Hannah Report: Special Budget Edition

Vol. 128 – Special Budget Issue Saturday, May 30, 2009
Public 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.

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*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.

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.

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.

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.

Ohio sinking economy leading to spiking reports of child abuse and neglect

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...)

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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.' "

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.”

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.

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.

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

Expanding College Access and Enhancing Student Success

On October 16, 2008, a conference on Expanding College Access and Enhancing Student Success was hosted by Former Ohio Governor Bob Taft.

It was sponsored by: University of Dayton, Ohio College Access Network, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Sinclair Community College, Clark State Community College, Wright State University, The Dayton Foundation and the Dayton Power and Light Company.

Foster Stories

Artist paints picture of hope for children needing homes

Columbus -- When Darrin Hoover went on stage at the Southern Theater on Thursday night, Nov. 13, 2008, two blank giant canvases awaited him.

Two hours later, the canvasses showed the likeness of two adults, Lisa Dickson and Cedric Riley, whose life stories were intended to inspire children in the custody of Franklin County Children Services, letting them know that it’s possible to overcome extreme adversity.

Hoover painted the images and narrated the stories on stage in the multi-media docudrama, which also included a film and stirring music.

“I’m like your tour guide,” he told the enthralled audience.

The program, Portrait of a Child: Lives on Canvas, also was designed to motivate potential adoptive and foster parents to take the vital steps to help children stabilize their lives. The effort also was intended to attract volunteers to help with the agency’s various programs.

The creative work was the brainchild of Troy Lindsey, executive producer of the program and recruitment assistant for Children Services.

November is National Adoption Month and the performance was part of the local observance.

The occasion also introduced the newest All Kids Count Adoption and Foster Care calendar, who is available throughout the year.

The calendar features 13 children in need of safe, permanent homes and some of the families who have opened their homes to children in need of such care.

For more information, call 614-341-6060 or visit the Web site: www.franklincountyohio.gov/children_services

Great job, Adrian, Alex and DaVaughn!!!

Dayton Foster Youth Fight For More Reforms Han, Carol. News Center 7, Nov. 18, 2008.

WASHINGTON -- When President George W. Bush signed a foster care bill into law last month, foster youth from the Dayton area saw it as a personal victory.

Foster Care Alumni of America estimates that there are currently 700 foster children living in our area. Last year, a group of them traveled to Capitol Hill to ask Ohio lawmakers to support the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act.

The sweeping reform bill helps keep siblings together in foster care and provides federal assistance to family members who become legal guardians of relatives' children. It also extends foster care benefits until age 21.

The bill passed with bipartisan support, and on Tuesday, the foster youth were back in Washington to thank lawmakers and to drum up support for more reforms.

Devaughn Staley, 18, wants to see Ohio foster youth be given the green light to get driver's licenses. Ohio is one of many states that do not allow kids in foster care to get a license due to insurance liability reasons. Staley wants to see the state help take up the liability. He told News Center 7 that it has been hard not being able to drive to the mall or to a job.

"We're pushing for Ohio to close that gap between foster kids and normal kids," Staley said. "Close that gap so we can be normal and feel like we belong."

Other students want to see more help extended to foster kids who want to go to college.

Alex McFarland described how credits from his high school in Tennessee weren't accepted by his school in Ohio. As a result, the 18-year-old could not graduate with his class and had to get a G.E.D.

"It was a big letdown for me because I really had that American dream about going to college with a high school diploma, walking across the aisle, going to my senior prom and I didn't have that," McFarland said.

McFarland now attends Sinclair Community College and has plans to transfer to Ohio State University.

Adrian McLemore, an 11-year veteran of Ohio's foster care system, is now a junior at Wright State University studying business and political science.

News Center 7 first met McLemore in May 2007, when he and the first group of Dayton foster youth lobbied Congress for foster care reform.

McLemore says he's happy to be back in D.C., especially so soon after President-elect Barack Obama's election win.

McLemore -- who plans to run for political office someday -- said, "Barack Obama beat me to it, he beat me to the election. But it's a testament to the resolve [about] working hard and working for the American dream. He just made it that much closer of a reality for me."

Ashland County asks commissioners for more funds

Foster care costs straining budget
Minnear, Travis. Ashland Times Gazette, Sept. 12, 2008.

Citing additional financial strain from an unusually high number of children requiring care, Ashland County Department of Job and Family Services officials asked commissioners Thursday for additional funds.

