Sunshine Girl On A Rainy Day

State of Young America: Youth Housing

2011-12-21T06:42:00.000-08:00

According to The State of Young America: Economic Barriers to the American Dream:

The share of young households spending more than 30% of income on rent was stable for two decades, but grew after 2000 to reach 41% in 2009.

Long-term economic trends, rising rental costs, and the Great Recession can all be seen in the decision to move home with parents.

The State of Young America: Student Financial Aid

2011-12-21T06:38:00.000-08:00

According to The State of Young America: Economic Barriers to the American Dream:

Student financial aid has not kept up with increasing costs. In 1980 the maximum Pell Grant covered 69% of attendance, today it covers 34%.

The State of Young America: Lower Earnings for Young Adults Without a High School Diploma

2011-12-21T06:37:00.000-08:00

According to The State of Young America: Economic Barriers to the American Dream:

Young men without a high school diploma have experienced a 28% drop in earnings since 1980. Young women’s earnings also lost ground, dropping 8 percent.

Authentic Youth Engagement

2011-12-19T13:06:00.000-08:00

The Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative recently released a publication titled: Authentic Youth Engagement: Youth-Adult Partnerships.

Unpacking the "Why" Behind Authentic Youth Engagement:

"Engaging adolescents in planning and decisionmaking regarding their own lives—and the larger community—reaps critical benefits throughout the process of transitioning to adulthood."
"Emerging knowledge in the field of neuroscience tells us that during adolescence and young adulthood the brain is undergoing extensive remodeling and that experience plays a critical role in how the brain matures."

I completely agree that:

"Young people in foster care have often been removed from natural opportunities for decisionmaking, community engagement, and leadership and they experience a sense of powerlessness and isolation."
"The intentional creation of leadership and community engagement opportunities is therefore particularly important for this group of young people."

What If Every State Had Foster Care Medical Review Panel?

2011-12-02T17:11:00.000-08:00

What if every state had a Foster Care Medical Review Panel, serving in a role similar to a Medical Ombudsman, that foster care youth, alumni, foster parents, CASA/GAL, etc. could contact with concerns about over-medication?

Forgotten Children A Special Report on the Texas Foster Care System Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn (April 2004)

Findings

DPRS exercised little meaningful oversight over the treatment of foster children with psychotropic medications.

No formal investigation related to psychotropic medications had ever been conducted.

YFT did not attempt to assess the appropriateness of medications.

Many foster children were being prescribed psychotropic medications by physicians who were not trained in child psychiatry.

Even though federal law requires a foster child’s medical records to be reviewed, updated and given to foster care providers, foster care providers of 46% children in a study conducted by the OIG never received medical histories of the children in care, including children with serious medical conditions. Without access to a child’s medical records, it was difficult for foster parents to effectively care for foster children.

Challenges Noted:

The Advisory Committee recognized that “[c]oncerns exist regarding the inappropriate use of psychotropic medication and inadequate monitoring of prescribed medications.

There was also a lack of data available regarding physician prescribing practices and child outcomes. Children in foster care may be subject to widely varied standards of care. There is currently no way to monitor the quality of care and no system for resolving concerns associated with the use of psychotropic medication for children.

Also there is no method for “second” opinions to be easily obtained by DFPS staff when they have concerns or questions.”

In response, their plan was to:

Develop review panels of medical professionals including (trauma-informed) child psychiatrists to provide recommendations regarding care for foster children where there is a question on whether their care is clinically appropriate.

Establish clinical guidelines and protocols for psychotropic medications and a review process for identifying children’s medical records that fall outside the guidelines and reviewing them for inquiry or possible corrective action.

Develop a medical and educational passport for each child that follows the child through placement changes and is readily available to healthcare providers and schools electronically.

The Financial and Societal Costs of Medicating America's Foster Children

2011-12-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

A Senate hearing was held yesterday, "The Financial and Societal Costs of Medicating America’s Foster Children."

Mr. Bryan Samuels, Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, gave the following testimony: "During my tenure as Director, DCFS developed a comprehensive system of protocols and safeties to ensure that psychotropic medications are prescribed responsibly and monitored consistently."

This included:

Requiring that all prescriptions be reviewed and approved at the State Deputy Director level;

Establishing time-limits for reviews to ensure that necessary treatment was not delayed;

Developing an electronic database for tracking all prescriptions for children in foster care;

Creating “red flags” in the database that elevated certain cases, such as those in which three or more medications were prescribed, for more thorough review; and

Establishing best practice guidelines and distributing them to prescribers. The electronic database was also designed to identify providers whose patterns of prescribing differed from the guidelines.

Here’s the link to learn more: http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_id=9fc194de-2a7c-4417-8f2b-6b90cadacede

Drugging Foster Youth - Influence of Pharmaceutical Companies

2011-12-02T16:38:00.000-08:00

Quotes from Time Magazine article: Szalavitz, Maia. Why Are So Many Foster Care Children Taking Antipsychotics?Time Magazine, November 29, 2011 .

"The influence of pharmaceutical company marketing cannot be overlooked. Ninety-nine percent of youth receiving anti-psychotic medications in the study were given atypical anti-psychotics — the newer generation of these drugs, which are expensive and mostly unavailable in generic form and have been heavily advertised .

"All of the major manufacturers of these drugs have been fined by the Food and Drug Administration for illegal marketing practices — in part, for marketing the drugs for unapproved use in children — with some convicted of criminal charges.

" The main condition that antipsychotics are approved to treat —schizophrenia — is extremely rare in children . The rate of schizophrenia in children under 12 is an estimated 2 cases per 1 million children; it affects fewer than 1% of older teens. Anti-psychotics are also approved to treat bipolar disorder, a diagnosis that is highly controversial in children . Some studies suggest that it affects 0.2% to 0.4 % of children, and up to 1% of adolescents.

And yet, between 1994 and 2003, rates of bipolar diagnoses in youth under 19 rose by a factor of more than 40, according to the National Institute on Mental Health. It seems unlikely to be a coincidence that this rise occurred during the period when atypical anti-psychotics were being illegally marketed for children ."

"Indeed, most of the anti-psychotics used in foster-care youth were for conditions that the drugs were not approved to treat . Fifty-three percent of prescriptions were written for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition that is ordinarily managed with drugs that have the opposite pharmacological effects as anti-psychotics. The stimulant medications like Adderall and Ritalin, widely used for ADHD, tend to increase levels of dopamine, while anti-psychotics tend to decrease it."

Unnecessarily Drugging Foster Care Youth

2011-12-02T16:23:00.000-08:00

A concern that comes up again and again with foster care youth and young adults is the issue of overmedication in foster care.

A new study, Antipsychotic Treatment Among Youth in Foster Care , examined concomitant antipsychotic use among Medicaid-enrolled youth in foster care, compared with disabled or low-income Medicaid-enrolled youth.

They found that:

More than a third of youth in foster care without disabilities had multiple anit-psychotic prescriptions lasting longer than 90 days
Children who were not adopted had the highest rates of prescriptions, representing 38 out of every 100 children in foster care.

In comparison, 26 out of every 100 children who were on public assistance but not in foster care had more than one antipsychotic prescription.

In recent years, doctors and policy makers have grown concerned about high rates of overall psychiatric drug use in the foster care system. Previous studies have found that children in foster care receive psychiatric medications at about twice the rate among children outside the system.

In 2008, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support held a hearing on the u tilization of psychotropic medication for children in foster car e.

In 2010, Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the prevalence of prescribed psychotropic medications for children in foster care.

Ghosts of Holidays Past

2011-11-28T08:02:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite movies in college was “A Muppet Christmas Carol.”

As a former foster child, I could relate to Scrooge’s need to come to terms with Christmases of the Past, to find a place to belong in Christmas Present, and to summon up the courage to face Christmases of the Future.

I believe that this is a journey that continues for all of us…

I can still remember the 14-year-old girl I once was, living in an all-girls group home, and facing Christmas without family. My father was abusive and often absent. My mother’s death had left a void in my life that had yet to be filled.

To quote from my journal at the time: “Peering out from frost-covered glass, I feel a chill on my face as gusts of fresh wind burst through the open window. It’s tough to face the fact that my own father chose not to visit me – that sharp sting of abandonment. My heart feels the bitter taste of winter’s emptiness. I squint my eyes to stare at the falling snow, noticing how each individual snowflake falls from the sky in its solitary travel; separate, isolated and alone.”

However as Albert Camus once pointed out:

Warmth insisted on making its way into my winter holidays -- particularly the Christmas when I was 16 years old…

The snow outside was white and pure, as I walked through the door of the main gathering area of the co-ed group home. The room was filled with a multitude of gifts, donated by members of a church somewhere in our county. Some of the packages had my name on them.

I opened up each of my presents, one by one, and stared at my brand-new blue jeans, white sneakers and assortment of colorful shirts. Whoever bought these clothes somehow knew my favorite colors: red, pink, turquoise and indigo-blue. Over the years, I’d grown accustomed to hand-me-down clothing; I typically borrowed clothes from my roommates or raided the charity boxes.

“Do they do this for us every year?” I asked my roommate incredulously.

“Yeah. They start saving up in January and put away money all year until the beginning of December. The group home sends them a list of things we need.”

I stared at the huddle of figures in the periphery of the room. The men wore dusty, work-worn overalls, embellished with holes and caked with dirt. The women were equally without embellishment – no make-up, plain clothes.

“I hope they have enough money left for their own kids. It doesn’t look like they could afford to pay for all this stuff.” I commented.

A woman standing across the room caught my eye and smiled gently.

My roommate hissed in my ear. “Shut up, Lisa. They might hear you.”

“Okay, okay.” I stole another glance over at the strangers in the corner. Their selflessness astounded me. What did they do this? Why sacrifice for us? My own father didn’t send any Christmas presents to me.

As I exited the gathering that day, my arms filled with gifts I had received, the air outside was crisp and clean. My breath rose in a smoky haze. My new coat enveloped me, surrounding me with a feeling of warmth. For one brief moment, I felt cherished and secure.

That day, for me, was an integral experience in my life –one of many such seeds for the future that make me who I am today. Long after I had fought to build a future for myself and successfully established a marriage and family of my own, this snapshot from the past remained.

This particular experience helped me survive in that moment, and I am determined that its legacy will carry on…

This vision is at the heart of why the Ohio chapter of Foster Care Alumni of America hosts multiple Thanksgiving Events for foster care teens and young adults every year...

