Future Student Housing for Sinclair Community College Students

 










New Housing Development to Dramatically Transform Downtown Blocks
Dayton Daily News, April 11, 2013
 
An $18 million student housing complex will be built in downtown Dayton at the site of the former Dayton Daily News building and adjacent property, Cox Media Group Ohio announced yesterday afternoon. 

The complex, which will be located on the corner of Ludlow and Fourth streets, will breathe new life into this portion of the center city while increasing housing options -- a key strategy in the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan, a blueprint for the future of our center city.

Cox Media Group Ohio plans to sell the property to the nonprofit United Housing and Community Services Corporation of California, which would partner with Missouri-based Student Suites to build the 350-bed housing complex located just a few blocks from Sinclair Community College.
The historic 1908 “bank” building at the corner of Fourth and Ludlow streets would be renovated while the press rooms to the west and the large 1950s newspaper office building attached to the north would be demolished, as would the city-owned Schwind building further north at 25 S. Ludlow St. In their place, Student Suites would construct a five-story, U-shaped, 200-apartment building with a courtyard, also using the existing 93-space parking lot to the west of the building.
“We are delighted with the plan for revitalization of this key segment of downtown Dayton,” said Julia Wallace, market vice president of Cox Media Group Ohio. “The historical legacy of the Dayton Daily News property will be preserved and this could bring hundreds of people downtown 24-7.”

Wallace said Cox will donate $1 million to the project. Aaron Sorrell, director of planning and community development for the city of Dayton, said city commission will consider its own $1 million contribution, aimed at acquiring and demolishing the largely vacant Schwind building. The bulk of the project -- $13.5 million -- would be financed through tax-exempt bonds, according to Sorrell, with the remainder of the money coming from the developer and possibly a federal historic tax credit.

“The market is unquestionably there,” Sorrell said. “The market studies that have been done over the years have shown a huge demand for student housing. ... This project of 350 beds just scratches the surface of the demand.”

“We thank Cox Media Group for its ongoing commitment to downtown Dayton,” said Downtown Dayton Partnership President Sandy Gudorf. “First, the company committed $1 million toward River Run, the next phase of development at RiverScape MetroPark. Now, the company again is helping us transform our center city into the type of vibrant, active place increasingly in demand today.

“We also thank our partners at the City of Dayton,” Gudorf added. “This project is sure to have a striking long-term impact on this entire section of downtown, as new development -- particularly new housing -- tends to lead to additional growth nearby. We are very excited about what this means for the future of our downtown.”

Read the complete Dayton Daily News story about the project here.

Press Release from ODJFS about Connecting the Dots TANF Demonstration Pilot

New Initiative Launched for Teens and Young Adults in Foster Care

COLUMBUS, OHIO − The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) and Big Brothers Big Sisters are teaming up to launch a new initiative to help teenagers and young adults who have been in foster care transition more successfully to adulthood. “Connecting the Dots from Foster Care to Employment and Independent Living” will break down silos and bring together foster care caseworkers, staff at Ohio’s One-Stop Career Centers, Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors and Ohio employers, with the goal of helping teens in foster care prepare for work, vocational training or college, and independent living.

“For too long, children leaving foster care have had few places to turn and few people to lean on, but that is about to change,” said ODJFS Director Michael Colbert. “We have a unique opportunity to make a very big difference in the lives of teenagers and young adults who greatly need a place to turn, and greatly need positive adult role models to help give them confidence and show them the way to a brighter future.”

For younger teenagers still in foster care, Connecting the Dots will offer mentoring, educational supports and work readiness training, so that if they do turn 18 before finding permanent homes, they will be better prepared for life on their own.

For older teenagers and young adults, it will offer improved independent living and employment services so that they will have more support, more guidance, more connections and more knowledge as they transition to work, vocational training or college, and independent living.


“The statistics are eye-opening,” said Edward N. Cohn, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio. “Foster care youth face some of the most difficult odds in our communities.”
“We are pleased that through Connecting the Dots, our partner Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies in the pilot communities are teaming up with ODJFS to provide needed support for these at-risk youth,” continued Cohn. “Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nation’s oldest and largest mentoring network, has a track record of positive outcomes in children, and we will be bringing our in-depth mentoring experience and statewide Ohio presence to this relationship with the goal of helping foster care youth prepare for a successful future.”

Connecting the Dots will operate as a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families demonstration project at five pilot locations: Cuyahoga, Lake, Summit and Hamilton counties, and a collaborative including Montgomery, Preble, Clinton and Greene counties. Best practices learned in the pilot counties will be shared with counties across the state.

Approximately 1,000 to 1,300 young people in Ohio age out of foster care each year. Nationally, 81 percent of males formerly in foster care are arrested by age 24, 48 percent of females become pregnant by age 19, 33 percent of former foster youth have household incomes below the poverty level, 25 percent have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (compared to 15 percent of Vietnam War veterans), and 22 percent have experienced homelessness.

In fact, 40 percent of America’s adult homeless population spent some time in foster care. By providing better support to the 24,000 young people nationally who age out of foster care each year, it is estimated that more than $5.7 billion could be saved over their lifetime.

On July 25, ODJFS will sponsor the second annual “Connecting the Dots Conference for Foster Care Teens and Young Adults.” Last year’s inaugural conference brought together 200 young people from across the state and featured seminars on employment, higher education, legal rights and personal health.

Connecting the Dots from Foster Care to Employment and Independent Living

Foster care initiative to ease shift to life on own.

Price, Rita. Columbus Dispatch, April 11, 2013.

A new partnership between the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and Big Brothers Big Sisters is bringing together caseworkers, employment counselors and mentors to help teens and young adults who are moving from foster care to independent living.

The journey is rough for many: Among American males previously in foster care, 81 per-cent are arrested by age 24; 48 percent of the females are pregnant by 19; and 22 percent experience homelessness.

“The statistics for children who leave foster care without being adopted are dire, and that’s putting it mildly,” said Benjamin Johnson, Job and Family Services spokesman. “We know we can do better.”

The initiative, which is to start immediately, will use federal welfare money to serve about 300 young people in eight Ohio counties. This year, $1.8 million is available; about $2.6 million could be spent in 2014, and $2.5 million in 2015. As many as 1,300 young people in Ohio age out of foster care each year, typically at age 18.

The effort is a pilot project that first will operate in Cuyahoga, Lake, Summit and Hamilton counties, and as a collaborative effort in Montgomery, Preble, Clinton and Greene counties. Although Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio will oversee the mentoring, Franklin is not among the pilot counties.

