This book grows out of our combined nearly 50 years of child welfare experience, both social work and legal; and from personal life experiences that have led us to identify ourselves as child advocates. Our careers joined in 1981 as social work and legal consultants to county departments of social services in North Carolina. As we each provided training to separate segments of the child welfare system, we quickly recognized together, the need for all the parties to work together toward a timely, appropriate permanent plan for each child in our system. This Book is Dedicated to the Children To those we have served as their advocate, those we have raised as their parents, and those who still wait for others to see their pain and to speak on their behalf. All of these children have taught us so much. They taught us about the dignity of the human character, the strength of the human soul, and the resilience of the human spirit. This book is dedicated to the children blessed with loving parents and safe secure homes. They help us keep focused on what is possible and right. This book is also dedicated to the children who wait in fear and pain. They help us keep focused on what is still left to be done. *By the time we get involved with a child in protective services "best" is lost. This was lost when his parents abused or neglected him. All we can hope to do is what is "least worst". *Casebuilding for permanence requires rational documented decision making, with a focus on achieving resolution in a time limited way. *Any time we become involved with a family we should be planning how to help them so that we can get out of their lives. This should happen as soon as they can keep their children safe. *We need to focus not on parent behaviors, but on how those behaviors impact on the care of the child. *The hallmark of many parents who are involved in the child welfare system is that they put their own needs before the needs of their child. *The hallmark of children who have been placed in foster care is grief. A grieving child can not be "fixed" but we can recognize their pain and not add to it. *Relatives- are they part of the problem or can they be the solution? *Why can the child not go home? - This is the key to the assessment process. *The court can be the key to achieving permanence, if we "clear away the clouds" for the judge. Copyright © April 2008 Casebuilding Consulting. All rights reserved.