CAFCA Brief Update June 19, 2001

The former CAFCA Brief Update has always been available for viewing and downloading from the CAFCA web page under the Members’ Only section. Beginning with this issue of the CAFCA Happenings, whenever possible, we will refer you to information that is available on the CAFCA web page rather than duplicate it here. Please send us feedback on this new format.

We are about 2/3 of the way through the legislative session. There are still several late bills on which CAFCA will be testifying, but, for the most part, the testimony phase has concluded. Both the RTC rate setting bill (HB 1084) and the Notice in Expedited Relinquishments bill (HB 1170) have gone to the Governor for signature. To view the latest on all bills CAFCA is tracking and their status, please visit CAFCA’s web page: www.cafca.net. Complete bills may be viewed and downloaded from the General Assembly Web page: www.leg.state.co.us. Be sure to select “all versions” then choose the latest version to make sure you are viewing the most current.

CAFCA News—Kay Willis of Family Pathways of Colorado has announced her resignation as Executive Director. She will be taking some time off to reflect and rejuvenate. We thank Kay for her board service as well as her service to children and wish her the very best!

We have experienced a decline in the turnout for CAFCA General Membership meetings. This may be due to the topics or to people’s busy schedules. Rather than meeting monthly, we are considering either bimonthly or quarterly general membership meetings. If you have thoughts about this or suggestions for either topics or presenters of interest to the general membership, please contact Peg or Mary at cafca1@aol.com.

Committee Briefs-Please go to the Members Only section of the CAFCA web page: www.cafca.net for complete current committee minutes.

Sharen Ford of CDHS and Jim Brown of the Consortium for Children in Washington State gave a general overview and history of the SAFE (Structured Analysis Family Evaluation) Assessment tool. Colorado will soon adopt this psycho-social instrument for assessing Adoption and Foster Care families and, eventually, kinship families. All Colorado counties and private agencies will be required to use SAFE. Many states are currently in the process of either adopting or reviewing the tool. The federal government is also looking at implementing SAFE nationwide, particularly in ICPC situations. Next Meeting Date: Thursday, May 12^th 9:00 AM – Noon, Adoption Options. A special meeting might be called in April to discuss legislation issues.

From 11:30-1:00 p.m. on Friday April 8^th, committee members will host a roundtable discussion on the CPA/County partnership. Weld, Adams and Arapahoe county representatives will respond to questions submitted to them by committee members. Contact Mary Simons for more information. Due to the fact that Bonnie McNulty has decided not to renew her CPA license, the committee is in need of a new chairperson. This position also involves CAFAC board membership. If you are interested in serving in these two capacities, please contact Bonnie.

In March RTC committee members and their education directors gathered to hear a presentation by attorneys Bill Bethke and Kristin Kutz regarding the potential benefits for facility schools applying to become public charter schools. Bethke and Kutz represent 20 of the 105 charter schools in the state, including Ridge View, A DPS charter and for-profit entity. A subcommittee was formed to investigate this option more thoroughly. Next meeting: Friday, April 15^th10:30-noon.

The committee’s draft public policy strategic plan, CAFCA 2010, was presented to the joint CAFCA-Association boards for their discussion and adoption on March 14^th. Volume VIII RTC rules are in final process by HCPF and should go before the Medical Services Board no later than April, possibly on emergency adoption status. Volume VII SAFE rules will be on the April 1^st Human Services Board agenda. Next meeting: Tuesday, April 5^th, noon- 2:00 p.m.

The March 23^rd workshop by Jedd Hafer (Children’s ARK), “Becoming an Effective De-Escalator,” was so over-subscribed that it will be repeated in the southern part of the state later this year. Thanks, Jedd, for another terrific workshop!

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The Bulletin Board: Information, Trainings and Other Opportunities

“Staying on Track,” CAFCA’s annual educational conference, is scheduled for Friday, July 22^nd 2005. Keynote speaker is nationally known youth care specialist and author CHARLIE APPELSTEIN. Other workshops include: Pedophilia and Child Molestation, Substance Abuse 101, Testifying Effectively for Children, and more. Time: 8-3, Location: Bethany Lutheran Church, Englewood, CO. Mark Your Calendars NOW!

On April 13, 2005, the Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable will host a brown bag on “Gift Acceptance Policies: Cornerstone of Organized, Successful Planned Giving Programs,” presented by Betsy Mangone, VP of Philanthropic Services for The Denver Foundation. Time: 11:30-1:00. Location: The Legal Center, 455 Sherman St., Suite 130, Denver. $10 for nonmembers, free for members. RSVP: info@cprg.org.

