 2002 as a grassroots effort. Starting with the California Permancency for Youth Project, this years session is committed to reforming policy, practice, and systems to advance the needs of children affected. 

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