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| New Report from AECF |
Upcoming Events
American Youth Policy Forum Discussion Group: On October 29, the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) is hosting a discussion group on youth in transition from foster care designed to engage policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. The meeting will bring together approximately 20 high-level stakeholders from the federal government and national organizations who are working to improve the systems and policies that affect youth transitioning out of care. Representatives from FCWG have been invited to speak and will be presenting on the Well-Being Framework.
Two-Part Series about Child Welfare and Immigration: This fall, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law and the John Burton Foundation will hold two informational webinars about immigrant families and the child welfare system. The first will be held on Tuesday, October 21 from 10:00 to 11:00am on recent changes to the Special Immigrant Juvenile Status program. The second will be held on Tuesday, December 16 from 10:00 to 11:00 am about Senate Bill 1064 that aims to improve the child welfare system’s response to immigrant families. To learn more about these topics, including how to register, click here.
Recent Events
U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means Hearing on Social Impact Bonds: On September 9 the Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing on Social Impact Bonds and whether they can help government achieve better results for families in need. Full witness testimonies are available here.
Federal Legislative Updates
President Obama signs the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (H.R. 4980) into Law: On Monday, September 29, President Obama signed into law the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (H.R. 4980). This bipartisan bill moved forward with the support and continued advocacy of many organizations and is an important step forward for improving outcomes for children and youth in foster care and helping reduce their risk of becoming a victim of sex trafficking. For a detailed summary of the bill, click here. We will go over the provisions in greater detail at the November meeting.
Social Impact Bonds: This summer, bipartisan bills in both the House and Senate were introduced to fund social impact bonds aimed at improving outcomes in social services, including child welfare. H.R. 4885, introduced in June by Reps.Todd Young (R-IN) and John Delaney (D-MD). Just before the August recess, Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced the Senate's companion bill, S. 2691. To learn more basic information about social impact bonds, view this fact sheet by the Center for American Progress.
Relevant Resources and Reports
Federal State, and Local Spending to Address Child Abuse and Neglect in SFY 2012: Child Trends, with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Casey Family Programs, released its latest child welfare financing report, Federal, State and Local Spending to Address Child Abuse and Neglect in SFY 2012, which summarizes key findings from a national survey of states’ child welfare expenditures. The bi-annual survey of 49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico found that child welfare agency expenditures from federal, state, and local sources decreased by eight percent between state fiscal years 2010 and 2012 – representing the first decrease in spending since the survey began in 1996. In addition, federal spending on child welfare declined, and was found to be at its lowest level since the state fiscal year 1998 survey. State-by-state data are also available for viewing/downloading on the State Child Welfare Policy Database.
Shared Principles for Child Welfare Fiscal, Policy, and Practice Alignment: The American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), Alliance for Children and Families, National Organization for State Associations for Children (NOSAC) have partnered to release a strategy for child welfare finance reform in a new report called Shared Principles for Child Welfare Fiscal, Policy and Practice Alignment. According to the press release, the recommendations are focused on ensuring that the interests of both the child and the family are at the center of decision-making and reform efforts, and the federal, state, local, and tribal governments and private, nonprofit organizations can better promote and improve the well-being and outcomes for children. The plan would leave in place three key federal child welfare programs – Title IV-E Foster Care, Title IV-B Child Welfare Services and the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act – and dollars under each of these funding streams would be made more flexible so all of it could be used for any of those services. The proposal does not place limits on federal support for congregate care.
New Casey Family Programs Report on Sex Trafficking: In September, Casey Family Programs released a new report called Addressing Child Sex Trafficking from a Child Welfare Perspective, which summarizes findings from interviews with 45 jurisdiction leaders regarding the problem of child sex trafficking and what should be done to address it. These results will help inform development of Casey’s strategy to address child sex trafficking. The report is attached to this email.
