tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81984240536394402672024-02-22T11:44:11.585-08:00New York Foster CareLisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-39448391973780540732012-12-18T08:18:00.002-08:002012-12-18T08:18:57.205-08:00Independent Living Classes hosted by Saddle Rock Ranch<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #0b5394;">
<b>Program aids teens in foster care</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #0b5394;">
<i>Harrison, Lauren, Long Island Newsday, 12/8/12</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Teenagers sat at tables in a Middle Island classroom
equipped with a kitchen, watching as a professional chef demonstrated how to
chop a cucumber.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"See your fingers? We don't want to lose them,"
said Richard Freilich, Suffolk County Community College's culinary program
director, tucking his fingertips away from the blade. "Use your fingers to
control the vegetable."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #990000;">Food safety and healthy cooking were among several skills 30
teens in New York's foster care system learned Saturday at the launch of a
special respite program</span>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Held at the 15-acre Saddle Rock Ranch, the program aims to
prepare teens transitioning out of foster care, with workshops on topics
ranging from managing money and enrolling in college to grooming horses.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"The goal is that it will make a difference in some of
their lives. They'll be able to start feeling confident," said Lauri
Sherman Graff, director of Heart Gallery NYC, which created the program with
Family Residences and Essential Enterprises Inc., the ranch operator.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #990000;">
About 100 teens will take part in the monthly program, with
some courses taught by Suffolk County Community College instructors, through a
$25,000 grant by HSBC, the global banking and financial services firm.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Foster children face "tremendous challenges" in
entering the real world, Sherman Graff said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"A significant percentage of children who age out of
foster care end up incarcerated or homeless; the girls end up pregnant,"
she said. "So we're hoping to just interject before that happens and give
them some hope."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hope is central to both nonprofits. Heart Gallery NYC has
helped find permanent homes for many foster children, featuring their
photographs in public exhibits since 2007, Sherman Graff said. Family
Residences offers a variety of programs, especially centered around equestrian
therapy, for Long Island residents with special needs, said Christopher Long,
the group's chief of operations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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"One of the important components . . . is how the
handlers develop relationships with the horse," he said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jasmine, in foster care for 14 of her 16 years, called it
"a little bit" overwhelming to learn how to budget the money she
makes in a work-study program at a nursing home. "It's going to get harder
because when I get more jobs, I gotta learn how to spend my money and how to
save it," she said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For Amanda, 14, who has been in foster care since she was 6,
the program takes her "one step closer" to becoming a young adult.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amanda said she hopes to become a therapist, adding,
"Because I've been through so much during my past . . . it would be easier
to understand a kid, because I've been through it."</div>
Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-72615055483114451602012-10-27T11:17:00.004-07:002012-10-27T11:19:41.118-07:00Dental Partnership With Child Welfare
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>NYU
Dentistry, foster care agency partnership, improves child health, aids student
training<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Press Release, October 21, 2012</em></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The New York
University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) and Graham Windham, a local NYC-based
foster care agency, have partnered to provide regular dental care to more than
650 children since spring of 2011. The success of the program, Partners Against
Caries (PAC), both for the participating foster children and the dental school
students, may serve as a model for other dental schools' outreach programs.
PAC's successes were outlined in an oral as well as a poster session at the
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in New
Orleans, October 20-23, 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"The
program has been an overwhelmingly positive experience for both the children
and families in foster care, as well as for the NYUCD dental students,"
said study author Elizabeth A. Best, MPH, Department of Pediatric Dentistry.
"The pediatric patients enjoy receiving care from the dental students, who
are very engaged with the children."<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the
dental students, the experience has been eye-opening.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #990000;">"Most
of the dental students have little knowledge of the foster care system,"</span>
commented Best. <span style="color: #990000;">"At NYUCD, we are now graduating dental students who have
worked with this population, and are aware of their unique health care
needs,"</span> she said.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Poor dental
and oral health can affect children's growth, school performance and
attendance, and can contribute to physical and mental health problems.
According to Healthy Foster Care America, approximately 35 percent of children
and teens enter foster care with significant dental and oral health problems.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Dental
health has been described as a "window" to a child's
well-being," said Mitchell Rubin, MD, FAAP, Medical Director, Graham
Windham. "We believe that an optimal dental state is a necessary
ingredient for the interrelated spectrum of medical, mental and social
health," Dr. Rubin said.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Low-income
children, especially those in foster care, are less likely to receive regular
dental care, and, as a result, face a greater risk of tooth decay. These
children, as they grow older, are susceptible to a myriad of oral health
related problems– from heart disease, diabetes, and oral cancer, to low
self-esteem and depression.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Our
exciting partnership with the NYU College of Dentistry not only addresses a
heretofore gap in this service, but also serves as an invaluable tool for the
dental students – introducing them to a most vulnerable pediatric population.
