The Good Stuff in Child Welfare |
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Welcome to The Good Stuff in Child Welfare!
Our team at the Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice, & Research recognizes that between the all too frequent and grim child welfare stories that make us teary-eyed, clenched-fisted, and faint-hearted, there are inspiring accomplishments and heartening endeavors taking place all over this country at every level of practice. To elevate and promote these encouraging stories, we are pleased to bring you this monthly newsletter emphasizing news stories only about “The Good Stuff” from the broad field of child welfare. This month, we searched from coast to coast, sharing impactful changes happening in all corners of the country. We hope this read gives you a few moments of hopefulness and a sense of possibility.
If there's something you'd like to see here, shoot us an email. Know someone who could use a little Good Stuff in Child Welfare? Send them a copy! We hope you love it as much as we do.
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Fostering Success Program at UW-Eau Claire, Stout Given $70,000 Grant |
The University of Washington system has just increased their investment in students with foster care experience. Campuses operating a “Fostering Success” program, including UW Eau-Claire and UW-Stout, will receive an additional $70,000 to help grow the programs. The Fostering Success programs provide support and resources for students who were formerly in foster care or experiencing homelessness each year, with up to 50 students at Eau Claire and 45 students at Stout participating.
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Collection Drive Looks to Offer Back-To-School Success to Local Foster Children |
A Leominster, Massachusetts non-profit holds an annual Supplies for Success Drive to support children in foster care with the transition back to school. Lindsey English, who experienced this as a teenager and entered foster care two weeks before her senior year of high school, founded Fostering Change to support children who are currently in foster care. English has been holding supply drives for foster youth in pre-kindergarten through undergraduate college since 2018 to make sure these students feel ready for each new academic year. Each year, the program has grown with over 200 children estimated to receive supplies this year across the state.
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CA Senator Wilk: New Funds Will Offer Important Services for Foster Youth |
California State Senator Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) recently announced increased funding to support housing for youth aging out of foster care in CA. More than $2 million from the Housing Navigators Program, under the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), which places housing specialists in counties around the state, will directly support child welfare systems in helping youth ages 18 to 21 locate and maintain housing. “Support for foster youth has been a legislative focus of mine for years,” said Wilk. “They often struggle after leaving the system and data unfortunately shows that California’s housing and homelessness challenges disproportionately impact them. I am very pleased to see an HCD program that recognizes the needs of our foster youth.”
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Local Nonprofit Pairs Foster Care Kids With Pro-Bono Attorneys |
While it is recognized as best practice to provide legal counsel to children in foster care during court proceedings, unfortunately there are 14 states that do not guarantee lawyers for children in care. Although Florida is one of these states, a $540,000 grant award from The Charles & Margery Foundation to Legal Aid of Manasota bridges that gap with the “Legal Lifeline for Youth” program by pairing attorneys with foster children to represent them during dependency court proceedings, facilitate conflict resolution, and coordinate placement plans. Currently the program is serving about 5% of the foster care population, with over 75 children having benefitted so far. Linda Harradine, the executive director of Legal Aid of Manasota, says of the children served by the program, “It’s important to have advocates in their corner who will fight for their interests.”
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Governor Ducey Signs Bill to Raise the Kinship Stipend |
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed legislation earlier this summer to expand support for kinship care families in his state. The legislation increases the kinship stipend from $75 monthly to $300 for non-licensed kinship care providers; it also pairs with additional legislation in Arizona prioritizing kinship care, like H.B. 2084 allowing the Arizona Department of Child Safety to quickly support kinship providers as they become licensed, allowing them the “same level of financial support as foster care providers.” Governor Ducey said in a letter. “For too long, these grandparents have been given a dramatically lower level of support than foster parents — but that is about to end. I am very pleased to sign it into law today.”
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'Florida Youth Shine' Amplifying Voices of Former Foster Kids to Spark Change in the Child Welfare System |
Florida Youth Shine, an organization led by youth with foster care experience, is advocating for children in the child welfare system by amplifying youth voices calling for change. Current statewide chair for the organization, Rebekka Behr, explained how in her own experience as a youth in foster care she felt isolated. She says that “having us not only at the table but being in those positions of leadership to take action allows for things that have happened to us, no longer happen to those in care.” The organization has 14 chapters across the state.
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The Field Center team would like to thank the staff and students who brought this newsletter together. Specifically, we recognize our Summer 2022 student Em Brandon for her contributions in providing readers with this uplifting content. Many thanks to our Program Manager Sarah Wasch for editing and our Administrative Coordinator Felicia Saunders for handling design and distribution. Special thanks to our Managing Faculty Director, Dr. Johanna Greeson for her idea to curate the “good news stories” happening in child welfare! |
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