2. Policy Updates
Federal Policy
[from Child Welfare League of America Alert 9.23.08]
The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 was passed by the Senate and will now go to the President for his signature!
For the first time, federal foster care assistance will be available to kinship and relative caregivers. Also, over time, eligibility for federal adoption assistance will no longer be tied to the non-existent Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program.
This is an historic moment for foster children and families. We congratulate Congress on their effort! The kinship benefits and breaking the link to the old AFDC program are major steps forward and necessary as we strive to improve the child welfare system.
The legislation was introduced by Representatives Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Jerry Weller (R-IL) in the House. Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking member Charles Grassley (R-IA) are leading the effort in the Senate.
Kinship care is recognized as an effective way to increase stability and permanency for children who cannot stay with their parents. Living with relatives such as grandparents or aunts and uncles provides safety and a loving environment.
Language in the bill over time de-links eligibility for adoption assistance to the old AFDC program. This will make all special needs adoptions eligible for federal assistance and will encourage many more adoptions.
Other significant reforms in the legislation include opening federal training resources to private non-profit child welfare agencies, providing Native American child welfare organizations with direct access to federal foster care and adoption assistance, and providing states the option of extending foster care eligibility for you up to age 21 from 18. Also included in the legislation are improvements regarding education and health services for children in the foster and child welfare system.
The legislation will mark a significant turn around in support for our most vulnerable children, youth, and families. We call on the President to sign this bill as soon as it arrives on his desk.
State Budget and Policy
Expect the first batch of bill actions any moment now. Administration aides say the governor won't have much time for public performances in the coming week. He has eight days—until midnight Sept. 30—to act on 875 bills.
Schwarzenegger signs record-late state budget
Sacramento Bee
9/23/08
[From THP-Plus Alert, 9/23/08]
California Budget and THP-Plus
The California budget for Fiscal Year 2008-09 was signed today by Governor Schwarzenegger. The budget includes $40.8 million for THP-Plus, a $5.1 million increase over the FY 07-08 budget.
The 15% budget increase is good news for the 46 counties planning to serve more than 1,800 former foster youth this fiscal year.
Now that the Governor has signed the budget, the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) will allocate the THP-Plus funding to individual counties. This process is usually completed within 30 to 60 days after the budget has passed. The THP-Plus allocation will be communicated through a CDSS All County Information Notice (ACIN). The final ACIN will be distributed on the THP-Plus list serve.
If you have any questions, please contact Michele Byrnes at michele@johnburtonfoundation.org.
Local Policy
City and County of San Francisco Elections
This year the odd-numbered board of supervisors are up for election. Click here for a list of Qualified Candidates for those races as well as other city and county boards during the upcoming elections on November 4.
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3. Articles
For distant generations in Illinois, unrelated but oh so close
New York Times • 9/15/08
Surviving the System: Darrin’s Story
The Nation • 9/11/08
RELATED NEWS
Schwarzenegger signs California budget 85 days late
San Francisco Chronicle • 9/23/08
Budget problems expected again next summer
San Francisco Chronicle • 9/22/08
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4. Reports & Useful Websites
EYCP Final Report/Toolkit
The California Permanency for Youth Project is proud to share the Emancipated Youth Connections Project Final Report/Toolkit. This project assisted 20 young adults who left the child welfare system with few or no permanent connections to find and create these relationships, which are so necessary for human identity, development and stability. The final report describes and evaluates this work, and includes a toolkit for those who are interested in replicating and/or customizing youth permanency into their agencies and organizations
[From the Chapin Hall Alert]
Evaluation of Independent Living Programs for Foster Youth
The Children's Bureau in the Administration for Children and Families contracted with Chapin Hall and other research institutions to evaluate select independent living programs for youth who age out of foster care. Two new reports evaluate a tutoring/mentoring program and a classroom-based life skills training program, both in Los Angeles County, California.
