A triumph of foster care:
Susan Zaghlool beat long odds in emerging from the system
Curnutte, Mark. Cincinnati Enquirer, July 2, 2009.
At a time college graduates face one of the worst job markets in decades, Susan Zaghlool has options.
She's weighing six-figure offers from a number of companies. She's looking at signing bonuses backed up by many zeroes.
Part of what makes her a success story is the fact social workers plucked Zaghlool from an abusive home in 1994 at age 12.
She then lived in a tough Over-the-Rhine group home before striking out on her own as a high school senior.
Zaghlool earned her doctorate in pharmacy in May, a lofty achievement for a foster child who was part of a group where just barely 70 percent finish high school and only 13 percent attend college.
Petite and dark with a head full of curly black hair, Zaghlool cracks a high-wattage smile when she talks about where she's come from and where she's going.
Her past is seasoned with adults who had faith in her - social workers, teachers and employers.
And a mentor who still reaches out to help all these years later.
A decade after they met, Zaghlool still can count on John Kasak, a retired General Electric engineer, when times get rough. "My father," she called him.
"Where would I be without the people who helped me?" she said.
Kasak and other adults formed a support system for her, something that more policymakers here and nationally would like to provide for other foster children.
Legislation is pending in Congress - the Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2009 - to pay for programs and forgive $20,000 in federal student loans for college graduates who mentor foster children.
Hamilton County in May started the Higher Education Mentoring Initiative for foster children. The program seeks to reduce crime and prepare foster children for college. The University of Cincinnati, a partner with Hamilton County, plans to offer financial aid to former foster children enrolled there.
Long walk begins
Born in Cairo, Egypt, Zaghlool came to the United States as a preschooler when her father, an engineering professor, took a job at the University of California. He moved his family to Ohio a year later to start a computer business.
When his only daughter turned 12, he wanted her at home to cook, clean and care for the family's four sons. He hit her and pulled her from beneath her bed by the hair, according to Butler County Children Services records.
"Seven of us lived in a two-bedroom trailer," Zaghlool said.
Wearing blue jeans, Zaghlool recently sat on a swing in a park she played in as a child. She came back recently for the first time since she was taken from her family.
"Everybody heard my mom screaming at us in Arabic," she said. "She threw plates at me. I was the bad child."
Zaghlool tried to be what she called "normal," but her garage-sale clothing and dark skin made her and her brothers stand out in affluent Lakota schools. She tried smoking marijuana to ease her teen angst.
"I was hopeless at that age," Zaghlool said. "I had the worst family. I didn't think I could ever move up."
Lakota officials filed a report with Butler County Children Services because of her truancy. She was taken from the home briefly.
Zaghlool's father promised officials he'd home-school his daughter. She returned to the trailer. He didn't teach her, but she wanted to learn.
One day, she criticized him in a grocery store. He hit her, records show. She hit back and ran away.
He called the police. She filed a police report.
An investigation revealed the family was in the United States illegally. Her mother and two brothers were sent back to Egypt in 1997. Her father escaped to Canada.
Zaghlool was not deported because she was in temporary custody as a state foster child.
The irony of her childhood is not lost on her. The fact she was abused kept her here.
"I am truly blessed," said Zaghlool, who became a U.S. citizen last year.
Support system
Zaghlool patched together her own support system through a combination of good fortune and relentless hard work.
With no foster care available in Butler County, she ended up in Hearne House, a group home on Elm Street near Cincinnati's Music Hall.
"She believed in education and doing her homework; she read books," home director James Smith said.
Every morning, Zaghlool left before 6:30, walked through Washington Park, east on 13th Street, north on Vine Street and past Kroger. She caught the No. 46 bus to Aiken High School.
At ages 15 and 16, she worked at the Vine Street Kroger as a bagger and cashier. Adrian Oliver then managed the store. "It was a rough place," he said. "She was smart, confident and outgoing. She was not afraid to say hello. She was positive and upbeat."
Zaghlool heard about an opening in the pharmacy at the Hyde Park Kroger. She asked Oliver to help. He recommended her. That taste of the pharmacy mapped out her career. She wanted to work in a medical field.
Zaghlool also impressed her Aiken teachers.
During her freshman year, consumer sciences teacher Marty Kamrani discovered that beneath Zaghlool's sad shell was a smart girl. "She eventually took everything people offered her and moved forward," the teacher said.
As a student, she was matched with Kasak through GE's partner-in-education program.
"She worked the hardest," Kasak said. "She was focused."
Sticking with her
More important than what Kasak did for her while at Aiken, he stayed with her after she turned 18.
"One of the hardest things (about being a foster child) is when you turn 18 the people who loved you just disappear," she said. "It's like they were paid to love you. As a foster child, you want to be loved ... Once you're out of the system, goodbye, like you never existed. A lot of kids lose hope."
Kasak, now 78, stuck with Zaghlool. He and his wife, Audrey, invited her to their house for dinner and played board games. "We kind of adopted her," he said.
Kasak taught her how to budget her money. He helped her write her resume and prepare college and scholarship applications. She earned the Darwin T. Turner minority scholarship at UC, which gave her a full ride to the school. He also helped her with the citizenship application.
Keeping busy
She majored in chemistry and earned a 3.3 grade point average. She lived in a dorm during the summers after her freshman and sophomore years. She worked as a resident assistant and got involved in student government.
Summers were difficult. "It was so lonely, so I took classes the second year to make it feel more normal," she said.
Earlier in life, Zaghlool experienced enough loneliness to cope with college. She stayed busy. She had lived by herself in an independent living program as an Aiken senior.
Laura Bennett, now a Butler County Children Services night supervisor, started the program and worked with Zaghlool.
"Susan will always give credit to people who helped her, but people were drawn to her," Bennett said. "She didn't have the attitude that `the world owes me.' She went for what she wanted. She didn't get angry about her family situation, and she hardly ever said anything about her dad."
As the stakes grew higher, Zaghlool limited e-mail and phone contact with her family. She had nothing to do with her father, although she visited her mother and other family members in Egypt in 2000.
"They didn't understand what I was trying to do," Zaghlool said of the demands of Lake Erie College's pharmacy school, in Erie, Pa. "They stressed me out, made me feel anxious. You can't afford one bad day or to be distracted."
Still, her life as a former foster child is never far behind her. She said she is stalked by a man who lived with her at the Over-the-Rhine group home.
More angels have appeared.
Through the Orphan Foundation of America, based in Washington, Zaghlool won a $20,000 scholarship provided by Barbara and Marshall Grimes, a childless couple from Vienna, Va. That money helped pay for pharmacy school.
"We wanted to help a child who didn't have a family," Barbara Grimes said. "Marshall's dad was a pharmacist."
She called Zaghlool to ask about her studies. They traded e-mails and photos.
Barbara Grimes sent homemade cookies throughout the year and a Christmas care package.
No sense of entitlement
"She was always very grateful. She never had the attitude that she was entitled to anything," Barbara Grimes said.
The couple finally met her May 31 in Erie at graduation.
They weren't the only ones there for the former foster kid from Cincinnati's tough inner city.
John and Audrey Kasak were there, too, like they've been many times in the past. When Zaghlool crashed her car last winter, Kasak told her not to worry and co-signed a car loan for her.
She wants to work in Greater Cincinnati. She is $150,000 in debt from her student loans for pharmacy school, but as soon as she gets stable financially, she wants to donate money to Hearne House.
That she was a foster child is never far from her mind.
Even at this positive crossroads in her life, Zaghlool said, John and Audrey Kasak are what every orphan needs - someone to be there like a family would.
John Kasak shrugged as if to deflect her gratitude.
"As long as someone is eager and wants to do something, why not help them?" he asked.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Governor's proposed budget cuts directly impact Ohio's most vulnerable citizens
Ohio Human Service Providers Speak Out Against Budget Cuts
McKee, Tom. WCPO-TV 9, July 2, 2009.
Human services providers in Southwestern Ohio went on the offensive Thursday, urging state leaders not to cut their funding any further.
The plea came as Ohio Governor Ted Strickland told reporters in Columbus that he has to trim another $2.4 billion in spending to balance the budget.
"My budget framework calls for resizing state government in line with the shrinking economy," the Governor said. "We’re doing that while minimizing the impact of our most vulnerable citizens – especially our children, the elderly and the disabled.”
Moira Weir, director of Hamilton County Job & Family Services, took issue with that statement. So did Job & Family Services directors in Butler and Clermont counties.
"For us, locally, I would say I disagree," Weir said. "We are mandated to do food stamps, child support, children’s services and adult protective services, but we can’t staff ourselves currently to meet the demands that are there.”
Her budget has been cut by $30 million in the past two years – and a similar cut is anticipated in 2010 and 2011. More than 350 employees have been laid off.
Yet, the demand for services continues to increase. For example, the agency served more than 55,000 people in June.
Long lines are the rule, rather than the exception at the downtown office on East Central Parkway, and it’s taking longer to get benefits to clients.
"We typically, prior to this, were able to process an application in 10 days," Weir said. "It’s taking us up to 30 days now to process an application and people need their services right away."
At Lighthouse Youth Services in Walnut Hills, president Bob Mecum watched the Governor online and worried what future cuts would mean for his agency.
"I can tell you that core services at Lighthouse are at imminent risk," Mecum said.
Lighthouse gets $8.6 million a year in state funding right now for residential treatment of abused children, keeping boys and girls out of the juvenile court system, plus assisting young people as they “age out” of welfare and foster care.
Much of that is through service contracts with Hamilton County’s JFS.
Right now, that funding is intact. But, Mecum says there hasn’t been an increase in four years, so he’s leery of the future and who might be impacted.
"Children and families with mental illness, senior citizens, day care centers, abused and neglected children – young people coming into juvenile courts," he said.
