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Question of the Week
Q: I heard in a meeting today that youth in Supervised Independent Living Placements (SILPs) and THP+FC have received a “raise” in their monthly stipend. Is this true, and if so, how much do they now receive? For the answer, follow this LINK.
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Burton Book Fund Going Fast! Help Foster Youth Access Funds for Text Books
With college starting around the state, the Burton Book Fund has kicked off and is going fast. As of today, 848 current and former foster youth attending 74 campuses have been approved to participate in the program.
At this level of participation, 80 percent of the program’s funding for the 2017-18 academic year has been committed; if you are working with a youth who needs college text books, take a moment to make sure they have applied and if they haven’t, help them access the assistance. Funds will likely be expended in the next two weeks.
The Burton Book Fund, established in 2013, provides $250 for students enrolled in 12 or more units, $175 for students enrolled in 9 to 12 units and $100 to students enrolled in 6 to 8 units. To be eligible, youth must have been in foster care on or after age 13 and enrolled in a minimum of 6 units. Students eligible for Next Up (formerly known as CAFYES), a publicly-funded program for foster youth on 26 community colleges, are not eligible for the Burton Book Fund if they are eligible for Next Up.
Students apply for the program through their campus. For a list of participating campuses and contacts, follow this LINK. For complete information about the program, follow this LINK.
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HHS Releases Primer on Intersection between Human Trafficking & Child Welfare
The Child Welfare Information Gateway within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released a report exploring how child welfare agencies can support children who are victims of human trafficking, as well as children who are at greater risk for future victimization. While this report is intended for child welfare agency leadership, there is also a companion guide, intended to assist child welfare caseworkers.
The report provides background on human trafficking and the intersection with child welfare, and summarizes federal legislation addressing human trafficking to date. It also documents federal guidance that has been released about human trafficking laws over the course of the last three years, and describes several federal initiatives that have been developed in response to the issue.
The second half of the report features strategies for state and local agencies, highlighting several examples from across the U.S. in the areas of state and agency policies, collaboration, training for agency staff and partners, screening and assessment tools, designing service programs and building community awareness. To read the report, follow this LINK.
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Maximum Family Grant Rule Put to Bed: Final Regulations Approved
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has announced approval of the final regulations repealing the Maximum Family Grant (MFG) Rule, which denied cash aid to children born into a family that received cash aid continuously for ten months immediately prior to the child’s birth.
Repeal of the MFG Rule was established through the 2016 passage of Assembly Bill 1603 and implemented on January 1, 2017. In July of this year, CDSS issued a Manual Letter to alert child welfare agencies of the removal of the CalWORKs regulations referencing the MFG rule. The final regulations were approved effective June 19, 2017, and can be found as an attachment to All County Information Notice I-52-17.
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What's the Hot Topic of the September Child Welfare Roundtable? Housing
The Child Welfare Policy Roundtable will meet on Friday, September 8 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 125 of the California State Capitol in Sacramento to discuss the intersection of housing and transition-age youth in foster care.
The first hour will include a series of short presentations focused on the issue, including representatives from California Youth Connection, Tipping Point, John Burton Advocates for Youth and Beyond Emancipation. The second hour is an opportunity for presenters and attendees to discuss the issues, their implications and potential application in policy.
The purpose of the monthly roundtable is to bring information from the field to policy makers and their staff members, to inform the conversation and highlight potential policy solutions. The roundtable is held the first Friday of each month; September’s roundtable has been scheduled for the second Friday, the 8th, to accommodate the Labor Day weekend. For more information about the Child Welfare Policy Roundtable, contact Susanna Kniffen of Children Now.
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JBAY Newsletter on Vacation Next Week
John Burton Advocates for Youth will not be sending out our regular weekly update on Tuesday, September 5th, following Labor Day weekend. The newsletter will resume on Tuesday, September 12th.
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