“For kids who have nobody, we believe there actually are somebodies. And the question becomes: Are we willing to do what it takes to find and support those somebodies?” Amelia Franck Meyer, Alia Founder and Executive Officer
Too often, the child welfare system operates under the assumption that resource-intensive youth have no one to go to. There are so many reasons for this, including each youth’s own broken attachment cycle and trauma history. What if we started with the assumption that there is always someone? What if, instead of reinforcing the idea of no options, we dedicated our efforts to uncovering, repairing, and strengthening connections between youth in care and their caregiver(s)?
The idea that a youth has absolutely no one who wants and can care for them is unlikely. Instead of stopping there, we need to dig deeper.
Intensive Permanence Services (IPS) heals relational trauma for youth and their families to restore their ability to build long-lasting, permanent connections. It occurs in four phases: trusting, healing, connecting, and supporting. The trusting phase includes a commitment to an exhaustive search for living relatives who might step into the caregiver role.
In IPS, time is our most valuable tool. When given enough of it, we can build trust, understand family histories, and offer meaningful support.
At a recent IPS training for child welfare staff, a social worker voiced a common frustration: "I have been working with this one child for over four years. No matter what we do, this child has not responded well to our efforts and resources. With IPS, you tell us to bring in other family members, but we’ve tried that. She doesn’t have any other family members. What do we do for those kids? I’ve tried foster parents, everything I can think of outside the box, and we always come back to square one."
Our response to this frustration is hopefully validating. We believe them. We believe that they have done all that they could do. The challenge of working within the child welfare system is that it is built on separation and punishment rather than connection and healing. With the many roles and responsibilities of a single child welfare worker, the reality is they quickly reach the limits of what is possible.
But we know the truth: no youth is truly alone. Their somebodies just haven’t been uncovered yet, which requires persistence and patience. Families may gatekeep information because they fear CPS intervention. Youth may gatekeep information as a survival mechanism. When we strategically shift our practices from surveillance and removal to connection and support, families become more willing to open up. It’s why the IPS model requires specialists who are dedicated to helping youth establish long-lasting, mutually safe relationships. IPS Specialists have the time and capacity to focus solely on building relational connections because that’s exactly what they are there to do. They stay with the youth for the duration of the program, ensuring continuity. While other staff juggle countless responsibilities, IPS Specialists exist to do what others simply don’t have time or resources for.
IPS has the power to change life trajectories. The time a child spends engaged in IPS can dramatically shape their future. It takes time. It takes trust. And it takes a belief that for every child, there is a somebody who will love them.
Are we willing to commit to this work? To see beyond the barriers and find the people who will show up?