Denver Public Schools announces “La Conexion,” a mentoring and academic assistance program for elementary and middle school students at selected schools. Mentors must be 18 years or older, willing to commit 8 hours per month to a student for one year. Training and support are provided. This project is a partnership between the Mayor’s Office for Education and Children and Denver Kids, Inc. To inquire about becoming a mentor or learn more about the program, contact Steve Nederveld at 303 727-5250 or steve_nederveld@dpsk12.org

· Identify how abuse and neglect impact brain development and child development

· Understand the effects of prenatal substance exposure and mental illness on children

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Transitions for Infants and Toddlers
In the most recent issue of its newsletter, The Source, the National Abandoned Infants Assistance (AIA) Resource Center focuses on the theme of transitions for infants and toddlers who are moving to a new caregiver situation. The lead article, "Creating Threads of Continuity: Helping Infants and Toddlers Through Transitions in Foster Care," examines the typical child welfare experience, young children's experience of disruption and loss, and the experience of parents and caregivers. Approaches that can create "threads of continuity" for transitioning children are described. The Fall 2004 issue of The Source can be downloaded on the AIA website at http://aia.berkeley.edu/media/pdf/source_vol13_no2.pdf. (PDF 481 KB)

On Education Advocacy To Help Children in Foster Care - From March, 2005 Children’s Bureau Express
Children and youth in foster care often have many unmet education needs due to multiple placements, undiagnosed or untreated special needs, confusion about who has decision-making authority regarding education, and other factors. A new book, Learning Curves: Education Advocacy for Children in Foster Care, is designed to help child welfare advocates (including social workers, judges, attorneys, foster and birth parents, and educators) learn about strategies and approaches to meet the educational needs of these children. Presented in an easy-to-follow format with many good examples, the book focuses on:

In addition, the book provides a glossary of common terms and acronyms, an inside look at the role of foster parents, key regulations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), education advocacy resources, and a quick reference to common psychological tests. The book, by K. M. McNaught, is published by the American Bar Association (ABA) and partially funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Children's Bureau to the National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues. It may be purchased for $15.95 online at http://www.abanet.org/abastore/index.cfm?section=main&fm=Product.AddToCart&pid=5490441 or by calling the ABA Service Center at 1-800-285-2221.

On Outcome-Based Child Welfare Practice - From March, 2005 Children’s Bureau Express

A new website provides child welfare professionals with training and information on incorporating outcomes from the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs) into best practices. The Outcome-Based Child Welfare Practice website is a product of the Children and Family Research Center, an independent research organization created at the School of Social Work by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Training modules included on the website cover a number of CFSR topics. Links to other outcome-based resources are also provided. The website's home page is http://xinia.social.uiuc.edu/outcomessite/index.htm.

The most recent issue of the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Youth Development's electronic newsletter, Youth Development Update, provides information for youth development advocates. This issue focuses on new initiatives for supporting successful transitions to independent living for youth aging out of foster care. The newsletter is published twice a year to provide information on promising practices in the areas of positive youth development, independent living, and permanency planning for adolescents. The issue is available online at www.nrcys.ou.edu/nrcyd/publications/yd%20update/volume3_1.htm.

Related Item: Improving Outcomes for Older Youth: What Judges and Attorneys Need to Know, a new publication from the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Youth Development is now available on the website. This book is a comprehensive guide to the obstacles facing youth aging out of care, as well as the laws and programs at both the State and Federal levels that can be utilized to address the problems that foster youth face. The book is available electronically at www.nrcys.ou.edu/nrcyd/publications/pubspdfs/improveoutcomes.pdf. (PDF 2.49 MB)

On Adolescence and the Transition to Adulthood - The transition from adolescence to adulthood is often a tumultuous time for a young person, but it is especially difficult for vulnerable youth - those in foster care, those with health or mental health issues, and those in the juvenile justice or adult correctional systems. The social institutions that support these young adults change considerably. Their support networks of family and kin may be severely strained, or their health or mental health may create barriers to a smooth transition. This summary from Chapin Hall's November 2004 conference, co-sponsored by the MacArthur Research Network on Transitions to Adulthood and Public Policy, synthesizes the research presented and the discussions on program and policy implications of this research. Topics include education, workforce development, civic engagement, and specific issues facing several at-risk populations.

The National Center on State Courts (NCSC) now has a helpful feature on its website, CourTopics, which covers the Center's comprehensive collection of resources. For each topic in the alphabetical listing, there is an overview of core issues, a resource guide, FAQs, and a listing of any available NCSC publications. Some of the topics addressed include adoption, child abuse and dependency, family courts, family violence, and termination of parental rights.

The National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse have jointly released a new resource as part of their collection of legal information. Online Resources for State Child Welfare Law and Policy can assist child welfare professionals in accessing State laws and regulations related to child protection, foster care, and adoption. It provides links for websites where State statutes can be accessed, and it lists the parts of the code for each State and territory that contain the laws addressing child protection, adoption, and child welfare. Also included are web addresses where State regulation and policy can be found. This online publication is available at http://naic.acf.hhs.gov/general/legal/statutes/resources.cfm.

Free email services on funding and fundraising topics abound on the web. These services provide up-to-the-minute information on everything from the latest RFP to new trends in fundraising. A sample listing of the types of newsletters and list serves available on the web:

* Grants.gov provides information from several Federal departments on available funding (www.grants.gov/Find).

