US: More than a Dozen States Fail to Guarantee Lawyers for Children in CPS Cases, New Report Finds
Imprint – April 26, 2023
Despite evidence that foster kids with lawyers are more likely to reunify with their families and stay in the same school, Minnesota and more than a dozen states fail to guarantee children have lawyers after CPS enters their lives, according to a report released today. In Seen, Heard, and Represented: A Policymaker’s Guide to Counsel for Kids, the National Association of Counsel for Children explains why children need quality attorneys, and how states that do not provide them can develop legal representation programs.
https://imprintnews.org/representation/minnesota-among-states-without-guaranteed-counsel-in-cps-cases/240688

US: Want to Help Foster Youth Heal? Try Guitar Lessons, Rhianna or Meek Mill
Imprint – April 26, 2023
Foster parents are called on to make sure the kids in their homes receive talk therapy, cognitive therapy and family therapy. But experts who treat trauma in kids removed from their homes say there’s another modality that can be highly effective – bringing out a child’s love of rap, pop or rock ‘n’ roll. “Music helps you get through the day; if you are down or if you are happy, music gives you a train of thought, it helps you think better,” a then-17-year-old foster youth identified as Steve told music therapy researchers for a 2012 study.
https://imprintnews.org/top-stories/want-to-help-foster-youth-heal-try-guitar-lessons-rhianna-or-meek-mill/240647

US: Family Foster Care: National Workforce Standards Needed Now (Opinion)
Imprint – April 30, 2023
Countless numbers of foster families, child welfare and mental health practitioners and other advocates strive to provide the best services possible. But the outcomes are uneven: some children get what they need, others do not. From each of our perspectives of more than 40 years’ experience in foster parenting, child welfare and mental health respectively, we are convinced there must be a mandate for foster care workforce national standards. Such requirements are essential to help ensure that child professionals and foster parents have the necessary skills and knowledge to fulfill their mission to serve children separated from parents by child protective services.

Family Foster Care: National Workforce Standards Needed Now

NY: Under Proposed Government Cleanup, Outdated NYC Foster Care Commission Targeted for Elimination
Imprint – April 18, 2023
A government watchdog group has set its sights on a long-defunct New York City foster care commission, saying it is a part of an outdated bureaucracy that no longer convenes, has been dormant for a long time, provides no useful function or is duplicative of work already being done by a city agency. Reinvent Albany – which pushes for government openness and accountability – has been instrumental in passing several data and open records laws in New York City. The organization is now pushing city leaders to update its laws, remove outdated reporting requirements and eliminate task forces, boards and commissions are no longer necessary.
https://imprintnews.org/top-stories/under-proposed-government-cleanup-outdated-nyc-foster-care-commission-targeted-for-elimination/240443

US: Brad Rhodes: Grandparents who are once again parenting (Commentary) (Includes video)
Clemmons Courier – April 20, 2023
In recent years, there has been a growing trend of grandparents becoming primary caregivers for their grandchildren. According to a report from the AARP Public Policy Institute, approximately 2.7 million grandparents in the United States are raising their grandchildren, and this number is on the rise. Various factors, including addiction, mental health issues, and incarceration among parents, drive this trend. Grandparents who become primary caregivers face various challenges, but they also play a critical role in providing stability and support for their grandchildren.
https://www.clemmonscourier.net/2023/04/20/brad-rhodes-grandparents-who-are-once-again-parenting/

US: Four Ways to Help Young People with Foster Care Experience Afford College (Commentary)
Urban Institute – April 19, 2023
On average, a college degree improves a person’s employment prospects, career earnings, and lifetime financial stability. But not everyone has an equal opportunity to secure a degree. Young people with foster care experience are less likely to enroll in and graduate from college than their counterparts. One key reason is they often can’t afford it; most can’t rely on their families for financial support, and many must work while enrolled to make ends meet. The Chafee Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program provides up to $5,000 per year to students who have foster care experience to help pay for postsecondary education. Participating in the ETV program is correlated with higher rates of enrolling in four-year schools, staying enrolled, and graduating from college.
https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/four-ways-help-young-people-foster-care-experience-afford-college

US: Lessons from the Field: Adapting Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Transition-Age Youth and Young Adults in Foster Care
United States Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, & Evaluation – April 19, 2023
This brief describes the use of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) with youth and young adults in foster care in the Youth Transitions Partnership (YTP) in Alameda County, California. The Alameda County Social Services Agency received funding for YTP as part of a multi-phase grant program referred to as Youth At-Risk of Homelessness (YARH), which is funded by the Children’s Bureau within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF).
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/lessons-field-adapting-dialectical-behavior-therapy-transition-age-youth-and-young

US: Changes to HUD Programs Could Help Prevent Housing Instability among Youth Who’ve Aged Out of Foster Care
Urban Institute – April 25, 2023
For the 20,000 young people aging out of foster care each year, transitioning out of a support system and into the broader community can bring unique challenges-one of the first of which is securing housing. Currently, there’s bipartisan support for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to better meet the needs of these young people. HUD’s Family Unification Program (FUP) and the Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) initiative can help prevent homelessness among young people who age out of foster care. These programs provide special-purpose housing choice vouchers that subsidize housing costs in the private rental market for 36 months for eligible young people. The vouchers are also accompanied by supportive services, which last 18 months for FUP and 36 months for FYI.
Also: HUD Announces $5 Million Available to Help End Youth, Family Homelessness (Press release): https://bit.ly/3L64Ecp
https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/changes-hud-programs-could-help-prevent-housing-instability-among-youth-whove-aged-out

US: Grassley, Cornyn, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Help Missing Foster Youth (Press release)
Office of Chuck Grassley, U.S. Senator for Iowa – March 31, 2023
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) this week joined Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) in introducing the Find and Protect Foster Youth Act. The bill would create a feedback loop between states and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration of Children and Families (ACF) to provide more adequate care and information-sharing for missing and runaway foster youth. States are currently required by law to implement plans to prevent, mitigate and find cases of missing foster youth, yet tens of thousands of foster children have gone missing in the last two decades. Increasing communication between states and the ACF would allow them to use real-life experiences to inform the assistance they provide to child protective service agencies. The legislation would require ACF to report to Congress on progress being made to find missing foster youth and prevent runaways. In addition, it would establish screenings for children who return to foster care after running away or were otherwise missing to determine if the children were victims of sex trafficking during their absence. This legislation is endorsed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-cornyn-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-help-missing-foster-youth