Transcript Facilitating a Meeting

California Permanency for
Youth Project Conference
November 2-3, 2006
Workshop Title:
“SUPPORT FOR
CONNECTIONS”
PRESENTERS:
Charles Chambers,
Program Director,
Kinship Center - Family Ties
Falope Fatunmise, M.A.
San Mateo Regional Director,
Edgewood Community Based Services

A brief overview of relative care needs in
CA and the US

Program specific responses to relative care needs
by two private sector agencies


Creative funding strategies to sustain programs
Use of relative caregivers as staff

The voice of relative caregivers regarding the
issues they face and the services that meet their
needs

State Funded - Kinship Support Services Program
and other programs and services statewide

Legal Guardianship and Adoption
definitions.

Changing Roles; Changing Hats

The Importance of Using Rituals and
Ceremonies to Mark Transitions in
Family Roles and Legal Standing.

Children’s Developmental Understanding
of all that has happened in their lives.

How to Talk About the Tough Issues with
the Child.
®
KINSHIP CENTER
is dedicated to the creation,
preservation and support of
foster, adoptive and relative
families for children who
need them.
Kinship Center
Programs and Services
 founded in 1984 as a 501(c)3 corporation
 provides a full range of foster and adoption placement
services including special needs children
 offering permanency-competent child mental health
and child development services
 post adoptive family wraparound program
 a relative caregiver support program
 expert training for parents and professionals
a program of
Kinship Center®
and
Monterey County
Department of Social Services
Edgewood’s mission is to strengthen children, youth, families,
and their communities through: Service, Training, Advocacy,
and Research.
Edgewood was started in 1851 as a shelter for orphans of the
California Gold Rush. They are one of the oldest children’s
charities west of the Mississippi. Though their reputation for
excellence and innovation is national, their work is local.
Edgewood’s residential, community and school-based programs
offer hope and support to children and families in San Francisco
and San Mateo counties.
Edgewood Kinship Program
Established in 1992 from a relationship
with a group called Grandparents Who Care.
GWC was founded in 1989 to provide support
groups for grandparents stressed by the
responsibility of caring for their grandchildren.
The San Mateo program was started in 1999.
Our Mission:
Strengthening Families
Nurturing Children
Empowering Caregivers
What is Kinship Care?
The Child Welfare League of America defines
kinship care as: the full-time nurturing and
protection of children who must be separated
from their parents by relatives, members of their
tribe or clans, godparents, stepparents, or other
adults who have a kinship bond with a child.
(CWLA 1994: 2)
Nationally, around 6 million children are being raised
by relatives and 2.5 million are with grandparents.
In California, nearly 480,000 grandparents reported
having the direct responsibility for their
grandchildren’s care.
43% of the Foster Care population are with relatives
30% of caregivers are over 60
(2000 Census)
Components of Kinship Relationships
 Familiar culture, food, neighborhood
 Inherent love of family
 No sense of displacement, but belonging
 No non-verbal assumptions
 Continuity of heritage and legacy
LLegacies are patterns of behavior,
values
and traditions that
are passed on between generations and
among family members.
The children’s legacies are reinforced.
CAREGIVER TIPS
Once the child realizes they will be moving
feelings of loss and grief will be triggered. As
the caregiver you will need to help the child
manage their loss, grief and anxiety.
The kin kids, birth parents, schools, medical bills, rent,
car fuel and repairs, health, etc. are pouring down on
you and you don’t have a boat to get out. You don’t
understand how you’re keeping afloat now and there
are even greater challenges lurking around you.
Types of Relative Care
 Public: placement of dependents of
the court
 Voluntary: social service placement
without court involvement
 Private: without social service
involvement (77% of all kinship
arrangements)
The Puzzling Situation
Public
Policy
Favors
Relative
Placement
The
y get
less
help!
Funding
is
lacking
Should Anyone Care?
60%
exit FC into relative homes
County
FC caseload with kin: 30–65%
Voluntary
Kin
kin placements get no services
placements high risk for re-entry to FC
Supported
kin have permanency outcomes
Opportunities
to develop services to kin
caregivers – KSSP expansion efforts
Public Kinship Care
Approved/Licensed
 Placement with court
involvement
 Foster care benefits
 TANF possible
 Background check
and home inspection
 Children are MediCal
eligible

