Permanency Tip of the Week:
When working with Transitional Age Foster Youth (Ages 16-25), be aware that while society is expecting / promoting youth in this age range to individuate / separate to some degree from their parents / family, TAY Foster Youth are in conflict as they desperately need their Permanency needs met while at the same time trying to meet the developmental milestone of individuation. This conflict can add another layer to the many social, emotional and behavioral functioning challenges facing our TAY Foster Youth.
Story of the Week:
New Family Finding film from Ventura California
Casa Pacifica’s Kindle Family Connections Program – Reconnecting children with their families and building relationships based on trust, love and permanence.
Current Permanency related articles:
NRCPFC Webcast: Re-Envisioning Foster Care in America—The Treehouse Community
Date/Time: Wednesday, June 4, 2014, 3:00-4:15 PM EDT
Treehouse is a multi-generational community, located in Easthampton, Massachusetts, designed to support families who are fostering and adopting children from the public foster care system. Judy Cockerton, Founder/Executive Director of the Treehouse Foundation, provides viewers with the history of the Treehouse Community and discusses how Treehouse has engaged and partnered with various groups and stakeholders through their initiatives and projects to support children, families, and elders. Parents in the Treehouse Community share their experiences living at Treehouse, including how it has supported their children and families, and how they are involved in the community. Kerry Homstead, Community Facilitator, discusses her role in connecting Treehouse Community members with resources and helping to meet their emerging needs, as well as best practices and programs at Treehouse that support children and youth in flourishing. Beth Spong, Development Consultant, talks about the Treehouse Community in relation to the larger context of the region and country.
Compassion Fatigue: Being an Ethical Social Worker
Exposure to stressors is not necessarily a guarantee that there will be development of clinically significant symptoms. Job satisfaction and personal gratification protect us (this is that notion that we love what we do, even if it’s very rough some days). We know that these things are true for our clients. What makes us think that our training makes us something other than human?
Affordable Care Act lets foster youths stay on Medi-Cal longer
The provision allows young adults in California coming out of foster care to stay on Medi-Cal, the state’s version of Medicaid, until they turn 26. For Bretherick and other former foster care children like her, that means continued health coverage without having to reapply each year and prove eligibility based on income like all other Medi-Cal applicants.
Foster adoptions may be reducing foster parent pool
“The nature of foster care has changed,” Irene Clements, president of the National Foster Parent Association based in Minnesota said. “Because people are coming into it more with a mindset to adopt, we don’t have as many long-term foster care parents.”
Video stories, other bonding exercises could help foster families connect
Teenagers and their foster families often say they don’t feel connected and have trouble communicating, but few resources exist that nurture their bonding. In a research paper being published in the June issue of Children and Youth Services Review, researchers affiliated with the University of Washington’s School of Social Work describe how they tailored a parenting program known to improve communication in non-foster families for use in foster families.
Well-Being of Children Adopted From Foster Care
Although adoption is generally viewed as a positive outcome for children residing in foster care, there is little research comparing the life circumstances and well-being of children adopted from foster care with those who remain in foster care. An upcoming article in Children and Youth Services Review, “Health and Well-being of Children Adopted From Foster Care,” compares these two populations, using data from the 2011–2012 National Survey of Children’s Health, which was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, and conducted by HHS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.
California Foster Care Reentry Data
Twice a month, the Chronicle of Social Change’sFocus on the Figures series features data on different California child well-being indicators from Kidsdata.org. In January 2014, the Chronicle focused on children who reenter foster care after being reunited with their families. In 2011, data showed that 12 percent of children in California who attempted reunification with their families reentered foster care within 1 year, although reentry rates varied greatly by county—ranging from 1 percent in one county to 32 percent in another county. The most recent Child Welfare Outcomes report, Child Welfare Outcomes 2008–2011: Report to Congress, is available on the Children’s Bureau’s website. Search for State-specific data on the Child Welfare Outcomes Data Site.