Mecum added that as services are reduced, taxpayers would pay an even higher price down the road as children can’t complete school or they get involved in juvenile delinquency.
McKee, Tom. WCPO-TV 9, July 2, 2009.
Human services providers in Southwestern Ohio went on the offensive Thursday, urging state leaders not to cut their funding any further.
The plea came as Ohio Governor Ted Strickland told reporters in Columbus that he has to trim another $2.4 billion in spending to balance the budget.
"My budget framework calls for resizing state government in line with the shrinking economy," the Governor said. "We’re doing that while minimizing the impact of our most vulnerable citizens – especially our children, the elderly and the disabled.”
Moira Weir, director of Hamilton County Job & Family Services, took issue with that statement. So did Job & Family Services directors in Butler and Clermont counties.
"For us, locally, I would say I disagree," Weir said. "We are mandated to do food stamps, child support, children’s services and adult protective services, but we can’t staff ourselves currently to meet the demands that are there.”
Her budget has been cut by $30 million in the past two years – and a similar cut is anticipated in 2010 and 2011. More than 350 employees have been laid off.
Yet, the demand for services continues to increase. For example, the agency served more than 55,000 people in June.
Long lines are the rule, rather than the exception at the downtown office on East Central Parkway, and it’s taking longer to get benefits to clients.
"We typically, prior to this, were able to process an application in 10 days," Weir said. "It’s taking us up to 30 days now to process an application and people need their services right away."
At Lighthouse Youth Services in Walnut Hills, president Bob Mecum watched the Governor online and worried what future cuts would mean for his agency.
"I can tell you that core services at Lighthouse are at imminent risk," Mecum said.
Lighthouse gets $8.6 million a year in state funding right now for residential treatment of abused children, keeping boys and girls out of the juvenile court system, plus assisting young people as they “age out” of welfare and foster care.
Much of that is through service contracts with Hamilton County’s JFS.
Right now, that funding is intact. But, Mecum says there hasn’t been an increase in four years, so he’s leery of the future and who might be impacted.
"Children and families with mental illness, senior citizens, day care centers, abused and neglected children – young people coming into juvenile courts," he said.
Mecum added that as services are reduced, taxpayers would pay an even higher price down the road as children can’t complete school or they get involved in juvenile delinquency.
Balancing Ohio's budget on the backs of children
Time for straight talk on the state budget
Honeck, Jon. Akron Beacon Journal, July 02, 2009.
COLUMBUS - Ohio legislators are faced with one of the most difficult state budget problems in memory. State revenues are falling but the need for government services grows as more Ohioans lose their jobs and have trouble meeting basic needs. The recession is partly to blame for the revenue shortfall, but so is the legacy of previous decisions to make deep cuts in state taxes regardless of the need for public services.
State leaders have dealt with previous recessions by cutting spending first, and when the cuts reached the bone — as the old saying goes — finding ways to raise revenue. Each of the past five governors faced this dilemma and, in the end, agreed to some kind of tax increase when the cuts simply could not continue. The process has always been messy and contentious, and full of the political posturing one would expect.
While the current controversy over slot machines has grabbed the headlines, the real story for House Bill 1, the state budget bill for the next two years, is that the governor and legislative leaders are using massive cuts and short-term budget gimmicks to address the vast majority of the revenue shortfall. This approach is not a solution. It leaves Ohioans with the worst of both worlds: Government shirks its responsibilities but postpones hard choices for another year or two.
In the worst recession in a generation, the state will cut support for low-income disabled adults, protective services for the elderly and children, drug and alcohol treatment, mental health services, child care for low-income workers, and need-based financial aid for college students. These cuts will be magnified by the loss of federal matching grants in certain areas, such as the school lunch program, in a series of penny-wise and pound-foolish moves.
With all of the state's cash reserves used to make ends meet this year, state accountants are using every trick in the book to get through the next budget. The administration plans to delay payments to health-care providers and state universities, eliminate health-care coverage for retired public employees and push debt service into future budgets at the cost of higher payments down the road. None of this chicanery solves the real long-term issue: Ohio will be faced with another huge budget gap when federal stimulus aid expires in 2011.
Instead of passing seven-day continuation budgets, it's time for state leaders to admit that they cannot leave revenue policy on auto-pilot while we fly through a storm. Legislation passed in 2005 cut the personal income tax for five straight years and eliminated the state corporate income tax on non-financial businesses. This tax overhaul is costing the state treasury well over $2 billion each year in badly needed revenue.
Even in better times, the new tax on business gross receipts barely brought in enough money to reimburse schools and local governments for the phase-out of a local tax on business machinery and inventory. Now that it is faltering, the state's general fund will have to take resources away from other programs to help make up the difference.
Discussions about taxes create hand-wringing about where Ohio's tax levels stand in relation to those of other states. The reality is, we're about average. The national association of state tax administrators, using U.S. Census Bureau data, calculated that Ohio's state-only tax collections ranked 38th among states on a per-person basis, and 35th as a percentage of personal income. When local revenues are included, Ohio's level of state and local tax collection moved to 18th as a percentage of personal income, and 24th on a per-person basis.
The most obvious option is to start plugging tax loopholes. Thus far, legislators have not closed a single loophole in the budget bill but instead have added new ones, like the proposed tax credit for movie productions. Closing loopholes will bring howls of protest from special interests, but in this environment strong leadership is essential.
Given the size of the budget hole, some of the cuts to the state income tax and to business taxes should be reversed. The new business gross receipts tax should be set at a level that reimburses local governments for lost property tax revenue and still makes a significant contribution to the state's general fund. Likewise, restoring original income tax rates on the wealthiest families makes sense in this environment.
It's time for a balanced approach to Ohio's budget problem. It should not be solved through cuts for services to children, the elderly, disabled individuals and the unemployed, but through shared sacrifice.
-- Jon Honeck is a fellow in public policy at the Center for Community Solutions.
Honeck, Jon. Akron Beacon Journal, July 02, 2009.
COLUMBUS - Ohio legislators are faced with one of the most difficult state budget problems in memory. State revenues are falling but the need for government services grows as more Ohioans lose their jobs and have trouble meeting basic needs. The recession is partly to blame for the revenue shortfall, but so is the legacy of previous decisions to make deep cuts in state taxes regardless of the need for public services.
State leaders have dealt with previous recessions by cutting spending first, and when the cuts reached the bone — as the old saying goes — finding ways to raise revenue. Each of the past five governors faced this dilemma and, in the end, agreed to some kind of tax increase when the cuts simply could not continue. The process has always been messy and contentious, and full of the political posturing one would expect.
While the current controversy over slot machines has grabbed the headlines, the real story for House Bill 1, the state budget bill for the next two years, is that the governor and legislative leaders are using massive cuts and short-term budget gimmicks to address the vast majority of the revenue shortfall. This approach is not a solution. It leaves Ohioans with the worst of both worlds: Government shirks its responsibilities but postpones hard choices for another year or two.
In the worst recession in a generation, the state will cut support for low-income disabled adults, protective services for the elderly and children, drug and alcohol treatment, mental health services, child care for low-income workers, and need-based financial aid for college students. These cuts will be magnified by the loss of federal matching grants in certain areas, such as the school lunch program, in a series of penny-wise and pound-foolish moves.
With all of the state's cash reserves used to make ends meet this year, state accountants are using every trick in the book to get through the next budget. The administration plans to delay payments to health-care providers and state universities, eliminate health-care coverage for retired public employees and push debt service into future budgets at the cost of higher payments down the road. None of this chicanery solves the real long-term issue: Ohio will be faced with another huge budget gap when federal stimulus aid expires in 2011.
Instead of passing seven-day continuation budgets, it's time for state leaders to admit that they cannot leave revenue policy on auto-pilot while we fly through a storm. Legislation passed in 2005 cut the personal income tax for five straight years and eliminated the state corporate income tax on non-financial businesses. This tax overhaul is costing the state treasury well over $2 billion each year in badly needed revenue.
Even in better times, the new tax on business gross receipts barely brought in enough money to reimburse schools and local governments for the phase-out of a local tax on business machinery and inventory. Now that it is faltering, the state's general fund will have to take resources away from other programs to help make up the difference.
Discussions about taxes create hand-wringing about where Ohio's tax levels stand in relation to those of other states. The reality is, we're about average. The national association of state tax administrators, using U.S. Census Bureau data, calculated that Ohio's state-only tax collections ranked 38th among states on a per-person basis, and 35th as a percentage of personal income. When local revenues are included, Ohio's level of state and local tax collection moved to 18th as a percentage of personal income, and 24th on a per-person basis.
The most obvious option is to start plugging tax loopholes. Thus far, legislators have not closed a single loophole in the budget bill but instead have added new ones, like the proposed tax credit for movie productions. Closing loopholes will bring howls of protest from special interests, but in this environment strong leadership is essential.
Given the size of the budget hole, some of the cuts to the state income tax and to business taxes should be reversed. The new business gross receipts tax should be set at a level that reimburses local governments for lost property tax revenue and still makes a significant contribution to the state's general fund. Likewise, restoring original income tax rates on the wealthiest families makes sense in this environment.
It's time for a balanced approach to Ohio's budget problem. It should not be solved through cuts for services to children, the elderly, disabled individuals and the unemployed, but through shared sacrifice.
-- Jon Honeck is a fellow in public policy at the Center for Community Solutions.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Gov. Strickland, why so many cuts to Human Services in a time of recession?
State budget: Governor suggests $2 billion in cuts
Targets would include Medicaid, Passport
Candisky, Catherine and Jim Siegel. Columbus Dispatch, 2009.
Gov. Ted Strickland has floated roughly $2 billion in cuts to help close a $3.2 billion shortfall in the two-year state budget, a plan that would slash health care and other safety-net services for Ohio's poor, The Dispatch has learned.
