Glossary of Terms

Child Specific Recruitment, CSR is requested for children who have no identified family resource or permanency connections. CSR can help identify and develop connections and supports for older youth as they transition into young adulthood. CSR may be used to help meet the diligent search requirements of the Fostering Connections and Increasing Adoptions Act. The affiliate agency is expected to work closely with the child or older youth and the CYS agency to locate and develop an adoptive family and other individuals who can serve as permanent connections.

A coalition of hundreds of private and public agencies serving vulnerable children and families since 1920. Their expertise, leadership and innovation on policies, programs and practices help improve the lives of millions of children in all 50 states.

A collaborative effort of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work and the Pennsylvania Children and Youth Administrators established to train direct service workers, supervisors, administrators and foster parents in providing social services to abused and neglected children and their families.

The birth parent and adoptive parent do not share any identifying information about themselves nor do they have any contact. This is not as common as in earlier years as current practice recognizes the importance of some level of communication between birth parents and adoptive parents about a child.

A process of working towards one legal permanency goal (typically reunification) while at the same time establishing and implementing an alternative permanency goal and plan so children and older youth can more quickly move to a safe and stable permanent family in case the primary goal cannot be accomplished promptly (Permanency Roundtable Project, 2010).    It involves a mix of meaningful family engagement, targeted case practice and legal strategies aimed at achieving timely permanency, while at the same time establishing and actively working a concurrent permanency plan. It is not a fast track to adoption, but to permanency.

Child Specific Recruitment, CSR is requested for children who have no identified family resource or permanency connections. CSR can help identify and develop connections and supports for older youth as they transition into young adulthood. CSR may be used to help meet the diligent search requirements of the Fostering Connections and Increasing Adoptions Act. The affiliate agency is expected to work closely with the child or older youth and the CYS agency to locate and develop an adoptive family and other individuals who can serve as permanent connections.

A coalition of hundreds of private and public agencies serving vulnerable children and families since 1920. Their expertise, leadership and innovation on policies, programs and practices help improve the lives of millions of children in all 50 states.

A collaborative effort of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work and the Pennsylvania Children and Youth Administrators established to train direct service workers, supervisors, administrators and foster parents in providing social services to abused and neglected children and their families.