Introduction
State child welfare agencies are responsible for promoting the healthy development and well-being of the children and youth in their care. To achieve healthy development, children and youth in foster care need to be involved in normal and developmentally appropriate extracurricular and social experiences and provided opportunities for safe risk taking. This guide is intended to support child welfare professionals in having “normalcy conversations”— that is, structured discussions and planning sessions among key stakeholders on how to promote normal and developmentally appropriate experiences in foster care. The guide begins with a brief description of the importance of normalcy for children and youth in care and presents legislative requirements for a “reasonable and prudent parent standard” to promote normalcy. The guide continues with guidance for facilitating a normalcy conversation, including essential dialogue topics, key stakeholders to involve in discussions about normalcy, and tips for promoting a productive conversation.
Defining Normalcy
Normalcy refers to allowing youth in out-of-home care to experience childhood and adolescence in ways similar to their peers not in foster care. This includes opportunities to participate in activities and experiences such as:
- After-school clubs and sports
- Recreational and community activities
- School field trips
- Sleepovers
- Social media
- Part-time jobs
- Driver’s education
- Choice in personal style
- Religious and other expression
The Importance of Normalcy for Children and Youth in Foster Care
In the past, State child welfare agencies focused primarily on safety and protection and often restricted activities for youth in care. The exclusion of youth from activities enjoyed by their classmates and peers was not only stigmatizing, but also deprived youth of valuable learning opportunities. Today, the critical importance of social and emotional well-being and the essential role of normalcy and developmentally appropriate opportunities for children and youth in care are increasingly recognized.
While the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program has done much to promote independent living skills among youth in care, research on outcomes tells us that the traditional approach to building life skills has often fallen short of sufficiently preparing young people for successful life after foster care. In addition, the latest research on adolescent brain development confirms that teenagers’ experiences ultimately shape their adult development. These findings underscore the importance of normal adolescent enrichment experiences through which youth learn decision-making and coping skills and have opportunities to develop healthy relationships that can contribute to cognitive, social, and emotional development.