The John H' Chafee Foster Care Independence Act of 1999

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The John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Act
of 1999
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17th Annual Risky Business ConferenceDes Moines,
Iowa

• Youth Transitioning from Foster Care
• to Independence
• April 23, 2002

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The Foster Care Independence Act of 1999

• The Chafee Foster Care Independence
  ProgramStrengthening the Systems Capacity to
  Help Young People Make Healthy Transitions to
  Adulthood

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What Does the FCIA Do?

• Increases funding from 70 to 140 million/year
• Expands services to former foster youth 18-21
  years old.
• Gives states the option to provide Medicaid to
  18-21 yo former foster youth
• Changes the state planning and application
  process.
• Increases youth asset limit to 10,000.
• Increases access to CIP services for Native
  American tribes.

• Strong focus on collaboration, youth involvement,
  permanency, relationships with caring adults, and
  achievement of positive outcomes for youth served
  in CIP programs.

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What Opportunities does the New Chafee Foster
Care Independence Program Offer to States,
Communities, and Other Stakeholders?

• Strengthen the continuum of services and supports
  available to older foster youth.
• Fill current gaps in services, especially for
  youth who have left the system.
• Increase the pool of stakeholders committed to
  supporting young people in making successful
  transitions.

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What Opportunities does the New Chafee Foster
Care Independence Program Offer to States,
Communities, and Other Stakeholders?

• Engage young people as partners in strengthening
  the service system.
• Increase child welfare focus on supporting
  positive development and successful outcomes for
  all youth in foster care.

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Important Planning Issues

• Eligibility
• Level of services to youth who have left care
• Use of CIP funds for room board - housing
  options
• In-kind match
• Medicaid
• Identifying stakeholders
• Developing 5-year plan
• Identifying resources

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Implementing the Plan

• Continuum, continuum, continuum!
• Engage youth as partners short term and long
  term.
• Move away from classroom type instruction to
  learning by doing.
• Identify housing options that allow for safe
  transitions.
• Create maintain partnerships.

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Some Background

• 2001 AFCARS - Adoption and Foster Care Analysis
  and Reporting System
• Estimated 1999 data regarding foster care and
  adoption in the U.S. - from 49 jurisdictions
  including Puerto Rico and D.C.
• Available on-line at www.dhhs.gov

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Background, contd

• 1999 estimates 507,011 children, youth and
  young adults in foster care
• Under 1 Yr 4 23,396
• 1 thru 5 Yrs 25 143,268
• 6 thru 10 Yrs 26 150,574
• 11 thru 15 Yrs 28 164,134
• 16 thru 18 Yrs 16 90,293
• 19 Yrs 2 9,335

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Where are they?

• Children, youth, and young adults in care are
  in a range of placements
• Pre-Adoptive Home 4 20,969
• Foster Family Home (Relative) 26 140,817
• Foster Family Home (Non-Rel) 46 252,326
• Group Home 8 42,096
• Institution 10 52,501
• Supervised Ind Living 1 4,597
• Runaway 1 7,038
• Trial Home Visit 3 14,307

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Background

• 263,762 45 should be considered as the gross
  eligible population for Chafee Services.
• The 16 group is almost 20- close to 100,000
  young people.
• In 1998, states reported that 75,000 youth
  received IL services.
• This estimate includes one-time services, such as
  conferences.

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Chafee Program

• The legislation requires that the Secretary of
  HHS, in consultation with key stakeholders,
  develop a set of outcomes and measures to assess
  state performance list of 34 outcomes generated
  which involved six discussion groups with key
  stakeholders. List then provided to members of
  the Standing Workgroup for feedback
• 2000-2001 Development of the National Youth In
  Transition Information System (NYTIS)
• Pilot of NYTIS

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Evaluation Outcomes

• Traditionally neglected area of work.
• Challenges related to confidentiality, ability to
  contact youth, resources.
• Need to focus on creative strategies for follow
  up.
• Work with child welfare information systems and
  non-CIP caseworkers to ensure follow up after
  emancipation, not after completion of CIP
  services.

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Evaluation Outcomes

• Dont forget relationships this qualitative
  result may be the most important thing you do!
• Coordinate with other data collection efforts,
  e.g. TANF, Workforce Investment Act,
  School-to-Work.

