Powerful Partnerships: How Local Systems Can Work Together to Create Educational Stability for Kids

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Powerful PartnershipsHow Local Systems Can Work
Together to Create Educational Stability for Kids
Presented at Child Welfare, Education and the
Courts A Collaboration to Strengthen Educational
Successes of Children and Youth in Foster
Care November 4, 2011
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Workshop Learning ObjectivesParticipants will
learn strategies to

• develop partnerships between schools, courts and
  child protection agencies to enable win-win
  working relationships
• recruit and engage a diverse collaborative of
  multi-disciplinary representatives to create
  school stability for youth in out-of-home
  placements
• implement creative cross training approaches
• improve school connections and achievement for
  children and youth in the child welfare system.

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Our Panel

• Anne Comstock (Moderator), Associate Director,
  National Child Welfare Resource Center for
  Organizational Improvement
• The Honorable Suzanna Cuneo, Commissioner, Pima
  County Juvenile Court
• Carol Punske, Assistant Program Manager, Pima
  County Juvenile Court Child Protective Services
• Elaine E. Fink, Managing Attorney, Childrens
  Advocacy Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio
• Carla Guenthner, Administrative Magistrate,
  Hamilton County Juvenile Court

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Strategies to Support School Stability and
Continuity The Pima County Experience
The Honorable Suzanna Cuneo, Commissioner Pima
County Juvenile Court Carol Punske, Assistant
Program Manager Pima County Juvenile Court Child
Protective Services November 4, 2011
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Pima County Juvenile Court Committee to Improve
Education Outcomes for Court-Involved Youth

• Established January 2003 as
• Model Dependency Court Subcommittee
• Began with 12 members representing Child
• Protective Services, several school districts,
  
• Casey Family Programs, Juvenile Court Staff,
• CASA Program and the Attorney Generals
  Office.

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Pima County Juvenile Court Committee to Improve
Education Outcomes for Court-Involved Youth

• Initial focus was education issues affecting
  youth
• in foster care primarily in the areas of
  education
• records, enrollment and school stability.
• Committee expanded its focus in 2005 to include
  
• all court-involved youth, including
  delinquencies.

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Pima County Juvenile Court Committee to Improve
Education Outcomes for Court-Involved Youth

• Currently has approximately 100 participants
  representing numerous school districts, Pima
  Community Superintendents Office, Pima Community
  College, County Attorneys Office, Public
  Defenders Office, group care facilities,
  attorneys, Child Protective Services, CASA,
  Attorney Generals Office, Probation and
  Detention.

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Pima County Juvenile Court Committee to Improve
Education Outcomes for Court-Involved Youth

• Following a community-wide education summit in
  October 2007, the committee converted its format
  to an education forum which meets 3-4 times per
  year and focuses on cross training and
  collaboration in two areas Keeping kids in
  school and alternatives to suspension/expulsion/ar
  rest.

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Past Projects Addressing School Stability and
Continuity

• School records Created court order for release
  of school records to child welfare case managers.
  Order signed by dependency judge same day
  dependency petition is filed.
• Linking with McKinney-Vento Ensure school-aged
  children placed out of home remain in their home
  schools when appropriate.

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Past Projects Addressing School Stability and
Continuity

• Training community educators focusing on
  McKinney-Vento liaisons and unique educational
  issues affecting children in out-of-home care
  (Endless Dreams).
• Training child welfare case managers on the
  rights of children in out-of-home care to remain
  in their home schools or to immediate enrollment
  if there is a change in school placement
  (McKinney-Vento).
• Development of an Education Advocacy Manual.

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Past Projects Addressing School Stability and
Continuity

• Accountability Conferencing as alternative to
  suspension and expulsion.
• Training on modified version of Judicial
  Checklist in dependency cases commencing with
  first Preliminary Protective Hearing.
• Training out-of-home placement units to locate
  emergency placements for children within their
  home school district or as close geographically
  to that district whenever possible at the time of
  the childs removal.

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Past Projects Addressing School Stability and
Continuity

• Development of the position of Juvenile Court
  Education Programs Coordinator within the
  Juvenile Court to assist both Child Protective
  Services case managers and Probation Officers on
  education issues primarily in the area of
  enrollment and school records.

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Child Protective Services Working Collaboratively
with the School

• Develop relationships
• Recognize the expertise of each system partner
• Meet regularly
• CPS staff meet quarterly with the School District
  Homeless Liaisons and periodically conduct
  trainings together.

