Partners in Permanency
What is Partners in Permanency (PiP)?
We believe it takes a village for all families to thrive. And as we began to come alongside children in foster care and their caregivers, we also committed to coming alongside their first caregivers - their birth family.
Since 2016, we've equipped hundreds of birth families who are working hard to care for and reunify with their children. And along the way, we have seen that the village is an essential piece of the permanency puzzle.
When foster parents and other caring community members walk alongside families, isolation ends. Families stay together, avoiding foster care altogether, or reunifying with longer-lasting outcomes.
In fact, most children who enter foster care will either return home to their birth families or exit into the custody of biological relatives. Yet, there is a huge gap in post-reunification services available to help sustain these families.
Partners in Permanency steps into that gap. We work toward ongoing, committed relationships between our team, birth parents, and/or foster parents to best care for the children they love. We help everyone navigate the transition between homes, encourage teamwork, and help connect reunifying families to the resources and services that can truly help break cycles of generational adversity and keep families together.
I don't know how I would be making it without the support of (foster parents) and Foster Village. I obviously love my kids but I also need help and skills on how to be a good mom. To have a team, a family, rooting for us to stay together has been life changing in the best way.
- Vanessa, Dripping Springs TX - Reunified Mom
Principles of Partnership
When we work together, everyone benefits. That's why partnership is a key value for us as we come alongside birth families. We know that relationships develop over time and with intention, so we want to create an environment where everyone is involved, using their strengths, and supporting one another. When we do this, everyone wins.
Check out these principles that help guide our partners throughout the process of working together.
Most children who exit foster care either return home to their birth families or exit into the custody of biological relatives (roughly 70% in Central Texas in 2019).
Contact Our Team
If you'd like to learn more about PiP, please complete the Partners in Permanency General Interest Form, and we'll connect with you in the next couple of days. We look forward to hearing from you!
Have questions? Reach out to our Permanency Support Specialist, Aimee Hill, at aimee@fostervillageaustin.org.
Helpful Resources
BLOGS
Program Spotlight: Partners in Permanency Supports Healthy Family Reunification
"Two moms sit in different parts of the courtroom, in different areas of the agency, in different corners of the city. They have more in common than they realize, but for now, their experiences seem quite different..." Read Blog
EVENTS AND GATHERINGS
Partner Parent Gathering
During each gathering, we share resources, ask questions, and learn some best practices for building healthy relationships with the whole family. We'd love for you to come connect with those who have had experience navigating the ins and outs of reunification. View Gatherings