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NYTIS - National Youth in Transition Information
System - Six outcomes focus

• Increased number of youth who have resources to
  meet their living expenses.
• Increased number of youth who have a safe and
  stable place to live.
• Increased number of youth who attain
  educational/voc goals

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NYTIS - National Youth in Transition Information
System - Six outcomes focus

• 4. Increased number of youth who have positive
  personal relationships with adults in the
  community.
• 5. Increased number of youth who avoid
  involvement with high risk behaviors
• 6. Increased percentage of youth who can access
  needed phy and mental health services.

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Plan for collection of data

• Current plans, not finalized
• Collect outcome data at discharge for youth ages
  14 and older
• Collect outcome data annually for youth up to age
  20 receiving IL services
• Collect youth characteristics and services info
  at 6 mo. or yearly intervals

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Proposed Outcomes/Measures

• Outcome 1
• Increase the Percent of Youth Who Have
• Resources to Meet Their Living Expenses
• 1.1 What of youth currently employed, full/part
  time?
• 1.2 What of youth held a job, apprenticeship,
  internship for at least 3 consecutive months
  during the past 12 months?
• 1.3 What of youth are currently relying on
  financial resources other than employment?
• 1.4 What of youth currently have a bank or
  credit account?
• Indicates measures relevant to outcomes
  specified in the Chafee Independence Act of 1999

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Proposed Outcomes/Measures

• Outcome 2
• Increase the Percent of Youth Who Have
• A Safe and Stable Place to Live
• 2.1 What of youth have been homeless at some
  point since discharge?
• 2.2 For youth who have been homeless, what was
  the duration of homelessness? (3 or fewer nights
  more than 3 nights but less than 2 weeks 2 weeks
  to a month, or more than one month)

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Proposed Outcomes/Measures

• Outcome 3
• Increase the Percent of Youth Who Attain
• Educational (Academic and Vocational) goals
• 3.1 What of youth have received a hs diploma,
  GED, AA/BA?
• 3.2 What of youth have received a vocational
  certificate or license?
• 3.3 What of youth are currently enrolled in,
  and attending hs, GED classes, or post hs
  vocational training or college?

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Proposed Outcomes/Measures

• Outcome 4
• Increase the Percent of Youth Who Have a Positive
  Relationships with Adults in Their Lives
• 4.1 What of youth report that there is at least
  one adult in their lives they can go to for
  emotional support?
• 4.2 What of youth report that there is at least
  one adult in their lives they can go to for
  job/school advice or guidance?

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Proposed Outcomes/Measures

• Outcome 5
• Increase the Percent of Youth Who Avoid High
• Risk Behaviors
• 5.1 What of youth were referred or
  self-referred for alcohol or substance abuse
  assessment or counseling during the year?
• 5.2 What of youth were incarcerated or detained
  in a jail, prison, or juvenile justice or
  community detention facility at some time during
  the past year?
• 5.3 What of youth gave birth or fathered a
  child born during the past year?
• 5.4 For youth who gave birth or fathered a
  child born during the past year, what were
  married to the childs other parent?

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Proposed Outcomes/Measures

• Outcome 6
• Increase the Percent of Youth Who Are Able to
• Access Needed Health Services
• 6.1 What of youth have medical insurance?
• 6.2 What of youth have insurance with mental
  health benefits?
• 6.3 What of youth have insurance with
  prescription drug benefits?
• 6.4 What of youth require on-going medication
  for maintenance of physical or mental health?
• 6.5 For youth require on-going medication, what
  are able to access resources to continue
  receiving their medications?

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Proposed Outcomes/Measures

• Outcome 7
• Increase the Percent of Youth Who Have or Can
  Obtain Essential Documents
• 7.1 What of youth received, or were given
  information on how to obtain, their birth
  certificates, social security cards, medical
  records, and educational records at the time of
  discharge?

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Decisions About Outcome Assessments

• Decisions to be made in two key areas
• Initial Outcome Assessment
• Follow-up Outcome Assessments
• Options
• Conduct initial assessment at point of discharge
  for all youth in foster care age 16 and older
• Conduct the initial assessment on all youth in
  foster care near the time of their 17th birthday,
  for those youth who were in foster care for at
  least six months
• Option 2 seems preferable

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• Other Important Issues for Adolescents in
  Out-of-Home Care

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Youth Permanency

• AFSA did not specifically speak to adolescent
  permanency
• Chafee was seen as legislation to specifically
  address youth issues
• Both missed opportunities to highlight Youth
  Permanency Issues
• Independent Living is not the enemy of Youth
  Permanency
• Although IL is a service not a permanency plan,
  all youth need an Independent Living Plans
• IL and Youth Permanency need to be seen as
  concurrent plans for all adolescents

