Background on Multi-System Youth
Multi-System Youth are children and youth with complex behavioral, physical and developmental needs that cannot be met by a single government or community agency or siloed system of care. They are involved, or will likely be involved, with one or more of the child protection, behavioral health, developmental disabilities and juvenile justice systems. We are particularly concerned about multi-system children whose specific child or family challenges are so exceptional, complex and costly, that their parents are forced to relinquish custody to the state for the sole purpose of accessing the services their children need.
Loving parents have advocated that relinquishing custody of their child is a break in the family bond. There has to be a better way to access funding for the necessary treatment for their children.
Multi-System Youth was addressed at the diocesan Building a Culture of Life Conference in the Fall and the Sacraments for Persons with Disabilities workshop in March as well as in
The Catholic Times
. It was also featured in this past Sunday's Columbus Dispatch. Yesterday, Mark Butler, a Catholic parent of two children with Autism; Jerry Freewalt, director of the Office for Social Concerns; and others testified for the third time this year in front of the Ohio General Assembly to urge lawmakers to end the practice of child custody relinquishment for the sole purpose to accessing funding for necessary services for their children. In a major development Senator Jay Hottinger submitted an amendment for a crisis stabilization fund. His amendment needs support of other Ohio senators. That is why it is critical that you call now and urge support for this amendment.