The administration reportedly gave details of the plan over the weekend to Democratic leaders in the Ohio House. Majority Republicans in the Senate say they have not been briefed on the cost-savings ideas.
Sources say the areas where Strickland has suggested cutting include: dental, vision and other Medicaid services for low-income adults; the Passport program that enables the elderly to receive care at their home instead of in a nursing home; and services to protect children and adults from abuse.
The administration also proposed eliminating preschool for low-income children, a planned expansion of tax-funded health coverage to uninsured children, and planned increases in payments to nursing homes caring for disabled.
Cuts in state aid to Ohio colleges and universities are back on the table, education advocates say, and flat-funding for the next two years may be the best that primary and secondary schools can hope for.
Administration officials refused to discuss details.
"No decisions have been made," said Amanda Wurst, spokeswoman for Strickland. "The governor does not intend to have those discussions or provide information outside of budget deliberations."
The administration also isn't talking about results of its order for state agencies to prepare plans identifying cuts of up to 30 percent of their spending for 2010-11. The proposals were completed last week, but agencies refused to provide them under orders from the governor's office.
Wurst refused a Dispatch public records request yesterday to make the agency plans public.
Strickland and legislative leaders in both parties insist that they will not raise taxes. Asked yesterday whether the budget can be balanced without a tax increase or expanded gambling, Senate President Bill M. Harris, R-Ashland, said, "Yes. In my opinion, we have to."
But some rank-and-file Democrats and Republicans have expressed strong support for expanded gambling, such as slot machines at Ohio's racetracks or perhaps in bars and restaurants.
And some are not taking such a hard-line opposition to new taxes.
"We have to stop pretending that we aren't going to raise taxes, because we're going to have to raise taxes," said Rep. Robert F. Hagan, D-Youngstown.
"We're going to have to stop some of the give-backs that the (Gov. Bob) Taft administration gave and rescue some of these agencies that need help. You can't get there by just cutting."
Rep. Dan Stewart, D-Columbus, also says lawmakers should look at part of the 21 percent state income tax cut that has been phased in since Republicans approved it in 2005. People don't even realize they got a tax cut, he said, because most of it went to wealthy Ohioans.
"I'm just not sure why we went along with implementing the rest of that tax cut, which is a significant chunk of change," he said. "I think we've got to find some additional revenues."
The governor, House and Senate have until the end of the month to agree on a new two-year state budget. Hundreds of differences in versions approved by the two chambers must be resolved.
Meshing versions passed by each became significantly more difficult last week when the administration released new projections showing a $3.2 billion shortfall in anticipated revenue for the upcoming biennium.
Targets would include Medicaid, Passport
Candisky, Catherine and Jim Siegel. Columbus Dispatch, 2009.
Gov. Ted Strickland has floated roughly $2 billion in cuts to help close a $3.2 billion shortfall in the two-year state budget, a plan that would slash health care and other safety-net services for Ohio's poor, The Dispatch has learned.
The administration reportedly gave details of the plan over the weekend to Democratic leaders in the Ohio House. Majority Republicans in the Senate say they have not been briefed on the cost-savings ideas.
Sources say the areas where Strickland has suggested cutting include: dental, vision and other Medicaid services for low-income adults; the Passport program that enables the elderly to receive care at their home instead of in a nursing home; and services to protect children and adults from abuse.
The administration also proposed eliminating preschool for low-income children, a planned expansion of tax-funded health coverage to uninsured children, and planned increases in payments to nursing homes caring for disabled.
Cuts in state aid to Ohio colleges and universities are back on the table, education advocates say, and flat-funding for the next two years may be the best that primary and secondary schools can hope for.
Administration officials refused to discuss details.
"No decisions have been made," said Amanda Wurst, spokeswoman for Strickland. "The governor does not intend to have those discussions or provide information outside of budget deliberations."
The administration also isn't talking about results of its order for state agencies to prepare plans identifying cuts of up to 30 percent of their spending for 2010-11. The proposals were completed last week, but agencies refused to provide them under orders from the governor's office.
Wurst refused a Dispatch public records request yesterday to make the agency plans public.
Strickland and legislative leaders in both parties insist that they will not raise taxes. Asked yesterday whether the budget can be balanced without a tax increase or expanded gambling, Senate President Bill M. Harris, R-Ashland, said, "Yes. In my opinion, we have to."
But some rank-and-file Democrats and Republicans have expressed strong support for expanded gambling, such as slot machines at Ohio's racetracks or perhaps in bars and restaurants.
And some are not taking such a hard-line opposition to new taxes.
"We have to stop pretending that we aren't going to raise taxes, because we're going to have to raise taxes," said Rep. Robert F. Hagan, D-Youngstown.
"We're going to have to stop some of the give-backs that the (Gov. Bob) Taft administration gave and rescue some of these agencies that need help. You can't get there by just cutting."
Rep. Dan Stewart, D-Columbus, also says lawmakers should look at part of the 21 percent state income tax cut that has been phased in since Republicans approved it in 2005. People don't even realize they got a tax cut, he said, because most of it went to wealthy Ohioans.
"I'm just not sure why we went along with implementing the rest of that tax cut, which is a significant chunk of change," he said. "I think we've got to find some additional revenues."
The governor, House and Senate have until the end of the month to agree on a new two-year state budget. Hundreds of differences in versions approved by the two chambers must be resolved.
Meshing versions passed by each became significantly more difficult last week when the administration released new projections showing a $3.2 billion shortfall in anticipated revenue for the upcoming biennium.
Hopes & Dreams Advocacy Strategy
DREAMS of Foster Care Youth and Alumni:I am reaching… “To be the best mother that I can be, while pursuing my college degree.”
But I might need a hand to get me started! Independent Living funds helped Vanessa Jackson learn how to cook and budget.
***
I am reaching… “Toward serving my country in the military, while continuing to pursue my college degree.”
But I might need a hand to get me started! Independent Living funds helped Lamar Hammons find a mentor through the College Bound Mentoring Program.
***
I am reaching… “Toward safeguarding the lives and homes of others by working for Jefferson Township’s Fire Department.”
But I might need a hand to get me started! Independent Living funds provided emergency housing for Tim Hill when he first exited foster care.
***
I am reaching… “Toward finding a job after graduating from Wright State University
with a Bachelors in Criminal Justice and a minor in Political Science.”
But I might need a hand to get me started! Independent Living funds equipped Sarah Callihan with life skills that helped her transition into college life easily.
***
I am reaching… “Forward to my junior year at Miami University, where I’m pursuing a double major in Psychology and Sociology with double minors in Black World Studies and Political Science.”
But I might need a hand to get me started! Independent Living funds helped Kierra Williams get involved with a youth advisory board, and find out that she has leadership abilities.
***
HOPES of Ohio Foster Care Alumni on behalf of their younger brothers and sisters:
Hoping you, like me, invest in their future: As a former foster child, Denee Foster knows the importance of Independent Living preparation.
Not a handout, but a hand-up… Denee volunteers her time at Children’s Hospital and
teaches life skills to foster care youth at Village Network.
***
Hoping you, like me, invest in their future: As a former foster child, Grace Hilliard has testified several times about the importance of the Independent Living Allocation.
Not a handout, but a hand-up… Grace graduated in May from CCAD with a BA in Fine Arts, and is entering graduate school at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
***
Hoping you, like me, invest in their future: As a former foster child, Adrian McLemore has testified several times about the importance of the Independent Living Allocation.
Not a handout, but a hand-up… Adrian was recently named FosterClub’s Outstanding Young Leader of the Year. He is actively involved in Student Government at Wright State University – and he aspires to be President someday.
***
Hoping you, like me, invest in their future: Lisa Dickson is a 30-something former foster child. She founded the Ohio chapter of Foster Alumni of America three years ago.
Not a handout, but a hand-up… Lisa has Masters degree in Library Science, and has used her skills in research to craft workshops for national conferences and to assist the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program.
***
Hoping you, like me, invest in their future: Ralph Wills spoke before an audience of 100+ higher education officials and 100+ social workers during the 2009 Ohio Reach event.
Not a handout, but a hand-up… Ralph recently graduated from Muskingum College and
found employment through Maxim Healthcare Services.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Hannah Report: Special Budget Edition
Vol. 128 – Special Budget Issue Saturday, May 30, 2009Public Crowds Senate Chambers for Mixed Budget Testimony
The room was crowded Saturday for a public testimony session in the Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee, with several dozen witnesses prepared to either praise changes made Friday to HB1 (Sykes), or to urge the chamber to restore funding to a cut program.
Acknowledging the long day ahead of them, Chairman John Carey (R-Wellston) said that he was invoking his powers as a committee chairman and allowing audience members to bring in water and coffee despite warnings against it outside the hearing room.
Independent Living Initiative
The first group of witnesses testified in support of restoring full funding for the Independent Living Initiative through the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
They were Lisa Dickson, founder and communications chair of the Foster Care Alumni of America Ohio chapter; Doris Edelman, legislative liaison for the Ohio Independent Living Association; and Alexander McFarland, president of the Overcoming Hurdles in Ohio Youth Advisory Board.
All three advocated restoring the funding to $2.5 million in each of FY10-11.
Dickson, a former foster child and youth advocate, said the program had lost its funding but that the Senate had restored $1.5 million of support. She said Ohio is the only state making cuts to such a program, which she said offers training and life services to prepare foster care children to face the world alone.
She said foster children are not a line item and rely on the state to act as a parent. Without proper intervention, Dickson said, those children are at higher risk for poverty, unemployment and incarceration. "Ohio taxpayers will pay for their needs one way or another," she said.
McFarland shared his experience as a child who spent five years in foster care. "Without these services, I would not have been the person that I am today."
Sen. Dale Miller (D-Cleveland) asked more about the funding mechanism. He was told it had been previously funded using TANF money but now is a line item in the children and family services portion of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services' (ODJFS) budget.
