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- AR: United Way of Fort Smith launches 100 Families Initiative (Includes video) KNWA/KFTA – September 23, 2020
United Way of Fort Smith area launches a program to reduce the area’s recidivism rate and reunite families, parents, and children. The 100 Families Initiative was created to help people go from crisis to care to career.https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/united-way-of-fort-smith-launches-100-families-initiative/ - HI: ‘Likely’ human service furloughs would ripple among those in need Star Advertiser – September 23, 2020
“Likely” furloughs beginning Dec. 1 at the state Department of Human Services – which helps administer a wide range of social service programs including food stamps and Medicaid – could have “devastating” effects across the islands at a time of increasing hardship triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/09/23/hawaii-news/likely-human-service-furloughs-would-ripple-among-those-in-need/ - KS: Services For Kansas Crossover Youth Slowed By Lack Of Data, Interagency Collaboration Kansas Reflector – September 23, 2020
A leader for the Kansas agency charged with maintaining the state’s child protective programs said youths involved in the child welfare system and juvenile justice system face unique challenges not often reflected in data collected by various state agencies. Department for Children and Families deputy secretary Tanya Keys said the lack of integrated data systems across state organizations that may touch on the issue raises a challenge of how to define and identify those who are “at-risk” of becoming a crossover youth. https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/22/services-for-kansas-crossover-youth-slowed-by-lack-of-data-interagency-collaboration/ - KY: New reference guide includes tips, information for Kentucky’s thousands of kinship families KyForward – September 24, 2020
A new handbook, created by the Kinship Families Coalition of Kentucky in collaboration with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Office, features resources for grandparents and relative caregivers navigating Kentucky’s child welfare system and caring for vulnerable children. In the new handbook, caregivers will find information on the basics of kinship care and the court process, tips for engaging with birth parents and navigating the complex child welfare system, and resources to help the vulnerable children in their care grow and thrive. https://www.kyforward.com/new-reference-guide-includes-tips-information-for-kentuckys-thousands-of-kinship-families/
The handbook: https://kinshipky.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Kinship-Caregiver-Handbook_Sept-2020.pdf - NE: Editorial, 9/24: Child welfare system, YRTCs still in need of improvements Lincoln Journal Star – September 24, 2020
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services should refrain from more changes in the crisis-stricken Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers and scrap plans to move the Juvenile Chemical Dependency Program at the Hastings Regional Center to Lincoln and establish a girls YRTC in Hastings. That recommendation from Inspector General for Child Welfare Jennifer Carter in her annual report on child welfare last week, had, to large measure, already been implemented via a series of bills passed by the Legislature in August that will halt changes at the centers until at least March, when reports and plans on the proposals must be submitted to the Legislature. https://journalstar.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-9-24-child-welfare-system-yrtcs-still-in-need-of-improvements/article_c90319c4-8dd0-5b97-a32a-3b089f532e68.html - NE: Department of Health and Human Services to begin shift of juvenile offenders to Lincoln Lincoln Journal Star – September 23, 2020
The Department of Health and Human Services says it will relocate its juvenile substance-abuse program from Hastings to Lincoln in October, despite the Legislature’s request for a delay. A bill (LB1140) passed in July was clear in its intent that senators didn’t want any shuffling around of young people residing in Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers until March 30 of next year, after the completion of a required planning process by the department. https://journalstar.com/legislature/department-of-health-and-human-services-to-begin-shift-of-juvenile-offenders-to-lincoln/article_c1530a67-047b-50b4-b268-442aedfbc7cb.html - OH: Manchester Announces Foster Care Legislation Heads to Governor (Press release)Office of Ohio State Representative Susan Manchester – September 23, 2020State Rep. Susan Manchester (R-Waynesfield) today announced her legislation revising the requirements for foster caregiver training in Ohio now heads to Governor DeWine for his signature. House Bill 8 will help potential foster parents to be trained, licensed, and approved more efficiently and effectively. http://www.wcsmradio.com/index.php/news/57475/117/Manchester-Announces-Foster-Care-Legislation-Heads-to-Governor
- PA: Who did the pandemic hit worst? Young adults aging out of foster care felt an economic slam, new survey shows Billy Penn – September 23, 2020
For Philly resident Lexi Andino, September has looked a lot like the six months before it: a struggle for food, work, and emotional support. New research from the Field Center For Policy, Practice and Research at the University of Pennsylvania shows Andino’s experience is unfortunately typical for former foster youth. The UPenn paper, published Tuesday, does put forth some pathways to solutions – like extending government services to cover vulnerable young adults aging out of the system. https://fieldcenteratpenn.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Foster-Youth-COVID-19-FINAL.pdf
Also: The Experiences of Older Foster Youth In & Aged Out of Foster Care During COVID-19: https://billypenn.com/2020/09/23/foster-youth-coronavirus-pennsylvania-lost-jobs-housing-field-center-survey-transition-age-fcaa-governor-wolf/ - TX: State must do more for former foster children (Opinion) Eagle – September 24, 2020
Each year, approximately 1,200 foster youth in Texas reach their 18th birthday without being successfully reunited with their birth family or adopted. They age-out of foster care and become adults. These young people often are sent out into the world without the preparedness – let alone connections, financial or emotional support – needed to begin life as an adult on solid footing. In Texas, more than a quarter of young people aging-out of foster care lack a high school diploma or stable housing, nearly half are unemployed, and more than a third are already parents .https://theeagle.com/opinion/columnists/state-must-do-more-for-former-foster-children/article_ad7a4a30-fe0e-11ea-8dc8-8b834bc02dde.html - US: Documentary Explores Emancipating From Foster Care System (Audio) NPR – September 24, 2020
The new documentary “Unadopted” explores what happens to teenagers in foster care as they approach the point of “aging out” of the system. NPR’s Noel King talks to Noel Anaya about his film. https://n.pr/3070NFd - US: Foster Youth and Alumni Speak Up for Special Groups Among Them Imprint – September 23, 2020 Foster youth often feel misunderstood and marginalized by society as a whole. Within the larger foster youth community, however, certain groups must deal with even more stress. Those groups, and how to help them build fulfilling lives, are the subjects of the latest set of policy recommendations by the National Foster Care Youth and Alumni Policy Council. The council focused its 11-page September policy briefing on the needs of these “special populations” of foster youth. https://www.fosterclub.com/sites/default/files/page-cb_attachments/NPC_Special%20Populations_Sept.%202020.pdf
Also: A Historic Opportunity to Reform the Child Welfare System: Youth & Alumni Priorities on Special Populations: https://imprintnews.org/child-welfare-2/foster-youth-and-alumni-speak-up-for-special-groups-among-them/47601 - International: As classrooms for half the world’s schoolchildren remain closed, UNICEF and EU urge countries to prioritize schools in re-opening plans (Press release) UNICEF – September 23, 2020
“As schools remain closed for half the world’s students due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are issuing an S.O.S. message urging countries to prioritize schools in their re-opening plans. “The pandemic has exposed and exacerbated deep inequalities in access to schools, quality learning and digital connectivity. It has also exposed weaknesses in our education systems, including inadequate water and sanitation, and lack of preparation to withstand crises. https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/classrooms-half-worlds-schoolchildren-remain-closed-unicef-and-eu-urge-countries - International: Survey reveals popular misconceptions about child marriage Public Library of Science – September 23, 2020
Misconceptions about child marriage (marriage under 18) appear widespread among the American public, potentially hampering efforts to address the practice globally. David Lawson and colleagues at the University of California, Santa Barbara, present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0238346
Also: What does the American public know about child marriage?https://phys.org/news/2020-09-survey-reveals-popular-misconceptions-child.html
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