Casey Family Programs’ Post

On September 28, 2023, the U.S. Administration for Children and Families (ACF) issued a final rule that explicitly gives all title IV-E child welfare agencies the option to use kin-specific foster care licensing standards and encourages them to limit those standards to federal safety requirements. The rule change will allow more children to be cared for by those they know and love and be financially supported like children with non-kin foster parents. The steps states need to take to implement the new final rule will vary depending on whether the state’s licensing standards are found in statute, regulation, or policy. In some states, the legislature may need to be involved, but other states may be able to implement new standards without legislative action. All states, territories, and tribes operating a title IV-E agency that want to implement the final rule must amend their title IV-E Plan according to specific instructions. For more information about steps that title IV-E agencies need to take, see the Network’s resources and watch the recording of our webinar, “Kin-Specific Foster Home Licensure: Overview of New Federal Rule & Release of Recommended Standards." https://lnkd.in/esWufnDW #KinshipCare #ChildWelfare #Grandfamilies

The United States Senate Committee on Finance held a hearing highlighting the need to support families and prevent children from entering foster care. At the “The Family First Prevention Services Act: Successes, Roadblocks, and Opportunities for Improvement” hearing witnesses advocated for policies including expanding federal funding that goes further upstream to keep families safe and together, including access to economic and concrete supports like the Child Tax Credit. Watch the full hearing here: https://lnkd.in/eEUysDFQ Make your voice heard! Due date: 5/31/24! Watch the hearing and then let the committee hear your thoughts. Email a statement to Statementsfortherecord@finance.senate.gov. The statement can be up to 10 pages in Word format only, to be added to the formal record for the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Finance hearing on FFPSA. Email subject: FFPSA hearing on May 22nd, 2024 Email body: Brief note that your statement is attached. Include at the top of your statement: Hearing Date: May 22nd, 2024 Title: The Family First Prevention Services Act: Successes, Roadblocks, and Opportunities for Improvement Your name or organization name Street address, City, State, Zip Your email Be respectful, politically correct, and be clear in making your point or telling your story as to why CPS is broken and how they can do a better job at protecting our children and families.

Backing kids means backing their parents. All kids need their parents to step up and fight for them. This is especially the case if your children are in out-of-home care or when child protection authorities are hovering. Yet our current child protection system just gets in the way of parents fighting for their kids. How can we change the system and create the conditions for parents and family to lead and participate, to build on their strengths instead of silencing them for their weaknesses? Our article published by the James Martin Institute for Public Policy proposes that parent and family leadership at a systems level can help make this change a reality. It's not a vague concept. There are tangible and practical examples and strategies. Parent and family leadership is evidence based and within our reach. Have a read and let us know what you think. Ben Spence Rob Ryan Stride Winston Churchill Trust (Australia) Association of Children's Welfare Agencies Shantelle Common Nicola Ross Kate Washington MP #childrensrights #parentadvocacy #familyinclusion #childprotection

📘The second installment in #ManifestoWeek is from the Conservatives. Their manifesto, launched this morning, has a few things to say on children's social care. They commit to: 🔵prioritising keeping families together where that’s best for the child through the Kinship Care Strategy. 🔵delivering a Family Hub in every local authority in England. 🔵 support those leaving care with housing, education and employment, in addition to expanding befriending and mentoring programmes for care leavers. For 50 years, Family Rights Group has worked to ensure the child welfare system supports children to live safely in their family. 💜Ensuring parents get help early to keep their children at home. 💜Supporting kinship care when that is not possible. 💜For children in care & care leavers, our Lifelong Links approach is building loving relationships. It's good to see our ideas are now the direction of travel in children's social care reform. With record numbers of children in the care system, a system reset is urgently needed. 📣Will you help us make sure every candidate in this election has child welfare and kinship care on their agenda? Ask them to commit to joining the APPG on Kinship Care by using our easy email tool. ✉️https://lnkd.in/eifMBPGt #KinshipCare #Children #Families #GeneralElection

When does our focus on risk put families at risk? Do we have clear enough definitions of safety and risk and sound enough protocols for assessing and predicting future risk? My friend Valerie Frost is part of the team at Kentucky Youth Advocates that publishes this regular blog. She shared yesterday's post with me, which was written by Jeanna who is a member of KY SEAT. KY SEAT is a statewide council of birth parents advocating for and empowering others who have past experience with the child welfare system. The blog asks some important questions about the unseen impact of reports and investigations. It also reminds us that the impact of CPS extends beyond what we can see when children are removed. The article also lays out some recommendations. 1. Due process for parents 2. More family support 3. Initiating clearer standards 4. Better training for investigative workers To learn more about KY SEAT and to read the latest blog you can check out the link below. It's a big question but how do you weigh the risk of child safety against the risk of harmful intervention? #family #parentsfirst #familyintegrity #cps #childwelfare #listening #curiosity #humility #transformation https://lnkd.in/e4iFrsHZ

I’m going to address something very personal because there is a desperate need nationwide. The statistics on what happens after a child ages out of the child welfare system and qualifying for foster care are abysmal. Less than 4% of the kids who age out in Wisconsin will go to college. Only 1 in four will even get a high school diploma or GED. 1 in 5 of these kids will become homeless. Less than 50% of them will be employed before they’re 24. 70% of the females who age out will become pregnant before age 21. These horrible statistics go on. Kids who are placed in foster homes versus group homes do better, however. A foster family increases the odds these kids will succeed and that they will break the cycle. #ThinkAboutIt #fosteringsaveslives #ChildWelfare #fostersneeded #BreakTheCycle #DonateYourSmallTalk https://lnkd.in/gA6fWJX7

It's #KinshipCareMonth. #ChildWelfare jurisdictions are increasingly adopting or developing programs to support #KinshipCare caregivers because children do better when they live with those they already know and trust. This policy brief by Chapin Hall's Samantha Steinmetz, MA, LSW and Yvonne Fox: ✔ Reviews four navigation programs currently approved for federal funding ✔ Gives recommended steps for jurisdictions to use an existing kinship navigator model or develop one ✔ Highlights innovations jurisdictions are taking to improve and broaden support for #Kinship families Explore for insights to apply in your jurisdiction: https://lnkd.in/gs5Th7Gr

Focusing on prevention? Connect Our Kids' tools are foundational for work along the entire child welfare response spectrum. Rapid connection to family and support is always of vital importance. Easy documentation and organization of that support is always needed. Together, we can revolutionize the child welfare system!