But now I’m proud to serve as a board member for the California Alliance of Caregivers (CAC), that works with a growing membership of caregivers across the state to advocate for foster families in Sacramento. This is a young organization, however, and it needs watering. Please help this organization to grow and become an amplified voice for California’s foster children and their caregivers. California Alliance of Caregivers works with partner organizations to make sure the California child welfare system always serves the best interests of children while they are in foster care. – Rob Bethke.

The post The Bethke Family appeared first on California Alliance of Caregivers Inc..

We are excited to share a special message for Alicia Smith of the Foster Together Network:

Dear DCFS (Department of Child & Family Services) Friends & Colleagues,

As a Black former foster youth and a fellow DCFS social worker in training, I invite you to embrace the opportunities we each have to better support Black youth. As part of our commitment to children’s safety, permanency and well-being, and in addressing the racial disproportionality within this system, it is essential that we prioritize the cultural identity of young Black boys and girls.

Speaking from my own experience and those of my Black and Brown foster youth peers, sometimes the simple things can be profoundly meaningful. When we are not provided with the appropriate care and products for our hair and skin, we suffer additional trauma and blows to our identity that may be hard for others to understand. This brings me to Opportunity #1: Do not just take it from me — to gain a deeper understanding, check out this short video (in English and with Spanish subtitles). Incredible right?

This brings me to Opportunity #2: There are more tools available at the California Alliance of Caregivers website for hair care and supporting youth and families’ cultural identities. These Courageous Actions resources were compiled by the Foster Together Network

(FTN) in response to a study called Courageous Conversations conducted by the FTN and the UCLA Pritzker Center. The study sheds light on the experiences of Black youth in foster care and provides valuable insights for systemic change. I encourage you to explore these tools (such as virtual hands-on hair care webinars and cultural icebreakers) and this research study.

Within my role at FTN, I have had the opportunity and honor not only to help gather these resources but also to work on a broader campaign to improve care for Black youth. It includes trainings that will roll out in July, cultural coaching for resource families, and partnerships with hair stylists and salons that provide Black youth with proper hair care and knowledge. I invite you and your team to actively participate in Courageous Conversations and Courageous Actions by utilizing the provided resources. Together, I know we can create an inclusive and healing environment for Black youth in our child welfare system.

In Community,

Alicia Smith, MSW

Foster Together Network | An Initiative of the Center for Strategic Partnerships

The post Courageous Conversations appeared first on California Alliance of Caregivers Inc..

Styles 4 Kidz outside of Chicago, Illinois was founded by Tamekia Swint to help non-black parents care for black, bi-racial, and textured hair. The importance of this education cannot be overstated. Black, bi-racial and textured hair is a central piece of cultural identity and pride. It is the crown on the heads of children of color. Hair can be easily damaged, even permanently, if not cared for properly. In addition, caring for hair is a life skill that is critical for young children and needs to be taught and practiced from an early age.

California Alliance of Caregivers hosted a training with Styles 4 Kidz to teach foster and adoptive parents how to care for their children’s hair. The response to the training was overwhelming, and CAC plans to host the next training in November with regular training throughout the year. Giving caregivers the tools and resources needed to properly care for their children’s beautiful hair, while being able to pass on these skills, is foundational to their children’s pride and identity. Watch our events page for the next event! Or, join at: cacaregivers.org/join.

Recommended Products:

www.honeybabynaturals.com (safe for babies)

www.reagansanai.com

www.styles4kidz.com

Find YouTube videos to help with hair styling at: www.cacaregivers.org/resourcesfornonblackcaregivers/

The post Caring For Black Children’s Hair appeared first on California Alliance of Caregivers Inc..

All youth aged 15 and above are screened to see if they qualify for the SSI benefits. The agency is required to apply on behalf of eligible youth, however, they are not required to go through the appeal process. Foster, kinship, guardian, and adoptive caregivers should follow up on the application process to ensure that youth receive the benefits they are entitled to, and to ensure the benefits are used to support the needs of the youth. They should know where youth stand in the screening, application, and appeal process. Youth may qualify for SSI or SSA based on their own disabilities, or if their biological/first family is deceased or disabled. 10-20 percent of foster youth are eligible for SSI and/or SSA.

To support the mission of creating more disability advocates for youth, AB 1331, introduced by Assembly member Jacqui Irwin, would establish a position at the Department of Health Care Services that specifically focuses on initiating and supervising a system that ensures that Californians are receiving the most efficient and effective care. This bill this would ensure that youth receive the appropriate benefits owed to them by the state.

The policy recommendations that will ensure a seamless transition for youth to get the benefits they need include:

1. Incorporate SSI screening into existing processes
2. Improve screening & application support for young adults in care
3. Invest in SSI Advocacy
4. Improve data Collection and Transparency

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors took an extraordinary step to ensure that social security benefits make it into the hands of eligible foster youth. They passed a unanimous motion that “tells the county child welfare agency to “ensure” that an interest-bearing bank account is set up for all foster youth who get Social Security benefits so that they can have access to the money “upon exit from foster care.””