There are moments in our life when we have the opportunity to step outside of our comfort zone to make a difference. As we look back upon our lives, we can each remember those special people who went the extra mile in our lives – and how their actions continue to make each and every one of us who we are. As Scrooge discovered in the Muppet Christmas Carol: “It’s true, wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas.”

We cannot save the entire world – but we can save some. We can and should continue to invest in our young people in and from foster care. We can offer them the gift of our love, encouragement, and empowerment. We can provide them with hope in this moment, and education regarding available resources that can help to pave the way for their future. Inasmuch as it depends on us, we can provide them with a “summer of the soul in December.”

We should expect nothing less from ourselves and one another.

Celebrating each of the three FCAA Ohio Thanksgivings... one by one...

2011-11-22T15:23:00.000-08:00

The second annual FCAA NE OH Thanksgiving Dinner for Foster Care Teens and Emancipated Youth once again captured the heart of what this event is all about…

Reminding those who have experienced foster care personally that they always have a seat at our table.

That it is an honor for us to stay in touch with them, as they enter into young adulthood, find their places in this world, and move beyond the shadows of their past to build bright futures and families of their own.

We want our young people to know that their voices, talents, insights and mutual encouragement are what lies at the heart of this celebration…

Many thanks to each of event sponsor and volunteer for your role in hosting a Thanksgiving celebration that fulfills its purpose, and has our young people eager to return each year.

Words are simply not enough to express my gratitude.

Sincerely,

Lisa Dickson,

Foster Care Alumni of America, Ohio chapter

2011 FCAA Ohio Thanksgiving Reunions

2011-11-22T15:17:00.001-08:00

A place where foster care teens, emancipated youth and adult alumni are always welcome.

Having experienced foster care ourselves, we know that holidays can be difficult.

Let's come together - share our strength and insights, rejoice in how far we have come.

Let's encourage one another for the next step in the journey....

Every year since 2007, Thanksgiving has been a time for Ohio foster care youth (ages 16+), alumni and allies/adult supporters to gather together.

This year, the Ohio chapter of Foster Care Alumni held three Thanksgiving events, with help from our valued supporters:

1.) SOUTHWEST OHIO THANKSGIVING:

The Southwest Ohio Thanksgiving took place in Dayton:

Saturday, November 19, 2011, from 1:00 - 3:30 pm
Salem Church of God, 6500 Southway Road, Clayton, OH 45318

Lead Facilitator: Michelle Conklin
Primary Sponsor: New Family Tree
Catering Sponsor: Jerri's Catering and Family Restaurant
Additional Sponsors: Majestic Nursery, Salem Student Ministry, Wendy's Wonderful Kids, and the Meet Me Halfway Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
Pumpkin Decorations: Val Bairnsfather

2.) NORTHEAST OHIO THANKSGIVING

The Northeast Ohio Thanksgiving took place in Cleveland:

Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011, from 12:30-3:00 pm
Antioch Baptist Church, 8869 Cedar Ave., Cleveland OH 44016

Lead Facilitator: Zelma Brown
Sponsors include: Cuyahoga County Children Services, National Council of Jewish Woman: Cleveland Section, Antioch Baptist Church, Adoption Network Cleveland, and Village Network

3.) CENTRAL/SOUTHEAST OHIO THANKSGIVING

The Central/Southeast Ohio Thanksgiving took place in Columbus:

Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011, from 1-3:00 pm
Capital University - Harry C. Moores Campus Center, 745 Pleasant Ridge Ave., Bexley OH 43209

Lead Facilitator: Bethany Koshinsky
Sponsors include: Capital University President Bowman's Office, Village Network and Capital University student organizations and Campus Ministries, and the Koshinsky family

FINAL NOTE OF THANKS:

The Ohio chapter of Foster Care Alumni of America wants to express our appreciation, once more to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, for their generous donation towards the cost of all three FCAA Ohio Thanksgiving Events.

Youth Feedback from 2011 Career and Entrepreneurship Event for Foster Care Youth and Alumni

2011-10-30T07:07:00.000-07:00

My entire fall has been consumed by preparations for the 2011 Career and Entrepreneurship Conference - because today's foster care youth and alumni are WORTH it.

Worth preparing for their future career.
Worth providing insider tips on how to successfully connect with the workforce.
Worth waking up at 3 am or 4 am in the morning and obsessing over details for...

I have a day job (as a Children's Librarian). I have daytime-responsibilities. For every day I take off for foster-care-related stuff, I work an an extra day over the weekend to compensate my paying employer. But every 15-minute break, every lunch break, evenings and weekends, my heart and mind naturally drift towards my younger brothers and sisters in and from foster care.

Rhonda Sciortino's Keynote ~ Quotes from Youth Evaluations:

“It was wonderful. I am SO glad she was able to come. It gave me a lot of insight, not only into my situation, but how to live my life.”

“I liked that Rhonda encouraged us – we need more of that”

“It was nice to be able to meet someone that was a foster child in the past, and that has a wonderful life.”

“This session was really helpful and inspirational to me cause it gave a lot more hope for my future and it showed me that you can do whatever you want, if you have the passion for it and put your mind into it.”

“Mrs. Sciortino taught me that no matter what anyone says to try and put me down and say that I can’t do it, that I’m the ONLY ONE who can change my life and succeed in my life.”

"Was really interested in what Rhonda was saying – it gave me hope that I could become something in life. LOVED IT”

One young person just wrote, on the evaluation form regarding Rhonda's presentation: "Thank you."

Overall Event ~ Quotes from Youth Evaluations:

“Worth the trip, thoroughly enjoyed it”

“It was wonderful. I really enjoyed it. I hope we can do it again, soon.”

“I loved it. This conference ROCKS! I hope we have another”

“I thought that it was all very helpful! And I think that all the information I got today will help me down the line.”

“Anything they said was helpful, if you just apply it to your life. A quote that always went through my head: ‘How to you live when you’re ruled by your past? But how do you forget a past that made you?”

“I enjoyed it, and it will help me in the future.”

“The event was a success in terms of the people I connected with.”

“The whole event was very professional, and organized by the way that everything was set up and put together, and I believe everyone who decided to have this event for us are really caring people who really cares about the youth and where they end up, and who they become. Thank you very much for inviting me.”

“I have really enjoyed the whole entire time I’ve been here. I appreciate every single person who taught me things that I didn’t know were possible”

“I’m glad I came today, because I learned a lot of stuff that will help me with a successful future.”

“I am really glad that I got to come up to Columbus; I am leaving with lots of new facts than when I came. I really think that all students need to do what I did today.”

“I really enjoyed it, even though I had to get up really early. I liked it.”

“I really enjoyed myself and really changed my perspective on jobs, life and success. Loved it!!!”

How Has Welfare "Reform" Worked Out for Families in Poverty?

2011-09-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

In 1996,the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant replaced the former Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program...

Over the last 15 years, the national TANF caseload has declined by 60 percent, even as poverty and deep poverty have worsened:

These opposing trends — TANF caseloads going down while poverty is going up — mean that a much smaller share of poor families receive cash assistance from TANF than they did prior to welfare reform:

TANF cash benefits have not kept pace with inflation and are below half the poverty line in all states:

TANF benefits are a fraction of the estimated costs of housing for a family, and housing is only one of the basic needs that a family has...

Aging Out of New York Foster Care Into Homelessness

2011-09-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

A recent report from the Center for an Urban Future found that:

One in 10 youth in New York City who emancipated from foster care in the mid-2000s entered a homeless shelter within the first year
Within three years, that number doubled to one in five.

African American Unemployment: Highest in 27 years

2011-09-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

Quotes from CNN:

"The August jobs report was dismal for plenty of reasons, but perhaps most striking was the picture it painted of racial inequality in the job market."

"Black unemployment surged to 16.7% in August, its highest level since 1984, while the unemployment rate for whites fell slightly to 8%, the Labor Department reported."

"This month's numbers continue to bear out that longstanding pattern that minorities have a much more challenging time getting jobs," said Bill Rodgers, chief economist with the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.

"Even when you compare black and white workers, same age range, same education, you still see pretty significant gaps in unemployment rates," said Algernon Austin, director of the Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy program at the Economic Policy Institute. "So I do think the fact of racial discrimination in the labor market continues to play a role."

Picture Books About Abuse and Complex Living Situations

2011-08-26T08:43:00.001-07:00

HELPING CHILDREN TALK ABOUT ABUSE AND COMPLEX LIVING SITUATIONS

The Boy Who Didn’t Want to Be Sad by Rob Goldblatt, 2004. A boy who doesn’t want to be sad anymore decides that the best way to protect himself is to get rid of anything that could make him sad – but discovers that he is closing off his heart to many of life’s joys as well.

Edwardo: The Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World by John Burningham, 2007. When a perfectly normal boy experiences verbal abuse from his caregivers, his behavior goes downhill – until the adults in his life remember to look for and recognize his positive qualities.

A Family That Fights by Sharon Chesler Bernstein, 1991. Henry's parents fight often and his father sometimes hits his mother, causing Henry to feel frightened and ashamed. This book includes a list of things children can do in situations of family violence.

Hands Are Not for Hitting by Martine Agassi, 2002. Children who have been abused or witnessed abuse can mimic what they have seen. This book offers alternative solutions for dealing with anger and frustration.

Hope Is An Open Heart by Lauren Thompson, 2010. A gentle reminder that, although hope can sometimes feel far away, it is always there, and that there are people that a child can go to when he/she needs help.

Is A Worry Worrying You? by Ferida Wolff, 2005. This book acknowledges and addresses the worries of children and helps the child deal with them through problem-solving and/or telling a trusted adult.

The Magic Beads by Nancy Neilsen-Fernlund, 2007. When Lily thinks about what to bring in for Show and Tell at school, the butterflies in her stomach turn to grasshoppers, bunny rabbits, donkeys and buffaloes. She and her mother are currently staying in a homeless shelter, and she doesn't know what to share.

One of the Problems of Everett Anderson by Lucille Clifton, 2001. Everett suspects that his friend at school might be abused, and doesn’t know what to do, so he asks a trusted adult for advice.

Please Tell! A Child's Story About Sexual Abuse by Jessie Ottenweller, 1991. Nine-year-old Jennie's words and illustrations help other sexually abused children know that they're not alone, that it's okay to talk about their feelings, and that the abuse wasn't their fault.

Sometimes Bad Things Happen by Ellen Jackson, 2002. Mentions some of the bad things that happen in the world and presents some positive ways to respond to them.

Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry by Bebe Moore Campbell, 2003. Annie reaches out to her grandmother for help when her mother acts out due to mental illness.

A Terrible Thing Happened by Margaret M. Holmes, 2000. After Sherman sees something terrible happen, he becomes anxious and angry, but talking through those emotions with an adult proves to be helpful.

Picture Books About Foster Care

2011-08-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

HELPING CHILDREN TALK ABOUT THEIR FOSTER CARE EXPERIENCE

A Child is A Child by Brigette Weninger, 2004. After two young frogs are abandoned by their parents, Mama Mouse mobilizes the entire animal community to help care for them.

Aunt Minnie McGranahan by Mary Skillings Prigger, 1999. Based on a true story; when nine orphans came to live with her, Aunt Minnie came up with a solution: "The oldest looked after the youngest, the ones in the middle looked after each other, and Aunt Minnie looked after them all.”

A Father Like That by Charlotte Zolotow, 2007. A boy growing up without a father lists the activities that he wishes they could share, and decides to grow up and become the type of father that he never had.

Foster Parents by Rebecca Rissman, 2011. Describes what foster families are and how they care for children who need help until they return to their original families or move on to a permanent family.

Goodbyes by Shelley Rotner, 2002. Simple text, accompanied by photos, explains that sometimes people live in more than one home, and that goodbyes might not be forever, but might be just “bye for now.”

Kids Need to be Safe by Julie Nelson, 2005. This book is designed to help foster children understand why they aren’t currently with their biological parents, and offer them hope and reassurance.

Let’s Talk About When Your Parent is in Jail by Maureen K. Wittbold, 1997. Having a parent in jail can be one of the reasons that children enter foster care. This book answers many questions that children can be harboring.

Maybe Days: A Book for Children in Foster Care by Jennifer Wilgocki and Marcia K. Wright, 2002. Provides a simple explanation for children in foster care about the processes impacting their lives, and acknowledges the questions for which there is no easy answer, such as: “When am I going home?”

A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza, 1992. A motherless bird searches for the right place to belong – and finally finds it with Mrs. Bear, who takes Choco into her loving home and introduces him to his new siblings.

Murphy’s Three Homes by Jan Levinson Gilman, 2008. A puppy who moves from home to home learns that it is not his fault, and finds a family who will love him even if he struggles to obey their rules.

My Dog Is As Smelly As Dirty Socks by Hanoch Piven, 2007. During their time in foster care, children often create Life Books with pictures and stories about their biological families. This book, while not specifically geared towards foster care, suggests creative collage techniques that might work well in Life Books.

Our Gracie Aunt by Jacqueline Woodson, 2002. Initially reluctant to open the door to a social worker asking how long their mother has been gone, two children find comfort and safety at their Aunt Gracie’s house.

When I Miss You by Cornelia Maude Spelman, 2004. Various situations can cause a child to be separated from parents – for a short or long time. This book is a tool for caregivers to assist children of all backgrounds to share what it feels like to miss someone and problem-solve what to do while waiting to be reunited.

Stay Tuned for Future Blog Entry On Adoption Dissolution

2011-08-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

15% of Ohio Foster Youth "Age Out" of Care

2011-08-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

According to Table 3: States with largest percent of total exits due to youth aging out (FY 2009):

1,453 Ohio youth "aged out" of foster care in 2009

Wise Words from Karen Pittman

2011-08-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

"Investments in early childhood are essential to preparing the next generation to succeed—but so too are investments in older youth and young adults...

"In general, we as a nation invest less in older youth, and the investments we make are more reactive and fragmented. What’s more, the data we have about older youth is fragmented; it’s harder to get a coherent picture of who this group is because they straddle multiple systems.

"We need to do a better job of highlighting the statistics and stories of older youth, and ensuring that our policy recommendations include strategies that address their needs for job training, educational stipends, extended health and social benefits, employer incentives and paid service opportunities.

"We need, in short, to pull out the stops to be sure that we’re not only investing early but also maintaining those investments to give all young people a chance to be ready for college, work and life by age 21—and successful by 26."

~ Karen Pittman, founder and CEO of the Forum for Youth Investment, dedicating to ensuring that all young people are "Ready by 21" for college, work and life.

Federal Spending On Children Continues to Decline

2011-08-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

According to Children's Budget 2011, spending on children in the 2011 federal budget dropped by nearly 10 percent from 2010, falling to 8.4 percent.

Kids' Share 2011 reveals that, if current law remains unchanged, by as early as 2014, the federal government is projected to spend more on interest payments on the federal debt than on programs that benefit children.

Lisa's 11th Wedding Anniversary

2011-07-31T13:40:00.000-07:00

I safeguard this blog for foster care-related news, including upcoming trends that can positively or negatively impact foster care youth who are "aging out" of foster care and entering adulthood without family support.

However, I did want to mention -- as a former foster child myself -- that current statistics do not reflect the many survivors such as myself who, with support, were able to successfully navigate the murky waters of adulthood, stay afloat and build families of our own.

Everything I do, as a volunteer for Foster Care Alumni of America's Ohio chapter is to forge new pathways in order to change the odds, and promote available resources, so that more former foster youth can "make it," survive, thrive and establish healthy "chosen families" of their own.

Here's to the future 10th - 11th - 20th - 50th wedding anniversaries for today's young people in/from foster care. It wasn't easy for me to get to where I am today - and I don't wanna be here alone :)

Watching the Teen Job Market Disappear

2011-07-20T17:24:00.000-07:00

Trends in the Summer Employment / Population Ratios of the Nation’s Teens 1989 – 2010

According to the Center for Labor Market Studies:

Teens are at a unique disadvantage: No other age group of American working-age adults has been beset by such a dramatic decline in their overall employment rates over the past four years, or over the last decade as a whole.

"During the summer of 2000, near the height of the early 1990s-2000 national economic boom, nearly 52 percent of the nation’s teens held some type of job."

"As a result of the national economic recession of 2001 and the largely jobless recovery of 2002-2003, the teen summer employment rate dropped considerably, falling to 41 percent by 2004."

"The next four summers, from 2007-2010, saw the teen employment rate fall steadily and sharply from 42.6 percent in 2006 to 29.6 percent in 2010. Over that span, the summers of 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 each set post-WWII summer lows for teens."

"There are no signs that teen employment rates will improve this summer."

Employment Rates of Teens (16-19) in

Selected Household Income/Race-Ethnic Groups in

the U.S. during the Summer of 2010

Additional observations from the Center for Labor Market Studies:

"Accounting for race shows even greater disparities in summer teen employment rates. The breakdown by race and ethnicity of teens at work in the summer of 2010 shows about one in ten low-income, black youth and between one in seven and one in five black and Hispanic teens from low- and middle-income families."

"Yet employment rates over the same span were 40 to 41 percent for white youth in families with incomes in the middle and upper middle income range. This means more affluent white youth were four times as likely to be employed as low-income black youth."

Why the United States Needs College Graduates

2011-07-20T17:08:00.000-07:00

According to The Undereducated American, a report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce:

The United States has been under-producing college-educated workers for decades. From 1915 to 1980, supply grew in tandem with demand. But, starting in 1990, the share of college-educated young people in the workforce rose very slowly.

The under-supply of post-secondary-educated workers has led to both inefficiency and inequity

The nation must add 20 million post-secondary-educated workers by 2025 to increase productivity and reverse income inequality, or run the risk of becoming the global leader in income inequality.

Continued Concerns Regarding Psychotropic Drugging of Foster Care Youth

2011-07-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

According to the Multi-State Study on Psychotropic Medication Oversight in Foster Care conducted by the Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute:

The use of psychotropic medications for foster children between the ages of 2 and 21 has risen significantly over the past decade.

Out of the forty-seven of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia participated in this study, nine states had no written policy/guidelines regarding psychotropic medication use for foster youth.

Read the report to learn more about challenges faced by states, and innovative initiatives that some states have implemented in order to address this issue.

47% of College Students are Independent Students

2011-07-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

According to the CLASP fact sheet Yesterday's Nontraditional Student is Today's Traditional Student:

47% of undergraduates are independent students
Nearly a quarter of students are parents, and more than one in eight students are single parents
63% of community college students would be unable to attend college if they did not work

Meanwhile according to a brief by CLASP and the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, Not Just Kid Stuff Anymore: The Economic Imperative for More Adults to Complete College:

Between 2008 and 2018 demand for college-educated workers will rise by 16 percent while demand for other workers will stay flat.

Demand for college-educated workers in nearly half of the states will grow 2 to 3 times faster than demand for high school graduates or dropouts. In six states (IN, MA, ME, MI, MN and OH), jobs that require a college education will grow 5-7 times faster.

By 2018, nearly two-thirds of the nation’s jobs will require some postsecondary education or training.

According to this report, just as our economy is demanding more workers that have some postsecondary education or training, our traditional source of such workers – high school graduates – is leveling off:

Over the next decade there will be no national growth in the number of high school graduates.

Thirteen states (AK, HI, IL, MA, ME, MD, MS, MO, MT, NH, OH, PA, and WV) will have 5 to 10 percent fewer high school graduates in 2020.

Savings Account and College Retention

2011-06-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

According to the Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis, students with savings accounts in their name — regardless of the amount saved — are six times more likely to attend and remain in college compared to their peers without savings.

I recently created a series of scenarios for foster care youth (independent living activities) in which unexpected events catapoulted them into "crisis mode" -- and, in each scenario, if they had budgeted ahead of time in order to maintain a savings account, this would have saved them money and stress in the long run.

Barriers to Access for Children on Medicaid

2011-06-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

According to the New England Journal of Medicine:

"Expansions of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are designed to extend access to high-quality medical care to all U.S. children. However, evidence suggests that the 37 million children covered by Medicaid–CHIP are less likely to receive specialty care than children covered by commercial insurance."

Access Disparities for Medicaid Children
Researchers have found that medical specialists are more likely to deny appointments to children with Medicaid. Assistants posed as mothers and made phone calls to 273 clinics in Cook County, IL. Only 11% of privately insured individuals were denied appointments, while 66% of the children on Medicaid were denied.

Disparities were also present in waiting times. At the 89 clinics that accepted both insurances, there was a 42 day wait for a child on Medicaid as opposed to a 20 day wait for those with private insurance.

Possible reasons for the differences include lower reimbursement rates for Medicaid and more problems with the payment process.

