Children’s Bureau Publishes Final Rule on NYTD

On February 26, 2008, the Children’s Bureau published a final rule on the National Youth in Transition Database in the Federal Register. This final rule adds new regulations requiring States to collect and report data to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) on youth who are receiving independent living services and on the outcomes of certain youth who are in foster care or who age out of foster care. The final rule implements the data collection requirements of the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-169). This final rule will be effective April 28, 2008.

Implementation of the NYTD will occur on October 1, 2010, which means that States must begin to collect data on October 1, 2010 (Federal fiscal year 2011) and submit the first report period data to ACF by May 15, 2011. States will be required to report semi-annually to NYTD four types of information about youth:

1. Services provided to youth: States will identify the type of independent living services or financial assistance that the State provides
2. Youth characteristics: States will identify the characteristics of each youth receiving independent living services, such as their education level and tribal membership
   
3. Outcomes (if applicable in that year): States must collect and report information on youth who are or were in foster care at three specific intervals – on or about the youth's 17th birthday while the youth is in foster care; two years later on or about the youth's 19th birthday; and again on or about the youth's 21st birthday
   
4. Basic demographics: States will identify basic demographic information, such as sex and race of each youth in each of the reporting populations

To view the final rule on NYTD, click on the following link: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-3050.htm

back to top

2008 National Pathways to Adulthood Conference: Bridges to the Future: Educational, Employment, Engagement

Come join your colleagues at The Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh, in Pittsburgh, PA, May 14-16, for our annual Pathways to Adulthood Independent Living/Transitional Living Conference, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Administration for Children, Youth, and Families; Administration for Children and Families; Children’s Bureau; and Family and Youth Services Bureau.

Each year, the Pathways to Adulthood conference offers information regarding collaborations and best practices, local site visits, and networking opportunities to child welfare professionals throughout the country. Building on this year’s theme, Bridges to the Future: Education, Employment, Engagement, the conference will offer stimulating keynote speakers, workshops, and information from ACF officials on independent living and transitional living initiatives.

Approximately 600 participants are expected to attend the 2008 three-day conference. Keynote speakers for the conference will include Joan Ohl, Commissioner of the Administration for Children, Youth and Families in the Administration for Children and Families; Regina Louise, author of Somebody’s Someone, Child Advocate and Motivational Speaker; Steve Trippe, President and Executive Director of New Ways to Work; and Rashida Jolley, Miss District of Columbia 2000, Recording Artist and Motivational Speaker.

The conference program will offer 48 workshops, a networking reception sponsored by Casey Family Programs, and participants will have the opportunity to visit three exemplary local IL/TLP programs in the Pittsburgh area. Pre-conference meetings will include the Invitational State Independent Coordinator’s Forum, the Transitional Living Program Grantee’s Meeting, and new this year, the Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Centers’ Advisory Board Meeting. For more information visit the conference website.

back to top

NRCOI Announces Schedule for Spring 2008 Webinars/Teleconferences

The National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement (NRCOI) has announced its Teleconference/Webinar schedule for Spring 2008. NRCOI’s Teleconference/Webinar Program allows states to share information and hear from experts on topics critical to the management of child welfare agencies by telephone. The teleconferences are provided free of charge (long distance phone charges apply) and do not require special equipment. Most sessions last from 60 to 90 minutes.

Registration is available by phone at 1-800 HELPKID (435-7543), by emailing NRCOI at helpkids@usm.maine.edu, or by accessing the online registration form. Participants are encouraged to register in advance and review handout material prior to a session. For complete descriptions of Teleconferences/Webinars and lists of presenters, visit NRCOI’s website at http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm.

back to top

NCSACW Re-Funded to Operate Through 2012

The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) recently received continuation funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Children’s Bureau’s Office on Child Abuse and Neglect (OCAN) to provide training and technical assistance through 2012 to agencies and individuals serving families with substance use disorders. NCSACW's goals are to develop and implement a comprehensive program of information gathering and dissemination, to provide technical assistance, and to develop knowledge that promotes effective practice, organizational and system changes at the local, state and national levels.

NCSACW provides technical assistance to national, state, tribal, and local agencies and individuals by assisting in the development of the cross-system partnerships and practice changes necessary to address issues of substance use disorders among families in the child welfare system. Free online tutorials and training are also offered by NCSACW for specific target audiences. The tutorials focus on the subjects of substance abuse and child welfare and support and facilitate collaboration between the child welfare system, the substance abuse treatment system, and the courts.

