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AB 12 Question of the Week
Q: I’m a parenting youth participating in extended foster care and residing in a Supervised Independent Living Placement (SILP). I heard about the support for parenting non-minor dependents in SILPs established by Assembly Bill 2668.
I have an adult mentor in place and would like to complete my Parenting Support Plan (PSP) and start receiving the additional $200, but I haven’t been able to get the three of us together to develop my PSP. I really need this financial support now. Is there a way I can get the ball rolling? For the answer, follow this LINK.
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A Message from John Burton....
I am proud to announce that our own Amy Lemley will step into the role of Executive Director at the John Burton Foundation, effective July 1st. Amy has been with the organization for ten years as the Policy Director and has proven herself to be a tireless advocate for foster youth. Amy is a gifted leader and passionate champion for progress, and we know that under Amy’s skillful leadership the John Burton Foundation will continue its success and grow in new and incredible ways.
Diane Matsuda will be stepping down from her role as Executive Director. For eight years Diane has led the organization with a deep dedication to improving the lives of California’s foster and homeless youth, and I cannot thank her enough for her contributions. We wish Diane the best in her new endeavors and we know that she will continue to be an essential part of the our community.
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Amendments Offered to Federal Families First Act to Protect Future Access to Foster Care
Concerns have been raised in California about the H.R. 5456, titled the Family First Prevention Services Act. The law includes a number of very positive provisions, including ensuring more children can stay safely with family and out of foster care by allowing federal child welfare dollars to be used on quality prevention services and programs.
Despite these improvements, child welfare advocates in California, including the John Burton Foundation, are concerned that the legislation may inadvertently restrict access to foster care. The reason for this concern lies in arcane foster care eligibility rules. In short, the Families First Act would allow children to receive certain time-limited services without being formally placed in the foster care system. These services could even be provided when a child is living informally with a relative caregiver.
At issue is a federal rule that prevents children from being eligible for federal foster care if they have not lived in the home from which they were removed in one of the last six months before a petition is filed to place a child in foster care. If a child receiving these newly available services were living with a relative and received services for 6 months or longer, as allowed by Families First, the child would be rendered ineligible for federal foster care funds if that child later needed the protections of the foster care system.
The coalition of organizations, led by the Alliance for Children’s Rights, Public Counsel, Children Now and Social Change Partners are seeking amendments to the federal legislation that would ensure federal funding is available to children both in prevention and continuing if that child later needs the protections of foster care.
To add your name to a sign-on letter requesting amendments based on this concern, please follow this LINK. This letter will be sent to the bill authors, Congressional leadership and the California Congressional delegation.
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Questions about the $200 for Parenting NMDs in SILPs? State Provides Answers
The California Department of Social Services has released additional guidance on the $200 payment a non-minor dependent (NMD) parent can receive in a Supervised Independent Living Placement (SILP) for entering into a Parenting Support Plan (PSP) with an adult mentor, as established by Assembly Bill 2668 (2014).
AB 2668 took effect July 1, 2015, and counties were required to begin implementing it as of this date. All County Letter 16-50 answers 27 frequently asked questions about eligibility, the PSP and adult mentor, the payment increase, and others. How is the effective date of the $200 payment increase determined? If both parents are NMDs in SILPs, can they both get the payment? How frequently is the PSP reviewed? Can the NMD’s birth parent serve as the adult mentor? What about the NMD’s social worker or probation officer? Find out by reading the ACL.
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CalYOUTH Study: Web Seminar Series to Understand Extended Foster Care
A little over a month ago, Professor Mark Courtney and a team of researchers from Chapin Hall released the California Youth Transitions to Adult Study, a comprehensive look at the experiences of 19 year-olds in extended foster care in California. At over 170 pages long, the document examines a wide range of topics, including health, education, employment, personal relationships, access to services and much more.
The document is a treasure trove of information, but its length can make it a challenge to digest and understand the key findings. To assist in that process, Dr. Mark Courtney will present a three-part web series, sponsored by the John Burton Foundation, the California Co-Investment Partnership and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. Each web seminar will focus on a different topic area of the report: housing in July, education in September and physical and mental health in November.
There will be time to ask Dr. Courtney questions and the opportunity to discuss policy implications for 2017 and beyond. For more information, follow this LINK. To register, follow this LINK.
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Electronic Records Initiatives for Foster Youth Sprouting Up Across State
The Children’s Partnership has released a report that catalogs all consumer-facing foster care electronic records initiatives. “Engaging Foster Youth and Foster Parents in Electronic Records Initiatives” describes lessons learned and highlights promising strategies and practices to help guide future efforts to promote the direct connection of foster youth and foster parents to critical health and other care-related information, such as medical records, birth certificates, and school transcripts.
The report shares information about nine tools being utilized across the U.S., five of which were launched in California. Foster Health Link, an initiative led by Ventura County, links child welfare and health services data for foster parent access. HealthShack is a personal health record developed by AltruIT, a subsidiary of Aspiranet, a California Foster Family Agency with programs across the state. The Girls Health Screen, an initiative by National Girls Health and Justice Institute in Los Angeles, is an electronic self-report questionnaire that girls complete when they enter juvenile detention, allowing youth to identify health, mental health, and community needs.
FosterEd, an initiative led by National Center for Youth Law in Oakland allows education teams to utilize an electronic communications platform to conduct education planning for foster youth. iFoster out of Truckee developed the TAY Assistant which allows youth to upload, store, retrieve and share documents in a HIPAA-compliant Digital Locker, and links foster youth to extensive services and resources based on their preferences, including free computers and job support. To read the report, follow this LINK.
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