Strategies to improve permanent placement of older youth in foster care

For youth in foster care achieving permanency is a central goal and is strongly linked to improved long-term outcomes for youth; however, adolescents and young adults ages 14-21 continue to face significant barriers to forming stable, enduring family connections. Placement instability often increases during adolescence, and despite federal policy initiatives aimed at improving permanency, many older youths experience frequent placement disruptions and exit care without lasting supportive relationships. This gap underscores the need for targeted, developmentally appropriate strategies that address the unique challenges this population faces.

Nurses play a critical role in advancing permanency outcomes by advocating for and implementing multifaceted interventions. Key strategies include strengthening caregiver support through financial and social resources, expanding kinship care, and enhancing transition and mentoring programs tailored to older youth. In addition, nurses are well-positioned to connect with advocacy organizations and policy initiatives, promote post-placement stability through ongoing support services, and engage with federal and state programs designed to address systemic barriers to permanency.

Collaboration among nurses, policymakers, and leaders across child welfare and healthcare systems is essential to drive change. Policymakers should partner with nursing professionals to develop and prioritize policies that respond to the developmental needs of older youth, reduce placement instability, and ensure that no youth exits foster care without enduring, supportive connections. Future work should focus on policy reforms, refining clinical practice recommendations, and advancing longitudinal research to better understand and improve permanency outcomes for older youth in foster care.