“We’re certainly hoping that we’ll get some really positive results, and we’ll see it expand throughout the state,” said Mary Palkowski, spokeswoman for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio.

The program — Connecting the Dots from Foster Care to Employment and Independent Living — aims to connect vital services that, too often, remain fragmented and out of reach for many current and former foster youths. For those still in care, the initiative is to offer mentoring, educational supports and work-readiness training. Older teens and young adults are to receive improved independent-living and employment services so that they can make the transition to work, vocational training, college and independent living.

Portions of the grants will be used by local Workforce Investment Boards to handle the employment component.

The funding is in addition to the $5.9 million per year in federal money that Ohio budgets for independent-living services for foster youths.

“For too long, children leaving foster care have had few places to turn and few people to lean on, but that is about to change,” said Michael Colbert, director of the state Department of Job and Family Services.

Edward Cohn, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio, said statistics about foster youths are eye-opening. “Foster youth face some of the most-difficult odds in our communities,” he said.

Experts estimate providing better support to the 24,000 U.S. youths who age out of foster care each year could save $5.7 billion over their lifetimes.

Ohio Attorney General's Investment in Foster Care

Attorney General DeWine Announces Recommendations to Help Improve Ohio Foster Care

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today released the recommendations of his Foster Care Advisory Group. Convened in December, the group's mission was to recommend solutions to the issues raised at the Attorney General's Child Safety Summits held in eight Ohio cities. Findings released today encourage positive changes to improve the child welfare system with a focus on the safety and well-being of the children in foster care in Ohio.

"We want to do everything possible to get foster kids adopted, to match them with a loving family, and to make sure they have a stable, permanent home," said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.

In 2012, Attorney General DeWine held eight regional Child Safety Summits and a day-long Foster Youth Symposium to discuss issues related to foster care and child safety. DeWine subsequently released in December 2012 the Child Safety Summit Report of Findings. At the time the report was released, Attorney General Mike DeWine assembled a Foster Care Advisory Group of experts in child welfare to report back their findings in 90 days.

The Foster Care Advisory Group recommended the following:

• Permanency and Safety:  Ohio should work to lower the number of times a child comes in and out of foster care to give the child the greatest chance of finding a safe, permanent, and loving home. 
• Foster Parent Participation:  Ohio should focus on training for foster parents, child welfare professionals, and judges to highlight the foster parent's right to attend court hearings and present evidence, and emphasize the importance of foster parent input. 
• Guardians ad Litem:  Ohio should address guardians ad litem who fail to meet mandatory minimum expectations and further support the Court Appointed Special Advocate program to ensure that children have effective representation.
• Mentoring for Foster Youth:  Ohio should support existing foster youth-specific mentoring efforts across the state, and look to see if existing mentoring programs can be used to provide mentors for youth in foster care.
• Normalizing the Experience for Youth in Foster Care:  Youth who find themselves in foster care are often not permitted to engage in normal activities, like spending the night at a friend's house.  Ohio should clarify in statute that agencies are not liable for a child's participation in normal activities.   
• Funding the Child Welfare System:  Ohio should consider creating a state-level fund to ensure that children in the custody of county public children services agencies are provided with minimum services.   
• Accountability in Child Welfare:  Ohio should look at ways of increasing accountability and transparency within the child welfare system.
• Planned Permanent Living Arrangements:  Ohio should pass a statute to narrow the use of Planned Permanent Living Arrangements, where agencies are not required to make efforts to reunify the child, but the child is also not eligible for adoption.
• Foster Youth Voice in Court:  Ohio should ensure that youth in foster care are given an age-appropriate guide to explain the foster care process, and public children services agencies should also ensure that youth are invited to their court hearings and facilitate their presence at these hearings when age-appropriate. 
• Medical Care for Foster Youth:  Ohio should create a central registry where pediatricians treating youth in foster care can input and retrieve a foster youth's medical file to provide greater continuity of care. 

DeWine was joined at the announcement by State Senator Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering) and State Representative Dorothy Pelanda (R-Marysville), who will be introducing bills to enact the legislative changes recommended by the advisory group.
DeWine also announced he is awarding $3 million from Ohio's portion of the National Mortgage Settlement to the following groups:

• $2 million to the Ohio Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program to fund the expansion of services across the state
• $1 million to Ohio Reach, which connects persons who have aged out of foster care to higher education opportunities.

"Children without permanent homes are especially vulnerable and need targeted services to protect their interests and opportunities," said DeWine. "I am pleased that we can provide program grant funding from the National Mortgage Settlement to help foster youth have the same opportunities as children in permanent homes."

A copy of the recommendations is available on the Ohio Attorney General's website.

Ohio ranks 50th in the nation -- dead last -- when it comes to state funding for child welfare

Welfare funding change proposed: Coalition seeks state aid to balance equity

March 28, 2013 

Ohio's reliance on local funds to provide child welfare services ranging from adoption to child abuse investigations creates inequity that a coalition of county children services agencies hopes to solve with a $70 million infusion of state funds.

The Public Children Services Association of Ohio, a coalition of the state's 88 child welfare agencies, asked members of the Ohio House of Representative's Finance Committee last week for an additional $70 million in the next two-year budget to fairly finance child welfare services. Currently, state dollars equal 10 percent of all child welfare funding ...

Kudos to the Dave Thomas Foundation

More hope for more kids: Adoption program adds to legacy of Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas 

Columbus Dispatch Editorial, Monday April 1, 2013.

Nothing is more heartbreaking than a child without a family. So what if someone had a method that would double or even triple the chances of a child finding an adoptive home?

What if this strategy not only could greatly reduce the chances of a young person becoming homeless, going to prison or living in poverty, but also immediately save taxpayers millions of dollars in foster-care payments?

That is exactly what the Columbus-based Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has accomplished through its Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program. Since 2004, the program has provided local adoption agencies with grants to hire recruiters who zero in on one thing: finding the right family for a child lingering in the foster-care system.

Wendy’s program starts with the premise that the label of “unadoptable” is unacceptable. So instead of sorting through a pool of willing adoptive families and trying to match them with available children, these adoption recruiters really get to know a child, then go looking for the right parents, even those who might not have considered adopting. Yet.

Because these recruiters have much smaller caseloads than traditional agency caseworkers, they have the time to pursue every possible lead: Was there a favorite teacher, a great-aunt, a former neighbor who might be able to parent this child?

That this approach works is verified by independent research studies and by a new investment of state dollars that is greatly expanding the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program.

