Rethinking Recruitment How Youth Voice and Kinship First Culture Are Transforming Placement
This workshop examines the evolution of adoption recruitment practices in child welfare, highlighting how changing policies and values have reshaped placement and permanency planning for youth in foster care. Participants will explore how traditional placement matching has shifted within a kinship-first framework.
A central focus of the session is the role of youth voice in recruitment and permanency efforts. Participants will explore why youth perspectives are critical to ethical and effective practice and how meaningful engagement contributes to placement stability and permanency outcomes. The workshop will provide practical strategies for incorporating youth voice.
Through discussion and examples, participants will gain practical, youth-informed strategies for recruitment and permanency planning within a kinship-first framework.