Download or read book Utilization of Transitioning Services for Foster Youth written by Sandra Gutierrez and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many studies have been conducted that show foster youth experience negative short term and long term outcomes after they have emancipated from the child welfare system. When compare with youth in the same age range who were not in the child welfare system, foster youth experience homelessness, unemployment, contact with law enforcement and substance abuse issues and not be enrolled in higher education at much higher rates. As a result of these outcomes various services and programs were created specifically for transitioning foster youth in the hopes of easing their transitioning and increasing their rates of success later in life. Current research shows that there are factors related to the social worker that can affect the quality of service they provide to the youth on their caseloads. Factors such as caseload size, length of experience, and education can all have an impact on the knowledge of services and rates of referrals and utilization of services. This study focuses on the utilization of transitioning services for youth in the foster care system. Social workers working in the child welfare system in Sacramento County were surveyed about their utilization of services for youth preparing to leave the child welfare system. The survey included questions regarding the social worker's educational background, work experience and ability to research services. The survey assessed for utilization of services in four areas: housing, employment, education and mental health. Questions in each area of focus centered around the frequency of utilization, the barriers to utilization and accessibility factors. This study found that there are three factors associated with utilization of services; the length of experience with the child welfare system, ability to research services and knowledge of available services. Sacramento County child welfare workers caseloads are higher than the recommended amount, however time constraints did not appear to be a significant barrier to utilization. Although transitioning foster youth were not directly surveyed, results from the social workers did not significantly show that the lack of foster youth participation as a barrier. Further research into the specific services available in Sacramento County could provide more data on what other factors may be associated with utilization and which factors may serve as obstacles. The results of this study showed that the social worker does play a key part in the utilization of services among transitioning foster youth.

Download or read book Transition Readiness Perceived Health and Health Services Utilization in Transitional Age Foster Youth Compared to Controls written by Sharrica Denise Miller and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many transitional age foster youth (TAFY) emancipate from the foster care system with little or no support or resources, experience higher rates of homelessness, unemployment and worse physical and mental health. However, factors related to health outcomes, readiness to transition and health services utilization (HSU) in TAFY and young adults without a history of foster care remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to compare health-related outcomes among TAFY and young adults without a history of foster care and determine the differences between transition readiness and HSU outcomes among TAFY. This was a cross-sectional, comparative study of 206 young adults (103 TAFY and 103 controls), ages 18 to 26 years, recruited from local foster youth centers in the Los Angeles area. Controls were matched for age, gender, and ethnicity from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) database. TAFY participants completed health interview questions from the CHIS and the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire (TRAQ). In addition, the TAFY group provided written responses to open-ended questions to assess preparations for independent living, future goals and aspirations. The TAFY group was 63% female, mean age 21 i 2.6, African American (40%), 7 or more years in foster care (56%), 7 or more foster placements (35%), income of less than $5,000 per year (39%), living in unstable housing (40%), and having at least one child (38%). There was no statistical significance between TAFY and CHIS controls except for variables related to socioeconomic status such as income, housing and employment. Foster youth reported statistically significant higher Emergency Department (ED) services use and lower perceived health status compared to controls (41% vs 17%, p

Download or read book Service Limitations for Youth in Transition written by Kimberly R. Franco and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 25 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide insight of the limitations to service utilization for Transitional Age Youth (TAY) who have emancipated from the foster care system. Methods: Quantitative data from the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN) was collected through surveys conducted with youth to examine if the continuation of providing foster care services beyond 18 years of age influence youth's outcome during their transition to adulthood. Results: As a result, out of all emancipated transitional age youth who received independent living services, only 5% were given limited services without extended eligibility past their 24th birthday. Discussion and Implications: The study indicates that limitations to service utilization lead to a disadvantage for the TAY population and a barrier gap in the foster care system such as: unstable housing, financial and educational crisis and unmet medical, mental, or dental health needs.

