CAFCA Brief Update June 19, 2001

May is National Foster Care Month. In celebration, CAFCA is devoting this special edition to issues involving foster care and to foster parents throughout Colorado

According to “Strengthening Families One Child at a Time” (August 2004), Lt. Governor Jane Norton’s Committee to Promote Adoption, over 700 of the 13,000 children in foster care are classified as “waiting children.” They are “legal orphans,” children whose parental rights have been terminated, but who have not been adopted. They have no permanent home or family they can call their own. The State is their parent.

Data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being indicates that 60% of children in foster care for one year or longer were placed because of neglect. Thirty-two percent were in foster care due to abuse. The remaining 8% are in foster care for other reasons, including the need for mental health services, domestic violence, parental incarceration, or disability. Half of the babies who enter foster care before they are 3 months old will spend 31 months or longer in placement. The Pew Commission on Foster Care in its report “FOSTER CARE: Voices from the Inside” (February 2004) states that the majority of children in foster care remain there for more than three years and experience at least three different foster homes. An analysis of the University of Chicago’s Chapin Hall Multi-State Foster Care Data Archive indicates that one in five children entering foster care for the first time is under one year of age and that the youngest children stay in foster care the longest (Wulczyn, Fred and Hislop, Kristen, “Babies in Foster Care: The Numbers Call for Attention.” Zero to Three, April/May 2002) (A separate Chapin Hall Study found that neglected children suffered more trauma during adolescent years than many abused children.) Perhaps it is no surprise that nearly 60% of children who are adopted from the child welfare system are adopted by foster parents.

The 2005 Colorado General Assembly completed its business on Monday, May 9^th, two days ahead of schedule. During the 118-day session, lawmakers passed several bills impacting the safety and stability of children in foster care. House Bill 05-1175 (Rep. Hodge) permits counties to elect collaboration in the performance of verbal initial background checks prior to placement of a child with relatives or others under emergency circumstances. The bill also requires the individual(s) with whom the child is placed to obtain a national finger-print based background check within 72 hours of the child’s placement. Adoptive parents are also required to submit to a national finger-print based check under House Bill 1093 (Rep. Solano) and to provide the results to the court prior to finalization of the adoption. House Bill 05-1280 (Rep. Stafford) codifies the existing state level child fatality review panel to review both accidental and non-accidental deaths and recommend policies or practices based on aggregated data. Two companion bills, HB 05-1173 and HB 05-1174, focus on formal notification of relatives as soon as possible in a Dependency and Neglect matter so that they may become involved with a child prior to a termination of parental rights hearing. House Bill 05-1037 (Rep. Harvey) clarifies that children for whom adoption assistance or foster care maintenance payments are made under Title IV-E are mandated under federal law to be Medicaid eligible. It adds children for whom adoption assistance payments are made, but who do not qualify under IV-E, as an optional population eligible for Medicaid in Colorado

During the 2004 legislative session, HB 1271 (Rep. Clapp), the Dedicated Family Homes Pilot, was passed. In recognition of the need to promote stability and connectedness for children in foster care, CAFCA actively supported this legislation despite the fact that its funding was tied to elusive “gifts, grants and donations.” This pilot program is aimed at providing children and youth in foster care with stability and with family-like connections that can transcend the emancipation process. It allows a foster child to return to a previous foster care home following placement in residential care, an unsuccessful return to the biological family or a failed adoption. The “Dedicated Family Home” reserves a space for the child or may receive a temporary waiver to exceed capacity until another child moves out.

CAFCA and several of its members participated in drafting rules for the program. Up to ten counties and Child Placement Agencies may participate in the voluntary pilot. Despite the lack of funding, several CAFCA members and counties have decided to move ahead with implementation. The initial emphasis will be on adolescents and finding ways to support their relationships with important adults, with the goal that these will continue after emancipation.

In 2004, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched a national campaign to encourage the adoption of available children from the foster care system. On April 20, 2005, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Adopt US Kids and The Advertising Council launched the first ever national Spanish-language PSA campaign to encourage the adoption of children from foster care. At the same time, Adopt US Kids, www.Adoptuskids.org, launched a Spanish-language website to help guide prospective adoptive parents through the adoption process. Visit the AD Council http://www.adcouncil.org/about/news_042005/ for more information about the ad campaign. You are also invited to explore the new Spanish-language website www.adopte1.org.

In 2003, 800,000 children received services in foster care, with 523,000 children still in care at the end of the year. This is double the numbers of two decades ago. Every year, more than 20,000 young adults between the ages of 18 and 21 must exit the foster care system when they attain the age of legal emancipation. Unlike youth emancipating from intact families, many lack a support system, family connections, or the skills needed to succeed in employment, post-secondary education or in life.

On April 6, 2005, the Harvard Medical School and Casey Family Programs released The Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study, a long-term study of the effects of foster care on 659 adults. Post-care adults ranged in age from 20-33 years old. Although the study was conducted in Oregon and Washington, the researchers believe the findings are indicative of national trends.

