Rich Blum’s Post

In 49 states, foster children who've recently aged out of foster care are being taken advantage of by being held responsible for paying for their foster care. Social security stipends and benefits intended for the welfare of these foster children are being cashed out by state agencies, leaving the bill to the impoverished youth. Those social security checks are intended for foster children when they age out of foster care to move into adulthood successfully. For states to claim the money as reimbursement for the costs of foster care is egregious, as governments already have an obligation to pay the costs of foster care under state and federal laws (Shapiro, 2023). https://lnkd.in/g5DwMU89 Our latest newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gqbwA6ze

My lived experience journey Bill Shorten my children were in foster care for 15 years. Three of my children have intellectual impairments and all three lived in separate residential care placements, with foster carers and co-tenants. When a child in care has an intellectual impairment, they immediately go onto the NDIS. The department of child safety placed my children in SIL houses direct from foster care, pre-arranged with no chance to come home. Unfortunately, this means that any child in Australia who has an intellectual or other impairment who is in state care more than likely gets referred to SIL houses upon leaving state care, particularly if they age out of the system at 18. My children feel trapped by another government system - in jail they call it, not able to live normal lives. There needs to be a real difference for these adults, so they are not in the exact housing situation, with support workers and co-tenants. They feel like they have no freedom and there is no way out - why? Because when they say they want to leave everyone directly related to the NDIS tells them they can't - because they will lose their funding, even if they have somewhere else to go. The big SIL companies don't want to lose that particular adults' funding. It's rorting the system and costing Australian tax payers billions of dollars. People need to know, the public needs to know that a lot of these adults have families that want to bring them home but the companies and the support coordinators won't let it happen. There needs to be a change. My children think it's perfectly normal to have a support person all the time when they are in their 20's. Before the NDIS they might have had issues, been called a bit slow etc but they wouldn't be forced to live in houses and never be able to be normal people in society. I am worried about my childrens future. How will they ever have a life filled with all the things a person should be able to do? 😥 An added unwanted aftereffect is that the government gets carers/support workers to call time with an adult's family, 'family contact'. Mr Shorten, this is the term used by the department of child safety for parents to see their children. Enough damage has been caused to our families in these systems. Our of respect for those of us who have been in this situation please change the policy and procedure to reflect that the term 'family contact' is not to be used and 'visit' is used instead. #thepublicneedstoknow #NDIS #Silproviders #disabilitysector #systemchange

Kids in California’s foster care system, on average, move every nine months. They upend their life, join a new home, and start over with a new family. Over, and over, and over again. FURS reduces that constant turnover. A 24/7, statewide helpline specifically designed for any situation where kids in foster care or their caregivers need help, FURS brings solutions to difficult situations. That allows foster families to continue building their homes together, rather than separating and starting over. Yet as you read this, State leaders are proposing to cut FURS for good. If your organization or group would like to support kids and fight to keep this essential program for foster youth, please join over 5,400 others in The Children's Movement of California, and sign on to our campaign to save FURS: https://bit.ly/48lMAo2

Kids in California’s foster care system, on average, move every nine months. They upend their life, join a new home, and start over with a new family. Over, and over, and over again. FURS reduces that constant turnover. A 24/7, statewide helpline specifically designed for any situation where kids in foster care or their caregivers need help, FURS brings solutions to difficult situations. That allows foster families to continue building their homes together, rather than separating and starting over. Yet as you read this, State leaders are proposing to cut FURS for good. If your organization or group would like to support kids and fight to keep this essential program for foster youth, please join over 5,400 others in The Children's Movement of California, and sign on to our campaign to save FURS: https://bit.ly/48lMAo2

As foster care removals plummet, where’s the promised help for families? For the past five years, the states and the federal Children's Bureau have been congratulating themselves on decline in the number of children in foster care. But dropping foster care caseloads were supposed to be accompanied by an increase in in-home cases, to provide families with the mental health services, drug treatment, and parenting education they needed to keep their children safe. That was half of the purpose of the Family FIrst Prevention Services Act. Yet, nobody seems to be asking or answering the question of whether these services have been forthcoming. If California and Texas are any indication of what is happening nationwide, the answer is a resounding "No." Equally important is the lack of interest in this data--and the failure to require it as part of FFPSA. https://lnkd.in/erVDN2Ny

The #FosterCareMonth proclamation by the White House begins with: “The nearly 370,000 children in foster care deserve to grow up in safe and loving homes.” Although that seems like a big number, it’s only a point in time, on a single day. In fact, hundreds of thousands more U.S. children spend time in foster care each year. President Biden: I agree. And while I am thankful that you mentioned removal trauma and racial inequity, it concerns me that we still talk about foster care as a necessary or inevitable system. We have more research and proven alternatives today than we’ve had in the history of our country. We now know better... let’s do better. Let’s bring out all the stops, including federal funding, so that children can grow up keeping them safe with, and not from, their families. There’s much work ahead but we can build a better, more collaborative UnSystem for child welfare in America. One that sees the intrinsic value of every child and parent and where everyone has a voice and a seat at the table. https://hubs.ly/Q02y6BM-0