We are so happy that the children are getting such wonderful care," Dr.
Rubin said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The abstract
presented at the AAP conference, "An Approach to Dental Healthcare in an
Inner-City Foster Care Population: The Partners Against Caries (PAC)
Program," describes the partnership, which shifted dental services for
these children from multiple providers to a single "dental home" in
spring, 2011. The goal was to improve care quality and continuity for the
participating foster children, and to provide a unique learning experience for
dental students.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Through PAC,
the children, ages 18 months to 21 years, receive dental exams, cleanings,
fluoride treatment and family education at two foster care facilities, as well
as transportation and referrals to NYUCD's dental clinics for more complex
care.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"We
definitely think that other schools could benefit from a similar experience and
curriculum," Best said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Source: New
York University<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-49064474087081449772011-12-28T11:07:00.000-08:002011-12-28T11:07:16.504-08:00A Medical Guide for Youth in Foster Care<strong>A Medical Guide for Youth in Foster Care</strong><br />
New York State’s Office of Children and Family Services has released a 28-page booklet to guide youth in care through the health care system. The booklet covers informed consent, rights to privacy and to refuse medication, and information about how to get and pay for medical care. (2011)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youthsuccessnyc.org/PDF/2011_medical_guide_for_foster_youth.pdf">http://www.youthsuccessnyc.org/PDF/2011_medical_guide_for_foster_youth.pdf</a>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-33718080530499821422011-11-29T16:00:00.000-08:002011-11-29T16:00:03.272-08:00Overmedication of Foster Youth - and Yes, the Drug Companies Are Making Money<div style="color: #073763;"><b>Drugs Used for Psychotics Go to Youths in Foster Care</b></div><div style="color: #073763;">Carey, Benedict. New York Times, Nov. 20, 2011</div><br />
Foster children are being prescribed cocktails of powerful antipsychosis drugs just as frequently as some of the most mentally disabled youngsters on Medicaid, a new study suggests. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/11/16/peds.2010-2970.abstract">The report, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics</a>, is the first to investigate how often youngsters in foster care are given two antipsychotic drugs at once, the authors said. The drugs include Risperdal, Seroquel and Zyprexa — among other so-called major tranquilizers — which were developed for schizophrenia but are now used as all-purpose drugs for almost any psychiatric symptoms. <br />
“The kids in foster care may come from bad homes, but they do not have the sort of complex medical issues that those in the disabled population do,” said Susan dosReis, an associate professor in the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and the lead author. <br />
<br />
The implication, Dr. dosReis and other experts said: <span style="color: #990000;">Doctors are treating foster children’s behavioral problems with the same powerful drugs given to people with schizophrenia and severe bipolar disorder. “We simply don’t have evidence to support this kind of use, especially in young children,” </span>Dr. dosReis said. <br />
<br />
In recent years, doctors and policy makers have grown concerned about high rates of overall psychiatric drug use in the foster care system, the government-financed program that provides temporary living arrangements for 400,000 to 500,000 children and adolescents. <span style="color: #990000;">Previous studies have found that children in foster care receive psychiatric medications at about twice the rate among children outside the system. </span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/11/16/peds.2010-2970.abstract" target="_blank">The new study</a> focused on one of the most powerful classes of drugs, antipsychotics. It found that about 2 percent of foster children took at least one such drug, even though schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, for which the drugs are approved, are extremely rare in young children. <br />
<br />
“It’s a significant and important finding, and it should prompt states to improve the quality of care in this area,” said Dr. Mark Olfson, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University who did not contribute to the research. <br />
<br />
In the study, mental health researchers analyzed 2003 Medicaid records of 637,924 minors from an unidentified mid-Atlantic state who were either in foster care, getting disability benefits for a diagnosis like severe autism or bipolar disorder, or in a program called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. All of these programs draw on Medicaid financing. The investigators found that 16,969, or about 3 percent of the total, had received at least one prescription for an antipsychotic drug. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;">Yet among these, it was the foster children who most often got more than one such prescription at the same time:</span> 9.2 percent, versus 6.8 percent among the children on disability, and just 2.5 percent of those in the needy families program. <br />
<br />
Antipsychotic drugs, the authors said, also cause rapid weight gain and increase the risk for metabolic problems in many people, an effect that may be amplified by the use of two at once. <br />
<br />
Doctors who treat such children are aware of the trade-offs and often prescribe lower doses of the medications as a result. And when they add a second such drug, it is often to counteract side effects of the first medication. <br />