****************************************************
*Two misquotes:
- Lisa Dickson didn't say that Ohio was the "only state making cuts to such a program." She spoke about the Fostering Connections Act, and how these cuts come at a time when the needs of transitioning foster youth are being recognized on a national level...
- Nor was Independent Living "previously funded using TANF money but now is a line item in the children and family services portion of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services' (ODJFS) budget"
It was and still is an earmark of the TANF budget. Both Lisa and Doris mentioned in their testimonies that Independent Living funding in Ohio should not be an earmark, and that young people transitioning out of foster care each year should not have to fight to maintain the only state source of funding allocated to prepare them for adulthood.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Higher Education Mentoring Initiative for Foster Care Youth (HEMI)
Every year, between 120 and 150 young people "age out" of Hamilton County's foster care system. Approximately half finish high school. Last year only three of those young people went on pursue higher education.I
n response to these unacceptable outcomes, Greg Vehr, Vice President for Governmental Relations at the University of Cincinnati, Hamilton County Commissioner Greg Hartmann and Lawrence Johnson, Dean of the UC Colllege of Education, have formed the Higher Education Mentoring Initiative (HEMI).
The goal of this initiative is to match young people emancipating from foster care in Hamilton County with educational opportunities at UC, Cincinnati State and Great Oaks vocational school.
For example, UC wants to match interested students with mentors who are already enrolled in the College of Education, and to house them in its Generation I dorm complex, in order to facilitate a home environment and peer support structure for students.
Source: Wells, David. Foster children turn 18, then turned aside. Cincinnati Enquirer, May 22, 2009.
n response to these unacceptable outcomes, Greg Vehr, Vice President for Governmental Relations at the University of Cincinnati, Hamilton County Commissioner Greg Hartmann and Lawrence Johnson, Dean of the UC Colllege of Education, have formed the Higher Education Mentoring Initiative (HEMI).
The goal of this initiative is to match young people emancipating from foster care in Hamilton County with educational opportunities at UC, Cincinnati State and Great Oaks vocational school.
For example, UC wants to match interested students with mentors who are already enrolled in the College of Education, and to house them in its Generation I dorm complex, in order to facilitate a home environment and peer support structure for students.
Source: Wells, David. Foster children turn 18, then turned aside. Cincinnati Enquirer, May 22, 2009.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Stimulus funds in Ohio
Stimulus funds in Ohio haven't translated into lots of work yet, partly because projects must follow government rules, such as bidding
Mazzolini, Joan. Cleveland Plain Dealer, May 18, 2009.
It has been nearly three months since Ohio learned it would be getting $8 billion in stimulus money to boost the state's economy. But the steady stream of announcements that followed with details have not turned into construction or work.
Yet.
Ohio, which has seen its unemployment rate spike and its tax revenue fall off a cliff this year, desperately needs a job-creation jolt. But it appears the stimulus effect locally will start as a trickle of jobs and won't really kick in until the fourth quarter of this year, budget experts said.
Northeast Ohio's first significant project -- a $12 million townhouse development for the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority -- is only just starting.
And the $1.2 billion that Ohio is slated to get for roads, sewers, weatherization and other projects still sits in the federal government's coffers.
That is mostly because the government isn't fronting the money but is instead reimbursing agencies as actual work begins. So even so-called shovel-ready projects that were planned and engineered still need to go through a bidding process, which can take months.
For example, the state has said it would spend $340 million on road and bridge work this year, but just a small number of contracts will be awarded this month. The number will increase in the months after, according to an Ohio Department of Transportation spokesman.
That's not to say the stimulus hasn't had an effect.
While the public is focused on seeing jobs created by the stimulus money, economic experts say it has already saved many -- particularly state and local government employees -- from the unemployment lines.
"Ohio's [budget] hole would have been a whole lot worse if there hadn't been the stimulus funds," said Mark Schwietzer, vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. "Ohio's [budget deficit] gets particularly large once the stimulus goes away."
The state is looking at a deficit that could be nearly $900 million when the current fiscal year ends in June and could go to $8 billion after the stimulus money is gone and rainy-day funds are exhausted.
The aim of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was to get money into the economy quickly to save or create American jobs. But a large portion of the $787 billion stimulus package is going directly to state governments for social services such as Medicaid, expanded unemployment benefits and food stamps.
Ohio has drawn down only $550 million out of the more than $900 million in social service money available to it, with more than $500 million of it going to the Medicaid program.
Nearly one-third of the funds is going directly into Americans' pockets with a tax cut for workers that began this spring, and every senior on Social Security is receiving a $250 rebate check.
Jobs are expected to follow.
Mazzolini, Joan. Cleveland Plain Dealer, May 18, 2009.
It has been nearly three months since Ohio learned it would be getting $8 billion in stimulus money to boost the state's economy. But the steady stream of announcements that followed with details have not turned into construction or work.
Yet.
Ohio, which has seen its unemployment rate spike and its tax revenue fall off a cliff this year, desperately needs a job-creation jolt. But it appears the stimulus effect locally will start as a trickle of jobs and won't really kick in until the fourth quarter of this year, budget experts said.
Northeast Ohio's first significant project -- a $12 million townhouse development for the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority -- is only just starting.
And the $1.2 billion that Ohio is slated to get for roads, sewers, weatherization and other projects still sits in the federal government's coffers.
That is mostly because the government isn't fronting the money but is instead reimbursing agencies as actual work begins. So even so-called shovel-ready projects that were planned and engineered still need to go through a bidding process, which can take months.
For example, the state has said it would spend $340 million on road and bridge work this year, but just a small number of contracts will be awarded this month. The number will increase in the months after, according to an Ohio Department of Transportation spokesman.
That's not to say the stimulus hasn't had an effect.
While the public is focused on seeing jobs created by the stimulus money, economic experts say it has already saved many -- particularly state and local government employees -- from the unemployment lines.
"Ohio's [budget] hole would have been a whole lot worse if there hadn't been the stimulus funds," said Mark Schwietzer, vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. "Ohio's [budget deficit] gets particularly large once the stimulus goes away."
The state is looking at a deficit that could be nearly $900 million when the current fiscal year ends in June and could go to $8 billion after the stimulus money is gone and rainy-day funds are exhausted.
The aim of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was to get money into the economy quickly to save or create American jobs. But a large portion of the $787 billion stimulus package is going directly to state governments for social services such as Medicaid, expanded unemployment benefits and food stamps.
Ohio has drawn down only $550 million out of the more than $900 million in social service money available to it, with more than $500 million of it going to the Medicaid program.
Nearly one-third of the funds is going directly into Americans' pockets with a tax cut for workers that began this spring, and every senior on Social Security is receiving a $250 rebate check.
Jobs are expected to follow.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Ohio's FosterClub Outstanding Young Leaders of 2009
For more information, please visit FosterClub's Outstanding Young Leaders of 2009.Adrian McLemore was placed in foster care at age six as a result of his mother’s substance abuse. During his time in foster care, he lost his grandmother in a car accident while driving from Georgia to come to take custody of him and his siblings. Instead of being immobilized by grief, he focused his efforts on education and providing leadership for other foster youth.
At fifteen, he was elected the youngest president of a statewide organization. Adrian attributes his success to his own determination and the support given to him by his case workers. He indicates that they were instrumental to his development by ensuring that he was able to participate in various programs and activities.
Adrian is a member of the Ohio chapter of FCAA, the OHIO Youth Advisory Board, and serves as Vice-President of the VISON Board in Dayton, Ohio. He has advocated many times at both the State and Federal Level on bills that affect foster youth. While Adrian has positioned himself to be an advocate and a leader in his community, it is unfortunate the he aged out of the system without a permanent home.
Currently, Adrian is pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management at Wright State University. He hopes to further his education at a graduate level, either obtaining a Masters Degree or a Law Degree. He has future aspirations for public service.
Cedric Riley is a 20-year-old college student dedicated to community leadership and success for himself and others. At the age of nine, he and his four siblings were placed in the Cuyahoga County Foster Care System due to parental neglect, and his life has been changed ever since. Though he and his siblings were placed in different homes, Cedric was able to adapt and learn the importance of independence and relationship-building. After 8 years in the foster care system, Cedric was adopted into a loving home in Cincinnati, Ohio where he experienced much of his scholastic and professional success.
Having enjoyed the honor of several leadership and academic accolades throughout his time in Cincinnati, Cedric has decided to give back by speaking passionately to youth, expressing that “Success is a Choice.” He also engages with professionals who work with youth to enforce that their work makes a difference.
Currently Cedric is developing the pilot of his curriculum and campaign entitled “America’s Next Motivator!” to bring creative empowerment to life.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Eliminating the only state program to fund IL services
The Ohio Governor and Supreme Court’s own Summit on Children initiative indicates that of the services most frequently cited by counties as challenging, top among them is lack of funding for independent living services for foster youth aging out of care.
Therefore, why would our state eliminate the only state program that funds this service?
(if you double-click on this picture, it will enlarge so you can actually read it...)
Therefore, why would our state eliminate the only state program that funds this service?
(if you double-click on this picture, it will enlarge so you can actually read it...)
Please don't cut Ohio's TANF Independent Living Allocation
Witnesses Tell Personal Stories of What State Assistance Means to Them Hannah Report, March 19, 2009
Thursday’s Human Services Subcommittee hearing had a whole different tone as legislators got to hear from a number of beneficiaries of state human services programs – many of whom thanked them for supporting a variety of state programs.
An upbeat group of witnesses were members of the Ohio Chapter of Foster Care Alumni of America.
While they were lobbying for the restoration of $2.5 million/year in Independent Living funds to help foster youth who age out of the system, they themselves were perhaps the best selling point, with Rep. Denise Driehaus (D-Cincinnati) commenting that they were a “thoroughly impressive group.”