Ohio officials last spring announced they would put $2.3 million in state and federal money into the effort. This has allowed the program, which serves 55 of Ohio’s 88 counties, to hire an additional 29 adoption recruiters; it previously had just seven recruiters in the state

This is a great investment, both for the children and for the taxpayers. According to state and foundation data, the foundation invested about $3 million in Ohio between 2005 and 2012 and arranged 197 adoptions. This produced an estimated $30 million in savings in state and federal foster-care money.

These savings will multiply for decades. “Last year, nearly 28,000 youth in foster care aged-out, leaving them without families of their own,” a foundation fact sheet says, “These youth experience staggeringly higher rates of incarceration, homelessness, unintended pregnancy and truncated educations.”

Ohio’s program is changing that for many youngsters. The state’s investment serves as a model for other states, which also are served by the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program.

This inspiring program shows the difference one person can make to help others in need. It grew from the extraordinary efforts of Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas to call attention to the need for foster-care adoption.

Thomas, born in 1932, was adopted as an infant by a Michigan family. In a 1999 interview on CNN, he said he initially didn’t want to talk about being adopted. “As I talked to people as I grew older... I got really a lot of encouragement. They said, ‘Why don’t you talk about it?’ And I thought, well, I’ll do it if, you know, I could just help one boy or one girl get a home.”

His foundation has helped many more children than that to be adopted: 3,467 as of March. Thomas passed away in 2002, but his good work continues.

Ohio Attorney General DeWine introduces advisory panel aimed at improving state foster care system. Kovac, Marc, Capital Bureau Chief, 12/12/12. 

A new panel began its work Dec. 10 on recommendations to improve the state's foster care system, with an eye toward improving the lives of children stuck in legal limbo.

Attorney General Mike DeWine introduced his Foster Care Advisory Group during a press conference at the Statehouse, building on a series of meetings across the state that included comments from individuals involved in the foster care system.

Information gathered during those meetings was compiled into a report with some initial findings about the state's foster care system, which will be used as a foundation for the new advisory group's work.

The ultimate goal is to determine "what could be done to make a real commitment to the more than 12,000 children languishing in foster care in Ohio," according to the report.

"What we have too often is kids who languish in foster care, who go back and forth between different foster homes or go between a foster home and their natural home time and time again...," DeWine said. "I just think at some point we need to say to the crack-addicted mom or to the father who can't control his anger, hey, we'll pray for you, we hope you get your act together, we'll try to help you, but this little kid's got to grow up. And this kid can't wait for you to get your act together."

DeWine said a number of common concerns arose from the meetings across the state. Foster parents said they were not consulted or allowed to participate when legal decisions were made about child placements. Some said court-appointed guardians were not meeting requirements for the children placed in their care.

And foster children voiced frustration about approvals to spend the night at a friend's house, go to the movies or participate in other activities.

The latter made it difficult for foster children like Dauntea Sledge, now a college student in Columbus, to live normal family lives once placed in homes. "If you're that foster child, it's kind of embarrassing," he said. "Now people [have] to know your business." 

The new advisory group will issue recommendations for improvements in the next three months.

Panel to target Ohio’s alarming child neglect cases: Newly formed group has 90-day deadline to submit recommendations. McCarty, Mary, Dayton Daily News, 12/10/12. 

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced Monday he has appointed a statewide advisory committee “to come up with bold new ideas” to improve the state’s child welfare and foster care systems.

With more than 58,000 reports of alleged child neglect, physical and sexual abuse and about 12,000 Ohio children in foster care, DeWine has charged the 20-member Foster Care Advisory Group to review the issues and submit recommendations by March 10.

The group will use a 17-page report released by DeWine that highlights a year-long study and eight child safety statewide summits that sought input from victims, families, advocates, law enforcement and elected officials to understand the issues affecting the state’s abused and neglected children.

“Everything in the report was something we heard time and time again and there got to be a pattern,” he said. “The most telling comments came from foster parents and young people who have been in foster care.”

The report identified six major issues that repeatedly came up during the summits: restrictions in foster parent participation; problems with the guardian ad litem program; lack of mentors for foster children; stigmas surrounding foster children; decreasing accountability and funding; and barriers to finding permanent homes.

The bi-partisan advisory group includes legislators, judges, prosecuting attorneys, foster parents and child welfare workers. DeWine said he asked the group to submit concrete recommendations within 90 days. He gave them wide latitude regarding possible solutions that range from potential legislation to changes in court procedures.

“The group’s recommendations are not confined to what we found in these eight hearings,” DeWine said. “It’s a panel I am very proud of, because it’s people with diverse backgrounds who share an attitude that they care about kids. It’s not an easy task, because it’s not an easy area.”

State Sen. Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering, who was selected to serve on the group, said: “This is an issue I’ve been following for a long time.”

One of the primary issues related to foster care is the lack of participation by foster parents in the court process. “Foster parents see these kids every day, and love these kids, but they are not consulted when it comes time for the courts or Children Services to make a decision whether or not to go back to the parents,” he said. “Many foster children would also say they are not consulted throughout the process.”

DeWine noted while reports of child abuse and neglect have declined in Ohio, that’s no reason for complacency. “We’re doing better in terms of the safety of kids, but we’re not doing better in terms of moving the kids out of legal limbo,” he said.

The reported concluded too many children are aging out of foster care without ever being adopted and face dire futures. For example, 25 percent of the foster care children do not receive a high school diploma, about 30 percent are incarcerated at some point and more than 50 percent will experience homelessness.

“The challenges these children face are immense,” the attorney general said. “They don’t have a home and don’t have someone close to them to be a mentor, they don’t have someone to support them emotionally and to help to guide them during a difficult time.”

Columbus State Community College student Dauntea Sledge welcomes his role as a consultant on the advisory commission. He was in the foster care system and said more mentors are needed to help children: “It’s not just financial help that’s needed, it’s advice on school, jobs and relationships. The only relationships we’ve seen were dysfunctional.” 

 Sledge recalled the stigma of being in foster care, when even a simple sleepover with friends requires a background check: “Two points in my life were the hardest — when I entered care and exited care,” he said. “I simply didn’t know what I was getting into. I lay down at night with an overwhelming feeling of fear, and I didn’t know what to expect. I had the same feeling when I was emancipated from foster care.”

 Sledge said he had nowhere to go when he aged out of the foster care system at 18. He moved in with his mother at first and ended up homeless for a time. “Even when I was homeless I was still working and going to school,” he said.”People assume that if a foster kid ended up homeless, the kid did something wrong, that he wasn’t productive. But that’s not the case. So many kids are in school or working and just had no place to go.” 

Sledge said the advisory group is “heaven-sent for youth who want to be adopted. I think there are good people on this board who will make the right decisions.”