<br />
Still, the relatively high rates of these drug combinations in such a young and vulnerable group have prompted policy makers across the country to take notice. A consortium of 16 states, in collaboration with Rutgers University, has drawn up guidelines to improve care for foster children and others dependent on state aid. <br />
<br />
“The psychiatrists who are treating these kids on the front lines are not doing it for money; there are very low reimbursement rates from Medicaid,” said Dr. Ramesh Raghavan, a mental health services researcher at Washington University in St. Louis. <span style="color: #990000;">“There’s enormous anguish because everyone knows that this is not what we should be doing for these kids. We as a society simply haven’t made the investment in psychosocial treatments, and so we are forced to rely on psychotropic drugs to carry the burden.” </span>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-27508134984627691622011-10-25T10:20:00.000-07:002011-10-25T10:20:10.730-07:00One-fourth of New York City foster youth age out immediately into homelessness<div style="color: #073763;"><b>A Deal to Help Foster Youths Find Housing</b></div><div style="color: #073763;">Secret, Mosi. New York Times, October 20, 2011</div><br />
New York City has reached an agreement on a proposed settlement of a lawsuit that claims the city allows older children to leave foster care only to become immediately homeless.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;">Each year, roughly 800 to 1,100 people age 18 to 21 are discharged from foster care to fend for themselves,</span> the plaintiffs complained in the class-action suit.<br />
<br />
There is no current data on the youths’ housing after foster care, but previously the city’s Department of Homeless Services and the City Council <span style="color: #990000;">estimated that more than a quarter of youths discharged from foster care because of their age end up homeless almost immediately, </span>according to the complaint, which accuses the city of shirking its responsibilities to those youths.<br />
<br />
The city is required by state law to supervise and assist in providing housing for people who have left foster care until they reach age 21.<br />
<br />
The accord calls for the city to maintain a unit in the Administration for Children’s Services for those people, initiate training for foster care agencies, revamp its procedures for helping youths find stable housing and improve their access to services.<br />
<br />
The agreement is the product of two years of negotiations among the Administration for Children’s Services, the Legal Aid Society and the advocacy group Lawyers for Children. The parties said they had agreed to settle to avoid protracted litigation, and they actually reached the agreement before the lawsuit was filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday.<br />
<br />
The plaintiffs’ lawyers filed the suit to provide for court enforcement if problems develop down the road, said Pat Bath, the spokeswoman for Legal Aid. A judge has to approve the settlement before it goes into effect.<br />
<br />
The four lead plaintiffs remain anonymous. Three are 21 years old and at risk of being homeless at discharge because they do not have stable housing lined up, according to the complaint. One is 20, has already been discharged and is at risk of becoming homeless, the complaint says.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;">“An alarming number of young people are being discharged from foster care into homelessness,” </span>Tamara Steckler, the lawyer in charge of the juvenile rights practice at the Legal Aid Society, said in a written statement.<br />
<br />
Ronald E. Richter, the commissioner of the Administration for Children’s Services, said in a written statement, “We are committed to helping young people leaving foster care achieve successful adulthood, which includes appropriate stable housing.”<br />
<br />
Under the accord, the children’s services agency will develop permanent housing plans for youths living in foster care. It will work with foster care agencies to create the plans in time to find adequate housing. The city and the agencies will monitor the young adults discharged under the plans until they turn 21.<br />
<br />
Children’s Services will also track and monitor data on their housing until they turn 21.<br />
<br />
Also, a new unit in Children’s Services will oversee the foster care agencies’ adherence to the new requirements.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-50352778759481406912011-10-25T10:16:00.000-07:002011-10-25T10:16:04.467-07:00New York foster youth "aging out" into homelessness<div style="color: #073763;"><b>Deal reached to help older foster care children</b> </div><div style="color: #073763;">Associated Press, October 21, 2011</div><br />
<i>NEW YORK</i> — <span style="color: #073763;">New York City has reached an agreement on a proposed settlement of a lawsuit that claimed it allowed foster care children to fall into homelessness after leaving the system at age 18.</span><br />
<br />
The lawsuit said the Administration for Children's Services failed to abide by state laws that mandate children be prepared for independent living when they leave foster care.<br />
<br />
The agreement calls on the ACS to maintain a special unit for children who turn 18. It also calls on the ACS to initiate training for foster care agencies, update its procedures for helping youths find stable housing and improve their access to services.<br />
<br />