* Charity Channel sends e-newsletters and hosts forums on various aspects of fundraising, as well as funding from State and Federal agencies (http://charitychannel.com/enewsletters/).

Foundation Center RFP Bulletin supplies information on upcoming grants from private, community, and corporate foundations (http://fdncenter.org/pnd/rfp/).

* Norris Consulting produces a monthly newsletter on grants and other funding resources (www.norrisconsultinggroup.com/).

* Fundraising Cyberzine also provides a monthly e-newsletter on fundraising (www.fundsraiser.com/).

Archived presentations ("webinars") on a variety of child and family mental health topics are available for viewing on the Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health website. These learning opportunities include a number of topics relevant for child welfare, including:

* Child and Family Services Reviews: An Opportunity to Collaborate with Child Welfare

On Outcomes - As the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) bill undergoes reauthorization, some advocates support measuring child and family well-being in addition to income and program participation in determining program effectiveness. On February 17, Sen. Rockefeller (D-WV) introduced the State Child Well-Being Research Act of 2005 (S.415), which “is intended to fill this information gap by collecting timely, State-specific data that can be used by policy-makers, researchers, and child advocates to assess the well being of children. It would require that a survey examine the physical and emotional health of children, adequately represent the experiences of families in individual States, be consistent across States, be collected annually, articulate results in easy to understand terms, and focus on low-income children and families.” The bill also includes appropriations to support it. Further information on Child Well-Being and The Importance of State Level Data, including Sen. Rockefeller’s bill, talking points, supportive research, and indicators of child well-being, is available online at www.childindicators.com.

“Adoption subsidies are perhaps the single-most powerful tool by which the child welfare system can encourage adoption and support adoptive families. Yet little is known about the factors associated with the receipt and amount of subsidies. Data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) offer an opportunity to examine how states use adoption subsidies to help achieve goals of permanency and well-being for children. Of particular interest to this study are patterns of subsidy receipt, the role of federal support for adoption subsidies under Title IV-E, and the relationship between adoption subsidies and adoption outcomes, including the rate of adoptions among eligible children and the timeliness of adoption? Questions of interest include the extent and funding of subsidies; the relationship between children's characteristics, foster care experiences, and subsidy receipt and amount; and variations among states in subsidy practice. These analyses use AFCARS data representing all adoptions during the years FY 1999 to FY 2001. Findings indicate: 1) Nearly all children adopted from foster care in recent years received an adoption subsidy; 2) The median monthly adoption subsidy was $444 per month; 3) Among newly adopted children receiving subsidies, 84 percent received federal adoption assistance through Title IV-E; 4) Children's age and special needs status influenced subsidy receipt and amount; 5) Pre-adoptive relationship and other characteristics of adoptive families influenced children's subsidies; and 6) Analyses found some support for associations between subsidies and adoption outcomes. (Author abstract modified)”

Adoption Research Opportunity - From March, 2005 Children’s Bureau Express

Two studies are being conducted at the Center for Social Work Research, at The University of Texas at Austin, by Ruth McRoy, Ph.D., Principal Investigator. As a part of the larger AdoptUSKids initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Children's Bureau, the objectives of the research component are to:

* Identify actual and potential barriers to the completion of the adoption process from the perspectives of current families seeking to adopt and families who have dropped out of the process, as well as agency personnel (Study 1)

* Assess factors that lead to favorable long-term outcomes for families who adopt children with special needs, from the viewpoints of adoptive families and agency staff (Study 2)

Families and staff are currently being recruited for participation and will be interviewed through September 2005; the project will conclude in October 2007. The ultimate goal of the research is to provide recommendations for improving special needs adoption practice. For Study 1, a nationwide, purposive sample of 300 families from public and private agencies who are seeking to adopt children with special needs from the public child welfare system are being followed from initial inquiry through placement. The following participants are needed for Study 1:

* Families who are (all of the following): currently trying to adopt from the foster care system; first-time adopters; early in the application process; not trying to adopt a foster child who is in their home. Also, these families cannot currently have a child placed in their home for adoption.

* Families who applied to adopt a child from the foster care system and then discontinued the adoption process at any point from application to completed home study and final approval, and have not had a child placed with them.

* Public or private agency staff members whose job duties and responsibilities relate to adoption or the adoption process.

For Study 2, a 4-5 year prospective examination of a nationwide sample of 150 families who have adopted children with special needs is underway. Participation is needed from families who have adopted from the foster care system and (all of the following):

* Whose adopted child was age 6 or older at the time of adoptive placement, and the child's adoption remains intact

If you would like more information about the project, please contact the Project Office toll-free at (866) 471-7372 or FAX (512) 471-9514. Ruth G. McRoy, Principal Investigator: (512) 471-0551 or r.mcroy@mail.utexas.edu; Susan Ayers-Lopez, Project Manager: (512) 471-0550 or susanal@mail.utexas.edu.