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October 22, 2009To submit an announcement to the FYA Weekly Bulletin, email bulletins@fosteryouthalliance.org. |
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In This Issue1. Budget News 4. Publications 6. Webinars 8. Free Shoes 9. Need Stories 10. Need Volunteers 11. In the News |
Cuts and Compensations:CHILD WELFARE BUDGET CUT DETAILS RELEASED: As we reported last summer, the Governor took another $80 million from the already slashed Child Welfare Services (CWS) budget in his last minute “blue pencil” vetoes. The task of allocating those cuts among various programs was the responsibility of the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). While they still haven’t released their official communication detailing cuts to each of the 53 line items that comprise the CWS budget, earlier this week, the John Burton Foundation passed on a memo, authored by CDSS, revealing the decision on several cuts of interest to FYA and its constituency of transtion age youth. The news for Alameda County is mixed: THP-Plus did not sustain a second major cut. (Earlier in the budgeting process, the total statewide allocation was reduced from $40.8 million to $35.8 million. There was a very minor (0.47%) cut to the total statewide allocation. Here in Alameda County, our planning assumptions have held. However, Emancipated Youth Stipends were eliminated completely. Statewide savings total only $3.6 million, of which our share is about $200,000. EYS dollars here in Alameda County pay for things like textbooks for youth enrolled in college, and clothing for the children of emancipated youth. The extremely modest savings achieved through this cut make the losses particularly hard for the ILSP program, which distributes the funds, and for vulnerable youth, who are again being asked to bear the cost of the state’s budget balancing acts. *********************************************************************** STIMULUS FUNDS AVAILABLE TO EMPLOY FORMER FOSTER YOUTH: Join us to learn about the program Next Thursday, October 29th at 9:00 AM, here at 675 Hegenberger Rd. SSA and FYA have recently become aware of a very significant stream of funding available through the federal stimulus act that will provide subsidized employment opportunities for former foster youth. Federal funds through this program will reimburse employers for 80% of salary and benefits of an eligible employee, for up to 6 months. SSA’s brochure is here. Eligible individuals include: 1) CalWORKs clients, 2) Families under 200% of the federal poverty level 3) Non custodial parents of children in either #1 or #2 4) Families under 200% of poverty who are working towards family reunification. Word from the state is that there is more money available than we’re likely to be able to spend, and how often do we hear that these days? FYA and its member agencies can choose to hire youth themselves, or can work with employers in the community to provide full or part time employment through the program. Next Thursday, October 29th, at 9:00 AM, we’ll be joined by SSA Employment Services Director Sam Tuttleman, who will give more information, clarify procedures, and answer questions. November’s FYA Trainings and Events:Join us for the FYA Fundraiser at Chevy’s: November 11th! Please join us at Chevy’s in San Leandro on WEDNESDAY, November 11th, (anytime between 11:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.), and present this flyer. Chevy’s will generously donate to FYA 25% of the proceeds from receipts accompanied by the flyer. Please print and share with colleagues, friends, and family! Chevy’s is located at 15555 East 14th Street in San Leandro (Bay Fair Mall). Mark your calendars and please help us spread the word! Thank you for your support! *********************************************************************** Next FYA Professional Development Training: November 10th Legal Rights for Adolescents; Issues Arising from Involvement in the Criminal Justice System The next regularly scheduled FYA Professional Development Training will be held Tuesday, November 10th, 9:30 to 12:30, in the ILSP classroom at 675 Hegenberger Road, Oakland. The training will focus on Legal Rights for Adolescents & Issues Arising from Involvement in the Criminal Justice System. This training is offered in partnership with Seneca Center and Chabot Foster and Kinship Care Education. To register, to email mclemmons(at)acfya.org or call 510-667-7640. *********************************************************************** Specially Scheduled Training on Skillful Engagement With Crises: November 16th Join us on Monday, November 16th, from 10:00 to 1:00 for a specially scheduled training on Skillful Engagement with Crises, led by Jeff Cotton. Learn how to handle volatile situations with skill and compassion. This training may be especially useful for line workers, case managers, and those working at drop-in centers, front desks, and community centers. This training will be held in the ILSP classroom at 675 Hegenberger Road, Oakland. To RSVP, please email Melinda at mclemmons(at)acfya.org or call 510-667-7640. *********************************************************************** Next FYA Meeting: November 20th The next FYA membership meeting will be Friday, November 20th, from 9:30 to 11:30 in the ILSP Classroom at 675 Hegenberger Road, Oakland. FYA Partners’ Upcoming Trainings:Fred Finch Youth Center’s November Roster of Trainings:
