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Former Foster Care Youth Information & Resources COUN 512

Former Foster Care Youth Information & Resources COUN 512. Liz McCarrell, Breona Mendoza, Miranda Sulley, Kris Tinglestad, Liiban Yusuf. Former Foster Youth Demographics. Young adults ages 18-21 who have recently aged out of the Child Welfare System in King County, Washington. In 2009:

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Former Foster Care Youth Information & Resources COUN 512

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  1. Former Foster Care YouthInformation & ResourcesCOUN 512 Liz McCarrell, Breona Mendoza, Miranda Sulley, Kris Tinglestad, Liiban Yusuf

  2. Former Foster YouthDemographics • Young adults ages 18-21 who have recently aged out of the Child Welfare System in King County, Washington. • In 2009: • 1,569,592 children under 18 in WA state, and 11,824 children in foster care (~.75%) • 5,585 children exited the foster care system, with an average stay of 17.2 months. 6.6% of those who exited foster care were 18 years old (369 young adults) • 4 of every 1000 kids was in the foster system in King County (.4%) http://archive.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cwo07-10/cwo07-10.pdf http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/bystate/Rankings.aspx?state=WA&ind=5223

  3. Racial Disproportionality in the Child Welfare System • King County Coalition on Racial Disproportionality • African American children are 3 times more likely, and Native American children are 7 times more likely than Caucasian children to be involved in referrals that are accepted for investigation. • African American and Native American children together make up: • 8 percent of the child population in King County • 25 percent of the children involved in referrals accepted for investigation • 33 percent of all children removed from their homes and placed in care • 50 percent of the children still in out-of-home care four years after placement http://catalystforkids.org/KingCountyReportonRacialDisproportionality.pdf

  4. Racial Disproportionality in the Child Welfare System

  5. Employment Issues/Struggles Henig, A. (2009) Employment aid for youth aging out of foster care: Extending one-stop career centers to include a division for foster care youth. Family Court Review, 47 (3), 570-585. • Studies indicate that 25-50% of foster youth are typically unemployed and those who were employed had an average earning below the poverty level.

  6. Struggles/Issues Continued… Hill, K., Lightfoot, E., & Kimball, E. (2011) Foster care transition services for youth with disabilities. Child Welfare, 89 (6), 63-81. 40-63% of former foster youth have not completed high school Higher rates of homelessness, arrests, & incarceration than other youth of comparable age Most cannot move back home if they can’t find employment

  7. Struggles/Issues Continued… • Employment programs currently available to foster youth are not successful in assisting them to become self-sufficient • Reach a limited number of youth • Do not offer assistance to youth currently in care • Focused on immediate employment rather than long-term • Increasingly competitive job market • Transportation limitations • Unprepared to meet the challenges that await them after foster care • High number of youth have a disability diagnosis Henig, A. (2009) Employment aid for youth aging out of foster care: Extending one-stop career centers to include a division for foster care youth. Family Court Review, 47(3), 570-585.

  8. Where We Might Work with Former Foster Youth • Transitional Living Programs (TL) • The YMCA is the sole provider of state-contracted independent living services for foster youth/former foster youth in King County, and hosts the region's only transition center (YMCA Center for Young Adults) targeting foster and former foster youth. http://www.ymcayas.org/what-were-about/history.aspx • Justice System • 31-42% of former foster youth have been arrested, 18-26% have been incarcerated. • Schools/Colleges • 30-80% of children and youth in foster care have a disability diagnosis • Difficult to accurately estimate the number of youth with disabilities aging out of care in the US because of inconsistencies in administrative child welfare data regarding disabilities. • Homeless Youth • 12-30% of former foster youth struggle with homelessness

  9. Best Practice Approaches Limited Research Support Based approach (Mentor) Social Justice Model

  10. Counseling Theories / Therapies • Social Cognitive Theory: Work on building up self efficacy and outcome expectations so that they can open up more options for themselves and have the confidence to explore different paths. • Culturally Appropriate Counseling Theory: Be aware of the cultural factors that may influence their experiences/options and of the assumptions, biases and beliefs that you bring based on your unique cultural lens • Narrative Therapy: Give them the opportunity to tell their story and have a sense of ownership over it, as many foster youth feel they have little ownership or agency in their lives.