Download or read book Youth Transitioning from Foster Care written by Adrienne L. Fernandes and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nearly half of states have laws that explicitly permit the state child welfare system to continue providing foster care for children beyond the age of majority (usually no later than 19). However, the number of states that actually facilitate youth remaining in care beyond their 18th or 19th birthdays is significantly smaller. Over 20,000 young people have been emancipated from foster care annually from FY2002 through FY2006. While most young people have access to emotional and financial support systems throughout their early adult years, older youth in care and those who age out of care often face obstacles to developing independent living skills and building supports that ease the transition to adulthood. Older foster youth who return to their parents or guardians may continue to experience poor family dynamics or a lack of emotional and financial supports, and studies have shown that recently emancipated foster youth fare poorly relative to their counterparts in the general population on several outcome measures. Recognising the difficulties faced by older youth in care and youth emancipating from foster care, Congress created a new Independent Living initiative (P.L. 99-272)in 1986 to assist certain older foster youth as they enter adulthood. The legislation authorised mandatory funding to states under a new Section 477 of the Social Security Act. In 1999, the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Act (P.L. 106-169) replaced the Independent Living Program with the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP) and doubled the total annual funds available to states from $70 million to $140 million. The law also expanded the population of youth eligible to receive independent living services - with no lower age limit - and gave states greater flexibility in designing independent living programs. Independent living services can refer to assistance in obtaining a high school diploma, training in daily living skills, and training in financial management, among other services. Amendments to the CFCIP in FY2002 (P.L. 107-133) authorised discretionary funding for states to provide education and training vouchers to eligible youth. Along with the CFCIP, federal child welfare law and other federal programs are intended to help older current youth in care and foster care alumni make the transition to adulthood. The federal foster care program has protections in place to ensure that older youth in care have a written case plan that addresses the programs and services that will assist in this transition, among other supports. Further, federal law authorises funding for states to provide workforce assistance and housing to older foster youth. Despite these efforts and the resilience displayed by current and former foster youth, policymakers and child welfare practitioners have suggested that at a minimum, young people need better support to build stronger connections with caring adults before leaving foster care and should have the option to remain in care upon reaching their 18th or 19th birthdays.

Download or read book Youth Transitioning from Foster Care written by Congressional Research Service and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-10-08 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While most young people have access to emotional and financial support systems throughout their early adult years, older youth in foster care and those who are emancipated from care often face obstacles to developing independent living skills and building supports that ease the transition to adulthood. Older foster youth who return to their parents or guardians may continue to experience poor family dynamics or a lack of emotional and financial supports, and studies have shown that recently emancipated foster youth fare poorly relative to their counterparts in the general population on several outcome measures. The federal government recognizes that older youth in foster care and those aging out are vulnerable to negative outcomes and may ultimately return to the care of the state as adults, either through the public welfare, criminal justice, or other systems. Under the federal foster care program, states may seek reimbursement for youth to remain in care up to the age of 21. In addition, the federal foster care program has certain protections for older youth. For example, states must annually obtain the credit report of each child in care who is age 16 or older (age 14 and older as of late 2015). States must also assist youth with developing what is known as a transition plan. The law requires that a youth's caseworker, and as appropriate, other representative(s) of the youth, assist and support him or her in developing the plan. The plan is to be directed by the youth, and is to include specific options on housing, health insurance, education, local opportunities for mentors, workforce supports, and employment services. Other protections will go into effect in late 2015 that will require states to ensure that youth age 14 and older are consulted about the development and revisions to their case plan and permanency plan, and that the case plan includes a document listing certain rights for these youth. Separately, the federal government provides funding for services to assist in the transition to adulthood through the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP). The law enables states to provide these services to youth who are likely to age out of foster care (with no lower age limit), and youth age 16 or older who left foster care for kinship guardianship or adoption. Independent living services may include assistance in obtaining a high school diploma, career exploration, training in daily living skills, training in budgeting and financial management skills, and preventive health activities, among other services. The CFCIP requires that states ensure youth in independent living programs participate directly in designing their own program activities that prepare them for independent living, and further that they “accept personal responsibility for living up to their part of the program.” The Chafee Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program separately authorizes discretionary funding for education and training vouchers for eligible youth to cover their cost of postsecondary education (until age 23). A recent evaluation of independent living programs, such as those that provide mentoring and life skills, shows mixed results. One promising independent living program has social workers who oversee a small caseload and have regular, ongoing interactions with the youth. The youth in this program are more likely to attend college and stay enrolled than their peers not in the program. Along with the CFCIP, other federal programs are intended to help current and former youth in foster care make the transition to adulthood. Federal law authorizes funding for states and local jurisdictions to provide workforce support and housing to older foster youth and youth emancipating from care. Further, the law that established the CFCIP created an optional Medicaid eligibility pathway for youth who age out of foster care; this pathway is often called the “Chafee option.

