Permanency Readiness Services (PRS) Program

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2013

Children and Family Services (CFS) of San Bernardino County implemented the Permanency Readiness Services (PRS) project in January 2011 as a continuation of the County’s California Permanency for Youth Project (CPYP). Many children in foster care are not able to reunite with their parents and are in long-term foster care and group homes. The youth experience multiple placements and a lack of permanency that prevent youth from forming supportive and meaningful lifetime connections with family/adults. The PRS program utilizes a Permanency Coordinator and Master level interns to provide youth in foster care permanency services: Life Book—A written story of child’s/youth’s life; Connection Map—A genogram that includes family and other significant relationships in the child’s/youth’s life; Family, Search, and Engagement—A search for relatives and other important people in the child’s/youth’s life that includes building and maintaining relationships. The goal of the program is to identify permanent placement opportunities and enduring relationships for the child/youth. Fourteen youth were served. Each youth has a potential or an established permanent connection resulting in increased contacts with parents, family, siblings, or other important persons.