The agreement was reached after two years of negotiations among the ACS, the Legal Aid Society and the advocacy group Lawyers for Children.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-64893296874547168802011-10-02T13:48:00.000-07:002011-10-02T13:48:33.276-07:00"Aging Out" of foster care - and into a harsh, new world<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><b>The "Aging Out" Dilemma Plaguing the Foster Care System</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">Baccaglini, Bill. Executive Director of the New York Foundling.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">Huffington Post, September 25, 2011.</span><br />
<br />
<b>Imagine that because you've been abused or neglected as a child, </b>you've spent the first 21 years of your life separated from your biological family, bouncing from one foster home to another and changing schools every few years. At 21-years-old, you have never paid rent, bought your own groceries or managed your own expenses.<br />
<br />
With an education that's spotty at best, and no family or other support systems in place, you're told that you're now an adult and responsible for functioning in the world on your own. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Would you be able to do it?</span><br />
<br />
<b>That is precisely the situation facing many young adults who age out of our child welfare system. </b>And while outgoing ACS Commissioner Mattingly did a tremendous job on many fronts, he would probably agree that <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">the "aging out" population is one that still requires urgent attention</span>. As new Commissioner Richter takes over the agency, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">this would be an excellent time to take a fresh look at how we serve - or fail - these young people.</span><br />
<br />
While local statistics are hard to come by for a population no longer under the city's care, nationally, one in four of the 20,000 foster care youth who age out of the child welfare system each year are incarcerated within two years; one in five become homeless, only half graduate from high school. With more than 900 young people aging out in New York each year, these numbers reflect a real problem.<br />
<br />
Under the current system, when young people in foster care turn 21, they have the rug pulled out from under them.<br />
<br />
<b>They must sink or swim. But if they sink, we all pay a price.</b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Unable to manage on their own, with none of the support systems in place that we all take for granted, all too often, they end up homeless, or turn to drugs and crime - all of which take a toll on government budgets and the quality of life in our communities.</span><br />
<br />
<b>Because of their life experiences some kids need more support than others - and they may need it for longer. </b>A 21-year-old who has lived most of his life in either the child welfare system or a dysfunctional family setting<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"> is not at the same level emotionally or cognitively </span>as other 21-year-olds. And <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">as every parent knows, you can't set an arbitrary schedule for maturity.</span><br />
<br />
As nervous as we may be to send our own children away to college, for example, we recognize that we could not have gotten them more ready simply by training them better or earlier. Most of the kids we're talking about are not going away to college; they may not have graduated high school. There are no teachers or mentors or parents they can call when run out of money or get into trouble. They're on their own and, for many of them, 21 is simply not old enough. And no amount of training or better programming by the child welfare system could have hastened their readiness. Because of their many pressing needs and challenges, they have not been the beneficiaries of structured or guided exposure to life experiences that naturally facilitates the maturation process.<br />
<br />
<b>What's the solution?</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"> First, we need more and better programs to prepare these kids for life on their own. Once they are on their own, they are likely to still need help with housing, jobs and enrolling in some form of academic or vocational higher education.</span> They may also need social work or mental health assistance to deal with issues like parents coming out of prison or siblings with drug problems. For those kids, providing this kind of support until age 23 could mean the difference between a productive life and a life in the corrections system or a homeless shelter. These age appropriate programs that work beyond the system are a very good investment indeed.<br />
<br />
<b>At the same time, we need to make it clear that this support for young adults is temporary, and that the recipient must ultimately bear responsibility for his or her own success. </b>These young people must stay enrolled in school and hold a job, even if part time. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">There must be high expectations</span>, no free rides, and a path toward independence in a relatively short term.<br />
<br />
For Hispanic youngsters today, we're seeing particular challenges, at least partly due to changing immigration trends. Many young immigrants, coming here from a variety of countries, do not have the generational, family and community support that has existed for previous immigrant groups. Whatever extended family they may have to fall back on may already be stretched thin. Combine lack of family with language barrier and overall cultural differences, and that child is at even greater risk.<br />
<br />
<b>Critics may argue</b> that at some point we need to stop supporting these kids and cut them loose, and that 21 seems like a logical age. After all, we spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on each of these kids up until that point - When is enough enough? If release from the child welfare system is no more than a path toward a homeless shelter or a jail cell, what have we accomplished? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">If by creating short term programs to teach the necessary skills prior to turning 21 and by providing some additional support for a limited period of time afterwards, we can put that young adult on the path to a successful productive life. Isn't that worth it?</span>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-32121057729326257882011-09-15T10:00:00.000-07:002011-09-15T10:00:55.673-07:00Aging out of NY foster care system into homelessness<div style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Many Foster Children End Up Homeless: Report</b></div><div style="color: #0b5394;">Flanagan, Jenna. WNCY, September 8, 2011.</div><br />
New York is not doing a good job preparing its foster children for the workforce, charges a new report.<br />
<br />
The report from the <a href="http://www.nycfuture.org/content/articles/article_view.cfm?article_id=1294&article_type=0">Center for an Urban Future</a> found that <span style="color: #990000;">one in 10 youths in New York City who left foster care in the mid-2000s entered a homeless shelter within a year. Within three years, that number doubled to one in five.</span><br />
<br />
"These young people go from being official wards of the state as part of the foster care system to adult wards of the state," said Jonathan Bowles, executive director of the center.<br />
<br />
The report showed that as many as half of the roughly 1,000 young people who aged out of the city’s foster care system failed to obtain and hold onto jobs.<br />
<br />
Bowles said many foster care agencies are failing foster kids due to their scant connections with employers.<br />
<br />
"We're at a time now when skills and higher education are becoming more important than ever and so many of these young people are being further and further behind," Bowles said.<br />
<br />
Bowles has called on incoming commissioner Ronald Richter to focus on<span style="color: #990000;"> strengthening workforce readiness</span> for young adults leaving foster care in the city.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-79938761262457543322011-09-06T17:46:00.000-07:002011-09-06T17:46:34.943-07:00Overcoming Hurdles to Employment for NY Foster Youth<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">Job Hurdle After Foster Care.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">De Avila, Joseph. Wall Street Journal, Sept. 6, 2011.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Even as the unemployment rate for New York City teens remains stubbornly high, a new report finds one group of young people faces especially tough odds: the city's foster children.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Only about half the young adults who leave the city's foster system are able to find work,</span> estimates the report that examines joblessness among current and former foster children. Young people still in the system also struggle more than their peers to find jobs, the report by the Center for an Urban Future found. <br />
<br />
"There is a lack of both a preparatory system that simulates and substitutes for what kids get from their parents and a lack of a safety net for young adults going out in the work force," said Tom Hilliard, the report's author.<br />
<br />
Cordale Manning, 19, spoke to a manager at Champs Sports in Times Square who told him to submit an online application. Mr. Manning was 12 when he and his older brother were placed into foster care. Since then, he has lived in five different homes. <br />
<br />
Prior to the recession, the unemployment rate for all teens in New York City between the ages of 16 and 19 was just under 20%, according to the report by the Manhattan-based think tank. By the end of 2010, that rate shot up to 40%.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Neither the city nor foster-care agencies track how many teens and young adults in the system find employment, </span>Mr. Hilliard said. But his research among foster-care professionals in New York appears to show that about<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"> half the 1,000 young people who age out of the system every year, typically at age 21, find jobs. </span><br />
<br />
As of 2010, there were about 16,000 children in the city's foster system, and about 2,000 of them were older than 18, according to the report. <br />
<br />
The report comes amid a $127 million initiative launched by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to aid Latino and black men between the ages of 16 and 24. The three-year program will include mentoring and literacy services and efforts to boost employment.<br />
<br />
Cordale Manning, 19 years old, said he thought having a stable foster home in the South Bronx instead of bouncing from home to home would help him hold onto a job. Instead, he was laid off earlier this year after two months stocking groceries at a Manhattan store.<br />
<br />
Mr. Manning was 12 when he and his older brother were placed into foster care. Since then, he has lived in five different homes. <br />
<br />
After losing his job, he's applied to about 10 retail positions and hasn't been called for any interviews.<br />
<br />
"When I turn 21, I'm worried about if I'm going to be able to hold my own," Mr. Manning said. He's enrolled in vocational school learning how to repair computers. "I'm really kind of anxious about it because I don't know what's going to happen."<br />
<br />
Mr. Hilliard said even children with stable foster homes often have missed out on the years of financial, educational and familial support that readies a young person for a working life and can shore them up during their first unsteady attempts.<br />
<br />
He said the city Administration for Children's Services, which manages most aspects of the child welfare system in New York City, has spent much of its efforts in recent years on family reunification and preventive services, he said. <br />
<br />
Mr. Hilliard called that mission vital but said older foster children are no longer a top priority of the agency. He pointed to the agency's elimination of the Office of Youth Development in 2008, which worked mainly with older foster children to help them ease into independent life. <br />
<br />
"ACS will continue to collaborate with the public and private sectors to make stable employment a reality for our young people," said an ACS spokeswoman in a written statement. "Through the Mayor's Young Men's Initiative, for example, the city is expanding evidence-based employment programs...These programs have been successful in helping young people, particularly those with limited or no work experience, connect to work and increase their earnings."<br />
<br />
The economic downturn has made employment in New York increasingly competitive for young people who rely on retail and food service jobs, said Courtney Hawkins of F.E.G.S. Health and Human Services Systems, which runs a program that prepares foster youths for the work force. Many of those jobs now require high-school diplomas or GEDs, while many of the working-age youths whom her group assists have fifth-grade reading levels, she said. <br />
<br />
"You end up seeing 20- and 21-year-olds who have never had a job before," Ms. Hawkins said.<br />
<br />
Emotional problems and anger issues that affect some foster children mean they end up getting fired once they do become employed, said Jane Golden of the Children's Aid Society, which provides foster care and other services.<br />
<br />
"There is no quick fix for fractured relationship-building skills," Ms. Golden said. "It's a long haul."<br />
<br />
Marcia Wilson, 21, recently aged out of the foster care system and credits her good attitude for the success she's had. <br />
<br />
"Every teen that I've known, they had jobs," Ms. Wilson said. "It's a matter of keeping the jobs before you age out of care." <br />
<br />
Ms. Wilson says she has had influential social workers who have helped her along the way. She also wants to be a good role model for her younger brothers who are 19 and 18. Neither have jobs, but both are still in high school, she said. <br />
<br />
Later this month, Ms. Wilson will start a six-month fellowship working at an investment bank. She also recently got her own apartment in Harlem and is enrolled in community college and wants to get a degree in political science. <br />
<br />
Kevin Peterson, 20, of Staten Island, is preparing to move out on his own in January, when he turns 21. He has an apartment lined up through the New York City Housing Authority but worries about finding a job. Earlier this year, he was fired from a pet store where he worked for three months after he says he mistakenly stocked a product that had expired. <br />
<br />
"I always had a dream of having a job that I can stick with," said Mr. Peterson, who has been in foster care since he was 11. "I'm just having trouble right now."<br />
<br />
Mr. Peterson eventually wants to become a firefighter. But now he's been applying to retail jobs to have steady income by the time he moves out of his foster parents' home. <br />
<br />
"I'm going to need a job," Mr. Peterson said. "I don't want to have to live off public assistance."Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-37935894142184731582011-09-06T11:05:00.000-07:002011-09-06T11:05:48.132-07:00Out of Foster Care -- and Into What??<div style="color: #073763;">Out of Foster Care -- and Into What?</div><div style="color: #073763;">Miller, Marissa. Gotham Gazette, Aug. 2011.</div><br />
Anthony Boyd, 22, Armstrong Pelzer, 26, and Joseph Branca, 22, all attend college, have part-time jobs and live at Schafer Hall, a supportive housing facility for former foster children in East Harlem.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5eeC_rsA1r3ZNyU2cxJVmbaw7LaluVYXsB5T-a2L9ZUohAOaOACEQHD3G5-BvNZxjscQubG-r7lVthox6s6cdx3jERhOcS2rRgbevsElDjhbPOM1BcXOem3O4ACd9zg3891-XsQLlTpj7/s1600/fostercare_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5eeC_rsA1r3ZNyU2cxJVmbaw7LaluVYXsB5T-a2L9ZUohAOaOACEQHD3G5-BvNZxjscQubG-r7lVthox6s6cdx3jERhOcS2rRgbevsElDjhbPOM1BcXOem3O4ACd9zg3891-XsQLlTpj7/s320/fostercare_lg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>When Chimore Mack Glover recently turned 21, she aged out of the New York City foster child program and so needed a place to live.<br />
<br />
"I usually plan things ahead of time, and my first step was to get a job and find a place to live," she recalled recently. She tried to stay with family members, but one turned her down, Her grandmother was sick and so could not help. "It was also very scary because I didn't know if my foster care agency was going to help me or not," said Glover.<br />
<br />
Despite all that, Glover now says she is doing well -- living on her own and working part time. She dreams of being a journalist some day, saying, "My grandmother always told me to chase my dreams. I love to write. It’s an outlet. If I am going through something, I will just write it down. Then I’m relieved and I’m not stressed. "<br />
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While things may have worked out well for Glover, <span style="color: #990000;">every year hundreds of young adults must adapt to life after foster care-- and a number do not succeed. For many the transition presents a huge challenge, and though programs exist to help, they cannot aid all the young people who need it.</span><br />
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<b>On Their Own</b><br />
There are currently 16,000 children in the foster care system throughout New York City. Of them, about 1,100 leave the system each year, according to <a href="http://www.newschool.edu/pressroom/intransition.htm">In Transition: A Better Future for Youth Leaving Foster Care</a>, a report published in the New School’s Child Welfare Watch.<br />