The foster care advisory group held its first meeting immediately after the announcement, engaging in a spirited and wide-ranging conversation about everything from problems in the guardian ad litem program to making it easier for foster children to live a normal life.

Marynell Townsend, executive director of the Ohio Family Care Association, said she is pleased the report suggested creating an independent ombudsman’s office for youth, similar to what already exists for Ohio’s aging population.

The report stated, “Families often find themselves without recourse when they feel that a social worker or public children services agency is not acting in the best interest of a foster child in their care.”

“An ombudsman would offer the opportunity for an impartial review if the foster parent feels that something is going wrong,” she said.

Crystal Allen, executive director of the Public Children Services Association of Ohio, said while the advisory group’s first meeting was productive, she cautioned, however, that the recommendations cannot involve unfunded mandates or spending money that the state does not have.

“Funding is the barrier point around so many discussions,” Allen said. “We can’t just say, ‘Just do  more.’ We have to be innovative with funding and explore equity in funding.”

Ohio Attorney General's Foster Care Advisory Group

Attorney General DeWine Releases Report on Ohio Child Welfare System; Announces Formation of New Foster Care Advisory Group

Press release, 12/10/2012

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) - Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today released a report outlining several  issues surrounding Ohio's child welfare system, specifically the state's foster care system.

The Child Safety Summit Report outlines multiple concerns identified after the Attorney General held eight child safety summits in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo, Youngstown, Akron, Dayton, and St. Clairsville.

"We held the child safety summits to hear from the people who know the child welfare system the most:  foster parents, foster youth, juvenile judges, and those who work in the child welfare community," said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. "They told us about their achievements and their struggles, and now we have a good foundation to build on to suggest  changes  needed to help protect Ohio's foster children."

The new report issued today contains several of the major issues revealed during the summits, including:

• Restrictions in Foster Parent Participation 
• Guardian ad Litem Noncompliance with Rule 48 
• Few Mentors for Foster Youth 
• Stigmas Surrounding Youth in Foster Care 
• Decreasing Accountability and Funding  
• Barriers to Permanency 

To address these issues, the Attorney General has assembled a group of child welfare experts to form a Foster Care Advisory Group.

The Foster Care Advisory Group is comprised of a diverse number of child welfare experts, members of the juvenile justice system, foster parents, and former foster youth. Members are tasked with issuing specific recommendations to address the concerns identified in the Child Safety Summit Report.

"Now is the time for innovative changes to ensure that every child has a safe, loving, and permanent home," said DeWine.

The group's final recommendations are due 90 days from today..

Seeking Safety in Athens County

New youth program addresses PTSD and substance abuse.
Boyle, Lindsay. Athens News, Oct. 7, 2012.

In Athens County, a new program funded by Athens County Children Services is working to address and alleviate the issues of post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse.

The program, called Seeking Safety, consists of 25 weekly group counseling sessions that use a present-focused, evidenced-based treatment model to ease the effects of trauma and substance abuse for individuals suffering from one or both.

The Seeking Safety program, which was developed by Dr. Lisa M. Najavits, began in 1992, and has been conducted for many diverse groups in a wide variety of settings throughout the United States and the world.

Counseling sessions began in Athens in August 2012, after Tri-County Mental Health and Counseling and Integrated Services of Appalachian Ohio collaboratively responded to an Athens County Children Services proposal that sought organizations willing to implement the program as a pilot project. So, while Children Services funds the program, TCMHC and ISAO employees operate it.

Sheila Shafer, deputy director of programs at Children Services, explained that each session — all of which are conducted at TCMHC — is based on a different topic chosen from the Seeking Safety curriculum. Additionally, in between the weekly sessions, assigned case managers follow up with the participants to provide support and reinforce the program material.

"The ultimate goal ACCS (Children Services) is expecting is that parents will become more able to cope and manage their environments, which will lead to family stability and safety for children," she said.

Shafer said organizers anticipated that, ultimately, each group will have eight to 12 members. She explained that the focus for the first series of sessions is on mothers because the Seeking Safety program trainer recommended not to have mixed genders in the groups.

So far, 17 local women have been referred to the program, which is voluntary. Shafer said that most of those women are mothers who have worked or continue to work with Children Services. She explained that ACCS staff members and caseworkers extended invitations to the women whom they felt could particularly benefit from the program. As the sessions continue, she said that some participants may be added, and others may drop out.

Although the situations of participating families and individuals vary, Shafer said that some common issues they experience include poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, domestic violence, unemployment, lack of outside support, limited parenting knowledge and mental health issues.
Because the Seeking Safety program just began, Shafer explained that a long-term impact has not yet been established. However, she said mothers who have attended the sessions have reported to Children Services staff that they enjoy the counseling sessions and find them to be helpful.

In order to determine the effectiveness of the Seeking Safety services, Shafer said that the providers are taking measurements with pre- and post-test instruments. She said that such measurements will help improve the program in the future.

"This is a pilot project, so there will be lessons learned and the program will be modified as needed," she said.

Athens has a Wendy's Wonderful Kids Program now

Athens Children Services Receives Wendy's Grant

Knight, Fred. Dateline Athens, Oct. 2, 2012.

Athens County Children Services is now participating in a new adoption program.

Executive Director Cathy Hill says the program is called Wendy's Wonderful Kids.

"Wendy's Wonderful Kids is a signature program of the Dave Thomas Foundation on Adoption. It's a grant that has allowed us to hire a Wendy's Wonderful Kids recruiter," said Hill.

Wendy's Wonderful Kids will help to identify permanent adoptive homes for children in Athens County and several surrounding counties in Southeast Ohio.

"The goal of Wendy's Wonderful Kids is to find permanent adoptive homes for children who are lingering in foster care. It's a challenge in every county in Ohio and we've had great success here in Athens County but we're always in need of permanent adoptive families for our children," said Hill.

Cathy Hill says Athens County Children Services has hired a recruiter whose only job is to find adoptive homes for waiting children.

"We have been awarded a grant to hire a recruiter who will be trained in the Wendy's Wonderful Kids model. It's a model that was developed by the Dave Thomas Foundation on Adoption, it's a national, evidence-based model and it's child specific. So a recruiter will actually be trained specifically in that model and will work with children in Athens County and our region," explained Hill.

Studies have shown that the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program is very effective in finding homes for children over the age of 15 and for children with mental health disorders.

"They really hone in on the specific needs of the child and look to locate families that are a good match for children with special needs, with large family groups or children who are a little bit older, making them more difficult sometimes to find a permanent family for," said Hill.