For more information on NCSACW, visit http://ncsacw.samhsa.gov/index.asp

back to top

Fact Sheet on the Fostering Adoption to Further Student Achievement Act Developed by Voice for Adoption

Voice for Adoption has developed a fact sheet on the new college financial aid provisions for foster youth that will go into effect in July 2009. The Fostering Adoption to Further Student Achievement Act (FAFSA) will make it possible for teens in foster care to be adopted without losing access to college financial aid. FAFSA was signed into law in September 2007 as an amendment to the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (Public Law 110-84) and removes a financial disincentive to adopting teens from foster care by disregarding adoptive parents’ income when calculating a youth's need for financial aid. Under this new law, foster youth adopted after their 13th birthday would remain eligible for the same federal financial aid they would have received if they had remained in foster care. FAFSA will apply to youth even if they were adopted before the new law was passed.

Voice for Adoption (VFA) develops and advocates for improved adoption policies and worked closely with Senator Norm Coleman's (R-MN) and Senator Mary Landrieu's (D-LA) offices on this important legislation. VFA’s fact sheet, which explains the details of the Fostering Adoption to Further Student Achievement Act, is available at: www.voice-for-adoption.org/downloads/FAFSA%20factsheet.pdf

Recognized as a national leader in special needs adoption, VFA works closely with federal and state legislators, as well as other child welfare organizations, to make a difference in the lives of the 114,000 children in foster care who are waiting to be adopted and the families who adopt children from foster care. For more information on VFA, visit http://www.voice-for-adoption.org/assembled/home.html

back to top

Joint Center for Political & Economic Studies Issues Report: Aging Out of the Foster Care System to Adulthood: Findings, Challenges and Recommendations

To assess and ultimately help meet the needs of youth aging out of the foster care in the United States, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Health Policy Institute, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and in partnership with the Black Administrators in Child Welfare, Inc. (BACW), undertook a project designed to develop insights into the workings of the foster care system and the experiences of youth while in and when aging out of this system.

During the project, a literature review, a telephone survey, and listening sessions were conducted to gather and analyze information from a diverse set of stakeholders and participants in the foster care systems of the nation to develop recommendations to improve outcomes for the youth who age out of these systems. The literature review examined relevant research and information about programs that offer services to youth transitioning out of foster care. The telephone survey polled 800 social workers to gather information about local delivery systems and capacities as well as the experiences of youth in foster care. The listening sessions were conducted separately with youth and with stakeholders (e.g., service providers, community leaders, advocates and elected officials) in three locations (Jacksonville, FL; Houston, TX; and Chicago, IL). African American youth ages 14 to 22 who are currently or formerly in foster care and people who identified themselves as stakeholders in the foster care system (e.g., child welfare agency staff, substitute parents, members of community-based and civic organizations) were convened in the listening sessions.

Highlights of findings included: (1) the proportion of social workers surveyed who rated the scope and benefits of the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (19.4%), the Educational and Training Voucher Program (28.2%) and the Transitional Living Program (27.5%) was comparable to the proportion of social workers who worked in agencies that provided foster care or placement services (25%); (2) selected independent living services supported by the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program are not provided to all youth in foster care who are eligible for those services; and (3) many current and former foster youth do not feel they have any real advocates to guide them through the foster care system or later through life.

To view the full report, visit http://www.jointcenter.org/.

back to top

Report Issued by Government Accountability Office on African American Children in Foster Care

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) National Incidence Study, a congressionally mandated, periodic effort of the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect to obtain information about the current incidence of child abuse and neglect in the United States, has shown since the early 1980s that children of all races and ethnicities are equally likely to be abused and neglected. However, according to DHHS data and other research, African American children, and to some extent other minority children, have been significantly more likely to be represented in foster care. Nationally, African American children made up less than 15 percent of the overall child population in the 2000 Census, but they represented 27 percent of the children who entered foster care during fiscal year 2004, and they represented 34 percent of the children remaining in foster care at the end of that year. Data from nearly all states show some disproportionate representation of African American children in foster care. As a result of concern by Congress about the proportion of African American children in foster care, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducted a study to determine the reasons why African American children across the nation are over represented in foster care.

During its study, the GAO utilized multiple methodologies, including administering a state survey; conducting site visits; interviewing researchers and federal agency officials; conducting a literature review and analyzing federal legislation and policies, to address three objectives: (1) The major factors that have been identified as influencing the proportion of African American children entering and remaining in foster care compared to children of other races and ethnicities; (2) The extent that states and localities have implemented strategies that appear promising in addressing African American representation in foster care and (3) The ways in which key federal child welfare policies may have influenced African American representation in foster care.

