For youth in foster care, the journey to stability is marked by disruption and loss. Most experience repeated changes in caregivers, making it difficult to trust, form attachments, and feel a sense of belonging. Without strong, lasting connections, they risk aging out of the system without a single person to call their own. But what if we could change that?
For five years, Alia has been working alongside SCO Family of Services in New York to make lasting relationships for at-risk youth a reality. Together, we are implementing Intensive Permanence Services (IPS), a program designed to heal relational trauma and help youth and families restore their ability to form permanent connections.
SCO serves more than 50,000 New Yorkers annually, providing critical human services to children, families, adults, and communities. Their programs go beyond immediate safety—they focus on long-term success, particularly for teens and young adults who are preparing for independence. One of the ways SCO does this is through their group homes across New York City and Long Island. These homes serve as more than just a place to live—they provide young people with the support needed to achieve academic success, prepare for careers, gain employment, and develop essential life skills. But beyond these tangible outcomes, SCO’s group homes also play a crucial role in helping youth rebuild their capacity to connect with others and heal relationships with those they love.
For youth placed in SCO’s “hard-to-place” program, permanency can feel like an impossible goal. It also isn’t just about physical placement, especially for young adults over 18. It’s about finding an “anchor”—a core person who is always there, providing unwavering support no matter what.
Amelia Franck Meyer, Founder and Executive Officer of Alia, highlights the importance of these deep connections: “We need safe, secure, and nurturing attachments to other humans to thrive and survive. This is especially true in children, but it is essential for us all.”
Yet for many youth in out-of-home care, years of instability have eroded their ability to trust. Without the nurturing and care they needed in early developmental stages, their attachment cycles were broken. As a result, their fight, flight, or freeze instincts remain activated, often leading to pain-based behaviors that are easily misjudged.
For those who remain in the system until adulthood, the reality is stark. When courts determine that all placement options have been exhausted, these young people are left in the legal custody of child welfare agencies until they age out—without a legal connection, without a home, without someone to claim them. It’s an isolating and terrifying experience.
The good news is that with the right support, healing is possible. When youth are given the space to process their losses and understand their pain-based behaviors, they can begin to develop healthier ways to cope. Only then can they start forming trusting, positive relationships again.
One young person in an SCO group home had spent years guarding their identity—keeping their legal name, family history, and personal details private as a means of self-protection. But through IPS, this youth built a trusted relationship with their caseworker and slowly opened up. Over time, they felt safe enough to share their story and ultimately reconnected with a biological parent.
This is the power of IPS.
With a growing focus on permanency, SCO has expanded its IPS services, doubling its team size (from three workers to six) while building the model into the LGBTQ+ program. Beyond direct services, SCO is working to spread this trauma-informed lens and approach across all its group home programs. Weekly consultations with IPS staff and monthly consultations or “deep dives” with case planners and leaders, equip all agency staff with tools to better support the young people in their care.
For example, a recent consultation call with a case planner from the Bethany Program—a residence for pregnant and parenting teens in foster care—led to a meaningful discussion. The team worked together to develop new strategies to meet the needs of a particular youth, not just in the moment, but proactively. It was a small but powerful step in improving that youth’s care (and positively impacting quality of life in a second generation).
For youth in foster care, permanency isn’t just about placement—it’s about people. It’s about knowing that no matter what, someone is there. Through our partnership, we are proving that healing is possible for all who have been impacted by the broken child welfare system. By addressing trauma, restoring trust, and fostering lifelong connections, they are helping young people build the futures they deserve. Because no one should have to navigate the world alone.