Finding what works helping young adults transition into adulthood
Fostering Connections: Advocating for Improved Outcomes for Older Youth
1. Success Beyond 18
A National Campaign of the
Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative
2. 2
AT ISSUE
Choices we make about foster care today could deny young
people their best chance for a strong start at adulthood.
Let’s bring leaders together to help young people build better
adult lives.
We can build a state where all kids
are safe, have a family,
and have a chance to reach their potential.
3. 3
THE CHALLENGE
Every year, 26,000 young people “age out” of foster care without
permanent families or supports.
Negative outcomes include:
• Homelessness
• Dropping out of high school
• Criminal involvement
• Unplanned pregnancies
Estimated cost to taxpayers = $8 billion
4. 4
THE OPPORTUNITY
Recent adolescent brain research shows we have a second
chance to help young people overcome adversity and begin to
thrive.
The Fostering Connections Act makes it easier than ever for
states to help young people have a strong start to adulthood.
The time is right to build a better path
5. 5
States are expanding their services for young people beyond
age 18.
Now is the time to help them do it right and ensure that
these young people are getting the same opportunities for
success as their peers.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The time is right to build a better path
6. 6
THE TIME IS RIGHT
FOR A CALL TO ACTION
The campaign’s three policy and practice goals:
1. Young people are not on their own at 18 without
families or supports.
2. Young people have a meaningful voice and say in
their future.
3. Greater accountability for their well-being leads to
more positive outcomes.
Doing it right has the power to change lives.
7. 7
EXTENDING CARE:
DOING IT RIGHT
Extending the availability and enhancing the quality of foster
care beyond age 18
• Collaborate with young people in designing extended care
• Leverage federal funding
• Take advantage of federal options (supervised independent
living, allow for re-entry, voluntary agreements, direct stipends
to young people)
• Maximize participation of young people in extended care
(inclusive eligibility)
• Align extended care with approaches to case planning and
oversight
8. 8
STATES THAT HAVE
EXTENDED FOSTER CARE
Approved Title IVE Plans
Alabama Arkansas California Illinois
Indiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts
Michigan Minnesota Nebraska New York
N. Dakota Oregon Pennsylvania Tennessee
Texas Washington W. Virginia Wash, DC
Enacted legislation
Delaware Florida Hawaii Missouri
Nebraska Virginia
9. 9
OUR SOLUTION
Success Beyond 18 will improve outcomes for young people
transitioning from foster care by:
1. Increasing public understanding of their needs.
2. Mobilizing communities to take action to support them.
3. Promoting improved policies and practices to increase
their chances for success in adulthood.
Leadership will pay off and things will get better .
10. 10
OUR SUCCESSFUL APPROACH
Since 2001, the Jim Casey Initiative has built a movement.
We help achieve success for young people leaving foster care
through:
• Youth engagement
• Partnerships and resources
• Research, evaluation, and communications
• Public will and policy
• Increased opportunities for young people
12. 12
THE TIME IS NOW
“Every young person needs an opportunity to look up in the
stands and see somebody cheering for them.”
– Crystal, 25, Jim Casey Initiative Young Fellow
Together, we can create a better path.
15. Setting the Context
Nebraska
• State-administered
• In 2011 served:
– 3,762 state wards
(1,261 of those in-home)
– 2,164 non-court (291 of
those out-of-home)
• CW privatization and JJ
reform
• New HHS leadership
• “Front end” focus
Pennsylvania
• County-administered
• In 2012 served:
– 22k children in FC
– 164k children in-home
• New administration
• Revenue-neutral public
policy environment
• FCA passed in 2012
16. Policy Issues
Nebraska
• Gaps in existing
programs
• Omaha pilot showed
good outcomes, but
additional health care,
housing and support
needs
Pennsylvania
• Had a financial
disincentive to
permanency – extended
foster care to 21 under
certain circumstances
but subsidies ended at
age 18
• Could do more to promote youth permanency and
successful transition from foster care
• Not maximizing new federal revenue
17. Policy Issue – Pennsylvania
Options
PA
Pre-FCA
FCA
Options
De-Link Income Eligibility for Adoption Subsidy X X
Extend Adoption Subsidies from 18-21 X
Guardianship Subsidies from 0-17 (relatives/kin) X X
Extend Guardianship Subsidies from 18-21
(relatives/kin)
X
Re-entry into Foster Care from 18-21 X
Extend Foster Care 18-21 when:
• Completing High School or GED X X
• Enrolled in Post-Secondary Education X X
• Participating in Employment Program X
• Employed for at Least 80 Hours a Month X
• Have Medical Condition X X
18. NE – Communications
Message Box
Values: Nebraska is a state where we
take care of our kids and want them to
have a real opportunity to be productive,
healthy, and engaged members of the
community as adults.
Vision: Young people will have the
support they need to be successful as
they transition to adulthood.
Ask: Take the opportunity under federal
law to remove barriers for youth
transitioning from foster care to
adulthood by passing LB 216 and
implementing the services and support
program.
Youth Voice
19. NE – Communications
• Surveys and focus groups ! “Bridging the
Gap” report
• Press conferences and youth lobby days
• Fact sheets and packets
• Graphic and postcards
• Action alerts and social media
• Videos and profiles
• Radio, TV & print media/op-eds
Find info at: neappleseed.org/children#lb216 (check out our prezi!)