The GAO study found that a higher rate of poverty and challenges in accessing support services, as well as racial bias and difficulties in finding appropriate permanent homes, were the main factors influencing the proportion of African American children in foster care. Thirty-three states in the GAO survey cited high rates of poverty among African Americans as a factor influencing children’s entry into foster care. Studies have shown that poverty limits accessibility of needed support services that would allow vulnerable children to remain in their home. State child welfare directors surveyed in the study also reported that bias or cultural misunderstanding and distrust between child welfare decision makers and families contributed to the removal of children from their homes. To view the full report, visit http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07816.pdf

back to top

Blueprint for Change: Education Success for Children in Foster Care Published by Legal Center for Foster Care and Education

Designed as a tool for stakeholders to use for direct case advocacy and broader system reform, the Blueprint for Change: Education Success for Children in Foster Care addresses the global issues that challenge the education success of children in foster care. The Blueprint for Change, which contains eight concrete goals for youth, also provide examples of national, state, and local policies, practices, programs and resources that improve educational outcomes for foster care children. The goals listed in the Blueprint for Change include:

To view the full report, visit the Legal Center for Foster Care and Education’s website at http://www.abanet.org/child/education/

The Legal Center for Foster Care and Education is a collaboration between Casey Family Programs and the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law (with support from the National Child Welfare Resource Center for on Legal and Judicial Issues) in conjunction with the Education Law Center – PA and the Juvenile Law Center in Philadelphia. The Legal Center for Foster Care and Education serves as a national resource and information clearinghouse that child welfare professionals, attorneys, judges, legislators, policymakers and journalists can access to receive current information on legal and policy matters pertaining to the educational needs of youth in foster care.

back to top

Bill to Provide Indian Tribes Access to Title IV-E Federal Funding Introduced into Congress

Bill to Provide Indian Tribes Access to Title IV-E Federal Funding Introduced into Congress In December 2007, the Tribal Foster Care and Adoption Access Act of 2007 (H.R. 4688), which will provide Indian tribes with the same direct access to federal funding for foster care and adoption services that states currently receive was introduced into Congress by Congressmen Earl Pomeroy (D-ND). This legislation will provide federal funding to allow tribes to establish independent foster care and adoption programs and receive direct reimbursement for eligible costs related to foster care services, adoption assistance services, employee training and education, administrative costs related to case planning and case management and establishment and operation of required data collection systems. Under existing law, expenses incurred by tribes while providing foster care and adoption assistance to children under their jurisdiction may only be reimbursed through contracts with the states in which they are located.

The Tribal Foster Care and Adoption Access Act will authorize Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and tribal consortiums operating a foster care program to receive federal foster care maintenance payments for children placed in tribal custody if the tribe: (1) operates a foster care program under part E (Federal Payments for Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of Title IV of the Social Security Act; (2) has a cooperative agreement with the state for such purpose; or (3) submits a description of the arrangements made for the payment of funds and the provision of the required child welfare services and protections.

Tribes with an approved Title IV-E plan would also be authorized to receive a prescribed allotment of the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program funding to administer, supervise, or oversee plan programs. If a tribe does not receive such an allotment, the Act would authorize the tribe to enter into a cooperative agreement with the state to administer, supervise, or oversee the programs to be carried out under the state's plan with respect to Indian children and to receive a portion of the state's allotment for the cost of such administration, supervision, and oversight.

Tribal adoption and foster care programs would be required by this Act to meet the same federal performance requirements as states to ensure the safety of and accountability for children placed in tribal foster care programs. To view the legislation, click on the link above.

back to top

CDC’s Advisory Committee Recommends Influenza Vaccination for Children Age 6 Months Through 18 Years

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a panel of immunization experts advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine issues, voted to expand the recommended ages for annual influenza vaccination of children. The new recommendation includes all children from 6 months through 18 years of age and increases the number of children recommended for vaccination by approximately 30 million. Previously, the recommendation for vaccination of children included only children ages 6 months to 59 months. The expanded recommendation is to take effect as soon as feasible and CDC expects full implementation to occur by Fall 2009 (the beginning of the 2009 – 2010 influenza season). Immunization providers should begin efforts to offer influenza vaccination to all children aged 6 months through 18 years in the 2008-09 influenza season. “This new recommendation should reduce the risk of influenza infections among children of all ages, and their consequent need for medical visits and missed time from school,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

To view the full Press Release on this recommendation, visit http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/2008/r080227.htm. For more information on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, visit http://www.cdc.gov/.

back to top