Researchers say that the results are not likely to be unique to Cook County. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Priced Out: How the Wrong Financial-Aid Policies Hurt Low-Income Students

2011-06-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

According to Priced Out: How the Wrong Financial-Aid Policies Hurt Low-Income Students:

Since the early 1980s, college tuition and fees have increased at four times the rate of inﬂation—even faster than skyrocketing healthcare expenses.

The average low-income family must contribute an amount nearly three quarters of its annual household income each year just to send one child to a four-year college. That’s after all sources of grant aid are taken into account.

After exhausting all sources of grant aid, the typical low-income student must come up with over $11,000 a year to attend a public or private nonproﬁt college.

Meanwhile, middle-class and high-income families contribute amounts equivalent to just 27 percent and 14 percent of their yearly earnings, respectively.

College Results Online
The U.S. Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) enables you to create your own group of colleges to compare their graduation rates and related information.

Petition: Protect the vulnerable, not the rich. Don't cut programs that help kids.

2011-06-10T06:23:00.000-07:00

Link to sign petition.

Stay tuned for future blog entry on "Hidden Rules"

2011-05-05T17:47:00.001-07:00

Our Role in Overcoming Mediocrity

2011-05-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

Mediocrity says: "Let's just keeping doing the things we've done before, regardless of whether or not our efforts are effective."

It's up to us, as advocates, to suggest creative, innovative methods that can actually make things better.

I would argue that mediocrity is the primary cause of:

Insufficient investigation of reported child abuse that allows further abuse, and even fatalities, to occur
Abuse of children within foster care placements, including residential facilities
Fatalities of children within foster care placements, including residential facilities
Lack of preparation for adulthood for transitional youth
Lack of supportive resources to support young people after they "emancipate" from the foster care system

It's not that certain people in power are "evil;" it's simply that they are tired, worn-out, and disillusioned.... The road got bumpy, and they ran out of gas, out of passion, out of vision, out of steam.

They have, apparently, lost the fire that ignited their desire to make a difference in this particular area in the first place.

But we foster care alumni don't have that excuse: "This isn't an assigned task we are trying to accomplish, it's the life we have worked hard to live - and the journey that we each took in order to get there."

For foster care alumni, surviving during and after foster care is incredibly personal to us -- and we need to channel that energy and direct that passion towards making things better.

It will require personal discipline on our part: When we see a person in power that is just mired in apathy, we might (frankly) want to yell at them.

But - when it comes to "advocating without alienating," we who strive to strategically share know that yelling just closes other people's ears.

Imagine something that you, yourself, are just SICK of doing. That's how they feel about their work -- the difference is that we know that it's incredibly important.

How can we convey that message without accusing them or attacking them? (Accusing and attacking WON'T work - they'll just build up walls in their hearts and minds against us).

Perhaps, we can be gracious enough to stand back and let them respond to our story, and appreciate the fact that it has reinvigorated their work.

Maybe we can cheer them on in their newly renewed desire to make a difference, rather than condemning them for the past.

One young man in Ohio is so powerful in terms of his voice and his passion, and so diplomatic in terms of his dealings with other people that I have nicknamed him:

"The Foster Care Evangelist."

While sharing his personal talents and positive energy, this young man has reignited the passion of caseworkers who were previously described as being "apathetic" and "worn out" -- but whose passion for making a difference has recently been "born again."

His example taught me something new.

It kicked me out of my mediocrity when it comes to 'just doing the things we've done before.

His patience and perseverance reminded me of how we each CAN and WILL and MUST make a difference.

2011 Ohio Poverty Report

2011-04-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

The Ohio Department of Development has released their 2011 Ohio Poverty Report which notes that approximately 1.7 million Ohioans, or about 15 percent of Ohio's population, are categorized as poor.

The report indicates that between 1999 to 2009, approximately 539,000 more Ohioans fell into poverty.

Another resource to be aware of is 2011 State of Poverty in Ohio series, published by the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies and prepared by Community Research Partners.

National Governor's Association Report on Foster Care, Transition to Adulthood

2011-03-27T07:41:00.000-07:00

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices released a 2010 report on The Transition to Adulthood: How States Can Support Older Youth in Foster Care, which provides states with strategies for supporting foster youth as they age out of the foster care system and transition to adulthood.

The Table of Outcomes for Foster Youth Compared With Youth in General, on page 4, is a particularly helpful tool for advocacy.

Health Care Needs of Youth "Aging Out" of Foster Care

2011-03-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

Did you know that:

Each year 26,000 youth emancipate from foster care on their 18th birthday and often lose critical Medicaid health coverage?

Former foster youth experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at six times the rate of their peers in the general population, and twice the rate of veterans returning from war?

Only 57% of former foster youth have health coverage at ages 23 and 24 --- as compared to 78% percent of their same-age peers without a foster care history?

Beginning January 2014, Medicaid eligibility will be extended to cover children formerly in foster care who are under the age of 26.

Psychotropic Meds for Youth in Foster Care: Who Decides?

2011-03-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

Dated January 5, 2011, and authored by the Georgia Supreme Court Committee on Justice for Children, this report makes vital recommendations:

Georgia needs to obtain accurate information about psychotropic medications and youth in foster care, including how many youth of what ages are receiving which medications for what purposes and at what costs.
Georgia needs to develop guidelines for the use of psychotropic medications for youth in foster care.
Georgia needs to develop a clear process for obtaining informed consent for the administration of psychotropic medications to youth in foster care. The process needs to be specific about who has authority to consent for a youth in foster care.
Georgia should develop one or more independent clinical teams that include a board-certified child psychiatrist to provide the following services:
• individual case consultation to the state agency and prescribers;
• training for those who work with youth in foster care;
• independent review of all prescriptions for psychotropic medications that are written for youth in foster care before the prescription can be filled.
Youth in foster care should have a comprehensive mental health treatment plan that includes consideration of a variety of interventions and treatments that may include medications.
Georgia needs to establish quality assurance mechanisms to continuously improve all systems serving the mental health needs of youth in foster care and to hold all parts of the systems accountable.
The court system should help raise awareness about psychotropic drugs and youth in foster care.

What I like best about this report is how it describes the level of responsibility that the state has for young people in foster care:

"The state of Georgia has the awesome responsibility

of serving as parent for some 7500 children in foster care."

Serving as a parent implies: Knowing what prescriptions have been prescribed, why they have been prescribed, what the side-effects are, what the long-term treatment plan is -- and not hesitating to advocate if the medication appears to be more harmful than helpful.

Did You Know About This Progress in Florida?

2011-03-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

Normalcy for Foster Care Youth
"For many years youth in state care were not able to participate in the same types of activities as their peers. In order to fix that problem, the state is now required to include a “normalcy” component in the case plan.

According to Fla. Admin. Code 65C-30.007(10), youth should be encouraged and supported in taking part in extracurricular activities, obtaining work, attending social events, learning how to drive and doing all the other normal things that youth do.

Preparation for Adulthood
Florida law requires that transition planning begin for youth in state care at age 13 with the adoption of an education or career plan The state is required to conduct a “pre-independent living assessment” for all youth between the ages of 13 and 15.

It should then identify services needed to meet the needs identified in the assessment. The state must then conduct a staffing once a year to ensure that the youth receives the services and training necessary to develop independent living skills. Florida Statute §409.1451(4)(a).

Forging An Education and Career Path
Beginning at age 13, the youth’s case plan must include “an educational and career path” component based on the abilities and interests of each child. Florida Statute §409.1451(3) (b)1.

This path must be incorporated in the case plan and must be reviewed at each judicial hearing. The youth, assisted by foster parents and DCF or the CBC, must chose one of these post-secondary goals:
1. Obtaining a 4-year university degree.
2. Obtaining a 2-year college degree.
3. Obtaining a career/technical certificate.
4. Beginning employment or apprenticeship after completing high school or enlisting in the military.

How does YOUR state rate regarding Child Welfare Outcomes?

2011-03-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

Check out the Child Welfare Outcomes Report Data Customer Report Builder and find out...

Plight of the Working Poor -- the Fastest Growing Class in America

2011-01-27T07:58:00.000-08:00

Quote from The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David K. Shipler:

"Most of the people I write about in this book do not have the luxury of rage. They are caught in exhausting struggles. Their wages do not lift them far enough from poverty to improve their lives, and their lives, in turn, hold them back. The term by which they are described, 'working poor,' should be an oxymoron. Nobody who works hard should be poor in America."

Did you know that:

The fastest growing class in America is the working poor?
One out of every three families in the United States is considered to be "low income?"
Over 1 in 10 children in the United States has at least one unemployed parent?

The Winter 2010-2011 Working Poor Families Project Policy Brief revealed:

Over 10 million low-income working families in the United States, an increase of nearly a quarter million from the previous year.
45 million people, including 22 million children, lived in low-income working families, an increase of 1.7 million people from 2008.
43 percent of working families with at least one minority parent were low income, nearly twice the proportion of white working families (22 percent).
Income inequality continues to grow with the richest 20 percent of working families taking home 47 percent of all income and earning 10 times that of low-income working families.
Over than half of the U.S. labor force (55 percent) has “suffered a spell of unemployment, a cut in pay, a reduction in hours or have become involuntary part-time workers” since the recession began in December 2007.

Quote from Half in Ten, a national campaign: “Call it a war on poverty, call it expanding the middle class, call it promoting economic security. Call it whatever you want, but start making the connections between the plight of middle-class and lower-income Americans, and get involved.”

Federal Reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act

2011-01-27T06:57:00.000-08:00

On December 20, President Obama signed the reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), which funds services to protect children from abuse and neglect. CAPTA also includes the Adoption Opportunities Program, and this year the Act strengthens this program.

The Department of Health and Human Services is now required to spend 30 to 50 percent of Adoption Opportunities Program funding on key areas such as post-adoption support and recruitment efforts for older children, children of color, and children with special needs.

Counting the Invisible Men

2011-01-27T06:50:00.000-08:00

Counting the Invisible Man: Black Males and the 2010 Census (2011), published by the Twenty-First Century Foundation and Frontline Solutions, is research brief that outlines:

The efforts of four communities to increase the participation and counting of African American males in the 2010 Census
Potential strategies to utilize in 2020

State of Homelessness in America

2011-01-25T09:18:00.000-08:00

The National Alliance to End Homelessness recently released a report, The State of Homelessness in America, indicating that:

Homelessness is on the rise
Youth aging out of foster care are among the four populations most likely to go without shelter
In the course of a year, the estimated odds of experiencing homelessness for a young adult who ages out of foster care are 1 in 6

How Our Federal Tax Dollars Are Spent

2011-01-23T07:38:00.000-08:00

Source: Center of Budget and Policy Priorities.