Download or read book Youth Transitioning from Foster Care written by Congressional Research Service and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-10-08 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report presents issues affecting older youth as they transition from foster care into adulthood, particularly with regard to implementation of P.L. 110-351 and P.L. 113-183. Perhaps the most pressing implementation issue concerning P.L. 110-351 is the challenges states may face in extending foster care to older youth. As of FY2011, states may extend care after age 18 by authorizing partial reimbursement for the cost of that continued support.3 One possible challenge in implementing this provision is that even with assistance from the federal government, states may be hesitant to extend care because of the cost. In addition, states are required to assist youth in developing a transition plan within 90 days of exiting care that identifies the supports and services available when they transition from care. In carrying out the plan, states can take a variety of approaches, such as beginning the transition planning process well before the 90-day requirement and engaging adults who can have meaningful connections to the youth when they emancipate from care. For background information about older foster youth and the current federal policies and programs for this population, see CRS Report RL34499, Youth Transitioning from Foster Care: Background and Federal Programs, by Adrienne L. Fernandes-Alcantara.

Download or read book Healthy Beginnings Healthy Futures written by Eva J. Klain and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 written by United States and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 14 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Supporting Young People Transitioning from Foster Care written by Garet Fryar and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Across the states of America, child welfare agencies are offering a wide range of services and supports to youth who are in foster care or have recently aged out of foster care. Drawing on a national survey of state-based Independent Living Coordinators, this report provides information on available services, local eligibility criteria, state trends, use of the evidence-base, and examples of innovation and success, focusing on six service domains critical to successful transitions to adulthood: post-secondary education; employment and career development; financial capability; securing safe, stable, and affordable housing; accessing and managing health and mental health care; and establishing permanent relationships with supportive adults. This report summarises the key findings and national similarities and differences in services. The survey was conducted in collaboration with the Better Housing Coalition and the Children's Home Society of Virginia.

Download or read book Aged Out How We re Failing Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care written by Sixto Cancel and published by Think of Us. This book was released on 2022-05-05 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Across the country, far too many young people age out of foster care into appalling circumstances. “Aging out” occurs when youth under the state’s custody are still in the foster care system when they reach either the age of majority or the end of extended foster care. Aging out refers to the moment in time when child welfare is no longer legally responsible for the youth, and the system abruptly stops providing services–usually when the youth turns either 18 or 21. Each year, thousands of youth age out of foster care, essentially legal orphans with no legal connection to family or a supportive network. Unfortunately, foster youth who go through the experience of aging out of foster care have statistically poor life prospects. Longitudinal studies across the country show very high rates of homelessness, incarceration, unemployment, and lack of access to health care among youth who aged out of foster care. These outcomes are disproportionately worse for Black, Native, and Brown youth, as well as queer and trans youth. This study is designed to understand the experiences of transition-age youth in their transition out of foster care and investigate: Why do poor outcomes for youth who age out of care persist? What are the current lived experiences of youth who age out of care? In what ways does child welfare continue to fall short for youth who age out of care?

Download or read book Children Living in Transition written by Cheryl Zlotnick and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2013-12-31 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sharing the daily struggles of children and families residing in transitional situations (homelessness or because of risk of homelessness, being connected with the child welfare system, or being new immigrants in temporary housing), this text recommends strategies for delivering mental health and intensive case-management services that maintain family integrity and stability. Based on work undertaken at the Center for the Vulnerable Child in Oakland, California, which has provided mental health and intensive case management to children and families living in transition for more than two decades, the volume outlines culturally sensitive practices to engage families that feel disrespected or betrayed.