This flyer allows you to access flyers for each of the individual trainings. All of the flyers are also accessible on the website, www.fredfinch.org. These trainings are open to those who work with foster youth in Alameda and Solano counties, and are presented in partnership with Chabot Los Positas Community College and Alameda and Solano Counties. If you are interested in attending one of the trainings above, please email us at trainings(at)fredfinch.org. *********************************************************************** Seneca Center: Additional Spaces Added To December 7th Law and Ethics On December 7th, Seneca Center, in partnership with Chabot Las Positas Community College and Alameda County, presents Law and Ethics with Steven Frankel, PhD, JD, ABPP, —6 BBS CEUs & 6 APA CEUs. Due to the high demand for this training, the Seneca Center Training Institute has added 30 extra spaces. Please note that we have also been able to apply APA units for psychologists to this training. If you would like an APA certificate please read the entire flyer very carefully as we require a fee of $25.00 to obtain those units. This training is only open to individuals working with foster youth in Alameda, San Francisco, or Solano counties. Here is the flyer with complete details. Two New Publications on Permanency:The California Permanency for Youth Project (CPYP) has released Achieving Permanency: Guidelines for Expectations of County Child Welfare Staff. The guide’s introduction explains that it can be used to clarify expectations with agency staff regarding permanency; evaluate performance; and prioritize permanency tasks. It opens by stating, “This guide serves as a model for agencies in finding family permanency for children and youth. It suggests that child welfare tasks focus on safety and on helping young people leave foster care for permanent homes.” While recognizing that each agency will implement practice in a way in keeping with its unique needs and resources, the guide propose specific tasks for which staff at various levels should be responsible in order to assure permanency for children and youth. Detailed suggestions are provided for work by directors, program managers, county supervisors, training staff and social workers. The report is here. *********************************************************************** California Connected by 25 announced the release of a new report – “California Connected by 25: Efforts to Address the Permanency Needs of Transitioning Foster Youth.” This report is the latest addition to a series documenting the challenges, accomplishments and lessons learned thus far among the Initiative’s early implementing counties in California. Here are the Full Report and the Executive Summary. The report was produced by the Systems Change Assessment Team at UC Berkeley for the CC25I funding partners – The Annie E. Casey Foundation,The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The Walter S. JohnsonFoundation, The Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation and The Stuart Foundation. East Bay Community Foundation Workforce Study Released:On Tuesday morning, the East Bay Community Foundation hosted an event to celebrate the release of its new publication “Putting the East Bay to Work: Sustainable Jobs for the Underemployed.” FYA contributed to the production of the report, which finds that
Here are the Full Report and the Executive Summary. The San Francisco Chronicle covered the event, and quoted First Place for Youth‘s Executvie Director and FYA Board Chair Sam Cobbs, who spoke at the event. Job Opportunities:FYA Member the Alameda County Office of Education is hiring a Community OUtreach Liason (.65 FTE). The job description is here. The recruitment and examination process will establish an eligibility list for this position and for any further openings in this classification during the next 12 months. If you would like to be considered for a position, please contact the Human Resources Office at 510-670-4555 for an application and more information. Applications also available at: www.acoe.org/jobs *********************************************************************** Community partner Youth ALIVE! is seeking an Executive Director. Youth ALIVE! is a non-profit public health agency founded in 1991 dedicated to preventing youth violence and generating youth leadership in California communities experiencing high rates of violence. Youth ALIVE! advocates for strategies to reduce violence, and runs two programs in Oakland and Los Angeles: Caught in the Crossfire and Teens on Target. Youth ALIVE! founder and Executive Director Deane Calhoun will be retiring in March 2010. The Board of Directors has put together a transition and hiring committee, and has asked us to circulate this job description. JBF Webinar on THP-Plus and Fostering ConnectionsFrom the John Burton Foundation THP-Plus Annual Report & Federal Fostering Connections Legislation in California The John Burton Foundation is pleased to announce the upcoming release of the THP-Plus Annual Report for fiscal year 2008-09. This is the third annual report developed by the THP-Plus Statewide Implementation Project and includes the latest information about THP-Plus. This information will be presented on Monday, October 26th at a free, informational web seminar. Also presented at the web seminar will be a one-year update of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 in California. Click here for a summary that describes the major provisions of the federal legislation and a description of where California is in its implementation. To register for the web seminar, please follow this LINK. Policy Link Webinar on ARRA at 8 months:With October federal reporting deadlines finally