The program will serve a seven county area: Athens, Gallia, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Perry, and Washington.

Recently there were 186 children in foster care in these counties, and of those children, 33 are legally freed for adoption.

Southeast Ohio is the only region in the state without a large metropolitan pool of potential adoptive families from which to draw, which can make recruitment for children difficult.

Additionally, five of the counties participating in the Southeast Ohio arm of the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program currently have no financial support from a levy and have been hit particularly hard by cuts in the state budget.

Knight, Fred. Dateline Athens, Oct. 2, 2012.

Athens County Children Services is now participating in a new adoption program.

Executive Director Cathy Hill says the program is called Wendy's Wonderful Kids.

"Wendy's Wonderful Kids is a signature program of the Dave Thomas Foundation on Adoption. It's a grant that has allowed us to hire a Wendy's Wonderful Kids recruiter," said Hill.

Wendy's Wonderful Kids will help to identify permanent adoptive homes for children in Athens County and several surrounding counties in Southeast Ohio.

"The goal of Wendy's Wonderful Kids is to find permanent adoptive homes for children who are lingering in foster care. It's a challenge in every county in Ohio and we've had great success here in Athens County but we're always in need of permanent adoptive families for our children," said Hill.

Cathy Hill says Athens County Children Services has hired a recruiter whose only job is to find adoptive homes for waiting children.

"We have been awarded a grant to hire a recruiter who will be trained in the Wendy's Wonderful Kids model. It's a model that was developed by the Dave Thomas Foundation on Adoption, it's a national, evidence-based model and it's child specific. So a recruiter will actually be trained specifically in that model and will work with children in Athens County and our region," explained Hill.

Studies have shown that the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program is very effective in finding homes for children over the age of 15 and for children with mental health disorders.

"They really hone in on the specific needs of the child and look to locate families that are a good match for children with special needs, with large family groups or children who are a little bit older, making them more difficult sometimes to find a permanent family for," said Hill.

The program will serve a seven county area: Athens, Gallia, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Perry, and Washington.

Recently there were 186 children in foster care in these counties, and of those children, 33 are legally freed for adoption.

Southeast Ohio is the only region in the state without a large metropolitan pool of potential adoptive families from which to draw, which can make recruitment for children difficult.

Additionally, five of the counties participating in the Southeast Ohio arm of the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program currently have no financial support from a levy and have been hit particularly hard by cuts in the state budget.

At least 60% of children in the Ohio child welfare system have experienced trauma

Ohio Agencies Target Childhood Trauma
Kuhlman, Mary. Public News Service-OH, Oct. 8, 2012.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Whether it's physical abuse, the loss of a parent or another disturbing event, traumatic experiences can leave a lasting imprint on a child's mental and physical health. In Ohio, efforts are underway to better help those affected by a traumatic event.

Franklin County Children Services just received a federal grant which their Director of Community Services, Kythryn Carr Hurd, says will allow them to better identify trauma up front and put the resources in place to treat victims.

"If we have a better assessment on the front end, then we can do a much better job at getting those kids linked to behavioral health care or other services that are going to improve their well-being and their ability to function and develop and grow."

Through the grant, the organization will examine ways to better screen children for trauma and figure out what type of trauma-informed practices and services will be most effective for the health and well-being of these children. The ultimate goal is to create a model that can be used by other child welfare agencies throughout the state.

Franklin County Children Services is one of nine agencies nationwide awarded the grant from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Executive director Chip Spinning says there is evidence the brain of a child who experiences trauma does not develop like that of a normal child. He says it's a critical matter to address, so these children can have successful outcomes in society.

"If we can't go back and correct some of this and get that brain development, then their ability to self-regulate and be successful in school and life is impeded."

Gayle Channing Tenenbaum with the Public Children Services Association says that, while child welfare agencies work to keep children safe and avoid traumatic experiences before they happen, sometimes it's too late. She says early intervention is the next best thing.

"If we can't prevent it, we have to intervene early so that not one single child is having flashbacks when they are 40 or has a personality that is split off and has diabetes or heart disease because of a traumatic experience when they were four years old."

An estimated 60 percent of children in the Ohio child welfare system have experienced trauma, and in the Juvenile Justice system it's 90 percent.

Ohio Foster Care Youth Who Experience Identity Theft

Attorney General DeWine Offers Foster Youth Help
With Credit Report Errors

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Attorney General Mike DeWine recently sent letters to the state's public children services agencies offering help in meeting a new federal mandate requiring youth at least 16 years old and within the foster system to have their credit checked. The mandate also requires the clearance of any errors found on their credit report.

"Unfortunately, foster youth can be especially vulnerable to becoming victims of identity theft," said Attorney General DeWine. "Working with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and county foster care systems, we stand ready to help correct any problems found in these annual credit checks."

"Providing these credit checks is one small way we can smooth the transition from foster care to adulthood," said Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Director Michael Colbert. "At ODJFS, we are committed to helping young people leaving foster care find work or attend college and become successful adults. Identifying and correcting errors on their credit reports will help, and I appreciate the Attorney General's assistance."

The federal law requires that foster youth ages 16 – 18 receive an annual credit check. As those checks are conducted by county public children services agencies, any errors found will be handled by the recently formed Identity Theft Unit within the Consumer Protection Section of the Ohio Attorney General's Office. This unit also offers services to any Ohioan to assist in remedying the effects of identity theft.

The letter sent to the county public children services agencies included an affidavit to be filled out by youth who are found to have errors on their credit report. After assisting the foster youth in checking their credit report, county public children services agencies will then send the report and the affidavit to the Attorney General's Identity Theft Unit to resolve any issues.

Any Ohioan who is a victim of identity theft should first contact local law enforcement. Further assistance in rectifying errors can be obtained at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov or by calling 1-800-282-0515.

