Peoria Tribe Of Indians of Oklahoma’s Post

Exciting news from yesterday's #WhiteHouse summit on Transforming Child Welfare! New policies were announced to prevent family separation due to poverty, which will greatly impact child welfare agencies nationwide. Children should not be separated from their families due to financial hardship alone. Several states, including #Kentucky, #Indiana, #SouthCarolina, #Wisconsin, #Pennsylvania, W#ashington, and #Kansas, have already clarified that poverty alone should not cause child removal. There is emerging evidence linking these actions to improved family outcomes. The Biden-Harris Administration is encouraging all states to follow their lead and clearly distinguish between child maltreatment and financial hardship. Delighted to see these positive changes that will help keep children and families safely together. Read more about these updates in the new White House Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Actions to Keep Children and Families Safely Together and Supported: #childwelfare #familysupport #transformingwelfare #childwellbeing #publicpolicy

"In the perfect world, ensuring a child’s safety shouldn’t have to be a struggle. But sometimes, certain critical measures are needed, and now, the steps to offer these measures are a little easier. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the Department of Health and Human Services last week amended its regulation at 45 C.F.R. 1356 to expand access to legal representation for children who are eligible for title IV-E foster care, their parents, kinship caregivers, Indian custodians and tribes by allowing state and tribal child welfare agencies to use federal funds to provide legal representation." Read the full blog post here: https://lnkd.in/eeDFxJzh #HHS #ACF #grants #courts #FosterCare #families 

Having worked in the child welfare system for several years, I've witnessed various interventions aimed at reforming the system. While many of these efforts are well-intentioned, they often end up being reactionary and, at times, dehumanizing. Recent statistics reveal that over 60% of child welfare cases involve poverty-related issues rather than direct abuse or neglect.  This data underscores a critical need for us to rethink our approach. To effect positive change in an anti-oppressive manner, we must focus on proactive measures that distinguish poverty from neglect. It's essential to provide support systems that address the root causes of poverty, rather than penalizing families for their socioeconomic status. By shifting our perspective and actions from reactive to proactive, we can create a more just and supportive environment for children and families. Let's work towards a child welfare system that uplifts rather than oppresses. #ChildWelfare #ProactiveSupport #AntiOppressive #PovertyVsNeglect #SystemReform https://lnkd.in/eqeMKuXA

https://lnkd.in/gQw2c4sr Of Concern: Deferral of $50 million for the Housing and Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP): The Governor’s Budget proposes to delay the availability of $50 million GF out of the total one-time $133.8 statewide allocation provided in FY 2022-23 for HDAP, and would make these funds available in FY 2025-26, rather than FY 2024-25. Established in 2016, HDAP is administered by county human services and Tribal Governments with the goal of supporting participants secure disability benefits and have stable permanent housing. The program offers outreach, case management, disability benefits advocacy, and housing assistance concurrently. Housing-related financial assistance and wraparound supportive services provided include interim shelter assistance, rental assistance, housing navigation, security deposits, utility payments, moving costs, legal services, and credit repair, among others. Clients who are eligible will be offered these services until a final disability benefits determination is made and the participant is stabilized in permanent housing.  

It is fitting this article came out today as our work in StL just hit 2 major milestones - 1) There are ZERO open reports older than a year. When we first started working with them, there were 2,259 of them and this team closed every old report in accordance to department policy - no shortcuts were taken. 2) There were 3,249 families that were lingering without a clinical consult after the first 30 days - as of Sept 1, that number is also zero. In other words, StL now knows the story of every family with an active allegation! The average caseload is 10, the average days to document and close a safety decision is 17, and less than 8% of reports are hitting the 30 day mark - And that is what victory over the capacity crisis looks like! The article highlights staffing, that was 1 of a 3 prong strategy to get these results - you want to talk about the other two - call me, let's grab nachos and chat!