Youth Unemployment: An International Problem

2011-01-23T07:29:00.000-08:00

Young people have borne much of the brunt of job losses during the recent global downturn.

Coping with unemployment is difficult for anyone. But for disadvantaged youth lacking basic education, failure to find a first job or keep it for long can have negative long-term consequences on their career prospects -- what some experts refer to as “scarring.”

From 2006 to 2010, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reviewed the youth labor markets in 16 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The Summary and Main Recommendations for the United States is available at: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/34/30/44161929.pdf

Three key points, when it comes to the United States:

At-risk youth are often left behind when it comes to school-to-work transitions
These youth often remain disconnected from the workforce for many years
Labor market programs that target the needs of disconnected youth are underfunded

Approximately five million young adults in the United States are “disconnected youth;" defined by WIA as low-income youth who face one or multiple challenges to employment or learning.

Quote from OECD report: "Not only are the vast majority of youth currently in this at-risk group not receiving the support they need to reconnect to education and the labour market, but their number is likely to increase significantly in the wake of the current economic crisis if urgent action is not taken."

OECD Recommendations include:

Holding high schools accountable for the workforce and college readiness of their students
Promoting the use of apprenticeships for teenagers (for example, in Michigan's School-to-Registered Apprenticeship Program)
Encouraging small employers in rural areas to join together and train youth apprentices

Health Insurance Premiums Rise Faster than Wages

2010-12-30T11:54:00.000-08:00

According to the latest Commonwealth Fund report:

Premiums for employer-sponsored family health insurance increased an average of 41 percent across states from 2003 to 2009, more than three times faster than median incomes.

Yet,insurance is paying for less. The analysis found that deductibles per person rose 77 percent on average.

Their conclusion was:

If these trends continue at the rate prior to enactment of the Affordable Care Act, the average premium for family coverage will rise 79 percent by 2020, to more than $23,000.

If reforms succeed in slowing premium growth by 1 percentage point annually in all states, by 2020 employers and families together will save $2,323 annually for family coverage, compared with projected trends.

Learn more about YOUR state by checking out their Interactive Map.

Source: C. Schoen, K. Stremikis, S. K. H. How, and S. R. Collins, State Trends in Premiums and Deductibles, 2003–2009: How Building on the Affordable Care Act Will Help Stem the Tide of Rising Costs and Eroding Benefits, The Commonwealth Fund, December 2010.

How Much Does It Cost Us NOT to Invest in Emancipating Foster Care Youth?

2010-12-28T13:13:00.000-08:00

Cost Avoidance by Investing in Transitional Foster Care Youth

A cost analysis by Cutler Consulting in 2009 estimated that the involvement of former foster youth in the criminal justice system costs in excess of $4 billion over the lifetime of each annual cohort of youth exiting foster care.

The cost associated with a higher than average pregnancy rate for youth aging out of foster care is 15 years X $7,708,490 (the cost per year) = $115,627,350 for each cohort year.

Raising the graduation rate of one year’s cohort of youth aging out of foster care to the national average would result in increased earnings and lowered public costs of more than $1 billion.

Source: Cost Avoidance Bolstering the Economic Case for Investing In Youth Aging Out of Foster Care. Cutler Consulting, 2009.

States Can Achieve Better Outcomes, Lower Costs by Supporting Youth Transitioning From Foster Care to Adulthood

2010-12-28T12:15:00.000-08:00

The NGA Center for Best Practices is the nation’s only dedicated consulting firm for governors and their key policy staff.

Their recently released report, The Transition to Adulthood: How States Can Support Older Youth in Foster Care (December 2010), explores the following strategies:

Promoting educational attainment
Connecting youth with employment and career training
Enhancing access to safe and stable housing
Helping youth access and manage health care
Helping youth build stable, lifelong relationships

As NGA Director John Thomasian states, "Because states continue to face austere budget conditions, many of the strategies described in this report have little or no cost; involve getting existing systems, such as education and health, to work more collaboratively; and leverage available federal and private funding in new or different ways."

This report demonstrates that successful state supports not only improve the outcomes for foster youth, but reduce costs to states that result from negative outcomes such as criminality, low educational attainment, lack of medical insurance, homelessness and an increased need for public assistance like food stamps.

From Which Piece(s) of the Pie will Ohio's $8 Billion Deficit Be Taken?

2010-12-24T09:04:00.000-08:00

Ohio Senate Districts Pre- and Post-Election

2010-12-24T08:59:00.001-08:00

Ohio House Districts Pre- and Post-Election

2010-12-24T08:57:00.000-08:00

Ohio Congressional Districts Pre- and Post-Election

2010-12-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

Standing On Shaky Ground

2010-12-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

The recession of 2008 and early 2009 took an economic toll on 93 percent of American households, according to a new report from the Rockefeller Foundation and Yale University, the first to detail how economic insecurity affects the well-being of Americans.

The Worst of Times: Increase in Extreme Poverty from 2008-2009

2010-12-23T11:27:00.000-08:00

A new Southern Foundation study, The Worst of Times: Extreme Poverty in the United States in 2009, reveals that:

Americans living in extreme poverty (below 50 percent of the official poverty threshold) were the fastest growing income group in America last year.

In 2009, 18.8 million people, including nearly 6.5 million children, were living in households with income below 50 percent of the poverty threshold.

Half of the additional 2.1 million persons who fell into extreme poverty in 2009 resided in only seven states: Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New York, and Ohio.

Between 2008-2009, the number of persons in extreme poverty in Ohio increased with an additional 87,420 people.

In the meantime, the Republican members of the House of Representatives have proposed cutting this fiscal year’s non-defense discretionary spending back to 2008 levels and also rescinding any unspent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) money.

My Christmas Wish

2010-12-23T09:09:00.000-08:00

Covenant House was founded 38 years ago with the mission to help homeless teens and young adults get off the street and into productive lives.

They serve as a refuge to:

young people who are running from abuse at home
youth who've been kicked out of the house (often because of their sexual orientation)
young people who "age out" of the foster care system at age 18 and face the adult world alone.

Covenant House connects these young people with:

Shelter, including a transitional housing program
Access to medical care
Coaching in basic life skills
Opportunities to finish high school
Resources for job skill development

Staff work with youth on developing a long-term plan for their lives.

Covenant House's Transitional Housing Program: Youth pay rent to Covenant House for their apartment, and after 12-18 months when they graduate from the program, they are given ALL of their rent to help them to put a deposit on an apartment and set up a household.

2010 UNICEF Report on The Children Left Behind

2010-12-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

UNICEF's new report, The Children Left Behind, reveals that the United States ranks among the worst of 24 of the world’s richest nations when it comes to child well-being.

To quote from Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, "There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children."

Quotes from the report:

Using gross (pre-tax) household income, the income available to the child at the 10th percentile in the United States is approximately 70% below the income available to a child at the median.

The heaviest costs are paid by the individual child. But the long list of problems cited above also translates into significant costs for society as a whole.

Unnecessary bottom-end inequality prepares a bill which is quickly presented to taxpayers in the form of increased strain on health and hospital services, on remedial schooling, on welfare and social protection programmes, and on the police and the courts.

Jesus, Stephen Colbert, and Helping the Poor in 2011

2010-12-18T18:42:00.000-08:00

Quotes from Stephen Colbert in response to recent comments by Bill O'Reilly regarding exactly what society owes to the have-nots:

"What I like best about Bill's argument is its complete factual inaccuracy. Because it would be inconvenient for guys like us to repeat what Jesus actually said."

"For instance, if someone wants your coat, give them your cloak as well. Rich people should sell all their possessions and give the money to the poor. Plus, the fact is, Jesus was WAY beyond self-destructive; he was SELF-SACRIFICIAL."

"Plus, Jesus was always flapping his gums about the poor - but not once did he call for tax cuts for the wealthiest two percent of Romans."

"And don't forget - Jesus hung out with tax collectors and prostitutes - and no good Conservative would be caught dead with tax collectors."

"What really frightens me about this is now we've got a liberal Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father...

"Because if this is gonna be a Christian nation that DOESN'T help the poor, either we've got to pretend that Jesus is just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that he commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition - then admit that we just don't want to do it."

College Success After Foster Care

2010-12-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

Speaking as a former foster child myself, there are many myths, misconceptions and misinformation regarding former foster youth and our pursuit of college.

Myth #1: Former foster youth can afford any college we want.

FALSE. Enrolling in college and succeeding in college are two different things.

In order to actually graduate from college, we've got to think about the cost of college textbooks, transportation, and where we are going to live.

It's important for every emancipated foster care youth to know how to apply for ETV funds, and how to fill out the FAFSA as an independent student.

But the journey doesn't end there. It's only just beginning...

There is rent to pay and there are textbooks to purchase. There can be unexpected crises, like health problems, and delays in receiving ETV funds. If you decide to invest in a car, you'll have to worry about insurance, gas and, sooner or later, car repair.

Here are some things that worked for me when I was in college:

Applying for grants and scholarships, but trying to avoid loans

When I received my refund check, I immediately used the money to pay for books and, whenever possible, I paid my rent three months ahead of time

I didn't own a car during college and grad school, because it's tough to afford both a car and an apartment at the same time when you lack family support. Many of the young people I know have been forced to choose between one or the other.

Building a relationship with Financial Aid staff so that they knew me by name.

Additional Resources:

Reduced price textbooks available at half.com

Contacting the county you "aged out" of to see if they offer any aftercare services

Emancipated foster care youth in Ohio are eligible for Medicaid until age 21 (but it's a battle to actually access it)

I think there's room to partner with the faith community on this issue:

UK Wesley Foundation: A Methodist dorm that waited until I was able to pay rent, rather than kicking me out when I had a rough semester and lots of medical issues (and yes, I paid all my rent as soon as I could)

FCAA Ohio chapter met with the Cincinnati faith community in March 2010, to ask if churches might be willing to invest in helping emancipated foster care youth in pursuit of college with the cost of textbooks (no progress in moving this forward yet...)

Here in Ohio, we have a statewide initiative to increase the number of foster care youth who enroll in and graduate from college, called Ohio Reach: http://ohioreach.wikispaces.com/

Inviting YOU to share YOUR insights about this issue....

2025 Vision for African American Males

2010-12-11T09:22:00.000-08:00

The 2025 Campaign for Black Men and Boys today has released a new report, We Dream A World: The 2025 Vision for Black Men and Boys with recommendations aimed at drastically altering life outcomes for black men and boys.