Making a notable impression was Adrian McLemore, who addressed the subcommittee as “future colleagues” and who said he hopes one day to be mayor of Dayton, governor of Ohio and president of the U.S.
He also addressed the panel as “Momma Brown, Daddy Burke, Auntie Sears, Sister Boyd and Cousin Driehaus, making the point that it is the state that is family for foster youth.
Gabriel Koshinsky expanded on that idea: “Many of you growing up had the privilege of living in a loving home with caring parents and a strong community that supported you. These relationships provided a basis of empowerment and investment that gave you the reinforcement to believe in yourselves.
“Unfortunately, this is not the case for all children and young adults in this state. Over 17,000 children in the state of Ohio do not have a home and many are separated from their own siblings. They are alone in a world that is difficult to navigate.”
Monday, March 09, 2009
Green County and foster care prevention
A commitment to advocacy
DiLorenzo, Paul. Greene County Dailies, Feb. 28, 2009.
In the arena of child welfare, small beginnings are not insignificant. Recently, I accompanied a Greene County social worker on a home visit. For the social worker, and the single mother of three very young children, there was nothing unusual about the event.
After several weeks, they had come to know and rely on each other. Both were committed to keeping the children safe and out of foster care. The social worker has been creative and flexible, doing whatever it takes to preserve the family’s integrity. The parent’s situation is strained, but she has managed to make incremental and important steps. Things were tentative for these three youngsters with whom I spent some time. However, all three were fiercely attached to their mother, and each other. Removing them from their mom, and their community, and perhaps separating them from each other, as is often the case in foster care, would be a mistake with generational consequences.
As it turns out, Greene and many other counties in the state have been successful in protecting kids and turning the tide on unnecessary placements. I thought about why that might be the case and why other agencies remain inconsistent in their charge to protect children and preserve families. Even when a child welfare agency has more than sufficient resources, provides training for all staff and lowers its caseload, why do children within its purview still remain inadequately served? While agencies such as the one I visited continue to produce improved results for compromised families, many others remain mired in mediocrity for years.
When I observed the social worker on my Ohio visit, I thought of the term “advocrat” used by one of my colleagues. The Greene County social worker is employed by local government and accountable to the citizens of her community, but she understood unequivocally that children always are her first responsibility.
She works in an agency where the culture supports individualized solutions for complex problems and never accepts a business-as-usual approach.
The agency administration and the social workers have a fire in their bellies for child safety and the value of a permanent home. In fact, most successful agencies intentionally recruit, train and promote those types of individuals. They do this because they understand that what happens on the front lines, between a social worker and a family, far outweighs anything written in a report by experts or on an editorial page.
It was a helpful reminder to visit this successful agency. I was also grateful to this mother who allowed me to spend time with her wonderful children. Like any other young mom, she said she loved them, and at times, she said, they were “driving me crazy.” But I was struck mostly by the capacity, compassion and commitment of the social worker that was unshaken in her resolve to keep the children safe, and the family intact.
The state of Ohio has many pockets of child welfare excellence. Strong leadership and creative approaches to supporting families distinguish those county agencies. And this commitment to advocacy on behalf of children and families will make them successful partners with our national 2020 Strategy.
Paul DiLorenzo is senior director of strategic consulting for Casey Family Programs, the largest national operating foundation whose sole mission is to provide and improve – and ultimately prevent the need for – foster care.
DiLorenzo, Paul. Greene County Dailies, Feb. 28, 2009.
In the arena of child welfare, small beginnings are not insignificant. Recently, I accompanied a Greene County social worker on a home visit. For the social worker, and the single mother of three very young children, there was nothing unusual about the event.
After several weeks, they had come to know and rely on each other. Both were committed to keeping the children safe and out of foster care. The social worker has been creative and flexible, doing whatever it takes to preserve the family’s integrity. The parent’s situation is strained, but she has managed to make incremental and important steps. Things were tentative for these three youngsters with whom I spent some time. However, all three were fiercely attached to their mother, and each other. Removing them from their mom, and their community, and perhaps separating them from each other, as is often the case in foster care, would be a mistake with generational consequences.
As it turns out, Greene and many other counties in the state have been successful in protecting kids and turning the tide on unnecessary placements. I thought about why that might be the case and why other agencies remain inconsistent in their charge to protect children and preserve families. Even when a child welfare agency has more than sufficient resources, provides training for all staff and lowers its caseload, why do children within its purview still remain inadequately served? While agencies such as the one I visited continue to produce improved results for compromised families, many others remain mired in mediocrity for years.
When I observed the social worker on my Ohio visit, I thought of the term “advocrat” used by one of my colleagues. The Greene County social worker is employed by local government and accountable to the citizens of her community, but she understood unequivocally that children always are her first responsibility.
She works in an agency where the culture supports individualized solutions for complex problems and never accepts a business-as-usual approach.
The agency administration and the social workers have a fire in their bellies for child safety and the value of a permanent home. In fact, most successful agencies intentionally recruit, train and promote those types of individuals. They do this because they understand that what happens on the front lines, between a social worker and a family, far outweighs anything written in a report by experts or on an editorial page.
It was a helpful reminder to visit this successful agency. I was also grateful to this mother who allowed me to spend time with her wonderful children. Like any other young mom, she said she loved them, and at times, she said, they were “driving me crazy.” But I was struck mostly by the capacity, compassion and commitment of the social worker that was unshaken in her resolve to keep the children safe, and the family intact.
The state of Ohio has many pockets of child welfare excellence. Strong leadership and creative approaches to supporting families distinguish those county agencies. And this commitment to advocacy on behalf of children and families will make them successful partners with our national 2020 Strategy.
Paul DiLorenzo is senior director of strategic consulting for Casey Family Programs, the largest national operating foundation whose sole mission is to provide and improve – and ultimately prevent the need for – foster care.
Foster parents not being paid, foster parent applicants not subject to background checks???
Butler child agency behind on bills
Ellis, Amber. Cincinnati Enquirer, March 5, 2009.
Butler County Children Services is so behind on its bills that foster parents are getting paid late and the state briefly shut down a system used to conduct criminal background checks on potential foster parents, the agency director said Wednesday.
County layoffs and a merger of the agency’s financial division have left more bills than workers can handle, Director Mike Fox said.
Backlogs worsened, he said, when an employee stopped working, unbeknownst to anyone else, after learning she would be laid off. Months later, supervisors discovered piles of unpaid invoices hidden in her desk drawer. = selfish
All of these issues led to bills not being paid, Fox said, and the shut down Monday of a system that allows the agency to do state-required fingerprints on potential foster parents. According to Fox, this same system shut down temporarily in December because of similar non-payment issues.
On Tuesday, a county employee drove an $8,000-plus check to the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation in London, Ohio. The system was turned back on a day after county commissioners approved the payment.
County Administrator Tim Williams said there is no backlog. He acknowledged processing is more difficult than in the past because there are fewer people working. But he said the problem comes down to poor planning, not a lack of resources.
To solve the problem, Williams said, Children Services needs to set up automatic payments, so bills are paid at the same time every month.
Fox says not paying families on time could force these parents to switch to other networks, a move that would cost the agency hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of dollars each year.
For now, foster parents are more concerned about the immediate future and making sure their payments, which are used to care for children, come on time, said Sue Gregory, former president of a support group for foster parents.
Gregory took in her most recent child in January. She received her check at the end of February, about two weeks late.
That’s a troublesome situation, she said, for families who depend on those checks.
“I don’t know any foster parent out there who does it for the money, but we do need it to pay for gas and other things that come up. The checks seem to be coming later and later," she said. "And with the economy the way it is, this is starting to put a strain on everyone.”
Ellis, Amber. Cincinnati Enquirer, March 5, 2009.
Butler County Children Services is so behind on its bills that foster parents are getting paid late and the state briefly shut down a system used to conduct criminal background checks on potential foster parents, the agency director said Wednesday.
County layoffs and a merger of the agency’s financial division have left more bills than workers can handle, Director Mike Fox said.
Backlogs worsened, he said, when an employee stopped working, unbeknownst to anyone else, after learning she would be laid off. Months later, supervisors discovered piles of unpaid invoices hidden in her desk drawer. = selfish
All of these issues led to bills not being paid, Fox said, and the shut down Monday of a system that allows the agency to do state-required fingerprints on potential foster parents. According to Fox, this same system shut down temporarily in December because of similar non-payment issues.
On Tuesday, a county employee drove an $8,000-plus check to the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation in London, Ohio. The system was turned back on a day after county commissioners approved the payment.
County Administrator Tim Williams said there is no backlog. He acknowledged processing is more difficult than in the past because there are fewer people working. But he said the problem comes down to poor planning, not a lack of resources.
To solve the problem, Williams said, Children Services needs to set up automatic payments, so bills are paid at the same time every month.
Fox says not paying families on time could force these parents to switch to other networks, a move that would cost the agency hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of dollars each year.
For now, foster parents are more concerned about the immediate future and making sure their payments, which are used to care for children, come on time, said Sue Gregory, former president of a support group for foster parents.
Gregory took in her most recent child in January. She received her check at the end of February, about two weeks late.
That’s a troublesome situation, she said, for families who depend on those checks.
“I don’t know any foster parent out there who does it for the money, but we do need it to pay for gas and other things that come up. The checks seem to be coming later and later," she said. "And with the economy the way it is, this is starting to put a strain on everyone.”
Crawford County wants to license therapeutic foster homes within county
Crawford County working to add therapeutic foster care
Gasuras, Kimberly. Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum, March 7, 2009.
GALION - The Crawford County Job and Family Services Children Services Unit is working with the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board, Crawford County Juvenile Court and Community Counseling Services to benefit local children.
"We have 34 children in traditional foster homes in our county, but there are nine children in therapeutic foster homes that are located outside of our county," Crawford County Children Services Placement Supervisor Julie Mandusic said. "There are also five children currently in residential treatment facilities. We feel the children in therapeutic settings would be better served if they could stay in Crawford County near their family members who are there for them, their friends and their schools."