Happy National Foster Care Day! Today we celebrate and honor the incredible work of foster parents, social workers, and organizations like CASA that support children in foster care. This day is an important reminder of the thousands of children who are in need of a safe and loving home. Foster care can be a challenging and rewarding experience for both the children and the families who open their hearts and homes to them. It provides a temporary refuge for children who have experienced trauma, abuse, or neglect, giving them the opportunity to heal and thrive in a supportive environment. It's important to recognize the dedication and compassion of foster parents who selflessly take on the responsibility of caring for children who are not their own. Their love and support can make a lasting impact on a child's life, providing them with a sense of stability and belonging during a tumultuous time. On this day, let's also acknowledge the hard work of social workers and organizations that work tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of children in foster care. Their advocacy and support are crucial in helping children find permanent, loving homes and providing them with the resources they need to succeed. As we celebrate National Foster Care Day, let's also remember the thousands of children still in need of a safe and loving home. Consider how you can support foster care initiatives in your community, whether through volunteering, donating, or spreading awareness. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of children in foster care and ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow up in a nurturing and supportive environment. https://lnkd.in/g_rXJXuW #NationalFosterCareDay #FosterCareAwareness #SupportFosterFamilies #EveryChildDeservesAHome

The proposed legislation in Arizona marks a crucial and heartening step towards drastically improving the lives of foster children. This legislative effort, aimed at creating more permanency for these young individuals, addresses one of the most heart-breaking challenges in the foster care system: the lack of stable and nurturing environments. Foster children often face a turbulent journey, with frequent changes in their living situations. This instability can have profound and lasting impacts on their emotional and psychological well-being. The proposed legislation seeks to remedy this by ensuring more stable, permanent homes for these children, providing them with the security and continuity they desperately need. The goals of this legislation strongly resonate with A New Leaf’s commitment to supporting vulnerable children and families. We believe that such stability is not just beneficial, it's essential for their healthy development and future success. The nurturing power of a stable home environment and its transformative would have a huge impact on a child's life, especially for those in the foster care system. The pursuit of this legislation is a beacon of hope for foster children in Arizona. It highlights the critical role of policy in shaping and improving the lives of these young individuals. We are deeply encouraged by this move towards creating more permanency for foster children and remain steadfast in our support for initiatives that promote their well-being, stability, and nurturing growth. This legislative effort is a significant stride towards a more compassionate and supportive future for foster children in our community. https://lnkd.in/gJ-ckeXy

Part of my work as a foster care advocate is endeavoring to help the public understand those who have lived experience in care. In our support groups, we often discuss hard feelings that we feel no one can understand unless they've had lived experience in care. In that vein, I'd like to explain some of those feelings so others can maybe understand better. Keep in mind these feelings may not be indicative of all former foster youth, but they are of enough that they deserve to be heard and understood. 1) Birthdays can be especially difficult because many never had one in or out of care. 2) Mother's Day and Father's Day can be extremely sad times because they were separated from theirs due to no fault of their own. 3) The holiday season can be depressing for many because they couldn't celebrate with their families or the foster families (and their foster families' extended bio families) didn't treat them the same as they did their biological kids. Those who aged out with no family may still have no family due to trust issues, so they may sit alone at home (if they have one) feeling unloved and unwanted and receive not even one present during what is normally a happy time of year. (That is why I help admin in a Facebook holiday exchange group for them to exchange a gift with one other former foster youth which, for many, may be the only gift they may receive.) 4) Even if they created their own families long after care, those who aged out without family may still feel the longing for the family they lost long ago. 5) Most services and organizations are geared to make the youth currently in care have happy holidays, but few exist for older former fosters, which makes it that much more difficult for them to get through the holidays. They feel the best thing for them to do is isolate themselves until the dreaded holidays are over. 6) Thanksgiving, especially, may not feel like a thankful time for them because they have no place to celebrate this holiday. The hardest thing for any current or former foster youth is feeling excluded. That feeling can follow us for the rest of our lives, no matter how much education or success we may have achieved. We often feel "not good enough" or "not worthy." It's difficult to overcome those feelings that were ingrained from our youth, no matter how old we get. So, as we gear up for the upcoming holidays, I would ask you to especially think of our older foster care community and, if you know one of them, maybe consider finding a way to make them feel seen and heard.

One of the most important parts of being effective advocates for children and families experiencing foster care is to stay informed about the shifts and trends that directly impact the families we serve. And as there continues to be significant change in child welfare nationwide, Foster Village remains perfectly positioned to bridge the gaps that are showing up along the way. One of the increases we saw in 2023 was in cases involving Family Based Safety Services (FBSS). These are often scenarios in which CPS is trying to prevent family separation and working to get parents the resources they need so that their children do not need to be placed in foster care. The most common scenario that we have seen this year is a single mother in drug treatment programs and/or transitional living situations in need of full wraparound support. Thanks to this community, in 2023, we were able to provide financial, therapeutic, and relational support to 104 FBSS families working to stay together. And in the first seven weeks of 2024, we've already equipped 32 families navigating these family-based safety services. Through our partnerships with several specialty, collaborative court models – including the Travis County Child Welfare Re-imagined Pilot and Williamson County's Family Recovery Court – we look forward to continuing as a strong community resource that family advocates, caseworkers, attorneys, and judges can rely on. Our long-term hope and vision is for families to have the support that they need to the extent that foster care is not even needed, and we are committed to moving the needle closer to that goal one family at a time.