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The majority attempt the transition to independent living on their own. Most lack any type of a strong support network. Not surprisingly, for these young adults, the transition to the "real world" abounds with financial, physical and emotional hardship.<br />
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Child Welfare Watch and an internal city review have found that about 15 percent of young adults who age out of foster care end up in the homeless shelter system within two years of their initial discharge.<br />
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"In extraordinary numbers, children who age out of the foster care system end up homeless, incarcerated or both in a brief time period," said Topher Nichols, the communications manager at Children’s Village, a New York-based organization devoted to professional and educational development for troubled youth. <span style="color: #990000;">"When we really look hard at our own experiences as young adults, how many times we called home because we were a little short on rent or because we made a silly mistake and needed support, we have to recognize that most of us don't become successful on our own. We have a network of people who support us and take care of us. This is a critical piece missing from the lives of most youth aging out of the city."</span><br />
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The one-time foster children also do not have the same opportunities as many young adults, especially when it comes to education, employment and housing, which are all connected, said Kim VanBurch, coordinator of youth development at the Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection. <span style="color: #990000;">"If they don't have an education, then they can't find employment, and if they can't find employment then they won't be able to secure housing,"</span> VanBurch said.<br />
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<b>Preparing for the Big Change</b><br />
The foster care agencies -- private organizations under contract with the city to place children in appropriate homes and monitor their care -- are supposed to prepare the children under their auspices for life after foster care, said Elysia Murphy, the deputy communications director at the city's Administration for Children's Services.<br />
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"Prior to leaving care, foster care caseworkers work with adolescents to develop plans in preparation for their discharge from foster care. Agencies are expected to set developmentally appropriate expectations that encourage youth to achieve their highest potential in their careers, educational and personal lives and to enable youth to plan responsibly for their own needs," Murphy said.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Advocates, though, say many agencies don't start this preparation until a few months before the youth is slated to leave the foster care program.</span> This leave the young adults, some of whom suffer from mental illness and emotional instability, with few resources to turn to when trying to find a place to live and a source of income.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"In the vast majority of cases meaningful transition planning by the agencies responsible for a young person in foster care ... occurs, if at all, in a last minute scramble in the months before the adolescent is to leave foster care," </span>said Glenn Metsch-Ampel, the deputy-executive director of Lawyers for Children. "More often than not, without the intervention of their advocates and the court, these young people are faced with the prospect of leaving foster care <span style="color: #990000;">without truly stable housing, employment or a connection to a caring adult </span>in their community."<br />
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To add to the difficulty, the Administration for Children's Services has suffered budget cuts over the past few years that affect its ability to handle issues confronting the city's low-income youth.<br />
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"ACS has just had budget cut after budget cut, and its internal operation services have really fallen apart. Without there being strong support inside the agency, it just means those services become <span style="color: #990000;">vulnerable and haphazard</span>. That means that foster care agencies do not deliver services with the same consistency," said Abigail Kramer, the associate editor of Child Welfare Watch. According to research published in Child Welfare Watch, the number of families participating in preventive service programs, which help children in foster care and neglectful or abusive homes, has dropped by 30 percent decline since 2009.<br />
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Murphy, though, denied budget cuts have had an effect on transition programs. "Despite the difficult decisions made in the past two years to reduce agency spending in response to the financial climate, the agency has been able to sustain funding to support services for youth in foster care as they make the transition into adulthood," Murphy said.<br />
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<b>Bridging the Gap</b><br />
Both New York City social workers and government officials have recognized that many young adults aging out of foster care are not adequately prepared to enter into independent living without any familial or professional support network.<br />