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, a perfect time to focus on ways to safely keep children with their families and out of foster care. This new brief focuses on how three child welfare jurisdictions have used flexible funds to support families and prevent family separation. https://bit.ly/3VFJTLE #ChildAbusePreventionMonth #CAPM #ChildWelfare

We are pleased to share that Doris Duke Foundation participated in yesterday's Convening on Child Welfare Transformation hosted by the #WhiteHouse Domestic Policy Council. The summit highlighted many innovations central to our vision for a new prevention paradigm in child welfare, including disconnecting poverty from neglect, providing concrete and economic support to families, and fostering true partnerships with those directly impacted by current systems. During the summit, the White House and the Administration for Children and Families announced new policies to better engage and support families seeking prevention services. The four key areas of focus are Separating Poverty & Neglect; Prevention Services; Prioritizing Kin and Youth Needs; and Innovations and Research. For more details, please see the #WhiteHouse fact sheet: #philanthropy #childwellbeing #childwelfare #publicpolicy #poverty

The US President Joe Biden & Vice President Kamala Harris is making child welfare a key political priority in the last 6 months of their administration. Their statement sets out actions their administration will take in order to keep children in their families. Lots to inspire the new UK Labour Government. Their focus: 1. Children should not be separated from their families due to financial hardship alone. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is Issuing new policy guidance that encourages states to update their maltreatment definitions under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to exclude the inability to provide adequate housing, child care and other material needs if the family has insufficient financial means to do so from the definition of child neglect. The state should first seek to help the family. 2. Prevention services - New Biden-Harris actions will expand how states and Tribes can use federal funding for prevention activities to provide greater assistance to children and families before a crisis point. 3. Prioritising Kinship care "Children who cannot be with their parents but live with relatives and other kin have better outcomes than those who are not, including in stability, behavioral health, and education. New Biden-Harris actions will incentivize jurisdictions to do more to ensure children can live with kin, and meet youth needs." #childwelfare #US #kinshipcare

https://lnkd.in/emASsuBW We know the system is operating the way it was designed to. No way we will see change by doing things the same without actually listening to “consumer” voices as the Department of Children and Families calls us. Where’s the customer satisfaction? Where’s the changes in racist practices? We either get a meaningful role in accountability, transparency in the process of selecting a new DCF commissioner to lead the “Child Welfare system” as we know to be family police and not the helping agency they claim to be.

KANSAS: Newborn Kai* was abandoned by her parents at the hospital. She was addicted to methamphetamine and was sick with COVID. Her parents were homeless, living out of their car and battling addiction. After Kai entered foster care in November 2020, the Cornerstones of Care family-finding professionals began to search for connections and discovered Kai’s Native American heritage. When a child is Native American, the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) federal requirements state that these children are to be placed with tribal families. The Connect Our Kids technology platform quickly identified seven great aunts and uncles and Kai’s maternal grandmother, all with tribal affiliations, who met the ICWA standard for release to a family member. Kai’s maternal grandmother and grandfather belong to different tribes, and an expanded search identified other family members from both tribes. Kai’s network comprises 56 connections who can teach her about her culture. While connections were found on Kai’s mother’s side of the family, they did not have the resources to care for her. Kai is now safely living with her biological father’s family and close to a large extended family who loves and supports her. If you’re using our software, your feedback or Impact Story is important to us. If you’re a supporter, know that your contributions are changing lives across the country. To read other stories and how our tools helped, click on the link: https://lnkd.in/ehH2_8nh Thousands of children and youth are waiting for a forever home. Help connect them to safety and belonging: https://lnkd.in/e_nVzqds. #ConnectOurKids #FosterCare #TraumaRecovery #Mindfulness #Homelessness #Technology #MentalHealth #Trauma #TraumaHealing #ConnectOurKidsTechnology #ChooseConnection #Connections #Belonging #Unity #FormerFosterYouth #AdoptionSupport #FamilySupport #CornerstonesOfCare #ICWA #Kansas