Among this report's fundings...

African American men are less likely to be working than any other demographic in the United States
African American men between ages 16-24 fare the worst
The time between ages 16-24 often established a person's earning trajectory for a lifetime.

Barriers to Attaining Employment:

At every educational level, African American males are less likely to be employed and earn less than their Caucasian peers.
Caucasians with comparable credentials were 50% more likely to receive calls from prospective employers.
Research by the University of Chicago indicates that having an ethnic-sounding name is a job interview deterrent.

Multi-State Study on Psychotropic Medication in Foster Care

2010-12-09T08:17:00.000-08:00

According to the Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute:

Psychotropic medication use in youth has increased significantly over the past decade
Rates of use are much higher for youth in foster care (estimated between 13 and 52 percent) than for youth in the general population (4 percent).

In an effort to address this trend, Tufts researchers surveyed key staff in State child welfare and affiliated agencies between March 2009 and January 2010 to gather current policies and guidelines on psychotropic medication use in foster care and examine challenges and innovative solutions implemented by States.

The results have been published in a new report,Multi-State Study on Psychotropic Medication Oversight in Foster Care.

Upside Down: 53% of Tax Benefits Go to Most Wealthy

2010-12-07T09:03:00.000-08:00

The federal government spent nearly $400 billion in 2009 on policies that help our nation's wealthiest individuals buy homes, save money, start businesses, pay for college and retire comfortably, while doing little to help working families who most need the financial cushion.

According to Upside Down: The $400 Billion Dollar Asset-Building Budget, a report by the Corporation for Enterprise Development and the Annie E. Casey Foundation:

53 percent of American tax benefits went to the top 5 percent of earners: households making over $160,000.

The wealthiest Americans (those earning over $1 million annually) receive more than $95,000 in tax benefits while middle income families receive a few hundred dollars and poor families relying on public benefits actually face penalties for saving.

Eight out of 10 of the wealthiest families saved approximately one-third of their household income in 2009, while one-third of low-income households earned too little to make ends meet, much less save for the future.

About 80 percent of the value for mortgage and property tax deductions accrued to the top 20 percent of taxpayers. In fact, many homeowners don’t take the mortgage deduction because they do not earn enough income or incur enough of a tax liability to warrant itemizing their deductions.

The report details these specific tax policies and asks Congress to pursue more equitable ways of delivering assistance to low and middle income families.

2010 Central Ohio FCAA Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T06:43:00.001-08:00

The Central Ohio FCAA Thanksgiving was made possible by:

Many thanks goes to Ohio CASA for assistance with decorations, NYAP, and several individuals who volunteered their time and/or financial assistance.

2010 Northeast Ohio FCAA Thanksgiving

2010-11-21T05:35:00.000-08:00

The Northeast Ohio FCAA Thanksgiving was made possible by:

State Senator Shirley Smith, Judge Michael J. Ryan, and Judge Patrician Ann Blackmon were in attendance.

Danny Taylor shared his Thanksgiving poem.

Many thanks goes to Zelma Brown, Joe Jackson and Adoption Network Cleveland.

2010 Southwest Ohio FCAA Thanksgiving

2010-11-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

The Southwest Ohio FCAA Thanksgiving was made possible by:

Decorations were donated by Kroger, and the beautiful table arrangements made possible by Val Bairnsfather.

Channel 12 and Fox News stopped by to capture some of the excitement.

Protect Your Personal Information Online

2010-11-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

Halloween is over, but if you want to feel scared, just do this:

Go to http://www.spokeo.com/
Search for yourself (by personal email address OR name OR phone)

They will list your name, age, home address and a map to your house, if you own a house. They will list any blogs you have written and any social networks that you are a part of… including your Amazon wish list.

If you are uncomfortable with having that information available online, they will take it down, but you have to submit the request three times:

Go to: http://www.spokeo.com/privacy - you’ll want to keep this page open, because you are submitting all three requests via this form.

Then, open a separate browser and go back into http://www.spokeo.com/

1. Search for yourself by email. Copy that URL into the privacy page and follow the instructions, including checking your email to confirm the request

2. Search for yourself by name. You can scroll down to your state and if you own a house, they will list your address. Copy that URL into the privacy page and follow the instructions.

3. Search for yourself by phone. Cell phones are still relatively anonymous, but if you have a home phone, see how much information about people can pull up. If you want that info taken down, then Copy that URL into the privacy page and follow the instructions.

The fact that this level of information about us is just out there on the internet is S-P-O-O-K-Y….

If you are "jealous" of emancipating foster care youth, then maybe you need a heart transplant

2010-11-10T18:53:00.000-08:00

I am currently wrestling with an issue regarding how to respond to the "But I had it harder" attitude -- which I believe is inaccurate, and stands in the way of helpfulness to today's foster care youth.

During a recent college event for foster care youth, an adult presenter from an outside agency, who came from an impoverished background, commented on about how much she wished that she had access to the resources available to emancipated foster care youth (in terms of filling out the FAFSA as an independent and ETV funds).

However, that doesn't take into account:

the value that "family privilege" brings to youth from intact families
the accrued knowledge, information and love that adds up over the years (aka: "common sense")
the value of actually having a place to go to on the holidays, and having someone miss you when you aren't there.

I'm not only a former foster child, I'm also a college-and-grad school graduate, wife and stepmom to two beautiful daughters who are now in college.

My husband and I view parenting as an honor, a privilege and a charge. This means that our daughters will NEVER need to worry about:

Whether or not they are lovable and precious to us.
Whether or not we will protect them and provide for them.
Whether or not they can call when they are struggling, or stay with us during college breaks.
Whether or not, on holidays, we would miss them if they weren't there.

Such is not the same for foster children.

Such was not the case for me. I remember, so clearly, what it felt like to be a young person in college, and facing that existential crisis of wondering why I was here on earth if there isn't going to be someone to love me.

But, at the end of the day, it is not about me. It is about each and every one of these young people who are "aging out" of foster care in the midst of A RECESSION and trying to survive.

And that's the cause that I am dedicating my heart to...

Litmus Test for Child Welfare

2010-11-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

One of the litmus tests of child welfare agencies regarding how much they truly care about the clients they serve and lifelong outcomes for youth is how they respond to alumni of the foster care system.

I've seen the good.... the bad... and the ugly.

85% of College Students Move Back Home After Graduation

2010-11-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

CNN recently reported that the number of college seniors who plan to move back home with their parents after graduation has risen from 67% in 2006 to 85% in 2010.

Reasons?

A 15% unemployment rate for young people ages 20-24

An average of $24,000 in student loan debt

The highest unemployment rate for college graduates on record

Increasing Access to Higher Education for Unaccompanied Youth

2010-11-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

The National Center for Homeless Education has developed an issue brief: Increasing Access to Higher Education for Unaccompanied Youth: Information for Colleges and Universities.

This publication exists to inform postsecondary educators and education administrators about the struggles of homeless youth and possible solutions that can help these youth achieve a college education.

2010 NE Ohio Independent Living Summit

2010-10-31T05:40:00.001-07:00

The 2010 Northeast Ohio Independent Living Summit, sponsored by Stark County Children Services, took place on Friday, October 29, 2010, from 9:00 am-4:00 pm at First Christian Church, 6900 Market Avenue North, Canton, OH, 44721.

This event was dedicated to “Supporting Success for Youth Transitioning From Foster Care.”

Supporting Organizations included: Stark County Children Services, OACCA, Foster Care Alumni of America Ohio chapter, Adoption Network Cleveland, Community Care Network, Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services, Family and Community Services of Portage County, Institute for Human Services, Lorain County Children Services, Lowery Training Associates, Lucas County Children Services, Mahoning County Children Services, Montgomery County Department of Job and Familiy Services, Pressley Ridge, Starr Commonwealth, and Voices for Ohio’s Children.

Young Adults Are the New Face of Homelessness

2010-10-25T14:37:00.000-07:00

Quotes from article referenced below:

"Young adults are the new face of homelessness."

"It's a group driven by two large converging forces: an economy that has been especially brutal on young people, and the large numbers currently exiting foster care."

"Precise numbers are difficult to pin down. But based on a study done before the economy collapsed, an estimated 2 million young people age 18 to 24 will be homeless nationwide this year."

"The largest driver of the young adult homeless population is the foster-care system."

Source: Generation Homeless: The New Faces of an Old Problem by InvestigateWest, a nonprofit investigative journalism center based in Seattle.

Challenges faced by LGBTQ youth in foster care

2010-10-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

The Family Acceptance Project, a comprehensive study of LGBT youth and their families discovered that nearly half of the foster care youth in their study had been removed from their homes, run away or were thrown out of their homes because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

A 2001 study by the Urban Justice Center found that:

Once placed in a foster care setting, 78 percent of LGBTQ foster youth were forced to leave their foster placements due to anti-LGBT violence and harassment.

Fifty-six percent of LGBTQ youth interviewed in the study had spent time living on the streets because they felt safer there than they did living in their group or foster homes.

Feinstein, R., Greenblatt, A., Hass, L., Kohn, S., Rana, J. (2001). Justice for all? A report on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered youth in the New York juvenile justice system. New York: Lesbian and Gay Project of the Urban Justice Center. Ryan, C., Diaz, C. (2005). Family responses as a source of risk and resiliency for LGBT youth. Paper presented at the Preconference Institute on LGBTQ Youth, Child Welfare League of America 2005 National Conference, Washington, DC.

No Extended Health Coverage Until Age 26 for Former Foster Youth until 2014

2010-10-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered

how emancipated foster care youth cope

when their wisdom teeth come in

and they have NO medical insurance?

Health Care Reform for Emancipated Foster Youth

Section 2004 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which expands Medicaid coverage to former foster children up to age 26. However, this provision will not be implemented until January 2014.

After January 1, 2014, all states will be required to extend Medicaid coverage to youth who have "aged out" of foster care. To qualify, individuals must have been enrolled in Medicaid while in foster care.

Health Legislation Related to the Fostering Connections Act

The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act previously gave states the option to expand coverage to youth who have aged out of the foster care system up to age 21.

In response, some states have introduced healthcare legislation related to the Fostering Connections act:

California: SB 597, Chapter 339 (enacted)
Oklahoma: HB 1734, Chapter 338 (enacted)
Oregon: HB 3664 (enacted)
Minnesota: HB 934 and SB 665 (pending-carryover)

Additional Health Tools, Analyses and Research are available at the Fostering Connections Resource Center.