By LaNaya Blackwell, Policy Assistant, California Alliance of Caregivers

Webinar Recording – June 4, 2021

Overview

Diana Boyer, Director of Policy for Child Welfare and Older Adult Services, dboyer@cwda.org

County Welfare Directors Association of California, cwda.org

• Federal SSI/SSA Benefits for Foster Youth PPT

Disability Benefits Advocacy for Youth (Compliance with AB 1331 and 1633)

Steven Weiss, Regional Managing Attorney, Social Security, sweiss@baylegal.org

Bay Area Legal Aid, baylegal.org

• Materials were not provided

Social Security Benefits for Non-Minor Dependents (Challenges Faced by NMDs in Accessing Benefits and Recommendations for Improving Access)

Rachel Stein, Supervising Staff Attorney, Children’s Rights, rstein@publiccounsel.org

Public Counsel, publiccounsel.org

• Materials were not provided

Policy Recommendations for Stability and Successful Transitions

Sabrina Forte, Director of Policy and Impact Litigation, sforte@alliancecr.org

Alliance for Children’s Rights, allianceforchildrensrights.org  

• Foster Youth Access to SSI: Policy Recommendations for Stability and Successful Transitions PPT
• Building a Strong SSI Application for Transition Age Youth: Guide, Samples, and Frequently Asked Questions

The post Social Security Benefits for Children and Youth in Foster Care appeared first on California Alliance of Caregivers Inc..

“LGBTQ+ youth are 3X more likely to live in a foster home or group home, or awaiting placement than non-LGBTQ+ youth.”1

“California LGBTQ+ youth are TWICE AS LIKELY to experience HOMELESSNESS and live in UNSTABLE HOUSING, like sharing a home with more than one family, living with relatives, or staying in a hotel, shelter, campground or other kind of transitional or temporary housing.”1

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) youth are overrepresented in foster care for reasons including homophobic and transphobic parents. Resource parents have the great opportunity to intervene in the lives of these youth, and create a safe and stable environment for them. LGBTQ youth who have faced judgement, abuse, and neglect must find safety and stability in their resource family home so that their trauma is not intensified.

Support is not just putting up a Pride flag, posting on social media, or even defending the youth against homophobic and transphobic people. Support includes altering your language, instead of asking if they have a “boyfriend/girlfriend” use more gender inclusive terms, such as “partner.” Instead of assuming the identity of the youth based on their gender expression, ask them “how would you like me to address you?” Being inclusive and supportive in regard to the way the youth desires to dress or style their hair, by taking them shopping or helping them try different hair styles. All of these factors play into the development of LGBTQ youth. Supportive parents and caregivers that allow the youth to express themselves in a safe and conducive environment will take years off of internal struggles.

Many LGBTQ youth relive their teenage years in their 20’s. They did not have the space to express themselves in their teenage years and are forced to live out their true self later in life, which can cause a great deal of trauma. It is not always about understanding the youth, but listening to them and acting as they have asked. Educate yourself by learning the stories of others like them. Making your home an all inclusive space for these kids can prevent them from enduring more trauma than they already have.

Affirm them. Support them, regardless of your personal beliefs. Encourage them to be themselves. Embrace them. Empower them.

Check out Supporting LGBTQ Youth in Foster Care for more tips on how to support your youth! A townhall meeting on “Supporting LGBTQ Youth in Foster Care” will be held on June 30 from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm. REGISTER

By LaNaya Blackwell, Policy Assistant, California Alliance of Caregivers

The post Supporting LGBTQ Youth appeared first on California Alliance of Caregivers Inc..

All County Letter 19-26 (ACL 19-26) informs on the legislative intent and implementation of AB2247 (2018). This bill was led by California Youth Connection as part of their #FosterStability campaign to address the trauma that children and youth in foster care experience when their placements are disrupted and they must move to a new home.

This bill created a process to bring all necessary resources immediately to the child/youth and family to stabilize the placement and to avoid moving the child/youth to a new family. If a Resource Parent is not able to safely or effectively maintain the care of a child/youth, we hope that appropriate services and supports can be accessed. In practice, the Child and Family Team should not let a family get to the point when they are requesting a placement change. However, when a family reaches the point of requesting a move for the child/youth, there is now a path to try “whatever it takes” to keep a child/youth safely with their current placement. There are exceptions when any child is at risk and a move must proceed for safety.

AdvoKids has a great resource for Resource Families to use when faced with a notice of a placement change from the agency – see 14 Day Notice of Placement Change. When the agency initiates the move of a young child, these requirements must be met as well.

You can find a recorded training on Placement Stability/Placement Change Requirements HERE.

The post Placement Change Requirements appeared first on California Alliance of Caregivers Inc..