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Key Partners for Collaboration
Attorneys, guardians ad litem, CASAs, surrogate
parents, juvenile judges and court personnel,
post secondary educators and administrators

• School staff,
• teachers,
• principals,
• social workers,
• nurses, etc.
• CPS case workers
• Foster parents
• Relative caregivers

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Talk About Education from Day OneTeam Decision
Making

• Team Decision Making is a strength based process
  addressing the safety and placement of children.
• Meetings include
• Family, CPS staff, family support, community
  members, partnering agencies and, as applicable,
  tribal representatives
• If children/youth are attending school, a
  teacher, counselor or school representative may
  be invited to the meeting.

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Talk About Education from Day OneTeam Decision
Making Meetings

• Emergency removal or
• Considered removal
• A report is given to participants at the
  conclusion of TDM meeting and includes the name
  of the school that the child attends.
• Report identifies if the child is receiving
  exceptional education services.
• CPS can work to keep the child in same school and
  identify special needs.

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Critical Issues Provide School Placement
Stability

• Allow youth placed in out-of-home care to attend
  home school when it is safe to do so and in the
  childs best interest.

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Critical Issues

• Records and School Enrollment
• Ensure youth in out of home care are not denied
  school enrollment because their records are not
  immediately available (including immunization
  records and birth certificates)
• Ensure that records and information are
  promptly obtained/exchanged between CPS and the
  schools, whether case is still under
  investigation or child is already receiving CPS
  services

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Challenges

• Challenges faced by foster when changing schools
• All youth face challenges in adjusting to
  different curricula, teacher, peers, and
  expectations, yet

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Foster Youth Challenges

• Missed school days due to enrollment delays
  because of lack of information/records (some
  students may initially be denied enrollment)
• Missed school days due to appointments for social
  or medical services or even court
• Lack of consistent advocacy for education needs,
  including special education
• Simultaneously dealing with significant personal
  and familial issues

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Successes

• Agree that children removed form their homes
  will generally qualify under the McKinney-Vento
  Act for the remainder of that school year
• Agree that the Homeless Liaison will consider
  children to be eligible for transportation if
  there is a planned placement move during the
  current school year
• Exploring how Title 4-E funds can be used to
  provide transportation for children after the
  first year following removal, with a focus on
  older youth

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Successes

• School Districts are providing school supplies
  for the children/youth who are living in shelters
  and group homes
• CPS staff are trained and periodically reminded
  to contact the School District Homeless Liaison
  as soon as a dependency petition is filed, even
  if transportation is not immediately needed
• Developed a collaborative relationship with the
  School District Homeless Liaison and the staff at
  the state Department of Education for problem
  solving and education

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• Education future

Their future is in our hands. It is imperative
that CPS continues to work collaboratively with
schools and the court system to promote the
educational well-being of all the youth in our
care.
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Resources

• Casey Family Programs
• National Council of Juvenile and Family Court
  Judges
• Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
  Prevention

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Contacts

• Judge Suzanna Cuneo
• Pima County Juvenile Court Commissioner
• sue.cuneo_at_pcjcc.pima.gov
• CPS Carol Punske
• Assistant Program Manager
• cpunske_at_azdes.gov
• Court Cathleen Fitzgerald
• Education Programs Coordinator
• cathleen.fitzgerald_at_pcjcc.pima.gov

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Questions and Comments?
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IMPROVING EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS IN
FOSTER CARE

• Elaine E. Fink
• Carla Guenthner

Hamilton County Cincinnati, Ohio
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Cincinnati Public Schools

• 57 schools
• High Schools 16
• Elementary Schools 38
• Combined 3
• Race
• African American 68.8
• Caucasian 23.7
• Multi-racial 4.6
• Hispanic 1.9
• Free lunch 68.7

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Cincinnati Public Schools Special Education Work
Group

• A grassroots and multi-disciplinary community
  group
• Works collaboratively to address systemic gaps
  and barriers
• Focus is on students with special needs
• A sub-committee was created to examine and
  improve foster care outcomes

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Key Stakeholders

• Hamilton Co. Dept. of Job Family Services
• Cincinnati Public Schools
• Hamilton Co. Juvenile Court
• Legal Aid Society of SW Ohio
• Public Defender GAL Office
• ProKids CASA Agency

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Traveling Road Show

• A Multi-Disciplinary Teamdelivers information
  about the child welfare system to teachers and
  administrators through participation in staff
  meetings at individual schools

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Two Way Process is Required
SCHOOLS
CHILDWELFARE
Seek Input
Exchange Feedback
Share Information
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Back to the drawing board
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Why did Cincinnati Public Schools Participate?

