The Good Stuff in Child Welfare
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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, the stories we highlight from around the nation offer innovative policy and practice solutions to the challenging child welfare dilemmas that often hinder success. 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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Housing Complex Opens for Young People Aging Out of Foster Care |
Young people in the child welfare system can often end up homeless after aging out of foster care. A central Indiana facility that is the first of its kind is providing a safe space for 30 young people in such a predicament. The new housing complex will provide much-needed stability for some young people who have already experienced plenty of instability in foster care. One resident commented that the time and effort put into creating such a space made her feel “cared about”. Now, in contrast to her prior experiences, the 20-year-old doesn’t have to worry about where she will sleep at night.
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$1,204 A Month for 150 Young Adults: L.A. County Pilot Program Approved |
Universal basic income and guaranteed income programs have been gaining traction in California, particularly during the pandemic. Building on similar existing programs statewide, Los Angeles County just approved a guaranteed income program for young adults, many of whom are homeless or have aged out of foster care. This three-year pilot program will provide $1,204 a month to 150 residents ages 18 to 24 who are already receiving general relief benefits. Although the selection criteria is not yet clear, county officials hope that the money will help these young adults achieve financial stability, with the goal of becoming permanently self-sufficient.
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AR Youth in Foster Care Eligible for Pandemic Relief Payments |
Arkansas has released a plan to distribute Pandemic Relief Payments to eligible youth and young adults who have been in the foster care system, joining the growing list of states directly providing funds from the federal “Supporting Foster Youth and Families Through the Pandemic Act.” These funds, which can be used for basic needs, rent and utility bills, transportation, groceries and more, are available to any youth who was in the Arkansas foster care system at age 16 or older and who is not yet 27 years of age. Youth can apply before August 31st here.
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Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Awarded More Than $84 Million in Grants in First Half of 2021 |
In the first half of 2021, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation awarded grants to 42 organizations spanning diverse program areas in the U.S. and internationally, including nearly $10 Million in grants for organizations serving youth in foster care. Grantees included: Center for the Study of Social Policy ($2.7 million to support the Alliance for Racial Equity in Child Welfare); First Place for Youth ($2.1 million to improve intensive case management in Los Angeles); Fostering Media Connections ($800,000 to support the Child Welfare Reporting Project); Mount Sinai Hospital ($1 million to provide integrated health services to young people with a history of foster care involvement); Regents University of California Los Angeles ($350,000 to help LA County target resources for foster care transition-age youth); Southern California Grantmakers ($312,500 to enhance housing for child welfare-involved youth); and The Door – A Center of Alternatives, Inc. ($2 million to provide high school education, robust college access and employment pathways for foster youth in New York City).
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Big Shift in NJ Foster Care — 70% of Kids Placed With ‘Kin’ Within a Month |
When Christine Norbut Beyer took over as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families in 2018, 45% of children who were removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect were placed with kin within 30 days of removal. Placements with “kin” (a relative, family friend or close contact) make a big difference in positive outcomes for children in out of home care. By March of 2021, New Jersey DCF has achieved a kinship care placement rate of 70%, with a goal of 80%. “Kinship doesn't necessarily have to be a blood relative. It can be a teacher, it can be a coach,” said Corinne LeBaron, CEO of embrella, a New Jersey foster care nonprofit. “It's about what’s best for the child.”
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The Field Center team would like to thank the staff who brought this newsletter together and their 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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