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Youth Permanency cont

• All youth need permanent, connections with caring
  adults
• Concurrently, as youth are being prepared for
  self-sufficiency, workers should also explore an
  array of permanency options i.e., adoption,
  mentoring relationships, self-sufficiency,
  development of fictive kinship networks of mutual
  support and the like.
• Youth permanency can be achieved in many ways,
  but adoption and the development of specific
  families for adolescents should also be
  investigated as permanency options
• NRCFCPP is committed to focusing attention,
  resources, and time on exploring the continuum of
  youth permanency options and strategies

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Independent Living Issues

• Initial IL Assessments Semi-Annual Assessments
  Discharge Assessments After-Care Assessments
• IL Curriculums Life Skills
• Formal verses Informal Training
• Tangible and Intangible Skills
• Relationship Building
• After Care Services

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IL Program Types

• Relative Care Homes
• Family Foster Homes
• Agency Operated Boarding Homes AOBH
• Community Based Group Homes
• Group Residences
• Supervised Independent Living Programs SILPs
• Transitional Living Programs TLPs
• Residential Treatment Centers

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What are the Outcomes We Want for Young People?

• Success in youth programs, school, and work
• Happiness a sense of fulfillment
• Strong relationships
• Self-awareness
• Health
• Self-sufficiency
• Are there others you would add?

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How do Youth Workers Support Positive Youth
Development?

• Provide a balance of challenge and support
• Have strong self-awareness
• Focus on youths strengths and capacity
• Help youth build bridges to the community

Youth workers...
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What are Some of the Systemic Challenges to
Successful Outcomes for Youth in Foster Care?

• The child welfare system can foster dependency in
  children and youth
• System often focuses on problems and perceived
  deficits of clients (and families)
• Youth are often worked with apart from family and
  community contexts
• Youth workers can get caught up in a culture of
  control

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What is a Culture of Control and why is it a
Problem?

• Focus of problems is client issues apart from
  contexts and relationships
• Quick fix mentality of more rules/more
  restrictions
• More problems lead to personalization of issues
  by staff, which leads to more problems..

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What Impact Does a Culture of Control Have on
Youth Workers?

• Frustration toward program and youth
• Increased attention to information/data/
  points/rules, and less attention to youth
• Burnout from over-personalization
• High turnover rates
• Inability to access youth potential

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What Impact Does a Culture of Control Have on
Young People?

• Learned helplessness
• Manipulation/ acting out
• Increased ability to push staff buttons
• Decreased ability to look at self instead of
  system

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Reflect on Program Challenges

• What is the role of staff in creating and
  perpetuating barriers to program and youth
  success?
• Does individual training and supervision address
  the need to understand the youth workers role in
  staff/client relationships?
• Is equal time spent on strengthening youth
  workers self-awareness and personal growth
  skills, in comparison to client supervision and
  administration?

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How Do We Promote Systemic Culture Change for
Youth Workers and Youth Programs?

• Organizations must
• Adopt a strengths-based, or positive youth
  development- focused mission
• Promote accountability to the mission through
  supervision and evaluation

• Managers/ supervisors must
• Provide training and supervision that support a
  youth development approach
• Model a strengths-based approach to work with
  staff
• Emphasize self-awareness and personal growth

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How Do We Promote Systemic Culture Change for
Youth Workers and Youth Programs?

• Program Design must
• Provide opportunity for youth participation
• Hold youth and staff accountable for active youth
  participation
• Avoid reliance on behavior management

• Youth Workers must
• Invest time and effort in personal growth and
  self-awareness
• Model a strengths-based approach in work with
  peers
• Connect youth to the community and identified
  family

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Reflect on Walking the Positive Youth Development
Talk

• Addressing the culture of control is one way to
  increase youth workers ability to promote youth
  development.
• Are there other systemic barriers to successful
  program and youth outcomes?
• Are there characteristics of the system that make
  it easier to promote positive youth development?
  What are they?
• What is one change you could make today to help
  you work with youth?

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Conclusions

• Young people may forget what you say and do, but
  they will never forget how you made them feel.
• Dr. Michael Carrera

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NRCFCPP

• Gerald P. Mallon, DSW, Director
• The National Resource Center for Foster
• Care and Permanency Planning
• Hunter College School of Social Work
• 129 East 79th Street
• New York, New York 10021
• [phone] Phone
• [phone] - Fax
• Mrengmal_at_aol.com
• www.guthrie.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp