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2021 Foster Youth and Social Justice
This document discusses foster care issues in Ohio. It provides statistics on the number of teens in foster care and those who age out annually in three major cities. Young people who age out face challenges transitioning to adulthood without family support. The timeline outlines Governor DeWine's efforts to address these issues, including establishing an advisory council and budgeting for an ombudsman office. Foster youth advocated for the office and recommended it be youth-focused and able to independently investigate issues. The document argues for separate, equally-funded ombudsman roles to serve youth and adults. It stresses the importance of youth involvement to ensure the office effectively empowers young people.
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2021 Foster Youth and Social Justice
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- 3. Teens in FosterCare Abus e Cleveland: 1101 teens in foster care in 2020 Columbus: 1270 teens in foster care in 2020 Cincinnati: 813 teens in foster care in 2020
- 4. Transition to YoungAdulthood for a young person growing up with their biological family
- 5. Aging Out inOhio Abus e Cleveland: 156 foster youth aged out in 2020 Columbus: 202 foster youth aged out in 2020 Cincinnati: 113 foster youth aged out in 2020
- 6. Challenges faced bya young person who “ages out” of foster care
- 7.
- 9. Who can I contact whenmy rights are violated?
- 10. Timeline Governor DeWine tookoffice in January 2019. One of his campaign promises was to establish an Ombudsman Office. Foster care youth and alumni submitted recommendations for this office in January 2019. Jan. 2019 Nov. 2019 – Jan. 2020 July 2021 Jan. – Nov. 2020 Early 2019 Governor DeWine signed an Executive Order elevating the priority of children services within ODJFS. He established a “Children’s Services Transformation Advisory Council” that consist of 21 members including former foster youth. . The Advisory Council led 10 regional community foster care forums throughout the state. After COVID-19 hit, ACTION Ohio and the OHIO YAB held a virtual forum and invited members of the council to attend. In February, the Executive Budget highlights $1 million to create an Ombudsman Office. The budget also authorized ODJFS to establish a Foster Youth Bill of Rights by Administrative Rule. HB 110 passed without specific language or a budgetary line item to create this Office. The Advisory Council broke into working groups to develop recommendations. They published a final report with 37 recommendations, including a statewide Ombudsman.
- 12. COVID-19 Call toAction From Ohio Foster Youth & Alumni: Proactive and Solution-Based Recommendations Friday, May 29, from 10 am – 11 am During this virtual forum, hosted by foster youth: • Jonathan Thomas and Jeremy Collier shared the risk of Ohio not having a Youth Ombudsman Office. • They submitted written, virtual and video testimonies.
- 14. How Are CurrentSafeguards Failing? Lack of follow-through when youth reach out to local child abuse hotlines. Lack of compliance with the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act re: youth AWOLs. This leads to prolonged abuse, and risk of loss of life.
- 15. Why Should ThisOffice Be Youth Specific? Because adults already have so many other mechanisms whereby they can be heard. Whereas children often feel alone and powerless.
- 16. Why Should ThisOffice Be Designed By Youth? • Current and former foster youth must be involved in design to emphasize youth-centered service delivery • In a “youth-serving” model, youth are viewed as the passive recipients of programs, services, tools and resources. • But a youth-empowering model recognizes that consumers of a service should be involved in its design, delivery and evaluation.
- 19. Importance of stayingengaged to ensure that the Ombudsman Office is youth-focused and able to independently investigate
- 21. Representative Manchester’s willingnessto consider amending HB 4 Two Equal Roles: - Each with their own division, staff, and budgets • Can focus on youth experiencing abuse in bio, foster, adoptive, kinship, respite, residential and group home placements • Can partner with other ODJFS OFC staff/departments to assist youth with other processes, such as • Verification letters to prove they were in foster care • Referrals to resources • Addressing barriers to service access • Can focus on adults • Biological parents contesting removal • Foster parents expressing issues with agencies • Caseworkers expressing concerns • Etc. *This is one of those situations in which “siloed” = good. Children Services Ombudsman (Adult Serving) Youth Ombudsman (Youth/Alumni Serving) OHIO YAB and ACTION Ohio play an ongoing role in interviewing for this office and evaluating its success
- 25. Where can I signthe petition?
- 26. To stay involved, pleaseemail: action@fosteractionohio.org
Editor's Notes
- #3 The Overcoming Hurdles in Ohio Youth Advisory Board is a statewide organization of young people, ages 14-24, who have experienced foster care. The OHIO YAB exists to be the knowledgeable statewide voice that influences policies and practices that impact youth who have or will experience out of home care. Alumni of Care Together Improving Outcomes Now Ohio (ACTION Ohio) is dedicated to improving outcomes for current and former foster care youth. Our membership is primarily comprised of former foster youth, ages 18+. Our initiatives include Thanksgiving Together, Three Days on the Hill, and facilitating the statewide youth advisory board.
- #8 The Foster Youth Rights Handbook was first created by Ohio foster youth and is supposed to be given to every youth in foster care.
- #9 Ohio is currently working to establish a Foster Youth Bill of Rights: The OHIO YAB held several focus groups, and this is what participating youth asked for: - Protection from abuse, exploitation, and neglect. - The right to privacy, life skills preparation, visitation with our loved ones, support from adults in our lives. - To be able to be protected from discrimination, provided with resources, and allowed to participate in extra-curricular activities. This is brand-new. The OHIO YAB has asked that the Rights be posted in foster homes, group homes and residential facilities in the future.
- #10 However, rights on paper don’t mean anything, unless there is someone to contact when your rights are violated. Youth can fill out a grievance procedure, and if you do, please keep track of the date you filed it, and keep a copy for yourself and an adult you trust.
- #12 Photos from the Listening Tour by the Children Services Transformation Advisory Council Additional youth testified during the Cleveland, Cincinnati and other forums The need for a Youth Ombuds Office came up repeatedly.
- #13 COVID-19 Call to Action From Ohio Foster Youth & Alumni: Proactive and Solution-Based Recommendations Friday, May 29, from 10 am – 11 am This virtual forum was an opportunity for state decision-makers to listen to the experiences and solutions-driven policy recommendations of foster care youth. Topics included: 1. Impact of the Pandemic 2. Youth At Risk of Abuse 3. Normalcy and Safety Barriers 4. Sibling Connections 5. Preparation for Adulthood
- #15 i.e. Makiyah Bryant Other youth examples…
- #16 This office needs to be youth specific because adults have so many other ways to be heard. And because this is necessary to restore youth trust in adults. Trying to serve both youth and foster parents creates an insurmountable conflict of interest in cases when a child or teen reports being abused by their foster parent. Lessons learned from other states indicate that when an Ombudsman office attempts to serve adults and youth, it ends up primarily serving adults (i.e. West Virginia) This includes websites geared toward adult professionals and complicated complaint forms - some of which need to be printed, filled out, and then scanned or faxed. In contrast, the Texas Ombudsman for Children and Youth in Foster Care specifically informs youth of their rights and lets them know how to submit concerns.
- #17 Nothing about us without us Issue of trust
- #20 This “tree swing” diagram illustrates what can happen if those who propose a bill don’t stay involved throughout the entire legislative process.
- #22 Makayla
- #24 We will continue to write Op Eds
- #25 We will continue to speak to the press
- #26 One way that you can take action right now is to sign the petition: http://chng.it/GJNbWhLz (if they email us, we can send it to them)
- #27 This image is actually a self-portrait of the foster care alumni artist who created all of the artwork in this presentation. We want you to know that each of you matter to us. Some of those who are listening might be former foster youth. Or know, love and care for someone with a foster care history. Or feel deeply inspired to get involved.