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Question of the Week
Q: I'm working with a youth who is trying to get Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). Once the Department of Child and Family Services files for SIJS and it's "pending," can we close the dependency case? For the answer, follow this LINK.
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State Issues Guidance to Help Remove Obstacles to CalFresh for NMDs
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has released an All County Information Notice to provide clarification regarding the treatment of the income of non-minor dependents (NMDs) for the purpose of determining CalFresh eligibility. The ACIN’s main focus is on youth residing in Supervised Independent Living Placements (SILPs) and the transitional housing placement (THP+FC), however the ACIN clarifies that the rules for counting income of NMDs in THP+FC also applies to former foster youth residing in THP-Plus programs.
The ACIN first makes two important distinctions – 1) participating in extended foster care does not disqualify a NMD from eligibility for CalFresh benefits; and 2) there are rules that apply for shared living arrangements: when meals are purchased and prepared together, the head of household may apply for CalFresh benefits on behalf of the household (i.e. foster/relative caregiver). When meals are purchased and prepared separately, each individual may apply as a separate household (i.e. THP+FC, renting a room in a SILP).
Any portion of the foster care payment that is received directly by the NMD is considered unearned income and included when determining the household’s eligibility and benefit level. Any portion of the foster care payment that is not paid directly to the NMD (i.e. the portion of the foster care payment retained by the THP+FC provider) is considered a vendor payment, and excluded from unearned income.
As clarified in a memo from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a gift card is only counted as income if it is a credit card company prepaid gift card (e.g. Visa), and can be reasonably anticipated by the NMD. If it cannot be reasonably anticipated, the credit card company prepaid gift card is counted as a resource. Establishment-specific gift cards (e.g. Target) are excluded from income and resources. To read the ACIN, follow this LINK. To download John Burton Advocates for Youth’s recently updated FAQ on CalFresh & NMDs, follow this LINK.
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2018-19 FAFSA Now Available: What Homeless Youth Providers Need to Know
As of October 1st, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) made the 2018-19 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available. There are important changes that unaccompanied homeless youth and those assisting them should be aware of.
The definition of “youth” -- which for purposes of determining who was an unaccompanied homeless youth was previously someone age 21 and under -- has been removed from the 2018-19 FAFSA. This addresses barriers for 22-and 23-year-olds who were often forced to submit extensive and burdensome documentation to prove their homeless status until they turned 24, the age where everyone is considered independent on the FAFSA.
School district liaisons and program directors or designees of programs funded by Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) or U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding are now permitted to continue to make FAFSA determinations of a youth’s status as either unaccompanied and homeless, or as self-reporting and at risk of being homeless.
Regarding RHYA or HUD programs, ED has clarified that in rare cases where a recognized authority provides documentation of unaccompanied homeless youth status to a person no longer receiving services from the organization, that documentation is acceptable for verifying unaccompanied homelessness.
SchoolHouse Connection has developed a sample form letter to determine the independent student status of unaccompanied homeless youth for the 2018-19 FAFSA, which may be edited as appropriate for a school district, institution of higher education, shelter, transitional living program or street outreach program.
They also provide more detailed information on the five key things people should know about youth experiencing homelessness and the new FAFSA on their website, including the new responsibilities of school district homeless liaisons and school counselors as a result of the recent amendments made to the McKinney-Vento Act by the Every Student Succeeds Act.
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CCR Prompts State to Evaluate Two Well-Being Assessment Tools for Statewide Use
Upon seeking to select a common well-being assessment tool to fulfill the objectives of Continuum of Care Reform, the California Department of Social Services commissioned research focused on two potential tools for statewide consideration – the Treatment Outcome Package (TOP) and the Child Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS).
A mixed method evaluation of the implementation and practical use of these tools was conducted in the context of three domains of use: 1) Engages and empowers the voice of youth and other non-professional case team members; 2) Provides case team with valuable insight to drive effective casework; and 3) Supports aggregate analysis to promote data-driven decision-making.
The evaluation describes both strengths and concerns about both tools in each domain area. It also includes a section on things to consider in implementation of a statewide assessment tool. To read the full report, follow this LINK.
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Registration Deadline for Blueprint for Success Conference One Week Away
The registration deadline for California’s largest conference on foster youth and post-secondary education is Wednesday, October 11th. The Blueprint for Success Conference is hosted by the California College Pathways Initiative, a project of John Burton Advocates for Youth.
This year’s conference is being held in Los Angeles on October 16th and 17th and will feature dynamic plenary sessions, networking opportunities, and 30 workshops designed to provide concrete strategies for campus staff, policy-makers, child welfare professionals, K-12 systems, caregivers, community-based providers and other stakeholders who support foster youth to prepare for, enroll in and succeed in college.
The conference will also feature a robust youth engagement component. All the event details can be found at the conference website, http://blueprintconference.org/.
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