Read the reports from the series, Multi-Site Evaluation of Foster Youth Programs [link to http://www.chapinhall.org/home.aspx] by Mark E. Courtney, Andrew Zinn, Erica H. Zielewski, Roseana J. Bess, Karin E. Malm, Matthew Stagner, and Michael Pergamit.
Parents in Prison and Their Minor Children
This report from the U.S. Department of Justice presents data from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities about inmates who were parents and their minor children. It includes information on the children's daily care, financial support, current caregivers, and frequency and type of contact with incarcerated parents.
Policy Framework for America’s Youth
On Monday, September 22, 2008 the Intermediary Network, a national association of leading education, workforce, and youth development organizations working in local communities to ensure youth success, released its first comprehensive policy framework, Community Connections for Youth. To sign on please visit www.intermediarynetwork.org.
The Intermediary Network (INet) brings a unique perspective to the disconnected and disconnecting youth discussion, which provides real solutions for the nation’s most vulnerable youth. With the release of Community Connections for Youth, INet puts forth a comprehensive framework of the quality strategies needed to ensure success for all youth.
It is time for a concerted effort to address the critical issues facing our nation’s youth, and time to come together at the national, state and local levels to improve the lives of our youth, the health of our communities, and our strength as a nation.
Community Connections for Youth calls on policy makers and philanthropy to make investments at the local level in organizations that focus on connecting services, supports, and opportunities for young people. We will build broad support for Community Connections for Youth through the energy and transitions resulting from the 2008 elections. By connecting youth to opportunities, more young people will graduate from high school and enter college or a career, and be less likely to fall through the cracks of the systems that serve them. Young people will be better prepared to enter the workforce, which is a key requirement of a healthy economy.
For more information please review the attached documents or contact Kellie Noe at 707-824-4000 or knoe@newwaystowork.org. To sign on please visit www.intermediarynetwork.org.
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5. Job Opportunity
Fred Finch Youth Center
Mental Health Counselor
Clinical Supervisor
Personal Service Coordinator
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6. Youth Opportunities
MatchBridge Job Fair
MatchBridge (formerly known as Jobs For Youth) is hosting a Seasonal Job Fair on Saturday, October 4th! Macy’s, Old Navy, and Radio Shack will be there.
Between now and Friday, October 3rd (less than two weeks), please do your best to find at least two qualified candidates to refer to this job fair. Candidates need to be16 and 21 years old, live or go to school in San Francisco, and be eligible to work in the United States AND send over a current resume with no mistakes!
On Monday, September 29th, they will help youth complete online applications to Radio Shack, Macy’s and Old Navy. Download the flyer to share with youth.For questions or more information, contact Mayela Gutknecht, Youth Specialist 415-808-4419 or mgutknecht@uwba.org
DCYF’s Youth Empowerment Fund Advisory Board (YEFAB) is hiring to up to 7 youth to join the board!
If you are youth leader, 13-24, and are interested in creating, funding, and evaluating youth-led programs in San Francisco, apply to join YEFAB today!
By joining YEFAB, you can
• Make decisions on how to fund youth-led projects
• Help youth run great projects for youth (in areas of organizing, philanthropy, and entrepreneurship)
• Facilitate community building and exchange between programs throughout San Francisco
• Represent youth perspectives to DCYF staff and city agencies
• Work with a diverse group of San Francisco’s youth and the SF Youth Commission to make a change!
YEFAB’s mission is to support youth who want to make a difference in the city by being a youth advisor to the Youth Empowerment Fund. By funding youth-led projects and programs, YEFAB hopes to give youth the opportunity to express themselves, build leadership skills and responsibility, seed new youth organizing, and improve the status of youth in the city.
YEFAB members receive up to a $2000 stipend for a year of service (October 2008 – July 2009).
Applications are by due Tuesday, September 30. To learn more about YEFAB, check out their myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/yefab For more info, contact Youth Empowerment Fund Coordinator: Bryant Tan, btan@dcyf.org or 415-557-6727. Application is also available online.