  11. Counseling Theories / Therapies • Reality Therapy: Reality Therapy is the counseling method that we use to help individuals to focus on the future rather than the past and make the choices that will result in more responsible behavior and more satisfying lives. • Motivational Interviewing: Directive, person centered counseling style that aims to help people explore and resolve their ambivalence about behavior change • Systems Theory: serves to work with the many systems that surround the foster youth and work in their lives

  12. Assessments & Interventions • Diagnostic Interviews • PTSD • Major Depression • SASSI (Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory) • Observation & Self Report • Talk Therapy • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

  13. Resources for Those Working With Former Foster Youth Involve young people as partners in all aspects of planning and decision making Assist young people in pursuing education and employment, accessing physical and mental health care, and securing safe and stable housing; Continue permanency planning that is youth-directed; support young people in building vital social capital; Fully engage young people in choosing healthy and supported living options for themselves, including continued placement in a family-based setting and living on their own

  14. Resources For Those Working With Former Foster Youth • Need for collaboration • Often foster youth work with a number of people (case workers, social workers, foster parents, educators, counselors, parole officers, advocates etc…) • TL Programs • Free Online Foster Parent training videos (DSHS)

  15. Resources for Former Foster Youth “young adults ages 18-24 [are] generally under-counted and under-represented when solutions are envisioned. Relatively few resources are being directed to … them” -from “A growing problem: Fresh out of foster care and homeless” by Carol Smith, 2010 http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/A-growing-problem-Fresh-out-of-foster-care-and-886284.php

  16. Resources for Former Foster Youth • EMOTIONAL SUPPORT/MENTAL HEALTH: • YMCA Foster & Kinship Teen Link • A peer to peer teen help line, providing emotional support, education and resources to youth ages 13-21. • The Family Services and Mental Health Permanency Program (Foster Care) • Offers state-referred youth and their families wrap-around services including mental health counseling, youth assessment services and in-home family preservation and reunification services. • Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) • Recognizes the importance of involving family groups in decision making about children who need protection or care, and it can be initiated by child welfare agencies whenever a critical decision about a child is required.

  17. Resources For Former Foster Youth “one in five of those who age out will be homeless within two years of leaving foster care” – Carol Smith • HOUSING: • Children Services Board Agency • Provides rental assistance for up to five years, while they complete a post secondary education or training program. • YMCA of Seattle (Transitional Living Program) • Maintains more than 30 of King County’s housing for young adults, offering a continuum that includes 5 shared homes, 20 downtown studio apartments, and scattered site apartments • Hosts emergency overnight shelters for homeless teens in Bellevue, & meals showers services for homeless youth in the U district • Through the TL Program, youth can access Chaffee Funds (for startup rental costs/furniture etc…) • ROOTS, Orion Center, The Landing, Healthy Start – short term living

  18. Resources for Former Foster Youth • Employment • Workforce Investment Act Youth Program • Worksource • Locations in King County/Online Access • 3rd Ave 2nd Floor, Seattle, WA 98121 • College Way N., OCE&E Bldg., Seattle, WA 98103 • Rainier Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98144 • www.independence.wa.gov • Transitional Living Programs

  19. Resources for Former Foster Youth • EDUCATION/COLLEGE: • The College Success Foundation: works to improve the educational attainment of Washington State foster youth by helping them develop their academic skills and plans for success. • Foster Care to College Mentoring Program is a mentoring program where foster youth are paired with an adult who serves as their stable support system and helps them access resources for educational purposes, i.e. financial aid assistance, enrollment and registration processes. • The Chafee Education and Training Vouchers Program allots eligible youth up to $5,000 annually that may be used for post secondary education related expenses. • Almost all former foster youth are eligible for the Pell Grant to attend college. • BASIC NEEDS: • Crisis Clinic: Offers referrals for mental health, substance abuse and basic needs. • Department of Human Services: Provides funding and resources to support basic needs.

  20. Advocacy & Education • Fostering Connectionshttp://www.fosteringconnections.org/resources/topic_tar?id=0005 • Here you will find tools, analyses and research related specifically to the Older Youth provisions of the new Fostering Connections law. • Mocking Bird Society- http://www.mockingbirdsociety.org/ • Provides trainings and advocacy materials for both providers and foster youth. • Casey Family Programs- http://www.casey.org/Resources/ • Provides resources, trainings, advocacy and direct services to foster youth and professionals. • FosterClub for adults – • This is a site for adults involved in the foster care system: those who care for children and caseworkers. Visitors to the site will find information and inspiration on how to work and communicate with foster youth. • Foster Family-Based Treatment Association- • http://www.ffta.org/publications/ebpguidefinalweb.pdf • Evidence based techniques and treatments for foster care youth.

  21. References http://archive.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cwo07-10/cwo07-10.pdf http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/bystate/Rankings.aspx?state=WA&ind=5223 http://catalystforkids.org/KingCountyReportonRacialDisproportionality.pdf Henig, A. (2009) Employment aid for youth aging out of foster care: Extending one-stop career centers to include a division for foster care youth. Family Court Review, 47 (3), 570-585. Hill, K., Lightfoot, E., & Kimball, E. (2011) Foster care transition services for youth with disabilities. Child Welfare, 89 (6), 63-81. www.independence.wa.gov http://www.mockingbirdsociety.org/ http://www.fosteringconnections.org/resources/topic_tar?id=0005 http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/A-growing-problem-Fresh-out-of-foster-care-and-886284.php

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