Permanency Tip of the Week: Building Bridges and Breaking Down Silos
When we are working in systems of care, there is often a major focus on building bridges and breaking down silos between various service providers and entities in order to best serve our Youth in foster care. This is critically important; however an even more important series of bridges to build and silos to break down are those in the direction of the Youth that we serve. It is important that we do not assume that since we have been working serving a particular Youth for a long time, that we are “on the same page” with them. Before the next major decision is made, let us be sure that we build the bridges and break down the silos in the direction of our Youth.
Permanency Story of the Week: Foster siblings split up by adoption reunite at summer camp
It’s only a week-long summer camp, but the time spent is precious to Kyler South and Kimmie Helensky. The teenagers are brother and sister, but they got split apart years ago by the state foster care system, and now they’ve been adopted by different families. Camp to Belong – Washington, outside Port Orchard, gives them a chance to remember the way they were, and begin to build a future.
“I wait for this camp every year,” said 14-year-old Kimmie. “I count down the days.” The annual summer camp is just as meaningful to Danny and David Berger, Sida Chhun, Erick Stauffer, and Sophy Yamane – four brothers and a sister who have lived apart the past eight years after being adopted into different homes. “It’s like what we used to be,” said 15-year-old Sophy of her brothers. “Wake up, see them. Go to bed, see them. It’s just special.”
Current Permanency related articles:
From Foster Care to Capitol Hill
2014 CCAI Foster Youth Intern, Amnoni Myers, so graciously shared her story of survival at the recent Angels in Adoption gala. Good evening everyone. It’s an honor to be here with all of you tonight. This is an opportunity that I would have never imagined a few years ago. But it’s because of Angels like you in my life that made it possible. Life was not easy growing up. My mother abandoned me at birth and trauma became the theme that impacted my life early… I am eager to return to Washington D.C. because I know my work here is not quite finished. CCAI gave me wings so that I could fly, and with the experiences I have gained, I will continue to invest in the lives of children in the same ways that CCAI and all of you have invested in me!
Vulnerability to Human Trafficking – Foster Youth
Guidance to States and Services on Addressing Human Trafficking of Children and Youth in the United States describes how children receiving child welfare and runaway homeless youth services are particularly vulnerable to becoming victims of trafficking. Traffickers target those who have an unstable life, have been abused, neglected or exploited already. For example, a 2012 Los Angeles Probation Department survey revealed that 59 percent of the 174 children arrested for prostitution were in the foster care system and victims were often recruited from group homes. Recruitment also happens on the internet and in public places like the shopping mall and at school.
How Abuse and Neglect Affect Children’s Minds and Bodies
Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) – More than 676,000 children in the United States are abused and neglected annually, and 1,500 die as a result. Maltreatment harms children’s mental health and academic achievement, and increases their risk for chronic diseases of aging. In addition to the human costs, the estimated costs of this maltreatment—billions of dollars annually—have raised calls for better understanding of how maltreatment harms children and more effective approaches to prevention and treatment. New studies on the neurobiological science of maltreatment show that child abuse and neglect alter children’s biological systems, including brain development.
Foster Care Counts – Guardian Scholars
Foster Care Counts devotes a great deal of time, resources and energy supporting foster youth striving to get the higher education they need to secure the futures they want – be it community college, technical or trade school, or a full four year college program. Much of our strategy are focused on supporting California College Pathways, an initiative that funds Guardian Scholars programs on select campuses throughout California. Our efforts to date have been focused on helping foster youth matriculate at: UCLA, UC Riverside, Los Angeles City College, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, Santa Monica College, West Los Angeles College and USC.
There I sat, alone and afraid,
You got a call and came right to my aid.
You bundled me up with blankets and love.
And, when I needed it most, you gave me a hug.
I learned that the world as not all that scary and cold.
That sometimes there is someone to have and to hold.
You taught me what love is, you helped me to mend.
You loved me and healed me and became my first friend …
Healing Footsteps: Digital Stories from Two-Spirit People
The National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections (NRCPFC) and the National Resource Center for Tribes partnered with the Two-Spirit community in Minneapolis, Minnesota to develop these digital stories. Digital stories were created by Lenny, Jason, and Joseph – Two-Spirit people whose lives were impacted by the child welfare system. (The term Two-Spirit is a universal Native American concept that generally means that the person’s body houses both a masculine and feminine spirit.) Additionally, two Native allies whose lives were impacted by the child welfare system created audio stories.
CW360°: Attending to Well-Being in Child Welfare
This issue of CW 360°, a publication of the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare at the School of Social Work, University of Minnesota, examines the full spectrum of well-being issues and explores holistic views of well-being with a strong emphasis on addressing unresolved trauma as a key to better outcomes for children, youth, and families. The issue is divided into three sections—Overview, Practice, and Perspective. Through these sections, readers will explore frameworks of well-being and ways in which well-being concepts are defined and measured; learn about evidence-informed and promising practices in the field; and gain insight through child welfare stakeholder perspectives.