The good news is that more than 20 percent of adults formerly in foster care were found to be doing well. Unfortunately, the majority faced many challenges in the areas of mental health, education, and employment. One-third had incomes at or below the poverty level, one-third had no health insurance, and nearly a quarter had experienced homeless after leaving foster care. Alumni of foster care suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at nearly twice the rate as U.S. war veterans. More than 54% had clinical levels of at least one mental health problem, including depression, social phobia, panic syndrome and anxiety.

Only 56% of former foster youth obtained a high school diploma while 29% received a GED, compared to 82% of the general population receiving a high school diploma and 5% a GED. Just 16% of the young adults completed a vocational degree, with other post-secondary completion rates even lower.

On May 4^th the Office of the Child’s Representative hosted a special screening of “Aging Out.” This compelling documentary follows three young adults over the course of several years as they navigate the process of emancipating from foster care and move forward with no parental support. Danielle, Rhysa and David face substance abuse, parenthood, incarceration, significant mental illness and other challenges as they transition from foster care settings to the adult world. It is a chilling look at the “system” and its inability to provide youth in foster care with the kind of supports that could make a real difference in their lives. If you missed this exceptional film, you can catch it when PBS runs it the evening of May 26^th. Preview the film: www.jimcaseyyouth.org. Or tape it so you can attend CAFCA’s annual art auction fundraiser (5:30-9 pm 5/26), but DON’T MISS IT!

What do you do when the State is your parent and you turn 18? In any given year, approximately 300 Colorado youth turn 18 and leave the foster care system. Some services are available to these youth, but they are generally minimal, due to limited funding of the Foster Care Independence (“Chaffee”) Act. It is estimated that within 12 months of leaving the system, about 25% of these young adults are homeless and living on the street. Those emancipating from foster care face not only the challenges of all young people at this transition phase, but they may also carry the burdens of abuse, neglect and circumstances associated with unstable living conditions. Support for this population is extremely challenging due to the need for diverse, yet overlapping, services in areas such as employment, education, housing, community support, mentoring, health care and mental health.

“Opportunity Passport” is a special undertaking within the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Program. It focuses on creating financial, educational, entrepreneurial and recreational opportunities for young people leaving state care. The passport has three distinct components: 1) a personal debit account for short-term expenses; 2) a matched savings account (Individual Development Account or IDA) to be used for asset building; and 3) local door-openers such as pre-approval for registration in community college courses, assistance with completion of the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or expedited access to job training. The Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative has selected Denver as one of 13 sites in the country to implement Opportunity Passport, through a joint effort of the Colorado Department of Human Services and Mile High United Way. To address these needs, Mile High United Way has launched “Bridging the Gap: A Denver Area Foster Care Initiative,” which has the following broad goals:

v Expanding significantly the capacity of private and public organizations and communities to support youth in foster care

v Transforming the way communities view their responsibility to youth in foster care

v Increasing opportunities in employment, education, housing and health care for youth in foster care

By bringing together a combination of resources and experience, Mile High United Way hopes to promote a cross-system model to expand the capacity of communities to support the needs of youth 14-23 who are transitioning to self-sufficiency from the foster care system. For more information about this project, contact: Philippe Marquis, Project Manager, 303 561-2326, or philippe.marquis@unitedwaydenver.org For more information about Opportunity Passport: Going Places, visit www.jimcaseyyouth.org.

Did you know that youth who are 16 or older and currently in foster care or adopted from foster care at age 16 or older may qualify for post-secondary education financial aid? The Colorado Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program offers funds to foster youth and former foster youth to enable them to attend colleges, universities and vocational training institutions. Students may receive up to $5000 a year for four years as they pursue higher education. The funds may be used for tuition, books or qualified living expenses. These funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis to students out of the Colorado foster care system. The funds may be used at any of Colorado’s public four-year colleges, universities and community colleges, at Colorado College, Regis University and the University of Denver, as well as vocational schools. Applicants must submit an online application that includes a 250-500 word essay on their goals for further education and their next 5 years. For more information, visit www.statevoucher.org. The ETV program is administered by the Orphan Foundation of America (www.orphan.org), which also has information about mentoring, volunteering, scholarships, and semi-annual “care package” activities for those who wish to support youth attending college.

Whether you are an employer, member of the community or a policymaker, there are ways you can assist youth in and leaving foster care. Opportunities exist in mentoring, tutoring, training, employment skills development, networking, advocacy, and many other activities. For more information visit http://www.jimcaseyyouth.org/agingout/help.htm. Please visit the Colorado State Foster Parent Association’s website: www.csfpa.org and the Colorado Department of Human Services website: www.cdhs.state.co.us for more information about fostering opportunities.

[1] This is the message adopted by the Colorado Department of Human Services to promote fostering and adoption of children in the child welfare system.