Appreciation for Ohio Medicaid Director John McCarthy

Agencies Unite for Mental Health Medication Initiative Hannah Report, Sept. 25, 2012. Education, empowerment and safety -- that was the message from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services' (ODJFS) Office of Medical Assistance (Medicaid) in announcing a new joint initiative Tuesday to improve practices related to prescribing antipsychotic and psychotropic medication to youth. The state is working with Best Evidence Advancing Child health in Ohio Now (BEACON) and a variety of health care leaders to launch a $1 million quality improvement initiative, which will last three years. The initiative will evaluate the prescription of these drugs to children on Medicaid. Medicaid Director John McCarthy laid out the goals of the initiative which included the improvement of overall care for Ohio's children, especially those in foster care, at the day's news conference. "Seeing as these young people are more likely to experience complex social, emotional, behavioral and mental health issues -- they're also more likely than other children in Medicaid -- to be prescribed atypical antipsychotic medications," explained McCarthy. Other groups joining Medicaid in the initiative include the Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH), Public Children Services Association of Ohio (PCSAO) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio (NAMI Ohio). Over the next three years, the groups hope to develop technical resources, improve the use of best practices and advance parental and caregiver knowledge related to these medications. Parents and caregivers who face the possibility of placing a child on antipsychotic medications struggle with mixed feelings, according to NAMI Ohio Executive Director Terry Russell. He explained that caregivers can be relieved knowing that the medications can be helpful, and even lifesaving. On the other hand, Russell said they can be fearful of the potentially serious side effects. When it comes to prescribing atypical antipsychotic and psychotropic drugs, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has an age guideline of six-years-old and up. The point was made that older, medicated youth must be involved in the prescription process. "If young people are not part of the process the chance of them following through on their treatment after they turn 18 is quite low," said Russell. McCarthy said the initiative will help the agencies discover any problems that may exist within the prescription process, such as overprescribing to children. Another concern is the impact these medications may have on a child's ability to learn. Dr. Mary Applegate, Medicaid medical director, explained that they will evaluate educational factors along the way and in the third year of the initiative. She noted a situation a couple of decades ago when children were prescribed anticonvulsants for seizures. It was later determined that those drugs played a role in creating learning disabilities. Applegate added that giving medication to those with developing brains is a reason for concern. The education is an element of the initiative and the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) is involved as a member of BEACON. "We consider a child's success in school to be one of the outcomes that we're actually looking for -- for all the children, particularly foster children," explained Applegate who noted that a child's inability to learn may stem from an undiagnosed mental health condition.

Better oversight when it comes to medicating foster youth

State is tackling pills for foster kids.
Candisky, Catherine. Columbus Dispatch, Sept. 26, 2012.

Nearly 1 in 4 foster children in Ohio has been prescribed mind-altering drugs.
In Ohio and across the country, foster children are more likely than other youngsters to be prescribed psychotropic drugs, which can bring serious health risks and side effects. The medications also are expensive, costing millions to the tax-funded Medicaid program that insures foster children.

Yesterday, state officials announced a $1 million initiative to improve psychotropic-drug management by closely monitoring prescriptions and improving coordination of physical and mental-health care for Ohio’s 12,000 children insured through Medicaid.

“The rate of prescribing has gone up, but it’s not clear that the rate of mental illness has gone up to the same extent,” said Dr. Mary Applegate, medical director for Ohio’s Medicaid program.

“We are seeing kids who are taking two or three or four of the same type of drug at the same time.”
The effort comes about a year after a federal report based on a two-year investigation found higher prescription rates among foster children.

Psychotropic medications are used to treat mental illnesses such as depression and bipolar disorder. Although foster children tend to have a higher prevalence of such ailments because of a greater likelihood of trauma and stress, usage still appears too high.

Pam Harris of Greene County said her 13-year-old son was on eight medications at one point, and she was overwhelmed trying to coordinate care by pediatricians and psychiatrists while she looked after him.

“The pediatrician wants to prescribe to help keep everyone safe, and then we may wait six weeks to see the psychiatrist. They don’t coordinate, and it’s frustrating to see the side effects,”Harris said. “I asked the psychiatrist about side effects and he said ‘Ask the pediatrician.’ I asked the pediatrician and he said ‘Ask the psychiatrist.’  ”

Then 5, her son suffered tremors and other problems after he started taking medication for what doctors believed was an attention-deficit disorder. When his behavior turned aggressive, he was given more drugs and immediately gained 10 pounds. Problems persisted, and he had to move out to ensure the safety of his siblings.

“Any parent or caregiver of a child with severe emotional disorder facing the prospects of having their child or foster child placed on psychotic medications struggles with very mixed feelings,” said Terry Russell, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio.

“On one hand, knowing that such medications can literally be lifesaving ... and improve their child and their family’s quality of life. ... On the other hand, parents are also fearful because they know such medications can cause serious side effects if they are not properly used or monitored.”

Advocates for children and the mentally ill joined state officials at a Statehouse news conference yesterday to support the initiative, saying it will help ensure safe use of psychotropic drugs and improve overall care.

“Through the initiative, the state will determine which children are receiving more than two psychotropic drugs at a time, their ages and their diagnosis, the maximum dosage, dosage for children,” said Crystal Ward Allen, executive director of the Public Children Services Association of Ohio.

“These are all big unknowns, and it’s often a challenge in the child-welfare system to be the custodian without the medical expertise.”

State officials said they will monitor prescriptions of such drugs and inform doctors when multiple medications have been prescribed or when safe dosage has been exceeded. Often, Applegate said, more than one doctor is involved in a child’s care because a child moved, and the physician is unaware of other prescriptions.

Last year, taxpayers spent nearly $37.7 million on prescription-drug costs for foster children, with some prescriptions costing as much as $500 a month. Officials have not projected any savings through the initiative, but avoiding duplicative prescriptions, lowering usage of such medications and increasing use of alternative treatments such as counseling will reduce costs.

Mustard Seed Foundation in Dayton, Ohio

Young mothers get a chance to thrive

WDTN.Com, 9/11/2012

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - A woman's dysfunctional past leads to a passion that saves teen girls from the same fate.

A local non-profit organization helps young mothers, giving them faith as small as a seed.

D'Shara Farrell is doing her best to return what she calls a very big blessing She's helping with day care at the Mustard Seed Foundation.

"I had been through a lot, foster homes... I didn't care about what my kids did. I think it was pretty much faith brought me here," said Farrell.

That faith for the teen mother meant she and her two young children stepped into a rambling home on the grounds of the Church of the Precious Blood in Trotwood.

All four floors here house teen mothers and their children. They come from all over Ohio, referred by social service agencies.

One of the people who consistently encouraged D'Shara is Mustard Seed founder, Shondale Atkinson-Hale.

The Mustard Seed Foundation was her dream and two years ago, it finally became a reality.

Atkinson-Hale has a soft spot for these young girls. Like many of them, she, as a teen mother, suffered emotional, physical and sexual abuse.

"When they walk through the door, I assume they are me because they are," said Atkinson-Hale.

D'Shara now works, goes to college and lives on her own with her children. She attributes her new, small, successful steps to the faith of the tiny mustard seed and Shondale Atkinson-Hale.

The Mustard Seed Foundation is one of the non-profit charities supported by the Women in Business Networking and its fifth annual Professional Development Conference on September 19, 2012 at the Sinclair Community College Ponitz Center.