20. PA – Communications
– Detailed fiscal analysis (Finance Project)
• Use of state and local foster care and
payment data
• County survey to inform assumptions
• Calculated youth and fiscal impact
• Find info at: http://bit.ly/c5zKW1
– White paper, op-eds, and e-advocacy
• Youth and families shared their stories in key
districts – how they would benefit
– Key messages: Existing disincentive,
maximizing FCA will support better outcomes
and is cheaper for the state and counties
21. PA – Fiscal Analysis
– Broad stakeholder group – involved youth
– Small working group to conduct analysis
– Cost Assumptions:
• Number of extended subsidies
• Number served in care ages 18-20 with current and
expanded eligibility
• Number re-entering care
• Costs for administration, case management, legal
representation, and placement settings
• Cost savings due to increased permanency
• Costs if PA doesn’t enact FCA
22. NE – Fiscal Analysis
• Data from NE HHS
• Broad stakeholder group decided program design options
• Mainspring developed projections of:
– Net fiscal impact of extending care in NE based on the cost
assumptions (estimates based on design options)
– Potential state savings
– Expected new IV-E revenue (where NE could draw down for current
investments)
– Assumptions: caseload, placement, case management, case review,
supportive services, extended guardianship and adoption subsidies, and
revenue
• Estimated new state cost: $2.7 - 3.1 million in 2013
growing to $4.4 - 5.9 in 2017, depending on design option*
• Other cost avoidance
* Note that the age of majority is 19 in NE
23. Questions?
• Where do things stand in your state on this issue?
• Is your state’s situation similar to NE or PA, or
something different?
• What challenges or successes has your state
experienced?
• Were you surprised that PA’s program was
estimated to generate revenue and produce a cost
savings? (Yes, you heard that correctly!)
24. NE – Mobilization
• Young people were the champions!
• Partnership between NCFF/PE and
Appleseed
• Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative
and Mainspring Consulting
• Older youth stakeholder group
25. PA – Mobilization
– Administration supportive but some counties
skeptical of fiscal analysis
– Juvenile Law Center and the Administration
were key partners
– Previous advocacy of youth helped pave
way – youth sign-on to the administration
– Worked closely with champions
– Mobilized organizations/counties to
communicate support
– Resource family and youth sign-on
– E-advocacy message to legislature
26. NE – Government Affairs
• NE HHS
– Partnered in the fiscal analysis, but disputed
aspects of the legislative fiscal note (which was
based on the fiscal analysis)
– Testified in opposition at committee hearing
(based on cost but acknowledging the program as
a best practice)
• Limited state general fund dollars for the floor
and competing priorities
• Multiple amendments
27. PA – Government Affairs
– Gubernatorial advocacy – platform
– Convincing Administration – Program
Revision Request development to support
Gov s budget development
– Administration was on lookout for cost-
savings ( waste, fraud and abuse )
– Fine tuning of analysis/proposal –
penetration rate
– Shepherding the budget proposal
– Champion in appropriations
28. Questions?
• What (tapped or untapped) champions exist in
your state?
• How are young people involved?
• What are the political dynamics?
29. NE – Resources
• Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative
• Nebraska Children & Families Foundation
• Mainspring Consulting
• The Sherwood Foundation
• William and Ruth Scott Family Foundation
• Other partners: Foster Care Review Office, Court
Improvement Project, CASA, providers and other
advocates, judges, senators and legislative staff, and NE
HHS
30. PA – Resources
• William Penn Foundation – Fiscal analysis
• Casey Family Programs
• Annie E. Casey Foundation –
Communications strategy and KIDS
COUNT
• Finance Project/Mainspring Consulting
• FCA National Resource Center
• PPC s Leadership Council
• Hornby-Zeller Associates
31. NE – Challenges and Successes
• Successes: youth advocacy, stakeholder
involvement, strong partnerships, background
data, effective communications
• Remaining challenges: implementation, rules and
regs, other reforms, broadening eligibility
• Implementation:
Before Jan. 1, 2014
NE HHS creates
rules and regs
Oct. 15, 2013
NE HHS
submits SPA
Within 60-90 days of
SPA approval
(not before Jan. 1, 2014)
Program takes effect
July 1, 2013
Advisory
Committee formed
Oct. 1, 2013
Advisory Committee
makes initial
recommendations
32. PA – Challenges and Successes
• Navigating legislators interested in the
change…or who had already introduced
legislation.
• Keeping proposal under wraps so
Governor would get the credit
• Fiscal analysis – effective but difficult
• Strong proposal – No strong opposition
• State commitment to go further than FCA
33. Implementation
• Key questions to consider:
– Beyond creating eligibility to extend – what is the
combination of programming, practice and philosophy
that might encourage youth to take advantage of FCA?
• Beyond connecting youth to concrete services to meet basic needs –
how can the program help youth connect to supportive relationships
and permanency, and to effective transition services so the program
doesn’t simply extend the cliff to age 21?
– How can you broaden the placement options and
continuum for young adults?
– How can you relax certain policies to allow for age-
appropriate freedoms and responsibilities?
– Is there a need for a culture shift related to the
professionals and implementing FCA?
34. Implementation
• Implementation is equally important as the
statutory change and is an ongoing process.
• A next frontier in PA is broadening the
definition of supervised independent living
settings to draw down new funds under FCA
and create a broader continuum of
placement options.
• The next frontier in NE involves fleshing out
the program, training, outreach and
oversight.
35. Advancing the Field
• Change underscores the importance
government should place on ensuring the
long-term success of youth transitioning to
permanency and from care.
• Provides the opportunity to consider a
different way of serving young adults in
foster care.
• Incorporates brain development research
36. Advancing the Field – SPARC
• Can provide the space for advocates to
dialogue and figure out the best strategies
to advance and implement FCA in their
respective jurisdictions.
• Can serve as a source and conduit of
information and technical assistance.
• Can create peer opportunities between
state advocates who are engaged in
similar work to advance FCA and other
issues.
