Greetings Permanency Champions,
NEW FEATURE – Permanency Tip of the Week:
When you are preparing to initiate trauma informed mental health services (ex. TF-CBT), make an effort to prepare the youth ahead of time with at least one permanent connection who will be able to “walk through” the trauma treatment journey with them and serve in the critically important role of the adult that the youth will “train” to help them cope with trauma triggers.
Story of the Week:
Dave Thomas Foundation’s Wednesday’s Child
Every week, in five cities across the country, Wednesday’s Child features children who are waiting in foster care to be adopted, and success stories of families who have adopted from foster care. Hosted by local news anchors, the television segments highlight each child’s special personality and interests.
Current Permanency related articles:
May is National Foster Care Month
This May marks National Foster Care Month, a time to renew our commitment to the outcomes and well-being of our country’s nearly 400,000 foster youth. All month, the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth will be raising awareness about child welfare issues with floor speeches, social media posts, blue ribbons, and the 3rd Annual Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Day.
President Obama Issues Foster Care Month Proclamation
In this year’s National Foster Care Month Proclamation, President Obama discusses many issues that matter to foster youth and those that support them. He stresses the importance of mentoring youth who are aging out of foster care and encourages the country to “recognize that each of us has a part to play in ensuring America’s foster children achieve their full potential.”
Calif. Discusses Alternative Placements for Older, Pregnant Foster Youth
The Chronicle of Social Change – Proposed state legislation scheduled for debate in the California Assembly’s Human Services Committee on Tuesday aims to bring pregnant and parenting foster youth a much-needed housing alternative. Assembly Bill 2668, a new bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, would provide transition-age foster youth with a special, modified version of the state’s supervised independent living placement (SILP). The SILP is a relatively new option for 18- to 21-year-olds that choose to remain in California’s foster care system.
New Book – Pulling on New Genes – Wounds * Triggers* Healing – An Adoptee’s Journey Through Life
Liz Ashling – Adoption is a true blessing, yet the adoptee must discover who they truly are. This book tackles the complexity of adoption from the young child’s voice through adulthood as she surfaces the internalized feelings of abandonment, loss of her biological parents, loss of DNA history, and the unexplained void or hole felt inside known as the heart wound. Yet all along knowing she is chosen, special and loved and still feels lost and alone.
These are stories of triggers and healing in the search for identity and the true self. Within the search for self are many insightful discoveries along the journey. With each new insight the author provides healing examples to come into balance; mind, body and spirit. This book provides healing exercises for the reader to heal the heart wound and awaken to their own spirit path and find their way home to wholeness.
In Focus: For Overwhelmed Caseworkers, Protecting Kids Can Be a Struggle
Children’s Rights – When Steffanie’s foster father demanded a kiss, she pushed him away, she said. But as a 15-year-old living in his home, she said she couldn’t fend him off for long, and a week later he began to rape her daily. She said she complained to her caseworker about the home in the past, and afterward her foster mother “berated her,” forced her to clean the bathroom with pure bleach, and told her she wasn’t allowed to talk to the caseworker alone. “He always said, ‘Hey, how are you?’ I would say, ‘Fine,’ and he would never go deeper, or say, ‘Let me investigate more. How is school? How is home?’” Steffanie said of her caseworker. “He would visit and I would think, please just say, ‘Come talk with me. Just make me talk to you.’ If somebody would have asked me, and told me that they cared about my well-being, I would have spoken up.”
Need High, Spending Low When It Comes to Adoption Services
The Chronicle of Social Change – Much of the demand for help by parents who adopt from foster care comes years after the point of adoption, according to the Donaldson Adoption Institute (DAI), which released two reports today making the case for an increased investment in pre- and post-adoption services.
States Enroll Former Foster Youth in Medicaid
One of the Affordable Care Act’s successes is a provision that allows young people up to 26 years old to remain on their parents’ health insurance. Under a similar, but less-known provision, young adults who have been recently released from foster care can also get Medicaid coverage, regardless of their incomes. An estimated 180,000 foster care alumni became eligible on Jan. 1.
14 Tips for Preparing Children for a New Adopted Sibling
1) Get as much information as possible on your new child’s life experiences before the adoption. 2) Help your existing children set realistic expectations before the adoption about adopting an older child. Pay particular attention to preparing for less mature behavior than would be anticipated by actual age.
(See more here and in the attachment)