Ohio worst in nation for foster-care funding

Ohio worst in nation for foster-care funding
Millea, Meghan. Times Reporter, Sept. 2, 2012.

Every year, Michelle Tope receives complaints of horrific child abuse and neglect, such as sexual and physical abuse and abandonment.

As director of the Tuscarawas County Jobs and Family Services, Tope works with caseworkers to conduct investigations, communicate with families and place children in safe environments.

The agency, she said, often is overrun with complaints. Last year, JFS received 547 complaints about child abuse or neglect. Only the most severe cases go before a judge.

That’s because most of the resources for child welfare are directed toward foster care. Little funding is left for preventive issues and family education. Tope said state funding is minimal; however, Tuscarawas JFS has local support.

County commissioners are generous with the foster-care budget, according to Tope, given the organization is contending with several other county-funded groups, such as the courts, sheriff and street departments.

The commissioners allotted $2.03 million for foster care in 2012. But Jobs and Family Services is nearly over budget, already having gone through more than $1.8 million this year. Why? Because they have received more children in the system than anticipated, Tope explained.

On average, there have been 121 children in the system each month. That’s up from the number JFS budgeted for — 110 children per month. Many of the children also have special needs and must be placed in intensive group homes for behavioral issues and developmental needs. And that costs money.

While JFS tries to keep families together, Tope said it’s difficult without the resources for family education and early prevention programs. She said there aren’t enough caseworkers — or enough time — to solely devote to at-risk families.

Federal and state funds help offset costs, but not much, said Crystal Ward Allen, executive director for the Public Children Services Association of Ohio.

She said the lack of state funding for foster care programs is an issue.

“Ohio has the lowest investment in the nation,” Allen said, explaining that the state provides between 5 to 10 percent of a county’s child welfare budget. “Since the state gives such a little piece of it, it’s really inequitable. If you don’t have local resources, that state piece gets really big, but the whole pie is so small.”

Allen said the state’s contribution to child welfare has remained fairly consistent for the last 20 years. There have been budget cuts in other areas that have hurt child welfare, including assistance to drug and alcohol abusers, and rent and cash-assistance to families in need.

WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT’
Even with Tuscarawas County’s local contribution, Tope said it’s not enough to cover all the needs. She said people may find the contribution high, but there are several aspects to consider, including the type of treatment needed and the agency’s ability to find suitable matches for children.

Children enter the system as early as the day they are born and may stay in the system until they are 18, sometimes 21, if there’s a developmental disability. Placement can be hard, especially for older children. The median age for children in foster care in Tuscarawas County is 9.

Forty-nine new children came into the foster-care program this year. Veronica Spidell, JFS social services department manager, explained that $2.03 million may seem like a large amount of money to care for 121 children, but there are several aspects to consider, namely the severe cases.

Spidell said there are a number of children who are placed in residential treatment, which is a group home with tight security and supervision for children with the most severe issues.

“We’ve had children as young as 8 playing with gasoline, harming animals,” Spidell said.
Another aspect is placement. Many children are part of sibling groups. “We’re very committed to keeping sibling groups together,” said Gayle Hahn, the placement service supervisor for foster care and adoption.

Hahn said people may be frustrated by the cost of foster care and children’s services, however, the cost will be higher if the community does nothing. Children from abusive or negligent homes are more likely to end up homeless, in jail or prison, use mental health services and hospital services as adults, she explained.

“We still, as a community, will be paying for them,” Hahn said.

Tope contends the children in the system are just a fraction of those who need help.

“It’s a worthwhile investment,” she said, “to stabilize a child now while we can make improvements.”

Local Trends on Abuse and Neglect
In 2009, new allegations of child abuse and neglect totaled 725. Ohio law requires children services to begin investigations on new reports within 24 hours. A comprehensive assessment of safety and risk also is required.

The number of new allegations in 2009 and the percentage of total reports it represents fall within the following five categories:

Physical abuse    57    8%
Neglect    292    40%
Sexual abuse    92    13%
Emotional maltreatment    9    1%
Family in Need of Services    275    38%
Total    725    100%

Public Expenditures, 2009
Total:    $6,136,622    100%
Federal    $2,970,947    48%
State    $830,267    14%
Local*    $2,335,409    38%

* Of Ohio’s 88 counties, Tuscarawas County was not among the 45 that maintained a children services levy in 2009.

Source: Public Children Services Association of Ohio, 2011-2012 report

Press Release from Ohio Attorney General's Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 23, 2012

MEDIA CONTACTS: Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840 Jill Del Greco: 614-466-3840

Attorney General DeWine Announces Homeless Youth and Aged-Out Victim of Crime Grants (COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced two youth service organizations will be sharing nearly $430,000 in grant funding to help the young homeless population. The Next Step program of Portage and Geauga counties and the Lighthouse Youth Services group in Cincinnati were selected to receive the grant money to support their efforts in helping homeless 18 to 24 year-olds who often have trouble receiving assistance and are disproportionately victims of crime. "This funding will particularly impact the lives of those who have 'aged-out' of the foster care system," said Attorney General DeWine.  "Not all foster kids have a place to go when they turn 18." The Attorney General saw the need to help foster children after several of his Ohio Child Safety Summits this year revealed that the lack of services for former foster children in some areas can increase their likelihood of becoming homeless and/or crime victims. "This grant money now will help the Next Step and Lighthouse Youth Services programs better provide for youth who need assistance," said DeWine.  "These kids don't have to live on the streets and wonder every day where they'll be getting their next meal." • The Next Step:  In the last year, more than 30 young adults transitioned out of foster care in Geauga and Portage counties.  These neighboring counties are primarily rural and have limited public transportation systems and transitional housing programs.  The new Next Step program will fill that gap with an outreach program that will include victim advocacy, shelter, crisis support, and mental health care services.  Grant funding given to the Next Step program will be used over the next two years to provide for two victim advocates and various necessities. • Lighthouse Youth Services:  This Cincinnati-based organization has been working with homeless youth for nearly 45 years.  Its Youth Crisis Center is the only runaway and homeless shelter for 10 to 18 year-olds in the city and supports 100 clients at any given time.  Grant funding given to Lighthouse Youth Services will be used for its new Lighthouse on Highland facility which provides a day program, resource center, and a 28-bed shelter for homeless youth 19 to 24 years-old.  The funding is provided by the State Victims Assistance Act grant program.

Way to go, Jasmine Hardy :)

Foster care was the top priority at Child Safety Summit
WFMJ, Aug. 22, 2012.

BOARDMAN, Ohio - While Attorney General Mike DeWine acknowledges the many good things happening within Ohio's foster care system, he says there are many other things that need improved upon, which is why he dedicated a statewide tour to the issue.

"A lot of good things are going on, but I still I think too many children languish in foster care for too long. Many of them don't have what every child should have and that is a permanent, loving home and parents," DeWine said.

At Akron Children's Hospital of the Mahoning Valley, lawmakers, agency representatives, foster families and foster children weighed in on ways to improve the current foster care system.

One of former foster child Jasmine Hardy's biggest frustrations growing up was the strict supervision rules that she felt prevented her and other foster children from having a normal childhood.

"The only time I really hung out with people I called my friends back in high school was during lunch time," Hardy said.

Experts say those strict guidelines, which sometimes limit who foster kids can hang out with it, are in place for liability reasons, but acknowledge it is an area agencies may need to revisit.

Just like the issue of when it's right to place a child back into its biological home. "So often we see that no matter what the trauma, so many kids still want to go home and that is just a natural thing. Who doesn't want to be loved by the person that brought them into the world," said Mahoning County Juvenile Court Judge Theresa Dellick.

"They've abused the kids, then we turn around after a year and put the kids back in and we see them abused again so we have to be much more careful I think in this area," DeWine said.

Another suggestion is to extend the age in which children qualify for services, like independent living, to age 21.

TAGyc on NewsNet5

Teens give a voice to those in foster care in hopes of making the system more effective
Harris, Danitra. NewsNet5, April 12, 2012

CLEVELAND - "We've got to fight that fight and it's not going to stop. Foster care is inevitable."

Those are powerful words coming from a young man who is familiar with life in the foster care system. His mother was in the system and subsequently, so was he.

His name is Daniel Taylor. He is a part of a group that fights for the rights of those in foster care. They empower them to speak up about their experiences.

Who are they?

Teens and young adults who are or have been in the foster care system. The teen advocate group, known as TAG, meets twice a month to plan and coordinate efforts that address the changing need of teens in care and those aging out. It has become a personal mission for Taylor.

"I kind of look at it as being the Harriet Tubman for the foster kids," Taylor said. "It's a process. It's a long process and a lot of times you might feel alone. You know there's a light but you don't know where to look for it. And since  I've been through the light I want to help more people go to that light."

One of those people is his friend Demetrius McGee. He says TAG helped him to mature.

"With me, I was never the type of person to reach out a lot of times. I always had the positive mindset but always kept close to myself. Now I'm able to branch out. I'm able to have some networking with a lot of people. I've met a lot of new individuals and I've opened up a lot more," McGee said.

TAG coordinator Jamiese Myers has been with the agency for 10 years. She has seen the faces. She knows their stories. So I asked the question. "Is there a fear of aging out of the system?"

Myers didn't hesitate to say "Yes." She said because of the fear the group works hard to come up with programs to prepare the youth for life after foster care. For example, they have Independent Living workshops where they discuss how to open a checking account, balance a checkbook, find resources for housing and apply for college.

What is shared in the meetings is genuine. Lifelong connections are formed and the foundation is simple, give a voice to teens in foster care and make a difference.

TAG has traveled to Columbus to attend a conference on ways to prevent homelessness amongst youth aging out of care. Two of its members participated in a video that will be used to train attorneys, judges and other court officials on how to better prepare youth in foster care for their court hearings.

For more information on TAG, click here: www.cfs.cuyahogacounty.us

2012 Connecting the Dots Conference - on the Cover of the Columbus Dispatch

Grown foster kids drive state help 

Forum aims to tackle long-standing problems 

Price, Rita. Columbus Dispatch, Aug. 4, 2012.

Daniel Curry, left, helps Arthur Miller III, 22, of Dayton, pick out a suit for job interviews at the Connecting the Dots conference. Photograph taken by Kyle Robertson, Columbus Dispatch.

He left the conference with two new suits, which will come in handy now that he’s in demand as a public speaker. Marcus Henry is 18, soon to begin his senior year in high school and very good at telling people what it’s like to come of age in foster care.

 Want to get your driver’s license? Forget it, because the state of Ohio is your parent and doesn’t want the liability. Hope to keep playing your sport after being transferred to a new foster home and school? Rules designed to prevent athletic recruiting might quash your eligibility.

Hauling all your belongings in trash bags? Henry and others think that’s an unfair embarrassment. They’re starting a drive to provide decent luggage for foster youths.

“When I first came into care, if you worked for children services, I hated you,” said Henry, who lives with foster parents in the Toledo area. “I switched that to, ‘What is bad about foster care, and how can I change it?’  ”

Michael Colbert, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, said current and former foster youths — not social workers and government officials — were the force behind yesterday’s Connecting the Dots conference in Columbus. 

More than 200 teens and young adults who are about to age out of foster care, or already have, signed up for workshops to get help with jobs, college plans, and health and legal issues. The conference is part of a larger state initiative called “Connecting the Dots from Foster Care to Employment and Independent Living.”

“This was the brainchild of the youth,” Colbert said. “Who are we to dictate everything that happens in foster care when we’ve never been in foster care?” 

About 1,000 to 1,300 Ohio youths leave the foster system each year without a permanent family, and many experience homelessness. Advocates say Colbert has put renewed focus on the youths’ futures.

“He gets our kids,” said Doris Edelmann, adult facilitator for the Ohio Youth Advisory Board. “And he listens.” Of five wish-list actions sent to the state by the youth board this year, three have been met and two are in the works, officials said.

Job and Family Services sponsored the conference, provided support for a new Ohio Youth Advisory Board website — www.ohioyab.org — and maintained a $2 million independent-living fund that had been cut from a previous state budget. The youth board also asked for two regional coordinators to help with independent living and transitional services for foster youths, as well as a housing task force to study the problem of housing for youths aging out of care. Colbert’s office said applications are being reviewed for the coordinators, who then will help with the housing task force.

“Housing is the biggest piece, and that task force has not yet been established,” said Lisa Dickson of the Foster Care Alumni of America Ohio chapter. “Our young people age out of foster care to homelessness. We need action.”

Dickson, one of the conference organizers, said the aim was to keep all activities and offerings relevant. Many kids lack business attire for job interviews and work, she said, so the Ohio State Bar Foundation and other organizations donated nearly 1,300 items for the foster-care youths to choose from yesterday in the Suits for Success room.

Henry found two that fit nicely, and he figures the speaking engagements will keep coming. “We’ve already changed some things,” he said. “We’re making a difference.”