Youth-Centered Approach to Achieving Permanency

In 2005, the Children's Bureau funded nine demonstration projects through an Adoption Opportunities grant.

Interviews with youth shed light on their feelings about family and permanency:

• The level of commitment an adult brings to the relationship with a youth is what constitutes family—not blood.

• Permanency is a process of building trust, and finding a family is almost always worth the risk.

• Permanency work is not just about finding a home but includes restoring family connections that have been lost. Sibling relationships have been significant to older youth in the project.

• Youth are proud of their self-reliance and their ability to overcome adversity.

For more information about the Dumisha Jamaa Project, visit the National Resource Center for Adoption website.