• Involved from the beginning
• School district input and feedback was valued
• All parties remained flexible
• Had little to lose
• Willing to take a risk

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Role for the Project Champion

• Understands both systems
• Demonstrates fairness
• Defends each system to the other
• Holds each system accountable
• Identifies problems without blaming
• Suggests solutions

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Building a CollaborationStaged Process for
Creating Systemic Change

• Establish a sense of urgency
• Develop and communicate a vision for change
• Create a guiding coalition
• Agree upon shared priorities and strategies
• Generate short term wins
• Consolidate gains and work toward long term goals
  and outcomes
• Dont let perfect be the enemy of good

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Hamilton County Child Protection Report Card

• Children in Care or Under Agency Supervision
  1732
• Placements 60 experience one or more placements
• Grade Level 32 at appropriate grade level
• Mental/Behavioral Health 48 diagnosed

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Target Population

• Kindergarten through 12th grade
• Children in agency custody
• Children attending one of the 22 participating
  schools (identified through mapping)
• Minimum of 100 children in the pilot

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Prioritize Education

• Steering Committee
• Execution of a MOU
• Inclusion of Schools/Education Representatives on
  Model Court Team
• Cross-Training
• Judicial Checklist
• Court Reports on Education
• Youth Engagement

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Improve Communication and Systems Coordination

• Immediate School Enrollment
• 2 child protection caseworkers serve as Education
  Specialists to the participating schools
• One representative at each school serves as the
  School Liaison to Childrens Services
• Access to Power School a web-based parent
  communication tool

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Create School Stability

• Development of strategies for maintaining
  stability in school and substitute care
  placements
• (e.g. prioritization within UM/UR trauma
  informed services)
• Creation of plans for maintaining school
  stability if agency placement disrupts
• (e.g. Project Connect-McKinney Vento liaisons)
• Development of seamless transition plans when
  change in school placement cannot be avoided

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Reform Policies and Practices

• Create visitation plans/policies that avoid
  school disruption
• Implement case plan services during
  non-traditional hours or access school-based
  services to minimize school disruption

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Enhance Supportive Services

• Education Advocacy and Legal Representation
• Interventions and Supports to Promote Academic
  Success and Achievement
• Tutoring
• Mentoring
• Higher Education Mentoring Initiative
• Extracurricular Activities
• Summer Reading Program

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Collect Data and Measure Program Outcomes

• Key Outcome Measures
• 1. Youth in foster care will experience
  increased stability in their placement and at
  school.
• 2. Youth in foster care will demonstrate
  improved school attendance.
• 3. Youth in foster care will achieve school
  promotion and grade advancement.
• 4. Youth in foster care with identified special
  needs will receive appropriate and supportive
  educational services.
• 5. The public and private partners will create
  a collaborative structure that enhances the
  coordination and implementation of plans designed
  to achieve education success for youth in foster
  care.

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Data/Evaluation (continued)

• Critical but often elusive
• Persevere
• Document small successes
• You can do it!

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Looking Ahead.

• Staged Expansion
• All Cincinnati Public Schools (district-wide)
• Youth in custody AND under agency supervision
• Inclusion of Dually Involved Youth
• Crisis Intervention Services and Consultation
• Local Training and On-Site TA regarding Fostering
  Connections
• Enhanced data collection and exchange
• Program Evaluation
• Supported by HHS funding

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Nine tenths of education is encouragement.

Anatole France, writer

• He who opens a school door, closes a prison.
• Victor Hugo, poet

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Contact Information

• Elaine E. Fink
• Managing Attorney, Childrens Advocacy
• Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio, LLC
• 215 E. 9th Street, Suite 500
• Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
• 513.362.2821
• efink_at_lascinti.org
• Carla Guenthner
• Chief Magistrate
• Hamilton County Juvenile Court
• 800 Broadway
• Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
• 513.946.9381
• Carla.Guenthner_at_juvcourt.hamilton-co.org

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Questions and Comments?