Transcript Document

Supporting Kinship Caregivers
or “Grandfamilies” in Ohio
Crystal Ward Allen
Executive Director
Public Children Services
Association of Ohio
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7/20/2015
AGENDA
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Definition of Kinship or “GrandFamilies”
Benefits of Kinship Care
Continuum of Kin Arrangements
Ohio Policies for Kin
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Basic supports
Kinship Navigator Program
Grandparent Caregiver Affidavit & Power of Attorney
New Kinship Permanency Incentive Program
Ohio Advocacy, Structural Entities for Policy Evolution
Federal Policy Concerns & Opportunities
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What is Kinship Care?
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Families with children lucky enough to be cared for by
kin, when their own families cannot / do not, care for
them
Kin families step up and temporarily or permanently
raise these extended family children
Caregivers could be relatives or close family friends
Better outcomes for children
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Kinship Families are Unique
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Different from birth families - did not plan on
the responsibility to raise these kids, but
agreed to when needed!
Different from unrelated foster caregivers –
kinship is not a contractual business
arrangement, they are family to kids
Different from unrelated adoptive families –
often wary of hostile termination of parental
rights process, but open to permanent
commitment.
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Why Support Grandfamilies?
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Facilitates Personal and Family responsibility
Reduces Government intervention
Society expects it
Better outcomes for children (than if left
uncared for or placed with safe, but unrelated
foster caregivers)
Fiscally sound policy in age of limited
resources at local, state and federal level
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Who are Kinship Caregivers?
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Grandparents
Other relatives - Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Siblings
Close family friends
2000 US Census counted Grandparents raising
Grandchildren – those as primary caregivers:
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US – 2.4 Million
Ohio – 186,000 families, many sibling groups, but only GPs
counted!
Grandfamilies!
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Better Child Outcomes
Compared to children in licensed, but unrelated
foster care, children in Kinship Families have:
 Greater placement stability (blood is thicker…)
 Better school attendance
 Better academic performance
 Fewer community problems (i.e. unruly and
delinquent incidents)
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What do Kinship Caregivers Need?
According to 1999 Ohio Dept of Aging
“Grandparents Raising Grandchildren” report:
 Financial assistance
 Legal documentation for school enrollment and
obtaining medical care
 Affordable child care
 Assistance accessing services
 General emotional support
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Kinship Families Continuum
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Informal Kinship Families – no government intervention
needed
Kinship families caring for children involved with the
child welfare system (unlicensed)
Kinship foster families (formally licensed as foster
parents)
Legal guardians / custodians (with judicially awarded
custody)
Kin families that have adopted
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Basic Kinship Supports in Ohio
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Cash Assistance – TANF (Ohio Works First) Child
Only Benefits - $245/month + $77/sibling. Unrelated to
caregiver income or custody status
Medicaid Coverage – most all children in kinship care
should qualify
Eligibility for Early Learning Initiative (ELI) –
combines early childhood education with childcare for
all day care. Without regard to income for
preschoolers in kinship care – NEW eligibility status!
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Legal Documentation – Ohio HB 130,
(sponsor Rep. Linda Reidelbach)
For Grandparents without judicial custody:
 Caregiver Authorization Affidavit (CAA) – parent unable
to be located
 Power of Attorney (POA) – consensual agreement with
parent and grandparent
Two primary functions:
 School enrollment & participation
 Obtaining medical, dental, psychological services
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…More CAA and POA
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GP (and parent for POA) completes form, has it
notarized, files with court
Good for one year, then re-file for renewal
At renewal request, Juvenile court to schedule “best
interest” hearing, can continue CAA or POA, award
legal custody to GP, or initiate dependency
proceedings, bringing in child welfare agency
Limited to Grandparents, advocating to extend to other
relative caregivers
Formal implementation evaluation in progress now so
policy makers can make informed decisions
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Kinship Navigator Program
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Professionals located at county level to help
Kinship Caregivers “Navigate” thru existing
state and local support services.