The collaboration is a strong one, focused on the best interest of the children, she said.
"Everyone in the collaboration, which also includes Juvenile Court Judge Eckstein, gets what we are trying to do. Sue Bauer is our foster-to-adopt placement coordinator, and she is doing a lot of work to make this come together," said Children Services Intervention Supervisor Peggy Reeves.
Crawford County Job and Family Services Executive Director Tom O'Leary also sees the importance of keeping children who need a therapeutic setting close to home.
"Of the nine children in therapeutic settings currently and the five children in residential care, half are girls who have been sexually abused. They need extensive therapy to overcome what they have been through and a loving home while they are dealing with everything.
"The other half are boys who have gotten into some amount of trouble, most of which come from single-parent homes. They need a therapeutic home with a strong male role model," he said.
In the past, Children Services has been forced to place children in need of therapeutic placements in homes outside the county through private agencies.
"The cost for a child in traditional care is $25 per day for children 12 and under. For children 12 and up, it is $30 per day. The cost for a child in therapeutic foster care is about $125 per day while children in residential treatment facilities require $225 per day," Reeves said.
Crawford County spends about $1.2 million per year on foster care.
"By finally having the ability to license therapeutic foster homes in our own county, we will save the taxpayers money and be able to use that money for other services to help the families in our own county," O'Leary said.
The agency will have an open house at 5 p.m. Monday for anyone interested in becoming licensed. Refreshments will be served at the the agency's Galion office at 865 Harding Way West.
For information, call 419-468-3255.
Gasuras, Kimberly. Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum, March 7, 2009.
GALION - The Crawford County Job and Family Services Children Services Unit is working with the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board, Crawford County Juvenile Court and Community Counseling Services to benefit local children.
"We have 34 children in traditional foster homes in our county, but there are nine children in therapeutic foster homes that are located outside of our county," Crawford County Children Services Placement Supervisor Julie Mandusic said. "There are also five children currently in residential treatment facilities. We feel the children in therapeutic settings would be better served if they could stay in Crawford County near their family members who are there for them, their friends and their schools."
The collaboration is a strong one, focused on the best interest of the children, she said.
"Everyone in the collaboration, which also includes Juvenile Court Judge Eckstein, gets what we are trying to do. Sue Bauer is our foster-to-adopt placement coordinator, and she is doing a lot of work to make this come together," said Children Services Intervention Supervisor Peggy Reeves.
Crawford County Job and Family Services Executive Director Tom O'Leary also sees the importance of keeping children who need a therapeutic setting close to home.
"Of the nine children in therapeutic settings currently and the five children in residential care, half are girls who have been sexually abused. They need extensive therapy to overcome what they have been through and a loving home while they are dealing with everything.
"The other half are boys who have gotten into some amount of trouble, most of which come from single-parent homes. They need a therapeutic home with a strong male role model," he said.
In the past, Children Services has been forced to place children in need of therapeutic placements in homes outside the county through private agencies.
"The cost for a child in traditional care is $25 per day for children 12 and under. For children 12 and up, it is $30 per day. The cost for a child in therapeutic foster care is about $125 per day while children in residential treatment facilities require $225 per day," Reeves said.
Crawford County spends about $1.2 million per year on foster care.
"By finally having the ability to license therapeutic foster homes in our own county, we will save the taxpayers money and be able to use that money for other services to help the families in our own county," O'Leary said.
The agency will have an open house at 5 p.m. Monday for anyone interested in becoming licensed. Refreshments will be served at the the agency's Galion office at 865 Harding Way West.
For information, call 419-468-3255.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Response from 'nonprefered' adoptive parents
Gay men criticize new adoption, foster care policy
Swiegart, Josh. Hamilton News, March 6, 2009.
HAMILTON — Grace calls Michael "Daddy," and calls his partner Andrew "Dada."
And as the 2-year-old pedaled around Michael's feet on her red tricycle, Michael said he was "incensed" by a new Butler County Children Services policy that he takes to mean he'll only be used as a last resort foster or adoptive parent because he's gay.
The agency quietly created the policy Dec. 8 after Andrew — who asked to not use their last names over safety concerns involving the biological family — adopted Grace after caring for her as a foster father since birth.
The agency's policy gives traditional married couples preference over single parents or same-sex couples in fostering and adopting children.
Children Services Director Michael Fox said the policy — possibly the only one of its kind in the state — is not meant to discriminate, and the agency didn't oppose Grace's adoption.
"The right thing to do was to let the child continue to live with them," he said.
But he defended the policy.
"Data-wise, and there's tons of it, kids do better in families when there is a traditional married couple," he said.
The new policy doesn't mean the agency won't use single parents or same-sex couples, Fox said. In fact, he said, the agency usually gives preference to unmarried Butler County foster parents over out-of-county residents, and gives preference to whoever has been taking care of a child in adoption proceedings.
"Without exception, the best interest of the child trumps," Fox said.
But Michael said he takes it personally, and says it is discrimination. "We will not be contacted until every other avenue has been exhausted," he said.
Michael said he and his partner became foster and adoptive parents two years ago and have had one foster child in addition to their adopted daughter. But despite complaining about children needing foster parents, the agency hasn't placed a child there since September 2007, he said.
"We see the ads in the newspaper, we've seen the ads on TV ... we have called. We've made tons and tons of phone calls asking (about foster placement)," Michael said. "They always say, 'Yes, we will keep you in mind.' "
Swiegart, Josh. Hamilton News, March 6, 2009.
HAMILTON — Grace calls Michael "Daddy," and calls his partner Andrew "Dada."
And as the 2-year-old pedaled around Michael's feet on her red tricycle, Michael said he was "incensed" by a new Butler County Children Services policy that he takes to mean he'll only be used as a last resort foster or adoptive parent because he's gay.
The agency quietly created the policy Dec. 8 after Andrew — who asked to not use their last names over safety concerns involving the biological family — adopted Grace after caring for her as a foster father since birth.
The agency's policy gives traditional married couples preference over single parents or same-sex couples in fostering and adopting children.
Children Services Director Michael Fox said the policy — possibly the only one of its kind in the state — is not meant to discriminate, and the agency didn't oppose Grace's adoption.
"The right thing to do was to let the child continue to live with them," he said.
But he defended the policy.
"Data-wise, and there's tons of it, kids do better in families when there is a traditional married couple," he said.
The new policy doesn't mean the agency won't use single parents or same-sex couples, Fox said. In fact, he said, the agency usually gives preference to unmarried Butler County foster parents over out-of-county residents, and gives preference to whoever has been taking care of a child in adoption proceedings.
"Without exception, the best interest of the child trumps," Fox said.
But Michael said he takes it personally, and says it is discrimination. "We will not be contacted until every other avenue has been exhausted," he said.
Michael said he and his partner became foster and adoptive parents two years ago and have had one foster child in addition to their adopted daughter. But despite complaining about children needing foster parents, the agency hasn't placed a child there since September 2007, he said.
"We see the ads in the newspaper, we've seen the ads on TV ... we have called. We've made tons and tons of phone calls asking (about foster placement)," Michael said. "They always say, 'Yes, we will keep you in mind.' "
Butler County's controversial adoption policy
Agency sets adoption 'preferences'
Ellis, Amber. Cincinnati Enquirer, March 5, 2009.
Butler County Children Services has quietly adopted a controversial policy to give “traditional” married couples preference over single parents and same-sex couples looking to adopt children through the foster care system.
The new rule, which took effect in December, would not exclude these groups from adopting, but it clearly states that when all other things are equal, married couples would be given the advantage.
Children Services Director Mike Fox says he knows the policy touches on a thorny issue that many people don’t like to talk about. But in reality, he says, his agency is putting in writing one of many characteristics workers consider when placing children.
“When you strip away all the political correctness, just ask the simple question: If you had a choice for children to grow up in single families or a non-traditional family, what would you choose?” Fox asked. “The data overwhelmingly says that kids who grow up in traditional families have a better chance of success in life.”
The policy is not absolute. “The trump card in all decisions is the best interest of the child,” he said.
So for example, if a baby girl has been placed in a home with a same-sex couple for two years and is doing well, the agency won’t remove the infant because a traditional family wants to adopt her.
Even so, the policy, which appears to be the first of its kind in the state, is raising questions about its legality and whether it discriminates against certain groups.
Sue Gregory was one of several parents shocked Wednesday to learn about a policy they called both “unfair” and “discriminatory.”
Even though she’s a stay-at-home mom and wouldn’t be affected by the change, she said she’s still disturbed by it.
“I love staying at home with my kids, but that doesn’t say the foster mom who is single and has to work is any less of a parent,” said Gregory, past president of a local support group for foster parents.
“This seems wrong on so many levels that I can’t wrap my head around it. I don’t understand it. Whether they are gay, lesbian or single, these people are still awesome parents to their children, and it’s wrong.”
Ellis, Amber. Cincinnati Enquirer, March 5, 2009.
Butler County Children Services has quietly adopted a controversial policy to give “traditional” married couples preference over single parents and same-sex couples looking to adopt children through the foster care system.
The new rule, which took effect in December, would not exclude these groups from adopting, but it clearly states that when all other things are equal, married couples would be given the advantage.
Children Services Director Mike Fox says he knows the policy touches on a thorny issue that many people don’t like to talk about. But in reality, he says, his agency is putting in writing one of many characteristics workers consider when placing children.
“When you strip away all the political correctness, just ask the simple question: If you had a choice for children to grow up in single families or a non-traditional family, what would you choose?” Fox asked. “The data overwhelmingly says that kids who grow up in traditional families have a better chance of success in life.”
The policy is not absolute. “The trump card in all decisions is the best interest of the child,” he said.