It's Not Too Late to Apply for HUD's Family Unification Program

2010-10-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has given public housing authorities nationwide until December 1, 2010 to apply for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers through the Family Unification Program (FUP).

FUP vouchers can be used to help foster youth with their housing needs in transitioning from foster care to adulthood.

For FUP vouchers to be successful, and for youth to actually receive this assistance, child welfare organizations must build a strong partnership with their local housing authorities.

Learn more at the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare.

Finishing the First Lap: The Cost of College Dropouts

2010-10-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

Finishing the First Lap: The Cost of First-Year Student Attrition in America’s Four-Year Colleges and Universities revealed that, over the past five years:

States appropriated almost $6.2 billion to colleges and universities to help pay for the education of students who did not return to school for a second year.

States gave over $1.4 billion to support students who did not return to their college or university for a second year.

The Federal government provided over $1.5 billion in grants to support students who did not return for a second year.

In Ohio, the cost for college freshmen who dropped out after their first year in college was $300 million.

Chancellor Eric Fingerhut, of the Ohio Board of Regents, views this issue as top priority:

“The goal is not to enroll people. The goal is to graduate them. Freshman to sophomore retention is key to the graduation rate. We are totally committed to it.”

Sexual Abuse in Foster Care

2010-10-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered about the rate of sexual abuse experienced by foster care survivors?

As many as 75 percent of all children in foster care, upon leaving the system, will have experienced sexual abuse.
One study by Johns Hopkins University found that the rate of sexual abuse within the foster-care system is more than four times as high as in the general population
In group homes, the rate of sexual abuse is more than 28 times that of the general population.
Foster children who suffer sexual abuse tend to be those who live with those caregivers who have the least verbal contact with child-welfare workers.

Sources:
Benedict, M., Zuravin, S., Brandt, D. and Abbey, H. (1994). Types and frequency of child maltreatment by family foster care providers in an urban population. Child Abuse & Neglect,18 (7): 577-585.
Child Welfare League of America. (2003). Child maltreatment in foster care: CWLA best practice guidelines. CWLA, Inc.: Washington, D.C.
Poertner, J., Bussey, M., & Fluke, J. (1999). How safe are out-of-home placements? Children and Youth Services Review, 21(7): 549-563.
Rosenthal, J., Motz J., Edmondson, D., and Groze, V. (1991). A descriptive study of abuse and neglect in out-of-home placement. Child Abuse and Neglect 15(1): 47-49.
Tittle, G., Poertner, J., Garnier, P. Child maltreatment in out-of-home care: What do we know now? Accessed online at: http://cfrcwww.social.uiuc.edu/pubs/Pdf.files/knownow.pdf
Zuravin, S., Benedict, M., and Somerfield, M. (1993). Child maltreatment in family foster care. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 63(4): 589-596.

Kids' Share 2010: Report on Federal Expenditures on Children

2010-09-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

Kids' Share 2010: Report on Federal Expenditures on Children through 2009 is an annual report that looks comprehensively at long-time and recent trends in federal spending and tax expenditures on children.

Findings suggest that historically children have not been a budget priority.
In 2009, this trend continued, as children's spending accounted for less than one-tenth of federal outlays.
Even though the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided a temporary boost, children's spending will continue to be squeezed in the next decade:

Latest Children’s Budget: http://www.childrensbudget.org/

Too Many Children Die in America as a Result of Abuse and Neglect. We Can Do Better.

2010-09-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

Every Child Matters has released the second edition of We Can Do Better: Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths in America, a compelling report that explores the crisis of child maltreatment fatalities in the United States.

A weak economy and resulting state budget cuts are putting even more children at risk, leading to a Growing Crisis in Child Protection.

A series of recommendations were previously proposed during the 2009 Summit to End Child Abuse Deaths in America. Included among them is the observation that "Current levels of federal spending are far below the level needed to protect all children at imminent risk of harm."

The National Coalition to End Child Abuse Deaths has launched a campaign urging Congress and the Administration to:

To conduct Congressional hearings on child abuse deaths
To provide emergency funds to stop state cuts in child protective services
To adopt a national strategy to prevent child abuse and stop child deaths

This Coalition includes the following partners:

More information about the Coalition, including how YOU can advocate to support their efforts is available at: http://everychildmatters.org/resources/reports/child-abuse-and-neglect

Young Lives On Hold: The College Dreams of Undocumented Students

2010-09-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

The United States and Immigration:

The United States is in the midst of the largest migratory wave in history:
Since the 1990s, more than 1 million new immigrants have arrived each year.
A total of approximately 38 million immigrants live in the U.S. — about three times the number of transnational immigrants in the world’s second-largest country of immigration, the Russian Federation.

Unauthorized Immigration

Nearly one-third of the immigrant population of the United States is now undocumented, by far the largest number (and proportion) in U.S. immigration history.
In total, the number is approximately 12 million unauthorized persons.

Children of Immigrants:

More than 70 million people in the United States are immigrants, or the children of immigrants.
Children of immigrants are now the fastest-growing sector of the child population in the United States.
Approximately 2 million children are in the United States as undocumented immigrants.

Undocumented Students:

About 65,000 undocumented children who have lived in the United States for five years or longer graduate from high school each year.
Although they can legally attend most colleges, they are not eligible for most forms of financial aid.
Given the opportunity to receive additional education and move into better-paying jobs, undocumented
students could pay more in taxes and have more money to spend and invest in the U.S. economy.

Learn more by reading Young Lives On Hold: The College Dreams of Undocumented Students.

Generation Why

2010-09-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

There are over 1.6 million homeless youth living in America every year (1 in 50 American children)

Over 50% of youth in shelters and on the streets report that their parents told them to leave or knew they were leaving and did not care.

1 in 4 homeless youth come from the foster care system

33% of heterosexual homeless youth have been sexually abused

Around 400,000 homeless youth are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender, in which 58% have been sexually abused

1 in 7 homeless children have moderate to severe heath conditions

Less than 1 in 4 homeless children will graduate from high school

Every day 12 kids die on the streets of America

Learn how YOU can make a difference at http://genwhymovie.com/

Number of Youth Aging out of Foster Care Continues to Rise; Increasing 64 percent since 1999

2010-09-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

The Fostering Connections Resource Center serves as a library of child welfare information and resources to help states and tribes in their efforts to implement the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008.

By encouraging states to invest more resources in supporting foster youth’s transition to adulthood, federal lawmakers hope that the new law will help more youth leaving foster care have independent and productive lives.

Roth, M.M., et al (2010). Excerpts from Number of Youth Aging out of Foster Care Continues to Rise; Increasing 64 percent since 1999

During the past 10 years, the number of children who age out of the foster care system has increased steadily, with a nearly 64 percent increase.
Since 1999, approximately 228,000 youth have "aged out" of foster care nationally.
The percentage of the total foster care caseload over the age of 14 has increased steadily since 1998.
The percentage of children and youth in foster care who are 14 through 18 has continued to grow while financial resources to serve this population through the Chafee Foster Care Independence Act has remained the same each year.

U.S. Government Sets Goal to End Youth Homelessness in 10 Years

2010-08-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

On June 22, 2010, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness released the nation’s first comprehensive strategy to prevent and end homelessness: Opening Doors: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness.

One of the objectives in the plan is to advance health and housing stability for youth exiting foster care and juvenile justice systems.

The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs’ Solutions Desk for Helping Youth Transition will continue to publish best practices for homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing, and service provision for homeless youth.

Find Youth Info

2010-08-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

Map My Community is a tool designed to assist in locating resources in your community to help you build and strengthen your youth program. It's a great way to brainstorm regarding building new partnerships, identify gaps in your community, and learn about existing resources, in order to avoid duplication of effort.

The Program Directory is a searchable database of evidence-based, federally-funded youth programs. You can search for programs by risk factor, protective factor, or keyword.

College Completion Crisis

2010-08-26T12:25:00.000-07:00

The College Board has recently released its College Completion Agenda 2010 Progress Report.

The 2008 report Coming to Our Senses: Education and the American Future by the Commission on Access, Admissions and Success in Higher Education revealed that the number of students who completed college and high school in the United States had dropped dramatically,

In response, a set of 10 recommendations were made, in order to help boost the graduation rate.

Additionally, the State Policy Guide created by the College Board and National Conference of State Legislatures. This resource includes a variety of recommendations, including the College Completion Agenda.

The commission’s goal, to achieve a rate of 55 percent of young adults receiving a postsecondary credential by 2025, will continue to be measured on a regular basis.

Ohio Workforce Coalition's 2010-2012 Public Policy Platform

2010-08-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

The Ohio Workforce Coalition has been working over the past year on a public policy platform, with the goal of:

Reducing barriers for adults pursuing education and training.
Meeting the workforce needs of Ohio employers.
Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the state workforce development system.

The Ohio Workforce Coalition's 2010-2012 Public Policy Platform includes the goal of 'Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the state workforce development system' by making these three recommendations:

A. Leadership. Appoint a cabinet-level workforce official to lead Ohio’s workforce development activities across all state agencies, and establish workforce committees in the Ohio legislature.

B. Coordination. Adopt a policy to assure that all available federal workforce education and training funds are fully used, and work with local agencies to establish a baseline level of consistent Workforce Investment Act (WIA) services that will be provided throughout the state.

C. Data. Establish cross-agency performance measures and issue an annual workforce education and training report card with county-level data.

Their 2010-2012 Public Policy Platform makes recommendations regarding coordination of funding streams and calculation financial aid as well...

Regarding funding, they are concerned that, "There are multiple federal funding streams that can be used for workforce training and supportive services for people in training, but Ohio does not have policies in place to assure that these resources are fully accessed and effectively used statewide."

Therefore, their recommendation is:

1. The Governor’s office should issue state policy to assure that all state agencies, counties, regions, or districts are using available federal workforce education and training funds. Funding streams include Federal Transportation Funds, the SNAP10 Employment and Training Program, and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.

2. The Governor’s Workforce Policy Board, in collaboration with local WIB directors and the Department of Job and Family Services, should develop a set of key statewide WIA policies. These policies should assure that workers, job-seekers, and employers have access to a baseline level of consistent WIA services everywhere in the state and that WIA implementation is not subject to more restrictive local policies and practices.

Regarding financial aid, they write that, "Because Ohio’s FY 2010-2011 budget cut the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) by over 57%, the Ohio Board of Regents implemented a policy that eliminated access to OCOG for students at community colleges and regional branch campuses—many of whom used this need-based financial aid to cover living expenses while they were in school."