here, we are beginning to see exactly where the money from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is being spent – and where it’s not. Eight months into the recovery effort, how are low-income people and communities of color faring? Please join us at 1 pm Eastern (10 am Pacific), Friday, October 23 for “The Recovery Act at Eight Months: A Look at Equity in Hard-to-Reach Communities,” the latest conference call in the Navigating the New DC federal briefing series. The call will focus on how the recovery money has been spent so far – and how advocates can make sure the remaining dollars go toward expanding opportunity in all communities. November is National Adoption Month:The 2009 National Adoption Month website from Child Welfare Information Gateway is now live. The website provides resources to assist professionals and families in planning activities for November, National Adoption Month, to raise awareness about the need for adoptive parents for children and youth in foster care. It features National Adoption Month highlights, proclamations and an activities calendar, and includes links to many AdoptUsKids and Child Welfare Information Gateway materials. National Adoption Day is November 21, 2009. Please see the website for more information. Payless is Giving Free Shoes to Youth:Last year Collective Brands and Payless initiated a program to provide free shoes to youth in need. This year, they plan to give away $1.2 million worth of free shoes for the holidays. That’s over 77,000 pairs! Any qualified 501(c)(3) charity which helps kids in need can sign up for coupons to be redeemed for the free shoes. Agencies can take youth to the store to pick out the shoes themselves during the month of December. The sign up time is limited so you will want to get the word out quickly. Go to www.paylessgives.com to learn more. Derek Clark needs your help:Motivational Speaker, Singer-Songwriter, and Author Derek Clark is Looking for Stories of Triumph for an Upcoming Book A note from Derek: You may have seen me speak/sing at a conference and know that I am passionate about Inspiring Youth and my Foster Brothers and Sisters to achieve victory in their lives. I love helping the next generation by sharing my story and music on how I overcame my painful past while being a foster youth/child for 13 years. I would not be who I am today without great mentors and loving foster parents. I am currently working on the 4th book in my “I Will Never Give Up” book series. I want to spotlight other people’s success stories of Never Giving Up and how they never let life’s circumstances stop them from going for their dreams. These can be stories or poems. If my team picks their story or poem, there will be a “little” financial compensation for what I use in the published book. You are not going to get rich by this…but doors could open for you because of this opportunity. I am proof. Just to have your story published in print is a great feeling of validation too. The applicants must be at least 18 years old and can be older adults as well. This may be a great opportunity for you and others. The story must be inspiring and about overcoming the odds. The stories do not have to be written perfectly as I will have them professionally edited. The stories may be emailed to me at derek(at)IWillNeverGiveUp.com or can be submitted at my website www.IWillNeverGiveUp.com Volunteer at ILSP Career NightILSP is seeking volunteers to participate in their annual Career Night. This special event takes place on November 4th from 5:30 to 7:30 at The Midtown Conference Center on 420 14th Street, Oakland CA 94612. The objective of Career Night is to introduce young people to vibrant careers that they may be interested in and give them an opportunity to interact with influencial members of the community. The event is set up like any typical Career Fair. Each volunteer will be seated at a table with another ILSP partner in a similar field. You will have the option (strongly recommended) of bringing visual displays and/or handouts (freebies, pamphlets, etc… ) to give to youth. 100 or more youth are expected to participate in this year’s event. Food and refreshments will be served during the first segment of Career Night. Your participation will be invaluable in giving the ILSP youth insight into the adult world. Please RSVP to Cornisha Williams by email at cornishalaverne(at)gmail.com or phone at (510) 667-7646. Foster Care in the News:Following the Governor’s 11th hour action, signing a number of foster care bills into law, the San Francisco Chronicle publsihed an editorial noting that “foster care fell by the wayside earlier this year while Sacramento fought over the budget,” and reminding us that at least one important bill, AB 82, was left unsigned. Meanwhile, a storm has been brewing in Los Angeles County. A recent investigative series by the Los Angeles Times found that at least 268 children known to Child Protective Services died in under 18 months. As we noted last week, in response, community activists called for a federal investigation of LA County DFCS. The report sparked a public conversation, taking place mostly through the editorial pages of the Times. One columnist wondered “Why do the children keep dying?” Another columnist called for a complete overhaul of the child welfare system. Meanwhile, findings from a national study reminded us why we need a child welfare system. Child welfare experts and advocates seized upon the study’s terrible main finding and pressed congress to devote more resources to child welfare. |
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