ACDJFS Director Gary Hannan said his department needs an additional $360,000 to provide for foster care expenses because $840,000 already appropriated for such services has been spent. He said money is needed immediately because the department cannot pay bills its been holding without it. In addition, Hannan said, the department needs a $287,103 transfer from the county general fund to provide services through December for children in custody.

"Children are languishing too long in the foster care system on a national level, in Ohio and, I'm sad to say, right here in Ashland County," Hannan said.

According to ACDJFS, placement costs for children in custody are projected to exceed $1.2 million for the year, which amounts to about $68,000 less than 2007. Hannan said children services was appropriated $927,103 for 2008, and as of Sept. 1, there were 83 children in custody of the county.

Commissioners expressed concern about how to pay for the additional expenses. Commissioner Matt Miller said after the meeting that line items used for emergency expenditures have been exhausted in recent years to help balance budgets and the need for additional money will create a "dire situation for us in the county general revenue fund."

"We are very concerned where that money will come from," Miller said after Thursday's meeting.

"The decision to support these children is not difficult," Commissioner Kim Edwards said, adding that finding the money to do so will require some extra work.

Children services was appropriated $640,000 from the general fund for 2008.

There are a variety of factors contributing to the increased burden, Hannan said, including state budget cuts and increased costs for children with special needs. Despite needing more money, Hannan said he is "optimistic" that revenue could rise and some of the children may leave the county's custody, alleviating some of the financial crunch.

"The Ashland County Department of Job and Family is required by law to attempt to find a solution for children in custody as soon as possible," Hannan said.

Tracee Anderson, assistant ACDJFS director, displayed pictures of some children receiving care from the county. She said the purpose of the pictures was to show the faces of the children receiving care and tell a little about them.

"These children deserve better, and it's our job to do it," Anderson said.

Eagle Scouts create care packages for foster children

Local Eagle Scout helps foster children
Thompson, Kathy. Zanesville Times Recorder, Aug. 29, 2008.

ZANESVILLE - A local Eagle Scout has introduced a project that will help foster children throughout Muskingum County.

John Hanifan, 17, has had friends in the foster care program in the county and thought one way to help ease their pain and fear when taken out of their homes and placed in a foster home was to have a "Comfort Bag."

"We're filling them with age appropriate items to make them feel more comfortable," Hanifan said. "I know about fear and grief and I just wanted to help them and hope that this project will continue."

Hanifan contacted the Muskingum County Children's Services and asked if he could donate the bags for the approximately 100 children that come into foster care a year.

"We were delighted to have such a young man show so much concern for the children of this county," said Lisa Wayt, coordinator of the foster care program. "We have some kits that we give the children when they first enter foster care that we receive through generous donations, but these are very appreciated."

Wayt said Hanifan has put his own "special touch" to the bags.

"John loves art and he's made sure that's all included," Wayt said. "This is something that's never been done in this area."

Hanifan said while some of the project started out as a way to help foster children, it is also a tribute to his late grandfather, Frank Hanifan, who started Boy Scout Troop 164. John Hanifan started his scouting career with that same troop.

"I know what loss is about after my grandfather died," Hanifan said. "I wanted to do something that he would have been proud of, too."

The Comfort Bags will be for four different age groups - infants to age three, ages four to eight, ages nine to 13 and ages 14 to 17.

Each bag is filled with not only hygiene items such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, but coloring books, journals, books, art supplies, games, puzzles and stuffed animals.

"We found a company in Newark that is making these dolls stuffed with rice that you put in a microwave, heat and then give to a baby," Hanifan said. "They are really neat and the babies love them."

Wayt said Hanifan has gone to businesses across the county and even ventured out into the region getting donations for the bags.

Hanifan said he's been amazed at how eager businesses and people in the community are to help.

"It just shows that the people in this community are eager to come together and help each other," Hanifan said. "Being in scouting has taught me life learning lessons like how to cook, camp, fish and first aid. But I guess the best it's taught me is that people out there really care and want to help."

Hanifan was able to use his scouting practices just recently when a cousin fell 12 feet off his grandmother's roof and landed on a concrete patio.

Hanifan had the victim calm and stable by the time EMS personnel arrived at the scene and was given an acclamation by the squad for his quick response.

Hanifan is hoping that by the end of September he has at least 90 bags to give to Children's Services.

"It really means that I have to get my troop together and we have to fill these bags," Hanifan said.

Hanifan said his dream is that another troop in another area picks up the idea.

"I'd also love it if my troop can keep this going," Hanifan said. "I've planted the dream. I just hopes it grows."

If anyone would like to donate to the Comfort Bag Program, please call Hanifan at 740-454-7483.