So for example, if a baby girl has been placed in a home with a same-sex couple for two years and is doing well, the agency won’t remove the infant because a traditional family wants to adopt her.
Even so, the policy, which appears to be the first of its kind in the state, is raising questions about its legality and whether it discriminates against certain groups.
Sue Gregory was one of several parents shocked Wednesday to learn about a policy they called both “unfair” and “discriminatory.”
Even though she’s a stay-at-home mom and wouldn’t be affected by the change, she said she’s still disturbed by it.
“I love staying at home with my kids, but that doesn’t say the foster mom who is single and has to work is any less of a parent,” said Gregory, past president of a local support group for foster parents.
“This seems wrong on so many levels that I can’t wrap my head around it. I don’t understand it. Whether they are gay, lesbian or single, these people are still awesome parents to their children, and it’s wrong.”
Friday, February 27, 2009
The maximum prison sentence for child endangering is only 8 years?
Shaken baby gets another chance: Foster family helps Destiny beat the odds
Curnutte, Mark. Cincinnati Enquirer, Feb. 22, 2009.
"For all intents and purposes, this mother murdered her. In terms of any quality of life, she took it. This case is the worst one I've seen in 25 years of any shaken baby who survived." -- Myra Wheeler, caseworker, Hamilton County Job & Family Services
Destiny Concepcion never will walk. She eats mostly through a feeding tube punched into her stomach.
At 18 months, she wears a patch 6-8 hours a day on her stronger left eye to stimulate her weaker right eye, one of the serious injuries she suffered when her mother shook her 15 months ago.
On Nov. 21, 2007, Halloran Carr fractured Destiny's skull when - frustrated with her daughter's crying - she shook the tiny child in their Colerain Township home. Destiny is cortically blind, which means her brain can not intellectually process what she sees.
Judge William Mallory of Hamilton County Common Pleas Court sentenced Carr on Jan. 22 to the maximum eight-year prison term for child endangering.
Destiny's injuries horrified even the most hardened officials charged with protecting children. They predicted a grim future for Destiny during her mother's sentencing hearing - words backed up by their decision to put the child with one of their top sets of foster parents.
Destiny's gloomy prognosis almost came true three days after she was placed with Robin and David Steele. The little girl suffered cardiac arrest when out shopping with the family. An emergency room nurse came into the store just at that time and kept her alive.
"Our angel that night," Robin Steele said in reference to the nurse.
Destiny has shown to be a fighter.
Born Aug. 21, 2007, she was 14 weeks premature. She survived the shaking Nov. 21, the three-month mark of her birth. She needed six weeks to recover in the hospital from her heart attack Dec. 7.
The little girl continues to surprise the team of people watching over her growth and development and she has achieved a series of minor victories nurtured through the attentive hands of her foster parents.
Life has indeed gone on for Destiny, just a month after her birth mother's case disappeared from the news.
The upstairs study of the towering Victorian in Winton Place was warm but airy - its yellow walls brightened more by the sunlight bouncing off the thick blanket of snow outside.
Five of the Steeles' 10 adopted children ran in and out of the house, the clomping of their boots echoing off hardwood floors below.
Destiny, dressed in pink corduroy pants and a long-sleeved shirt, rested on a small pink quilt.
Robin Steele sat at the girl's feet and with her left hand gently exercised Destiny's arm in a slow, up-and-down movement.
The foster mother then picked up the child and held her face close to hers. Destiny cooed and giggled when Robin Steele tickled her cheek with a kiss.
"It's not like she is completely out of it," Robin Steele said when asked about the comments made in court at her mother's sentencing. "She has awareness. Destiny's life was not over when she was shaken. There is a little girl with potential."
Emotional arrival
Even before her heart attack, Destiny's first few nights with her foster parents put Robin and David Steele on an emotional edge.
He slept on the floor in the study beside Destiny, who was in an infant seat. He wanted to make sure he could hear her.
"She was so quiet," he said.
Robin Steele shook her head.
"How she got so frustrated with the baby crying," she said, her voice trailed off to silence before she could finish her thought about Carr.
Michael, 7, the Steeles' youngest adopted child, ran up the stairs to check on his parents. David Steele sat on the office chair at the computer. Michael hugged his father and turned to run back outside.
"Michael's twin brother was killed by his foster parents," Robin Steele said. "He had a lot of issues that needed caring. By the time everything sorted itself out and he was free for adoption, he had been with us for a long time. We are getting older and out of the range of adoption."
The unspoken question is would they adopt Destiny.
"If we were 10 years younger, no question we would keep her," said Robin Steele, who, like her husband, is 59. "Destiny deserves somebody who's younger than we are to ensure she's going to have longevity."
Destiny's needs are great.
Specialists galore
She sees a team of nutritionists at Children's Hospital Medical Center. Twice a week she visits the Perlman Center at Children's, a division of United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cincinnati, where she receives more treatment. She also has appointments with an ophthalmologist and at the Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. She has a pediatrician and an ear, nose and throat specialist. Her treatment team includes a speech teacher and an occupational therapist. Her foster parents administer three drugs each day: Keppra to prevent seizures; a second, Prevacid, to reduce the dangerous effects of reflux; and the third, Baclofen, to improve muscle tone.
Caring for Destiny is a round-the-clock job. She receives her first medication at 5:30 a.m., the last at 10:30 p.m. She receives an eight-hour feeding of PediaSure - a milky liquid that meets all of her nutritional needs - overnight through her gastronomy tube. Although she now can eat some baby food - strained meat, vegetables, fruit - she cannot swallow efficiently enough to stay alive.
Just 5 pounds at 4 months
Destiny weighed less than 5 pounds when she entered foster care at four months old.
She now weighs 17 pounds, 6 ounces - close to normal.
She could take only one ounce of formula at a time. "And you had to catch her awake, or she wouldn't eat," said David Steele, a former special education teacher.
She likes ice cream and suckers and can make it known when she wants more. The couple took a push-button device and recorded Robin Steele's voice saying, "More please." When Destiny wants another small helping she bangs the button: "More please."
Destiny will slump in her wheelchair or stroller. David Steele will encourage her, "Get your head up, please," he will say. And the little girl will struggle to look up.
"Communication," David Steele said. "We want to help her work a mouse at a computer. She might not be able to walk, but she can be mobile. She might be able to only eat baby food ..."
"One day at a time," said Robin Steele, interrupting her husband. Though a realist, the woman refuses to place limits on Destiny.
Destiny requires all of the Steeles' experience and savvy as foster parents. The couple coordinates communication between the medical specialists.
Destiny is the Steeles' 57th foster child. They have two now, in addition to their birth son and 10 adopted children.
"We always wanted a baker's dozen," said Robin Steele, who, like David, has an undergraduate degree in education. "We've reached it a couple of times."
Destiny is not the couple's most physically or mentally injured foster child.
"We had a little girl who was a drowning victim of her parents," Robin Steele said. "She was totally unresponsive. That was hard. She eventually was returned to her birth family." (why?)
No waiting for help
Destiny probably has more long-term physical and developmental challenges, David Steele said.
Robin Steele doesn't wait for social workers or doctors to make treatment arrangements. She aggressively worked the phones to set up appointments to get Destiny what's known as early-intervention treatment.
She is also a flesh-and-bone mother who bonds with the children in her care, including each of her 57 foster children. A year has been more than enough time to tighten her bond with Destiny.
"It's not very different between how I feel about her or any of the foster children or adopted children or birth child we have had," she said. "When we know a foster child is going back to their birth family or to an adoptive home, I can feel myself pulling back. It is a day-to-day commitment. And as long as she is with us, we will love her like she is ours.
"You know there is another child around the corner who is going to need you enough."
Told too often - Robin Steele said - that Destiny has insurmountable physical and developmental challenges, she offered a pull toy as evidence of a skill that experts once thought was out of her reach.
A plastic frog rests on blue-and-red wheels. Red-and-yellow balls pop inside a clear dome when pulled. The Steeles were told Destiny could not learn enough fine motor skill or hand-eye coordination to pull the plastic string.
David Steele placed the toy beside Destiny on the quilt. Robin directed the girl's attention to the toy.
She needed repeated attempts to grasp the drawstring in her left hand, but Destiny finally manipulated it into her fist. She tugged it. The balls snapped loudly.
Destiny grunted and giggled. And then she smiled at Robin Steele.
"I cry for Destiny. I will spend the rest of my life thinking about her and crying for her." -William Mallory, judge, Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.
Curnutte, Mark. Cincinnati Enquirer, Feb. 22, 2009.
"For all intents and purposes, this mother murdered her. In terms of any quality of life, she took it. This case is the worst one I've seen in 25 years of any shaken baby who survived." -- Myra Wheeler, caseworker, Hamilton County Job & Family Services
Destiny Concepcion never will walk. She eats mostly through a feeding tube punched into her stomach.
At 18 months, she wears a patch 6-8 hours a day on her stronger left eye to stimulate her weaker right eye, one of the serious injuries she suffered when her mother shook her 15 months ago.
On Nov. 21, 2007, Halloran Carr fractured Destiny's skull when - frustrated with her daughter's crying - she shook the tiny child in their Colerain Township home. Destiny is cortically blind, which means her brain can not intellectually process what she sees.
Judge William Mallory of Hamilton County Common Pleas Court sentenced Carr on Jan. 22 to the maximum eight-year prison term for child endangering.
Destiny's injuries horrified even the most hardened officials charged with protecting children. They predicted a grim future for Destiny during her mother's sentencing hearing - words backed up by their decision to put the child with one of their top sets of foster parents.
Destiny's gloomy prognosis almost came true three days after she was placed with Robin and David Steele. The little girl suffered cardiac arrest when out shopping with the family. An emergency room nurse came into the store just at that time and kept her alive.
"Our angel that night," Robin Steele said in reference to the nurse.
Destiny has shown to be a fighter.
