Transcript trategies to Support School Stability and Continuity: The

Powerful Partnerships:
How Local Systems Can Work
Together to Create Educational
Stability for Kids
Presented at: “Child Welfare, Education and the Courts: A Collaboration to
Strengthen Educational Successes of Children and Youth in Foster Care”
November 4, 2011
Workshop Learning Objectives:
Participants will learn strategies to:
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develop partnerships between schools, courts and
child protection agencies to enable “win-win”
working relationships
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recruit and engage a diverse collaborative of multidisciplinary representatives to create school stability
for youth in out-of-home placements
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implement creative cross training approaches
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improve school connections and achievement for
children and youth in the child welfare system.
Our Panel
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Anne Comstock (Moderator), Associate Director, National
Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational
Improvement
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The Honorable Suzanna Cuneo, Commissioner, Pima
County Juvenile Court
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Carol Punske, Assistant Program Manager, Pima County
Juvenile Court Child Protective Services
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Elaine E. Fink, Managing Attorney, Children’s Advocacy
Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio
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Carla Guenthner, Administrative Magistrate, Hamilton
County Juvenile Court
Pima County Juvenile Court Committee
to Improve Education Outcomes
for Court-Involved Youth
• Established January 2003 as
Model Dependency Court Subcommittee
• Began with 12 members representing Child
Protective Services, several school districts,
Casey Family Programs, Juvenile Court Staff,
CASA Program and the Attorney General’s Office.
Pima County Juvenile Court Committee to
Improve Education Outcomes
for Court-Involved Youth
• Initial focus was education issues affecting youth
in foster care primarily in the areas of education
records, enrollment and school stability.
• Committee expanded its focus in 2005 to include
all court-involved youth, including delinquencies.
Pima County Juvenile Court Committee to
Improve Education Outcomes
for Court-Involved Youth
• Currently has approximately 100 participants
representing numerous school districts, Pima
Community Superintendent’s Office, Pima
Community College, County Attorney’s Office,
Public Defender’s Office, group care facilities,
attorneys, Child Protective Services, CASA,
Attorney General’s Office, Probation and
Detention.
Pima County Juvenile Court Committee to
Improve Education Outcomes
for Court-Involved Youth
• Following a community-wide education summit
in October 2007, the committee converted its
format to an education forum which meets 3-4
times per year and focuses on cross training
and collaboration in two areas: Keeping kids in
school and alternatives to
suspension/expulsion/arrest.
Past Projects Addressing School
Stability and Continuity
• School records: Created court order for release of
school records to child welfare case managers.
Order signed by dependency judge same day
dependency petition is filed.
• Linking with McKinney-Vento: Ensure school-aged
children placed out of home remain in their home
schools when appropriate.
Past Projects Addressing School
Stability and Continuity
• Training community educators focusing on McKinneyVento liaisons and unique educational issues affecting
children in out-of-home care (Endless Dreams).
• Training child welfare case managers on the rights of
children in out-of-home care to remain in their home
schools or to immediate enrollment if there is a change in
school placement (McKinney-Vento).
• Development of an Education Advocacy Manual.
Past Projects Addressing School
Stability and Continuity
• “Accountability Conferencing” as alternative to suspension
and expulsion.
• Training on modified version of “Judicial Checklist” in
dependency cases commencing with first Preliminary
Protective Hearing.
• Training out-of-home placement units to locate emergency
placements for children within their home school district or
as close geographically to that district whenever possible at
the time of the child’s removal.
Past Projects Addressing
School Stability and Continuity
• Development of the position of Juvenile Court
Education Programs Coordinator within the
Juvenile Court to assist both Child Protective
Services case managers and Probation Officers on
education issues primarily in the area of
enrollment and school records.
Child Protective Services Working
Collaboratively with the School
• Develop relationships
• Recognize the expertise of each
system partner
• Meet regularly
• CPS staff meet quarterly with the
School District Homeless Liaisons and
periodically conduct trainings
together.
