What Happened After the Press Conference
- Path to Permanency
- May 13
- 2 min read
The momentum continues to build. Our team is excited and energized by the movement and shift towards collaboration. Read below for updates, future events, and how to advocate for a time sensitive issue today.
NPR Interview
The county responded to WFAE’s request for comment following our 4/21 Press Conference which called for accountability for Permanency Planning Reviews. Read the full article here.
We are encouraged that our advocacy has prompted a desire to improve these critical case reviews!
State/YFS & Foster Parent Collaborative Meeting
Our advocacy efforts led to NCDHHS initiating a meeting between YFS and Foster Parents last week. We appreciated the openness from leadership and staff and the continued movement toward greater transparency and collaboration with foster families.
Several important points were clearly affirmed:
Permanency Planning Reviews should be held regularly and include caregivers.
Social Workers, not YFS attorneys, should be determining case recommendations.
Foster parents are entitled to receive most information about the children in their care, with very limited exceptions.
These statements differ from many of the experiences foster and kinship families have shared with us. Hearing them stated clearly by state and county officials will give us leverage as we hold ongoing meetings with YFS leadership.
CMS-DSS Educational Liaison Positions Reinstated
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has reinstated the 4 CMS-DSS Educational Liaison positions housed at YFS in last night’s approved budget. For more than 20 years, these liaisons have helped students in foster care stay enrolled, maintain school stability, access immediate enrollment, and navigate education-related challenges across CMS and DSS.
This year, 425 Mecklenburg youth in care attended 119 CMS schools and were placed in 46 different NC counties. These youth need continued educational support, as the CMS graduation rate for youth in foster care is nearly 40% lower than the system average.
This decision preserves critical support for some of CMS’s most vulnerable students.
Thank you to each of our community members who wrote to their CMS BOE member about the importance of these roles!
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