Therefore, the Ohio Workforce Coalition recommends that:

1. The Ohio Board of Regents’ calculation of the cost of attendance at public two-year colleges, which is used to determine OCOG availability, should be modified to include living expenses for the most disadvantaged students.

2. The Ohio Board of Regents should permit OCOG funds to be used at all USO institutions for non-credit and occupational certificate programs that prepare students for strategically targeted, in-demand occupations.

Adjusting the Ohio College Opportunity Grant formula to include living expenses for students at two-year colleges.
Improving awareness of and access to programs and resources that can help adult students succeed in postsecondary education and training.

2010 Ohio Medicaid Atlas

2010-08-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Ohio Medicaid Atlas contains amazing maps and detailed demographics regarding various populations - but emancipated foster youth are not among them.

Despite the fact that current and former foster successfully advocated to extend Medicaid coverage for foster care youth until age 21, there remain barriers to access regarding these benefits that still need to be overcome.

When Ohio foster care youth between the ages of 18-21 go to their local Medicaid office to apply for benefits, they have run into the following challenges:

The staff person they speak to is unaware that emancipated foster care youth are eligible for Ohio Medicaid until age 21
The young person is told that their card is "in the mail," and six months or more go by without the young person ever receiving it
The young person does initially receive Medicaid, but services are dropped before the young person reaches age 21

As I mentioned in a previous blog post:

"The Fostering Connections Act of 2008 requires States to create and maintain a health oversight and coordination plan for each young person in foster care, in order to ensure that each child receives regular and comprehensive care, access to services beyond his or her 18th birthday, and a medical passport."

My hope is that Ohio foster care youth, alumni and allies can continue to work together towards this goal.

Report Finds That Fewer Than Half of African American Males Graduate On Time

2010-08-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

A new report from the Schott Foundation for Public Education reveals that the overall graduation rate for African America males attending U.S. public schools during the 2007-2008 was 47%.

According to the 2010 Schott State Report on Black Males in Public Education, half of the states in the county have graduation rates for African American males below the national average for students.

To find out how your state is doing, please visit the national map of Individual State Report Cards.

In Ohio, for example, African American male youth are:

Six times more likely to be expelled
Twice as likely to be diagnosed with mental retardation
Half as likely to be entered into gifted/talented programs

The overall opportunities to learn provided for African American male youth in Ohio were determined to be 21% that of other students.

This is a percentage that needs to change.

The Report Summary contains a helpful chart on page 9 that maps out the Conditions for Success vs. Conditions for Failure.

2010 Top Fostering Blog

2010-08-25T13:48:00.001-07:00

SunshineGirlOnARainyDay was recently awarded the Top Fostering Blog Award by Online Schools. The award winners for this category were announced on August 12, 2010.

This award highlights the very best blogs to learn about foster care and child welfare.

Recipients are nominated by the internet community. The list of candidates is scored based upon twenty attributes, including content, frequency of updates, length of posts and readability. The top 1% of nominated blogs receive awards.

New HHS Regulations on Title IV-E IL Programs for Youth 18 and Older

2010-08-19T07:49:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released regulations on how states may extend their Title IV-E foster care programs for foster youth between the ages of 18 and 21.

These regulations provide flexibility to states to serve these youth in virtually any type of placement setting – foster homes, a semi-supervised apartment, host home, college dorms, and other less formal settings.

Furthermore, the regulations state that HHS has “no forthcoming regulations that will prescribe the kinds of living arrangements considered a supervised setting, the parameters of supervision, or any other conditions for youth living independently.”

This is great news for two reasons:

a.) HHS is permitting states to have flexibility to use creative and innovative programs to serve these 18, 19, and 20 year-old youth.

b.) It does not set precedent that would interfere with a state’s ability to draw down IV-E for the placement of teenage foster youth, under age 18, in supervised or semi-supervised apartment settings.

Three Research Briefs re: Foster Care & Educational Outcomes

2010-08-19T06:49:00.001-07:00

Opening Doors to Higher Education for Youth in Foster Care
The Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy Policy Brief (March 2010) discusses the difficulty for youth in care in going to college. This brief outlines financial aid reforms that are necessary to help as these youth attempt to get a postsecondary education.

http://www.scaany.org/documents/cpa_policybrief_highereduc2_may2010.pdf

Foster Youth Education Initiative Releases Report on Improving Opportunities for Foster Youth
Foster youth lack parental advocates to monitor their academic progress, attend parent-teacher conferences, enroll them in appropriate classes, and ensure they receive a quality education. As a consequence, they often fail to receive the opportunities necessary to succeed in school.

NCYL’s Foster Youth Education Initiative (http://www.fosteredconnect.org/) has released its long-awaited report on how California is ensuring that foster children receive academic opportunities by creating educational advocacy systems for youth. This report includes overviews of 11 models, and concrete recommendations to improve outcomes.

http://www.youthlaw.org/fileadmin/ncyl/youthlaw/education/CA_Education_Advocacy_Systems_1_.pdf

Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems
This report, published by Georgetown Public Policy Institute’s Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, discusses the poor educational outcomes that many child welfare and juvenile justice involved youth face:

http://cjjr.georgetown.edu/pdfs/ed/edpaper.pdf

Healthcare for Transitional Foster Care Youth

2010-08-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

Every year, 26,000 youth emancipate from foster care on their 18th birthday - many of whom immediately lose vital medical coverage as a result.

At this point, only 32 states extend Medicaid coverage to foster care youth beyond age 18.

Even when states do extend Medicaid coverage for foster care youth until age 21, actually being able to access that coverage has been a major challenge for many transitional foster care youth. In Ohio, for example, many transitional foster care youth have waited months to receive their card, only to then have their Medicaid services dropped prematurely.

The National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators has authored an issue brief, Addressing the Health Care Needs of Transitioning Youth, that describes how some States are working to provide health care to youth who are transitioning out of foster care and into independence.

The Fostering Connections Act of 2008 requires States to create and maintain a health oversight and coordination plan for each young person in foster care, in order to ensure that each child receives regular and comprehensive care, access to services beyond his or her 18th birthday, and a medical passport.

InsureKidsNow.gov, a website that offers State-specific information on health insurance coverage for children through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, now offers an online toolkit for professionals.

The National Children's Healthcare Toolkit, designed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services contains a variety of information, materials, tools, and tactics to assist in education and outreach efforts.

Ohio's Budget: Steady Fiscal Control in Turbulent Times

2010-08-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

According to OBM Director Pari Sabety's presentation:

The United States is recovering from the deepest recession in 50 years
Economic recovery will be slow
States and local governments continue to need federal assistance and fiscal relief
Current projections from Moody’s show that key economic indicators will not recover to pre-2007 levels until 2013-2016

One of the main issues in crafting the 2012-2013 budget is how to fill the projected gap from one-time funding sources -which is between 6-8 billion dollars.

Wisconsin invests federal stimulus dollars in Transitional Jobs Project

2010-08-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

Kudos to Governor Jim Doyle for investing $34 of million of federal recovery funds in transitional jobs to help thousands of people across the state of Wisconsin gain skills and re-enter the workforce - including emancipated foster care youth.

In his latest state budget, Governor Doyle directed the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to create the Transitional Jobs program. The Transitional Jobs Project targets Wisconsin residents who are not eligible for working family assistance through the state’s W-2 program, including young adults exiting the foster care system.

It's estimated that this project will help create jobs for 4,000 people across the state.

The Department of Children and Families will work closely with 17 local organizations to carry out the pilot project in 38 counties, with the possibility of future expansion throughout the state:

Permanent Supportive Housing and Evidence-Based Practice

2010-08-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

After many years of development, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Center for Mental Health Services has finalized and posted a Supportive Housing Toolkit.

While this kit was developed specifically to assist individuals with mental health needs in attaining supportive housing, my hope is that some of the research and best practices found in this toolkit might be applicable to transitional youth, particularly emancipated foster care youth, as well...

How to Use the Evidence-Based Practices KITs
Getting Started with Evidence-Based Practices
Building Your Program
Training Frontline Staff
Evaluating Your Program
Using Multimedia to Introduce Your EBP
Tools for Tenants
Brochure
Introductory Powerpoint - available for free download at SAMHSA
The Evidence

Recession has impacted over half of American adults in the workforce

2010-07-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

According to a new Pew Research Center survey, more than half (55%) of all adults in the labor force say they have suffered a spell of unemployment, a cut in pay, a reduction in hours or have become involuntary part-time workers since the Great Recession began 30 months ago.

When Helping You Is Hurting Me

2010-07-05T16:19:00.001-07:00

When helping you is hurting me

View more presentations from Lisa Dickson.

Resources available through the Better Care Network

2010-07-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

The Better Care Network is a free, online resource that exists to aid social work and child care practitioners and policy makers around the world in planning and providing better care for children— including out of home placement.

This Toolkit contains a selection of practical guides and manuals to support a quality care system and the delivery of alternative care.

Resources are divided into five categories:

2010 Ohio Budget Planning and Management Commission

2010-07-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

*Figures 1-3 from Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Ohio will be facing a budget deficit of approximately $6-8 billion dollars in the next biennium.

In order to begin exploring ways to address the shortfall, the Ohio General Assembly has appointed a group of legislators to serve on a Budget Planning and Management Commission.

The work of the commission will be to identify a menu of options to address the big picture structural changes that must occur in the budget in order to achieve long-term sustainability.

The commission met for the first time on Tuesday and began with a presentation from the Ohio Legislative Service Commission (LSC) that provided legislators with a big picture overview of key revenue and expenditure data.

To view the LSC power point, please visit: www.lsc.state.oh.us/research/bpmc062910.pdf

Last month, the Center for Community Solutions released a report entitled, Thinking the Unthinkable, Finding Common Ground for Resolving Ohio’s Fiscal Crisis.

It explores a host of very difficult options in order to address Ohio’s impending budget shortfall, including a model which contains a possible 10%-20% reduction in most human services in the next biennium:

http://www.communitysolutions.com/assets/1/AssetManager/Thinking_the_Unthinkable_Begala_WEB.pdf

Ohio Reach Summit and Voices of Foster Care Youth

2010-06-26T14:32:00.001-07:00

Rewriting the scripts in a child's life

2010-06-10T11:00:00.001-07:00

What the movie Martian Child teaches about trauma and food hoarding

2010-06-10T08:23:00.001-07:00