In child welfare agency, Area Agency on Aging,
or other local entity
Often facilitate support groups too
No current statewide funding source…
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Three Paths to Move Children to
Permanency (if child removed…)
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Reunification w/ birth parent
Custody to Relative
Adoption
Ohio law – Guardianship / Legal Custody same status, by
different courts (Probate vs Juvenile). Law includes
language that Legal Custody is “intended to be
permanent”, court will only review if status changes for
caregiver or child (not birth parent).
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Kinship Permanency Incentive (KPI)
Program
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Incentive for Permanency
Financial payments to families that assume
judicially awarded custody of kids in their care.
Three year duration, payments at six month
intervals
Total $3,500 - $1,000 initially, then five $500
Funded with $10 Million/year TANF $
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Kinship Permanency Incentive
Eligibility Criteria
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Child must have been adjudicated abused, neglected,
dependent or unruly
Court must have awarded custody (legal or
guardianship) July 1, 2005 or later
Child must meet “special needs” definition (sibling
group, 6 yr+, minority, diagnosed status, endured
multiple moves)
Family low income (200% FPL or below)
Child welfare agency completed site and safety audit,
and criminal background check of all adults
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KPI program so far…since Jan. 1, 2006
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General Assembly strongly supported
Media strongly highlighted, endorsed
Brochures, posters out
Many families ineligible due to July 1, 2005
custody award threshold
Estimate 3,000 families/year will be eligible
Evaluations in law – Dec. 31, 2008 (at three
years) & Dec. 31, 2010 (at five years)
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Federal Policies & Concerns
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Federal law requires relative search and preferential
placement if safe; ASFA recognized relatives as
permanency plan
01-02 Policy, HHS Rule proposal, now OBRA language
would prohibit placing children with unlicensed
relatives:
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Forces relatives to enter into contractual business
arrangement to raise extended family children, will cost
additional federal and state/local money
Or prohibits federal IV-E support for case management and
other services
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Title IV-E Federal Support
Foster Care Maintenance
 Adoptive Subsidies
 Guardianship / Legal Custody Subsidies
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Why not?
 Recommended by Pew Commission on
Children in Foster Care
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Title IV-E Guardianship Waivers
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To demonstrate positive child outcomes thru
innovation, cost neutral
IV-E Guardianship Subsidies improve
permanency for foster children
Nine states; Illinois’ long history, 6,800 kids
Good Safety & stability, shorter length of stay,
positive youth and caregiver perspectives
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Ohio Policy Champions & Evolution
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Rep. Joan Lawrence & Senator Merle Grace Kearns –
late ’90s, early 2000s.
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Kinship Task Force in Budget to make recommendations
Established Kinship Navigator program using TANF funds
Established Statewide Kinship Caregiver Advisory Board
Rep. Linda Reidelbach – POA & CAA – three General
Assmbly sessions, concerns from schools and judges
Reps Mark Wagoner, Jim McGregor, Barbara Sykes,
Senator Tom Niehaus – Kinship Perm Incent program,
budget 6/05.
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Policy Groups
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Statewide Kinship Caregiver Advisory Board –
multi-system members including caregivers
and policymakers. Strategic Plan based on
research
Ohio Grandparent & Kinship Caregiver Group
– statewide group of caregivers and Kin
Navigators
Local Kin Support Groups
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Next Steps
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Informal - Expand Power of Attny & Caregiver
Affidavit beyond Grandparents (Evaluation in
process). No $...
Incentives - Promote Kinship Permanency
Incentive (with Evals at 3 & 5 years in). TANF,
time limited…
Permanency - Educate federal policy makers
on benefits of Title IV-E Guardianship
Subsidies (Eval shown & ongoing). Fed $ w/
state / local match…
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Resources…
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Ohio Kinship Supports –
http://www.pcsao.org/KinshipSupports.htm
Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care http://www.pewfostercare.org
IV-E Guardianship Waiver Evaluations
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/programs_fund/cw
waiver/agissue/execsum.htm
Fostering Results “Family Ties” http://www.fosteringresults.org/results/reports/pewrepor
ts_10-13-04_alreadyhome.pdf
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