Other Permanency Issues. Discuss any other issues of concern, not covered above or in the data, that affect the permanency outcomes for children and families served by the agency.
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Older children ages 16 to 21 who continue to be in foster care as adolescents become eligible for the State Independent Living Program (ILP). ILP is not an alternative to adoption and can occur concurrent with continued efforts to locate and achieve placement in adoptive families. IL services are designed and provided by the State to help prepare adolescents for employment, post-secondary education, and successful management of adult responsibilities. If it is determined that reunification with the biological family is not in the best interest of an older youth, or if the youth chooses not to be adopted, every effort is made to assure a successful transition to self-sufficient adulthood. The passage of the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 (PL 106-169), increased available funding and the state's ability to provide housing, counseling, education, employment and other appropriate support services to existing and former foster care youth between the ages of 18 and 21. In 2000, the state partnered with the Casey Family Program to initiate a pilot Transitional Living Program (TLP) for older youth exiting foster care in the metropolitan Atlanta area. The TLP is inclusive of a comprehensive youth and family assessment, family conference, a written transitional living plan, life skills training, supervised apartment living and other identified support services. These efforts will eventually be implemented statewide and are designed to decrease the occurrence of homelessness, non-marital childbearing, poverty, delinquency and acts of physical assault by and/or to our youth. To involve youth in the development of IL activities and services, in 2000 the state sponsored the development of a Youth Leadership Council (YLC). The YLC serves in an advisory capacity to the IL State Coordinator who develops policy and oversees the administration of IL services throughout the state. Youth Leadership Council (YLC) is a group of current and former foster youth, ages 15-22 who are advocating for youth of all ages in foster care. The mission is: Developing an effective voice for foster youth. The YLC was formed in June of 2000. The Council grew out of the Celebration of Excellence, an annual statewide event honoring youth in the foster care system who are graduating from high school or college. Organizers of the Celebration were inspired by the youth honorees and their successes. They envisioned a group of foster youth that would work to develop leadership skills, which could then be used to advocate for children of all ages in the foster care system. The goals are:
Issues facing foster care youth include:
Projects the YLC is working on include:
To assist agency staff and foster parents in working more effectively in achieving permanency for children, the Foster Care Unit has published a quarterly newsletter Partnerships in Fostering since 1998. The Unit designed this newsletter as a training tool which provides timely articles on practice issues, policy and legislation. The newsletter is distributed to all active foster parents and child placement staff in 159 county departments. The foster care newsletter Partnerships in Fostering was developed in response to requests from foster parents and staff who were concerned about the agency and families working more closely together to reduce the incidence of maltreatment in foster homes. Foster parents and agency staff felt somewhat isolated from each other in receiving training and information. Foster parents especially felt the need for receiving more support in caring for children with multiple needs and complex behaviors. Foster parents serving as newsletter design team members with county and state staff felt that an information-based newsletter would help parents feel involved and supported in working toward permanency. Each newsletter issue focuses on a theme related to the health, safety and emotional needs of children while transitioning them to permanency. Topics have included behavior management, managing conflict while working with team members (birth families and caseworkers), medically fragile children, partnering with the school system, permanency options, and substance abuse. Topics are chosen to be timely in meeting the needs and issues expressed by foster parents and staff and complement other training provided foster parents through on-going institutes and other specialized training programs. There are three other factors that have not been discussed, but definitely impact on the agency's ability to move a child into adoption or another permanent placement. Staff turnover is a major problem as caseloads are often uncovered or covered by new workers who are just learning policy. The second barrier is that Juvenile Court Judges do not always comply with ASFA. They have been educated on this issue, but do not always carry out the regulations as outlined in ASFA. The last barrier is a most recent development concerning Adoption Assistance. Children are not able to be placed with relatives and receive Adoption Assistance benefits unless they have been in the custody of DHR. This impedes the placement process. Before the January 23, 2001 changes, as long as the child were AFDC eligible at the time the adoption petition was filed, living in the home of a specified relative and met the definition of special needs, then the child could receive benefits. This way the agency could place children without having to complete a life history on the child and a home evaluation on the relative. Current policy no longer allows the one point in time eligibility unless the child is receiving SSI or had previously received Adoption Assistance. |
Last Updated 10/10/2001