Key Partners for Collaboration
School staff,
teachers,
principals,
social workers,
nurses, etc.
CPS case workers
Foster parents
Relative caregivers
Attorneys,
guardians ad litem,
CASAs, surrogate
parents,
juvenile judges and
court personnel,
post secondary
educators and
administrators
Talk About Education from Day One
Team Decision Making
• Team Decision Making is a strength based
process addressing the safety and placement of
children.
• Meetings include:
a) Family, CPS staff, family support,
community members, partnering agencies
and, as applicable, tribal representatives
b) If children/youth are attending school, a
teacher, counselor or school
representative may be invited to the
meeting.
Talk About Education from Day One
Team Decision Making Meetings
 Emergency removal or
 Considered removal
• A report is given to participants at the
conclusion of TDM meeting and includes
the name of the school that the child
attends.
• Report identifies if the child is receiving
exceptional education services.
• CPS can work to keep the child in same
school and identify special needs.
Critical Issues: Provide School
Placement Stability
Allow youth placed
in out-of-home
care to attend
home school when
it is safe to do so
and in the child’s
best interest.
Critical Issues
 Records and School Enrollment
 Ensure youth in out of home care are
not denied school enrollment because
their records are not immediately
available (including immunization records
and birth certificates)
 Ensure that records and information
are promptly obtained/exchanged
between CPS and the schools, whether
case is still under investigation or child is
already receiving CPS services
Challenges
• Challenges faced by
foster when
changing schools
• All youth face
challenges in
adjusting to different
curricula, teacher,
peers, and
expectations, yet…
Foster Youth Challenges
• Missed school days due to enrollment delays
because of lack of information/records (some
students may initially be denied enrollment)
• Missed school days due to appointments for
social or medical services or even court
• Lack of consistent advocacy for education
needs, including special education
• Simultaneously dealing with significant
personal and familial issues
Successes
• Agree that children removed form their homes
will generally qualify under the McKinneyVento Act for the remainder of that school year
• Agree that the Homeless Liaison will consider
children to be eligible for transportation if
there is a planned placement move during the
current school year
• Exploring how Title 4-E funds can be used to
provide transportation for children after the
first year following removal, with a focus on
older youth
Successes
• School Districts are providing school supplies
for the children/youth who are living in shelters
and group homes
• CPS staff are trained and periodically reminded
to contact the School District Homeless Liaison
as soon as a dependency petition is filed, even
if transportation is not immediately needed
• Developed a collaborative relationship with the
School District Homeless Liaison and the staff at
the state Department of Education for problem
solving and education
Resources
• Casey Family Programs
• National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
• Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Contacts
Judge Suzanna Cuneo
Pima County Juvenile Court Commissioner
[email protected]
CPS: Carol Punske
Assistant Program Manager
[email protected]
Court: Cathleen Fitzgerald
Education Programs Coordinator
[email protected]
Questions and Comments?
IMPROVING
EDUCATIONAL
OUTCOMES FOR
STUDENTS IN
FOSTER CARE
Elaine E. Fink
Carla Guenthner
Hamilton County
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati Public Schools
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57 schools
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High Schools: 16
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Elementary Schools: 38
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Combined: 3
Race
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African American: 68.8%
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Caucasian: 23.7%
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Multi-racial: 4.6%
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Hispanic: 1.9%
Free lunch: 68.7%
Cincinnati Public Schools
Special Education Work Group
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A grassroots and multidisciplinary community group
Works collaboratively to address
systemic gaps and barriers
Focus is on students with special
needs
A sub-committee was created to
examine and improve foster care
outcomes
Key Stakeholders

Hamilton Co. Dept. of Job & Family
Services
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Cincinnati Public Schools
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Hamilton Co. Juvenile Court
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Legal Aid Society of SW Ohio
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Public Defender: GAL Office
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ProKids: CASA Agency
Traveling Road Show
A Multi-Disciplinary Team
delivers information
about the child welfare system
to teachers and administrators
through participation in staff
meetings at individual schools
Two Way Process is Required
SCHOOLS
CHILD
WELFARE
Why did Cincinnati Public
Schools Participate?
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Involved from the beginning
School district input and
feedback was valued
All parties remained flexible
Had little to lose
Willing to take a risk
Role for the Project Champion
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Understands both systems
Demonstrates fairness
Defends each system to the other
Holds each system accountable
Identifies problems without
blaming
Suggests solutions
Building a Collaboration
Staged Process for Creating Systemic Change
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Establish a sense of urgency
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Develop and communicate a vision for change
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Create a guiding coalition
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Agree upon shared priorities and strategies
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Generate short term wins
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Consolidate gains and work toward long term
goals and outcomes
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Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good
Hamilton County Child
Protection Report Card
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Children in Care or Under
Agency Supervision: 1732
Placements: 60% experience
one or more placements
Grade Level: 32% at
appropriate grade level
Mental/Behavioral Health: 48%
diagnosed
Target Population
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Kindergarten through 12th grade
Children in agency custody
Children attending one of the 22
participating schools (identified
through mapping)
Minimum of 100 children in the
pilot
Prioritize Education
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Steering Committee
Execution of a MOU
Inclusion of Schools/Education
Representatives on Model Court
Team
Cross-Training
Judicial Checklist
Court Reports on Education
Youth Engagement
Improve Communication and
Systems Coordination
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Immediate School Enrollment
2 child protection caseworkers
serve as Education Specialists to
the participating schools
One representative at each school
serves as the School Liaison to
Children’s Services
Access to Power School: a webbased parent communication tool
Create School Stability
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Development of strategies for
maintaining stability in school and
substitute care placements
(e.g. prioritization within UM/UR; trauma
informed services)
Creation of plans for maintaining
school stability if agency placement
disrupts
(e.g. Project Connect-McKinney Vento
liaisons)
Development of seamless transition
plans when change in school
placement cannot be avoided
Reform Policies and Practices
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Create visitation plans/policies
that avoid school disruption
Implement case plan services
during non-traditional hours or
access school-based services to
minimize school disruption
Enhance Supportive Services
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Education Advocacy and Legal
Representation
Interventions and Supports to
Promote Academic Success and
Achievement
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Tutoring
Mentoring
Higher Education Mentoring Initiative
Extracurricular Activities
Summer Reading Program
Collect Data and Measure
Program Outcomes
Key Outcome Measures:
1. Youth in foster care will experience increased
stability in their placement and at school.
2. Youth in foster care will demonstrate
improved school attendance.
3. Youth in foster care will achieve school
promotion and grade advancement.
4. Youth in foster care with identified special
needs will receive appropriate and supportive
educational services.
5. The public and private partners will create a
collaborative structure that enhances the
coordination and implementation of plans
designed to achieve education success for youth
in foster care.
Data/Evaluation (continued)
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Critical but often elusive
Persevere
Document small successes
You can do it!
Looking Ahead….
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Staged Expansion
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All Cincinnati Public Schools (district-wide)
Youth in custody AND under agency supervision
Inclusion of Dually Involved Youth
Crisis Intervention Services and
Consultation
Local Training and On-Site TA regarding
Fostering Connections
Enhanced data collection and exchange
Program Evaluation
Supported by HHS funding
Nine tenths of education is
encouragement.
Anatole France, writer
He who opens a school door,
closes a prison.
Victor Hugo, poet
Contact Information
Elaine E. Fink
Managing Attorney, Children’s Advocacy
Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio, LLC
215 E. 9th Street, Suite 500
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
513.362.2821
[email protected]
Carla Guenthner
Chief Magistrate
Hamilton County Juvenile Court
800 Broadway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
513.946.9381
[email protected]
Questions and Comments?