Sustaining Momentum: Improving Educational Stability for Youth in Foster Care: A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation called Sustaining Momentum: Improving Educational Stability for Youth in Foster Care details progress made in educational stability for youth in foster care in the years since the 2008 passage of Fostering Connections and the challenges still to be overcome to improve education for these young people. The Foundation and key partners invested in state implementation of the Fostering Connections law focused on four strategies: funding data collection and research, building and strengthening state policy advocacy networks, providing technical assistance to select states, and disseminating best practices. The report says that while many policy measures to passed to fortify school stability between 2009 and 2013, education and child welfare agencies must collaborate to achieve greater gains.
America’s Hispanic Children: Gaining Ground, Looking Forward: In September, Child Trends Hispanic Institute released a new report called America’s Hispanic Children: Gaining Ground, Looking Forward. Funded by the Televisa Foundation, the report provides a comprehensive portrait of the country’s 17.5 million Hispanic children across six areas: demographics, economics, family, education, health, and media use.
Welfare Rules Databook: State TANF Policies as of July 2013: In September, HHS released a new report on key Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) policies for each state as of July 2013, as well as longitudinal tables describing various state policies for selected years between 1996 and 2013. The tables are based on the information in the Welfare Rules Database (WRD), a publicly-available, online database originally developed under the Urban Institute’s Assessing the New Federalism project.
Connecticut’s Invisible Opportunity Gap: Academic Challenges Facing Children and Youth in Foster Care: Connecticut Voices for Children recently released a report, Connecticut’s Invisible Opportunity Gap: Academic Challenges Facing Children and Youth in Foster Care, which documents that Connecticut children in foster care lag behind their peers academically. The report documents the achievement gap and identifies several barriers that may impede students’ opportunity to succeed in school.
Annual Report for California’s THP-Plus Program: The Transitional Housing Placement Plus (THP-Plus) Program provides housing and supportive services for up to 24 months to help former foster care and probation youth ages 18 to 24 make a successful transition from out-of-home placements to independent living. The program is administered by county departments of social services who either provide the services directly or contract for services with nonprofit THP-Plus providers. The program just released its annual report for fiscal year 2013-14, which is available here, along with other materials about the program.
HUD Report on Youth Aging Out of Foster Care: A report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R), Housing for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care, summarizes findings of a series of research activities designed to address knowledge gaps related to the housing options available to youth who have aged out of foster care. Programs and policies to support their housing needs are discussed and findings are presented from an assessment of one housing resource, the Family Unification Program (FUP).
Urban Institute Report on Families Transitioning Out of Housing Assistance: Researchers at the Urban Institute recently released a new report, called What Happens to Housing Assistance Leavers?, which explores why families leave housing assistance and how they fare on their own. The report highlights how those leaving assistance for negative reasons are worse off and how those leaving for positive reasons are struggling, which suggests the need for targeted approaches to support both groups.
New Resources for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) agency has created an email address for juvenile courts and child welfare professionals to submit general questions about the Special Immigrant Juvenile Program. You can also submit request for a USCIS representative to talk to your organization about the program. The address is: USCIS-IGAOutraech@uscis.dhs.gov.
As background on this issue, some foreign-born children present in the United States may qualify for humanitarian immigration protection because they have been abused, abandoned or neglected by a parent. Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status is a classification that may allow a vulnerable child to immediately apply for status as a lawful permanent resident. SIJ classification is unique in that specific state court findings are required in order for USCIS to determine eligibility. The juvenile court makes factual findings (based on state law) concerning the care, custody, and best interests of the child.
Other News from FCWG Members
The Epicenter: In September, eight former foster youth in Monterey County founded a new center for at-risk youth called The Epicenter. Modeled after the VOICES center in Napa and Sonoma County, it is a youth-led and -run organization that works towards empowering at-risk youth by providing them with a one-stop resource center. The Center’s co-located staff from different types of community organizations allows it to provide multiple resources at the center, including education, employment, housing, and mental/physical health and wellness. For more information, click here.
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