Inside the Work of Post-Permanency Support – Supporting Families Beyond Finalization

When a child’s adoption or permanency placement is finalized, it marks a milestone worth celebrating and the beginning of a lifelong caregiving journey. To ensure families remain strong, connected and supported after child welfare involvement ends, post-permanency support programs offer guidance tailored to the evolving needs of households. Family Support Specialist and Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) practitioner Shelby Strehlow spends her days walking alongside families across Colorado to build stability and foster long-term healing.

“The most rewarding aspect of my role is standing alongside families during vulnerable moments and witnessing their transformation as they build stronger, more joyful relationships,” said Shelby.  “Being a part of people’s family systems and their healing journey is never short of amazing and I truly am inspired by the caregivers and kids that we get to meet and serve.” 

The post-permanency support program is designed to promote family stability and reduce the need for future child welfare involvement. Currently serving around 37 post-permanency families across Colorado, the program supports birth families who have experienced removal, kinship caregivers, adoptive families and pre-permanency households. Services cover the adoption spectrum, including international, private, kinship and foster care. Referrals reach the program through county caseworkers, community organizations and self-referrals. To offer support as early as possible, the program actively works to reach caregivers during the fostering or adoption certification stages so services can begin as soon as adoptions are finalized and children are settled in the home.

“We can serve families at any point in their journey, so really our goal is to be as preventative as possible to get in family’s homes as soon as we can before there are big behaviors or big challenges that they’re facing,” Shelby shared.

In her role as a family support specialist and certified TBRI practitioner, Shelby conducts one to four home visits or virtual sessions each day with caregivers or entire family units. TBRI provides caregivers with tools to understand how trauma impacts child development and behavior.

• Educating Caregivers: Sessions empower parents and guardians to look beyond surface behaviors and understand underlying trauma-related needs.
• In-Home Coaching & Nurture Groups: Shelby uses nurture groups, which are fun, structured and safe environments, to help multi-generational households practice new relational tools together. Nurture groups incorporate playful activities, such as using water blasters to teach sharing power and making choices, because children and adults learn best when they feel safe and connected.
• Focused Program Structure: The short-term acute program typically lasts up to 12 sessions spanning two to six months, meeting weekly or bi-weekly depending on family capacity.

Direct support through TBRI helps caregivers explore new ways of giving care, break generational patterns and bring joy and playfulness back into relationships during challenging moments. Real transformation begins when caregivers explore their own histories and caregiving styles. Through TBRI, caregivers experience the intervention principles themselves before applying them with their children, establishing safety and shared understanding.

«Caregivers need to be aware of what they’re bringing to the table, which often includes their own hurt and trauma, because how we received care is typically how we give care unless there’s intervention or change. Using TBRI allows caregivers to reflect on how they want to do things differently, helping kids realize that with greater self-awareness and understanding of their history, they can move forward and heal together,» Shelby explained.

Peer support and community connections are essential for long-term success. The program offers several free connection groups tailored to different family schedules and needs:

Group Name	Location & Schedule
Family Connection Group	In-person at the Denver office (March–August, 4th Monday of the month, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM)
Caregiver Support Group	In-person at the Denver office (Thursdays, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM)
Virtual Caregiver Connection Group	Virtual (3rd Thursday of each month, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM)

“In-home and direct support allows families to feel like they really have someone in their corner during their toughest moments. It (TBRI)  allows them to really focus on what they’re bringing to the table in a vulnerable, honest, and safe space,” Shelby said.  “I find that once the caregivers are on board, that is really when we can start to see the change in the whole family. This program allows families to connect and strengthen their relationships and it really brings joy and fun back into their lives even during some of their really challenging moments.”

Raise the Future also encourages families to build an internal network of support, connecting with therapists, schools, daycares, and community groups, helps sustain family growth long after formal program sessions end. To learn more about post-permanency support, referral pathways, or joining an upcoming connection group, please reach out to Celina Baldwin, Celina.Baldwin@raisethefuture.org