Nearly one in five children in foster care has been in care before. Each time a child comes in or out of care, families are fractured and re-fractured. Stable, nurturing families can bolster their resilience and lessen negative long-term effects — but these protective factors can’t be nurtured if children keep re-entering care.

This research brief provides a high-level review of re-entry data, a summary of post-permanency programs and services, and recommendations for how to improve services for youth and families as they exit care. Its purpose is to draw attention to the issue of post-permanency, which focuses on the family, and shift attention away from re-entry, which focuses on the system.