Download or read book The Difficult Transition to Adulthood for Foster Youth in the US written by Mark E. Courtney and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although they make up a relatively small proportion of all children in the U.S. foster care system, foster youth approaching adulthood have over the years attracted considerable attention from policymakers. Three times in the past 25 years the Social Security Act has been amended to try to better support the transition to adulthood for foster youth. The new Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act represents a fundamental shift away from the goal of preparing foster youth to be independent of state assistance by the age of majority towards an active engagement by government in parenting foster youth into adulthood. This policy shift reflects an evolving understanding of normative transitions to adulthood and growing knowledge of the particular challenges faced by foster youth in transition. In this report, I briefly describe the U.S. child welfare system, summarize research on the transition to adulthood for foster youth showing that they generally face a very difficult transition, and examine the evolution of U.S. policy towards foster youth using the concept of "corporate parenting." I conclude that recent policy developments provide an excellent opportunity to improve transition outcomes for foster youth, but that lingering challenges still exist including: likely state reluctance to expand the parenting role; a poor knowledge base regarding the effectiveness of independent living services; the lack of established and well-evaluated models of coordination between child welfare agencies and other public institutions in supporting foster youth; the complex nature of "permanency" for foster youth in transition; and the fact that the new law still excludes important populations of foster youth. I argue that policy and program development must be accompanied by strategic use of research and evaluation to maximize the opportunity provided by the new policy regime. (Contains 3 footnotes.) [Commentaries by Jane Waldfogel, Robert Schwartz, and Jennifer Pokempner are included.].

Download or read book Services for Youth Transitioning from Foster Care written by Laura Schrager and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 4 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Emancipating from the Care of Strangers written by John Seita and published by . This book was released on 2020-09 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Eleven mini-memoirs of foster care alumni who share their experiences, insights and recommendations about how to prepare youth to successfully transition from foster care to independent living.

Download or read book Exploring Support Network Structure Content and Stability as Youth Transition from Foster Care written by Jennifer Elizabeth Blakeslee and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many older youth in foster care lack adequate resources and ongoing support in their social networks as they transition into young adulthood, while other youth in these circumstances experience stable social networks providing comprehensive support. Systematically measuring the supportive personal and service-oriented relationships in youth networks expands the scope of inquiry in this area by identifying patterns of social network structure, member composition, and relational qualities that are associated with more or less support provision through formal and informal relationships. These can also be measured over time to observe changes in network form and content and assess network stability. This exploratory study (1) describes the support networks for a small sample of youth with foster care experience who are enrolled in post-secondary education and training programs, (2) assesses changes in these networks over time, and (3) demonstrates the reliability and validity of this methodology for broader use with populations of transition-age foster youth. Findings show that family (biological and foster) and friends are the most prevalent informal supports, relationship ties to parent figures are strongest and provide the most stable and multi-dimensional support, and ties with formal service providers are not as strong, but provide more informational support. The stability of a network ties over time is associated with the breadth of support provided, and network-based social support is associated with post-secondary enrollment at follow-up. Support network profiles are described and interpreted in terms of bonding and bridging social capital. Discussion includes implications for future support network research and guidelines for pre-transition assessment of youth networks in practice.

Download or read book Developing Health Literacy Skills in Children and Youth written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2020-12-10 with total page 115 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Young people develop health literacy skills in a variety of environments, facing critical thinking challenges about their health from school, home and family life, peers and social life, and online. To explore the development of health literacy skills in youth, the Roundtable on Health Literacy convened a workshop on November 19, 2019, in Washington, DC. Presenters at the workshop discussed factors relating to health literacy skills and ways to further develop those skills among youth from early childhood to young adulthood. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.

Download or read book Hawaii s Young People written by and published by . This book was released on 1902 with total page 1238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: