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Ready By 21: Preparing Maryland’s Youth for SUCCESS

Ready By 21: Preparing Maryland’s Youth for SUCCESS. Secretary Brenda Donald Maryland Department of Human Resource Statewide Rollout of the Ready By 21 Action Plan Wednesday, March 24, 2010. Goal of Ready by 21 -.

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Ready By 21: Preparing Maryland’s Youth for SUCCESS

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  1. Ready By 21:Preparing Maryland’s Youth for SUCCESS Secretary Brenda Donald Maryland Department of Human Resource Statewide Rollout of the Ready By 21 Action Plan Wednesday, March 24, 2010

  2. Goal of Ready by 21 - Ensuring that ALL of Maryland’s 309,000 youth aged 18-21 will be ready for college, work and life Source: Forum for Youth Investment

  3. Governor’s Office for Children Department of Budget and Management Department of Disabilities Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Department of Human Resources Department of Juvenile Services Maryland State Department of Education Governor’s Workforce Investment Board Maryland Youth Council For more information email Marina Finnegan: mfinnegan@goc.state.md.us www.ocyf.state.md.us

  4. Our Youth • Nationally, one in six youth age 18-24 are neither in school nor in the workplace • 74,000 of Maryland’s 16-24 year olds are considered “idle”. • Decline in teen employment was 9.2 percent between 2001-2007 • One in three MD school dropouts are employed (ages16-19 ) • Between 2000 and 2015, at least 85% of new jobs created require education or training beyond high school • Nationally, 13% of those 18-24 years of age have graduated with a bachelor's degree or higher. • 1 in 4 (ages 18-24) are uninsured in MD.

  5. MARYLAND’SREADY BY 21 INITIATIVE • January 2007 – Governor Martin O’Malley and Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown committed to developing a Ready By 21 Action Agenda for Maryland youth. • October 2007 – Ready By 21 Action Planning Team presented a 5-year Action Agenda and Report to the Children’s Cabinet. • January 2008 – Ready By 21 Leadership Team was established to oversee the development and implementation of Maryland’s Ready By 21 Action Plan. • Leadership Team was composed of Children’s Cabinet agencies, the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, as well as representatives of non-profit and community based organizations. • June 2009 – Ready By 21 Action Plan was completed and presented to the Children’s Cabinet.

  6. Ready by 21 Action Agenda:Seven Major Goals • Understanding of urgency, existing gaps, and necessity of supportive investments • Capable, competent and caring adults for all youth • Safe and affordable housing • Health and well being • Pathways to education, training and workforce • Equity and fairness for all youth • Resources and accountability for improved youth outcomes

  7. Ready By 21 Action Plan:Benchmarks The Ready By 21 Action Plan includes age-specific benchmarks, as well as action steps for each of the major child serving departments and institutions. • Cross Cutting Issues • Education • Employment • Health • Housing

  8. Ready by 21Early Progress and Success:

  9. EARLY PROGRESS AND SUCCESS • Partnership with Workforce Investment Agencies for trainings and employment opportunities. • House Bill 268, addressing hiring agreements, requires job training and employment opportunities extended to youth in foster care (at the local level). • Supported the Foster Kids Coverage Act- allows youth in foster care to keep their health insurance until 21, even though they may leave state custody at 18. • Baltimore City pilot project to extend free transportation to youth until 8pm

  10. Youth in Foster Care • Youth remain in foster care until age 21 • New recision policy • Independent living services provided for youth ages 14 –21 • Services are designed to assist youth in making a successful transition to adulthood

  11. After Care Services (Opt-In) • Available to youth who leave care at 18 • Services provided until 21st birthday • The services are designed to assist former foster care youth in becoming self sufficient • Housing • Vocational and employment training • Substance abuse prevention • Pregnancy prevention and preventive health activities • Connections to dedicated adults

  12. TRANSITION PLANNING • Family Involvement Meetings held 12 months prior to aging out of care (age 20) • Plan for transitional housing • Review employment plans • Determine transitional needs • Discuss community resources • Provide aftercare information • Discuss permanent connections

  13. Ready by 21Early Progress and Success:Youth Involved with Juvenile Services

  14. Youth Involved withJuvenile Services • Treatment Service Plans (TSP) and case plans must include specific transitional living arrangements with dates. • Continued training of staff in the area of transitional planning for youth. • Expansion of kinship and “friends of the family” as a housing option for youth. • Working with DHR regarding rapid clearance procedures for kinship caregivers to decrease length of time it takes to approve/disapprove foster and kinship care providers.

  15. Youth Involved withJuvenile Services • Continued participation in the Youth Website Development work group. • TSP and case plans include health, medication and mental health issues with specific responses/referrals. • Continued to offer youth participation in summer employment projects. • Not only partnering with MSDE to meet educational needs for youth but offering vocational training at our newest DJS program Silver Oak.

  16. Youth Involved withJuvenile Services • Continued participation in educational transition planning teams in every county across the State • Partnership with DHR on cross over youth. • Working with MSDE to ensure youth in DJS facilities have educational assessments and have updated IEP, as needed. • Continued participation in IEP meetings .

  17. Ready by 21Early Progress and Success:Youth in Maryland Schools

  18. Youth in Maryland Schools • Maryland State Department of Education Career Development Framework for middle school youth. • 10 Career Clusters driven by what students need to know and do in order to be fully prepared for further education and careers in the 21st-century global economy.

  19. "I used to think I was struggling because I used to be in foster care. I know more people now, though, and they're struggling just like me. All I know is we have a lot of work to do. I'm committed to it, and I challenge everybody I know to do the same. I think we know what to do, we just have to take it seriously. These kids can't stop growing up while we try to figure it all out." - former foster youth

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