Pathways to Adulthood 2007 Conference

Come join your colleagues in Minneapolis, MN on May 9-11, 2007, for the 2007 Pathways to Adulthood National Independent Living/Transitional Living Conference, presented by The United States Department of Health and Human Services; Administration on Children, Youth and Families; Administration for Children and Families; Children’s Bureau; Family and Youth Services Bureau and coordinated by The University of Oklahoma National Child Welfare Resource Center for Youth Development (NCWRCYD), A service of the USDHHS Children’s Bureau.

Next year's conference, being held at the Minneapolis Hilton, will offer participants the latest information from Administration for Children and Families officials on IL/TL initiatives and additional programs of current focus, stimulating keynote presentations and general sessions, over 70 interesting and informative skill-building workshops, networking and collaboration opportunities with a nationwide delegation of over 600 colleagues and the foremost people involved in independent living and transitional living programs throughout the country, and local site visits of exemplary programs.

Please visit the conference website for more information. On the website you will be able to register for the conference, make hotel reservations directly with The Minneapolis Hilton at a reduced conference rate and view further information for potential presenters and exhibitors. Be sure to check the website for updates and future announcements regarding the Independent Living Coordinators' Forum being held in conjunction with the conference on May 8-9, 2007.

We look forward to seeing you in Minneapolis!

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Call for ACYF Grant Reviewers

The Child Care Bureau, Children’s Bureau, Family and Youth Services, and Head Start Bureau are currently recruiting qualified professionals to serve as grant reviewers and panel chairpersons for their review panel. Important decisions are made by this panel in regard to the funding that benefit children and families across the nation, your comments, insight, and expertise can make an impact on what programs are chosen by the ACYF for funding. They are looking for professionals to discuss and share objective comments within a working team that is diverse in age, background and perspective, and who can honor the confidentiality standards by only discussing applications with other panel members.

There are some opportunities specifically for youth grant reviewers too. If you review the “read the want ads” section of the website and then go into the Family and Youth Services Bureau section there are want ads recruiting young adult reviewers ages 19-24, who are currently enrolled in an institution of higher learning (with at least a sophomore status) or with a degree from an accredited college/university with a discipline in the social sciences. This is another great opportunity for those youth that were previously in foster care or transitional living situations that are now in college and would have an interest in participating in the grant review process.

To see if being a grant reviewer is right for you go to www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/grantreview and follow the easy steps to review the requirements and grant reviewer’s want ads.

If interested you can view the website or call the Reviewer Help Line at 1-866-796-1613 for answer to any questions you may have.

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Resources to Aid Preparation for the Next Round of the CFSR

The next round of the CFSR is quickly approaching. Beginning on March 5, 2007, in Delaware this round of the CFSR includes several changes from the last review process. Included in the changes is the introduction of composite measures. To assist states the National Resource Center for Child Welfare Data and Technology has provided the 2006 State Data Profile Toolkit. This toolkit includes a general overview of the CFSR initiative, an introduction to the data used in the CFSR State Data Profile, and a guide to formulating relevant questions based on the specific results from Profile. It also contains a Quick Reference Guide to the CFSR State Data Profile Elements, a CFSR Glossary, a generic discussion of composite measures and weighted components, as well as other useful documents and tools. To access the toolkit, click here.

Additionally, the Children's Bureau is encouraging the participation of the youth in all aspects of this round of the CFSR. The National Child Welfare Resource Center for Youth Development and the National Resource Center for Organizational Improvement are currently collaborating to produce a toolkit to help stakeholders and youth achieve this goal. Stay tuned the NCWRCYD website for the timely release of this resource.

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AmeriCorps*NCCC Provides Service Opportunities for Youth

AmeriCorps*NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) is a full time residential program for men and women ages 18-24, with campuses located in Denver, CO, Charleston, SC, Sacramento, CA, and Perry Point, MD, in which participants travel the region, based on their campus location, completing service projects and working with local communities to address pressing needs.

The team-based residential structure of the program could provide a great opportunity to youth transitioning out of care that may not be fully prepared for independent living. Participants receive skill building opportunities, housing, food, uniforms, a living allowance, limited health care, and travel expenses to and from the campus at the beginning and end of the program.

Each service project, typically lasting 6-8 weeks, addresses needs in education, public safety, the environment, and other unmet needs. Examples of projects include, tutoring students, constructing and rehabilitating low-income housing, responding to natural disasters, cleaning up streams, helping communities develop emergency plans, and addressing countless other local needs.

For more information visit the AmeriCorps*NCCC website.

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Foster Youth Exempted from Medicaid Citizenship Documentation Requirements

This summer Congress ordered that individuals receiving Medicaid prove their citizenship by providing records such as birth certificates, passports, or driver's licenses. Since many foster youth do not have a passport, are unable to obtain a driver's license, or have lost their birth certificate through placement changes this could present a unique obstacle to speedy medical attention. Fortunately, on December 9, 2007, just before the 109th Congress came to a close, the Senate and House agreed to exempt foster youth from this requirement.

For more information regarding this success stay tuned to the Child Welfare League of America website for future updates.

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Policy Brief Urges Collaboration to Support Undocumented Youth

A new policy brief, produced by the National Collaboration for Youth and National Juvenile Justice Network, suggests that juvenile justice advocates, immigration advocates and youth serving agencies must collaborate to provide consistent support and protection for undocumented immigrant youth. Undocumented Immigrant Youth: Guide for Advocates and Service Providers aims to provide advocates and youth service agencies the background necessary for collaboration. The brief outlines risks and obstacles faced by undocumented youth and also makes policy recommendations to improve the safety and well-being of this population. To view the full brief, click here.

Tips to Foster Parents to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy has released a short, user-friendly guide to support the role foster parents play in preventing pregnancy among youth in care. Ten Tips for Foster Parents offers ideas to help foster parents strengthen their relationships with youth in their care and how to talk with teens about sex, love, and relationships. This publication is part of a two year project on teenage pregnancy prevention and foster care. For more information on the project, or to down Ten Tips for Foster Parents visit The National Campaign website.

New Publication on Concurrent Planning

A Critical Assessment of Concurrent Planning: What is it's role in Permanency, a new publication written by Children's Rights' Senior Policy Analyst Sarah Gerstenzan, and Madelyn Fruendlich, former Director of Policy at Children's Rights, discusses the findings from a study that examined the experiences and perceptions of key stakeholders who are professionally or personally involved in the concurrent planning process. Focus groups, interviews and surveys were conducted with New York State and City parents, foster parents, and caseworkers and child welfare professionals in New York and nationally in order to develop an understanding of current practice and recommendations for improvement. This report is available from the CWLA Press.

Free Online Resources from OJJDP

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention offers juvenile justice and youth serving professionals several ways to stay up-to-date on the latest news. Visit their website to sign up for their JUVJUST listserv or the OJJDP News @ a Glance bimonthly electronic newsletter. Both resources provide youth workers with announcements on relevant publications, funding opportunities, conferences, and news items.

Measuring Up 2006: The National Report Card on Higher Education

Measuring Up 2006, a study released by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education offers researchers and the general public access to the national report card for higher education as well as the report card for all 50 states.The report card grades states in six overall performance categories including preparation, participation, affordability, completion, benefits, and learning. This report, the fourth in the series, not only has the capability of comparing states, but can also compare the U.S. with other nations.For more information, and to access the report cards, visit http://measuringup.highereducation.org/.

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