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7. Upcoming Events
John Burton Foundation Child Welfare Policy Briefing Series
This is the second year of the series and below are the five topics they will address:
- Downsizing Foster Care through Prevention: Good Practice or Mission Drift?
- Same Youth, Disparate Resources: Developing a Strategy to Serve System-Involved and Non-System Involved Youth
- Racial Disproportionality in the Child Welfare System: Disproportionate Need or Systematic Bias?
- Children of Incarcerated Parents: The Civil Rights Issue of the 21st Century?
- Methamphetamine Use: Posing New Challenges to California’s Child Welfare System
Click here for information about the topics and speakers is included at in the attached invitation. The invitation also includes a link to follow to register on-line. Space for each briefing is limited and we kindly request that you sign-up for only those briefings that you are sure to attend. Lunch will be provided and please feel free to forward this invitation to others who may be interested in the briefing series.
9. HEY Events
Emancipation from Foster Care 101 —Free Training
Wednesday, Oct 8, 9-11 am
San Francisco Human Services Agency Building
1650 Mission, Classroom 2 & 3
This is a free training for providers and others who work with youth who are or have been involved with the San Francisco child welfare system. Come to receive an overview of the San Francisco foster care emancipation process. This training is a collaboration between SF HSA and HEY. RSVP by Friday, Oct 3. Download more information [link to Emancipation 101 document].
HEY Happy Hour
Wednesday, Oct 8, 6-7:30 pm
The Cosmopolitan
121 Spear Street (between Mission and Howard)
Honoring Emancipated Youth (HEY) invites you to join us for a drink, a bite to eat, and an opportunity to hear about our plans for the 2009 National Foster Care Month in May. We want to thank the many supporters who have helped plan National Foster Care Month over the past 5 years. Please join former Foster Care Month Planning Committee members, volunteers, board members, and supporters for a fun happy hour where you will:
· Hear from our Emancipated Youth Advocacy Board (EYAB) and staff about why National Foster Care Month matters
· Find out how you can help HEY in 2009 and,
· Enjoy drinks and appetizers with us!
We also invite those who are new to our work to join us and find out about HEY's work and our plans for National Foster Care Month 2009! To RSVP visit: http://heyhappyhour.eventbrite.com
HEY Education Workgroup Meeting
This workgroup is a convening of local foster care education providers and supporters. Our goal is to provide training and support to direct service providers who work with foster youth.
Next meeting is on Wednesday, October 15 from 9:30-11 at San Francisco ILSP, 225 Valencia Street, SF.
HEY Employment Workgroup Meeting
The HEY Employment WG meetings have been a convening of current youth vocational service providers currently working with foster youth. The purpose of the group is to discuss the barriers of outreach and referral for current and former foster youth to local vocational programs. In addition to completing some of the pending issues which arose from the last meetings, HEY will begin to incorporate our advocacy for the needs of current and former foster youth within the existing Youth Employment Coalition (YEC) and other local youth employment initiatives.
Next meeting is on Thursday, October 16, from 1:30-3:30 at SF ILSP, 225 Valencia
 About
Honoring Emancipated Youth
About Honoring Emancipated Youth
Honoring Emancipated Youth (HEY), a community project of United Way of the Bay Area, is a San Francisco-based intermediary providing leadership to the Bay Area foster care community by convening and informing stakeholders of trends and best practices in order to raise public awareness and promote successful policies that affect emancipated foster youth. HEY is committed to the inclusion of current and former foster youth, service providers, and community members in identifying and promoting strategies and best practices that ensure there are effective systems to serve Bay Area foster care youth in achieving a successful transition to adulthood.
This newsletter is solely for informational purposes; the legislative information and articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Honoring Emancipated Youth or United Way of the Bay Area.
Sara Razavi
Executive Director, Honoring Emancipated Youth (HEY)
United Way of the Bay Area
221 Main Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 808-4435 • Fax (415) 817-4615
srazavi@uwba.org
Visit us at www.heysf.org
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