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


Voluntary
Placement without
court involvement
No foster care
benefits
TANF child-only
No allowances or
specialized care
Children may be
eligible for MediCal
Why KSSP Services are
So Important
KSSP programs provide services to assist
caregivers to protect and promote the
safety, permanency and well being of
children in their families.
Definition of Adoption
 Adoption is the permanent, legal
transfer of rights from one set of
parents to another. It holds the
adoptive parents to the same
standards of rights and obligations
as any parent where the child is
born to them.
•What is Legal Guardianship
•How Guardianships Work FAQ
•What does a guardian do?
•What is the difference between a guardianship
and an adoption?
•When does a guardianship end?
•What is a guardian ad litem?
•If a child lives with me, do I need a
guardianship?
•If You Want to Avoid a Formal
Guardianship
Funds Available
to Caregivers
 Cal WORKS
 Social Security
 Foster Care
 Retirement
 KINGAP
 Wages
 AAP
 Other
 SSI Caregiver/Child
Services Available to
Kinship Caregivers
 WIC
 Head Start
 Healthy Start
 FIRST 5
FUNDING FOR CURRENT PROGRAMS
•KSSP
•COUNTY CONTRACTS
•AREA A
•FIRST 5
•FEMA
•DEPT OF CHILDREN YOUTH AND FAMILIES
•OOFFICE OF JUVINLE JUSTICE AND
DELINQUINCY PREVENTION
FUNDING FOR CURRENT
PROGRAMS CONTINUED
•PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS
•PRIVATE DONORS
•CAREGIVER
What Caregivers Appreciate


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

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Resources – Case Management
Having a peer group
Educational support
Respite
School-related services
Health and mental health care
Legal assistance
Achieving family stability
Special events/outings
Kinship Support Programs Offer:
Case
management
Support Groups
Youth Services
Health and mental health care
Legal assistance
Family group conferencing
Recreation
Respite
Food and clothing programs
Tutoring
Edgewood Highlights
Provided
600
families and nearly 1000 children annually
95%

Kinship Services for 15 years
of families remain stable after participating
90% of the families give a grade of A
Capacity
Less
of 5 languages
than 3% enter or re-enter foster care system.
Family Ties 2 yr. Highlights

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753 children served
4 entries in foster care from caregiver
830 attended camps/recreation events
122 legal guardianships or adoptions
50 received mental health services
35% no longer require intensive services
730 children had holiday gifts
Food and clothing needs met
Child Welfare and Foster Care Reform
•Foster care reform. Increases funding for Foster Care and Child
Welfare by $82 million (state General Fund) above the Governor’s
May Revision:
Caseload Reduction and Program Improvement. Increases
funding by $98 million ($68 million state General Fund) in
ongoing investments to improve outcomes of foster children
and youth.
Kinship Care Parity. Increases funding by $8 million
(state General Fund) to provide kin care providers
additional support in a specialized care increment to meet a
child’s special needs and clothing allowance currently only
available in foster care placement. Also extends eligibility
for kin care assistance to certain probation youth who have
been living with a relative for at least 12 months.
Kinship Support Services Program (KSSP). Approves
the $2.5 million (state General Fund) proposed in the
Governor’s Budget to expand Kinship Support Services
and allow all counties to apply for KSSP funding. The
40% requirement has been discontinued
Housing for Emancipated Youth. Increases funding for
the Transitional Housing Placement Program Plus by $4
million (state General Fund) by eliminating the county
share of cost for the program.
Education for Foster Children and Youth. Expands
the Foster Youth Services Education Program statewide
to foster children and youth in all types of placements
and funds this with $8.2 million (state General Fund).
Higher Education for Foster Youth. Increases funding
by $5.7 million (state General Fund) to fund additional
financial aid for foster youth attending two-year or
four-year colleges under the Chafee Scholarship program.
This increase should fully fund all eligible foster youth.
Adoption of Hard-to-Place Youth. Increases funding
by $4 million (state General Fund) above the $6.3
million (state General Fund) in the Governor’s proposed
budget in January for efforts to help with the adoption
children and youth over age 9.
Adoptions. Approves $12.2 million ($7.1 million state
General Fund) proposed in the Governor’s Budget to
hire additional state and county adoptions caseworkers.
Dependency Drug Courts. Increase funding for
Dependency Drug Courts by $3 million (state General
Fund) above the Governor’s May Revision amount of
$2.1 million (state General Fund) to expand the program
to additional counties.
IV-E Waiver. Approves $25.5 million ($10 million
state General Fund) proposed in the Governor’s May
Revision to facilitate county participation in the State’s
new pilot project which caps federal funding in a
flexible block grant to be used for a broad array of
services, including upfront prevention. These funds
may also be used for Program Improvement activities.
Where to Get More Information
 Kinship Center: www.kinshipcenter.org
 EdgewoodCenter:
www.edgewoodcenter.org
 Generations United: www.gu.org
 AARP: www.aarp.org
 Child Welfare League of America
www.cwla.org
Adoption Resources:
 www.tapestrybooks.com
 www.loveandlogic.com
 www.nacac.org
 www.adoptivefamiliesofamerica.com
 www.adoption.com
 www.adoptionshop.com
 www.adoptionlearningpartners.com
Contact Information
Falope Fatunmise
San Mateo Regional Director
Edgewood Community Based Services
Office 415/375-7600 Cell 415/725-0665
Fax 650/620-9549
[email protected]
Charles Chambers
Program Director, Family Ties
Office 831/443-0662
Cell 831/262-4594
Fax 831/443-0668
[email protected]
Thank You
for the Privilege of
Spending This Time with You.