Born Aug. 21, 2007, she was 14 weeks premature. She survived the shaking Nov. 21, the three-month mark of her birth. She needed six weeks to recover in the hospital from her heart attack Dec. 7.
The little girl continues to surprise the team of people watching over her growth and development and she has achieved a series of minor victories nurtured through the attentive hands of her foster parents.
Life has indeed gone on for Destiny, just a month after her birth mother's case disappeared from the news.
The upstairs study of the towering Victorian in Winton Place was warm but airy - its yellow walls brightened more by the sunlight bouncing off the thick blanket of snow outside.
Five of the Steeles' 10 adopted children ran in and out of the house, the clomping of their boots echoing off hardwood floors below.
Destiny, dressed in pink corduroy pants and a long-sleeved shirt, rested on a small pink quilt.
Robin Steele sat at the girl's feet and with her left hand gently exercised Destiny's arm in a slow, up-and-down movement.
The foster mother then picked up the child and held her face close to hers. Destiny cooed and giggled when Robin Steele tickled her cheek with a kiss.
"It's not like she is completely out of it," Robin Steele said when asked about the comments made in court at her mother's sentencing. "She has awareness. Destiny's life was not over when she was shaken. There is a little girl with potential."
Emotional arrival
Even before her heart attack, Destiny's first few nights with her foster parents put Robin and David Steele on an emotional edge.
He slept on the floor in the study beside Destiny, who was in an infant seat. He wanted to make sure he could hear her.
"She was so quiet," he said.
Robin Steele shook her head.
"How she got so frustrated with the baby crying," she said, her voice trailed off to silence before she could finish her thought about Carr.
Michael, 7, the Steeles' youngest adopted child, ran up the stairs to check on his parents. David Steele sat on the office chair at the computer. Michael hugged his father and turned to run back outside.
"Michael's twin brother was killed by his foster parents," Robin Steele said. "He had a lot of issues that needed caring. By the time everything sorted itself out and he was free for adoption, he had been with us for a long time. We are getting older and out of the range of adoption."
The unspoken question is would they adopt Destiny.
"If we were 10 years younger, no question we would keep her," said Robin Steele, who, like her husband, is 59. "Destiny deserves somebody who's younger than we are to ensure she's going to have longevity."
Destiny's needs are great.
Specialists galore
She sees a team of nutritionists at Children's Hospital Medical Center. Twice a week she visits the Perlman Center at Children's, a division of United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cincinnati, where she receives more treatment. She also has appointments with an ophthalmologist and at the Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. She has a pediatrician and an ear, nose and throat specialist. Her treatment team includes a speech teacher and an occupational therapist. Her foster parents administer three drugs each day: Keppra to prevent seizures; a second, Prevacid, to reduce the dangerous effects of reflux; and the third, Baclofen, to improve muscle tone.
Caring for Destiny is a round-the-clock job. She receives her first medication at 5:30 a.m., the last at 10:30 p.m. She receives an eight-hour feeding of PediaSure - a milky liquid that meets all of her nutritional needs - overnight through her gastronomy tube. Although she now can eat some baby food - strained meat, vegetables, fruit - she cannot swallow efficiently enough to stay alive.
Just 5 pounds at 4 months
Destiny weighed less than 5 pounds when she entered foster care at four months old.
She now weighs 17 pounds, 6 ounces - close to normal.
She could take only one ounce of formula at a time. "And you had to catch her awake, or she wouldn't eat," said David Steele, a former special education teacher.
She likes ice cream and suckers and can make it known when she wants more. The couple took a push-button device and recorded Robin Steele's voice saying, "More please." When Destiny wants another small helping she bangs the button: "More please."
Destiny will slump in her wheelchair or stroller. David Steele will encourage her, "Get your head up, please," he will say. And the little girl will struggle to look up.
"Communication," David Steele said. "We want to help her work a mouse at a computer. She might not be able to walk, but she can be mobile. She might be able to only eat baby food ..."
"One day at a time," said Robin Steele, interrupting her husband. Though a realist, the woman refuses to place limits on Destiny.
Destiny requires all of the Steeles' experience and savvy as foster parents. The couple coordinates communication between the medical specialists.
Destiny is the Steeles' 57th foster child. They have two now, in addition to their birth son and 10 adopted children.
"We always wanted a baker's dozen," said Robin Steele, who, like David, has an undergraduate degree in education. "We've reached it a couple of times."
Destiny is not the couple's most physically or mentally injured foster child.
"We had a little girl who was a drowning victim of her parents," Robin Steele said. "She was totally unresponsive. That was hard. She eventually was returned to her birth family." (why?)
No waiting for help
Destiny probably has more long-term physical and developmental challenges, David Steele said.
Robin Steele doesn't wait for social workers or doctors to make treatment arrangements. She aggressively worked the phones to set up appointments to get Destiny what's known as early-intervention treatment.
She is also a flesh-and-bone mother who bonds with the children in her care, including each of her 57 foster children. A year has been more than enough time to tighten her bond with Destiny.
"It's not very different between how I feel about her or any of the foster children or adopted children or birth child we have had," she said. "When we know a foster child is going back to their birth family or to an adoptive home, I can feel myself pulling back. It is a day-to-day commitment. And as long as she is with us, we will love her like she is ours.
"You know there is another child around the corner who is going to need you enough."
Told too often - Robin Steele said - that Destiny has insurmountable physical and developmental challenges, she offered a pull toy as evidence of a skill that experts once thought was out of her reach.
A plastic frog rests on blue-and-red wheels. Red-and-yellow balls pop inside a clear dome when pulled. The Steeles were told Destiny could not learn enough fine motor skill or hand-eye coordination to pull the plastic string.
David Steele placed the toy beside Destiny on the quilt. Robin directed the girl's attention to the toy.
She needed repeated attempts to grasp the drawstring in her left hand, but Destiny finally manipulated it into her fist. She tugged it. The balls snapped loudly.
Destiny grunted and giggled. And then she smiled at Robin Steele.
"I cry for Destiny. I will spend the rest of my life thinking about her and crying for her." -William Mallory, judge, Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Doris Edelmann honored by Montgomery County Family & Children First Council
Doris Edelmann was awarded the Brother Ray Fitz Award from the Montgomery County Family and Children First Council on Friday, Feb. 20, 2009.
Lisa Dickson, Communications Chair, was one of three people introducing Doris, preceded by Helen Jones-Kelley and Gayle Bullard.
This is what Lisa shared:
Foster Care Alumni of America is a national organization made up former foster youth and advocates like Doris who care about the future of young people aging out of foster care.
In the spirit of our collective voice I will be speaking not only on behalf of myself, but also sharing the words of Gabriel Koshinsky, FCAA Ohio Operations Chair, as well...
As Gabe wrote: "Doris is a leader in the truest sense. She could get hit by a semi and get up in 5 seconds flat. She is a leader and a fighter. The character of a person can be seen in where they invest their time and energy."
As a former foster child who is working to create statewide connections among foster care alumni, including a statewide network of support, I think about Doris on the days when I feel discouraged. I think about Doris on days when my energy level is low.
When I think of Doris, I see her in action:
- I usually picture her in a van, barreling down the highway, transporting young people from one destination to another.
- Maybe they are off to Washington DC to share their voices on Capital Hill
- Maybe they are visiting other counties to share their expertise on developing local or regional youth advisory boards
- But whatever the destination, I can feel the excitement – and it reinvigorates me!
Doris is one of those people who always seems to be in action, even when she is standing still.
If she is sitting in a chair, then she is probably coming up with creative ways to finance resources for young people, and helping other counties learn to streamline their resources as well.
Or she’s poking the person sitting next to her, probably a young person, saying: 'You need to get up there and say something! You have something important to say.'
And Doris is one of those people who always give their all, doing things like:
- Not only co-hosting the FCAA Ohio Thanksgiving Reunion for young people who lack family connections, but bringing her entire family to be a part of it.
Trust comes slowly for those of us who have experienced so many losses and broken promises in the past. And yet we trust Doris. Why?
Because for so many young people, Doris is their only sense of home… She is always available for them, she firmly believes in their abilities, and she committed to paving the way for their future success.
We live in times of danger and uncertainty. Times when the very resources needed to support young people transitioning into adulthood, such as TANF-IL funds, are being stripped away.
But these times are also more open to creative energy than at any other time in history.
Doris exemplifies the type of vision, courage and personal commitment that young people in and from foster care need during the launching period of their lives. As they are catapulted into adulthood:
- They need someone like Doris, who does not acknowledge the word “barrier,” but finds a way to MAKE things happen
- They need someone like Doris who believes that children services is a job that is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- They need someone who does not just speak FOR them, but who empowers them through advocacy training to speak for THEMSELVES
- They need someone who gives them HOPE. It is the advocates in our lives who make a difference.
In a speech in South Africa in 1966, Robert Kennedy said: “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.
“Crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, these ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance. “
I agree wholeheartedly with Gabriel Koshinsky that: “We often think of a hero as some comic book character, perhaps a General or great historical figure.
"But this room is filled with heroes. When faced with challenges, each person will ultimately make the choice to be a hero, or to surrender to be a spectator.”
So I will end with an invitation to each and every person in this room. You are invited to be a part of the Ready to Launch movement in Ohio. Ask Doris, and she will tell you all about it!
Nothing would make Doris more happy than a public awareness campaign about the needs of young people transitioning to adulthood – and once again, that is why she is my hero.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Young people aging out of foster care in Franklin County
"Franklin County Children Services has approximately 2,000 young people in foster care - 475 of whom are 17 years of age or older.
"That's 25%.
"Preparing these young people for the adult work should be a huge priority."
~ Quote from OACCA IL legislation discussion
"That's 25%.
"Preparing these young people for the adult work should be a huge priority."
~ Quote from OACCA IL legislation discussion
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