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Question of the Week
Q: Do counties need to approve Resource Families for non-minor dependents (participating in extended foster care)? For the answer, follow this LINK.
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State Issues Guidance Allowing NMDs to Reside with Biological Parent in SILPs
When extended foster care was implemented, guidance from the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) indicated that residing with a biological parent was not an eligible placement setting for a non-minor dependent (NMD) residing in a Supervised Independent Living Placement (SILP).
CDSS has just released an All County Letter stating that this policy has changed, based on guidance provided by the federal government in 2013 clarifying that Title IV-E funds can be used for a youth age 18 or older living in a Supervised Independent Living Setting who is residing in the same home as his/her parent or guardian as long as the Title IV-E agency is providing supervision.
When referring to a NMD living in a SILP with a parent, the term “parent” refers to both a parent from whom the youth was removed or any non-custodial parent. This can include, but is not limited to, a biological parent, guardian or adoptive parent.
The ACL states that the social worker or probation officer must make a determination of whether it is safe for the NMD to reside in the same home as the parent(s) in the same way it would be made with regards to anyone else a NMD chooses to live with in a SILP, and that the SILP readiness assessment tool should be utilized to determine if the NMD is making appropriate decisions with regards to the person(s) with whom they plan to reside.
While NMDs may reside in a SILP with their biological parent, the ACL indicates that the parent may not be NMD’s payee for the foster care payment. To read the ACL, follow this LINK.
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Report Finds California Foster Youth Beat National Average in High School Completion
Child Trends has released an array of child welfare factsheets based on data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2015. The factsheets on Transition-Age Youth in Foster Care indicate that a total of 113,829 transition-age youth (TAY) (16- to 21-year-olds) were in foster care in FFY 2015, with 18,277 (16%) in California.
According to the analysis, California’s rate of high school completion for foster youth at age 19 (73%) and 21 (84%) were higher than the national average for foster youth at age 19 and 21 (56% and 76%, respectively), however lower than California’s general population at age 19 and 21 (88% and 90%, respectively).
In California, nearly half (47%) of TAY in foster care experienced one to two placements (compared to 45% in the U.S.), 22 percent had experienced three or four placements (compared to 21% in the U.S.) and 31 percent had experienced 5 or more placements (compared to 33% in the U.S.).
To view the factsheet on Transition-Age Youth in Foster Care for California, follow this LINK. For the U.S. factsheet, follow this LINK. To view factsheets by state or for the U.S. on the other topics by Child Trends, including adoption, child maltreatment, foster care and kinship caregiving, follow this LINK.
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2017-18 Burton Book Fund Closes After Assisting 1,166 Students on 86 Campuses
The Burton Book Fund has committed all of its funds for for the 2017-18 academic year and is now closed to new applicants. John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) is pleased to share that a total of 1,166 current and former foster youth enrolled in post-secondary education were awarded financial support for their textbooks this year.
Of foster youth who participated in the Burton Book Fund, 56 percent were enrolled in a community college, 33 percent were enrolled in a campus of the California State University system, 9 percent were enrolled in a University of California campus and 2 percent were enrolled at a private college or university.
Twenty-nine percent of the Burton Book Fund participants are currently in foster care. Special outreach was conducted to providers of THP-Plus and THP+FC this year, resulting in 12 percent of students reporting they participate in THP+FC and 6 percent of students reporting they participate in THP-Plus.
The Burton Book Fund will be available to homeless students in the January for the start of the winter term. Information about that program will be provided in the JBAY newsletter.
For more information about who participated in the Burton Book Fund in 2017-18, follow this LINK. If you have questions about the Burton Book Fund, please contact JBAY's Executive Director, Amy Lemley.
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Webinar to Demystify Child Welfare Funding & Federal Safety Net Programs
The well-being of children, young adults and families depends on a complex web of interconnected federal, state and local safety net programs and funding sources. In order to ensure this “web” of support is kept intact, stakeholders -- from providers to policymakers -- must understand how these different funding sources fit together.
On Wednesday, September 27th, the Alliance for Children’s Rights is hosting a web seminar highlighting model state laws, policies, and court orders that have improved access to needed supports and services for children and families. The web seminar will also discuss current and pending threats at the federal, state, and local levels that endanger the child welfare system and related safety net programs, and how participants can preserve and strengthen these essential programs. To register for the web seminar, follow this LINK. To download the invitation, follow this LINK.
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