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In 2005, the city and the state created the <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/dmh/dmh-housing-agreement.shtml">New York/New York III program.</a> According to Child Welfare Watch, it provides funding for about 400 young adults who have aged out of foster care. Many of the <span style="color: #990000;">supportive housing programs</span> receive New York/New York III funding and thus, are able to support their residents. However, there is still a huge population of young adults leaving foster care who are left with very few options.<br />
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In the past decade, government officials, philanthropists and non-profits have created transitional housing programs. These support programs not only house young adults who have aged out of the system (at 21 in New York though they can leave at 18), but also provide them with the life skills training, academic and professional advice, and counseling to help them achieve stability in their own lives.<br />
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In the past 10 years, eight non-profits have cooperated with city agencies to establish various supportive housing programs scattered throughout the five boroughs. Most of them receive funding from a combination of private donations, and city and state programs, such as the New York State Supportive Housing Program and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Sharp cutbacks to Section 8 housing vouchers and the elimination of the Advantage program, which provided rent subsides for homeless families, has severely limited the housing options for these young adults and homeless people alike. </span>These cuts make transitional housing programs an even more important safety net for young adults coming out of foster care.<br />
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<b>Inside Supportive Housing</b><br />
In 2001, Schafer Hall became one of the first supportive housing programs established in New York City. Located in East Harlem, Schafer Hall is one of the many housing developments run by the <a href="http://www.lanterngroup.org/">Lantern Group</a>, a non-profit committed to the construction and development of permanent, special needs housing.<br />
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Schafer Hall was created to help young adults acquire the independent living skills necessary to achieve a stable lifestyle. Each resident lives in one of 25 studio apartments where he or she learns how to prepare meals, maintain a clean living space, do laundry and budget their money along with other basic skills. The residents also meet regularly with on-site caseworkers and tutors who help them make decisions about their education -- obtaining a GED or working toward an associate's and bachelor's degree -- and employment.<br />
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<div style="color: #990000;">"Our young adults are incredible bright, strong, and resilient individuals," said Jessica Katz, the executive director of the Lantern Group. "They just need to learn the necessary life skills."</div><br />
The young adults living at Schafer Hall must have some source of income and use 30 percent of it to pay their monthly rent. This teaches them how to balance a budget and set aside a portion of their monthly income for their housing needs.<br />
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Many of the other supportive housing programs in the city-such as Chelsea Foyer and the Lee also charge their clients rent and encourage the residents to seek stable employment, as opposed to welfare, as their primary source of income.<br />
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The young people, many whom leave foster care without a college degree or even a high school diploma, have limited job prospects, particularly in this economy. <span style="color: #990000;">Despite that, Schafer Hall currently has an 85 percent employment rate amongst its residents.</span><br />
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For many individuals living there, Schafer Hall offers an escape from the tumult of their foster homes. "I enjoy my home being a stress-free environment now. I'm not really territorial, but I know in my head that this is my house and no one is stressing me out. I don't have to worry about that living here, and that is good enough for me," said Anthony Boyd, a 22-year-old resident, who attends Queensboro Community College and works at a human services organization.<br />
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Joseph Branca, also 22, has been in foster care for 13 years. He now lives at Schafer Hall, works as a shift manager at Duane Reade and attends Medgar Evans College in Brooklyn. <span style="color: #990000;">"I want to give back to the community," he said. "Since I grew up in foster care, I feel like I can."</span>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-51712119980908882902010-12-23T12:56:00.000-08:002010-12-23T12:56:15.869-08:00New York Children Caught in the Cycle of Poverty<div style="color: #073763;"><b>When Children Are Caught in the Cycle of Poverty</b></div><div style="color: #073763;">Mascia, Jennifer. New York Times, Dec. 18, 2010.</div><br />
The economic collapse has taken a toll on vast segments of society, but it has affected some groups disproportionately. Among those are children. <br />
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In New York City, <a href="http://www.cdfny.org/Issues/Tools/Child%20Poverty%20in%20New%20York%20City%202006.pdf">30 percent of children are living in poverty</a>. One out of every five children <a href="http://www.foodbanknyc.org/go/food-poverty-in-nyc/children">relies on local food banks or pantries</a> for sustenance, and of these children, 79 percent rely on the National School Lunch Program. <br />
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Poverty stymies performance in school and negatively affects mental and physical health, experts say. Poor children have higher rates of asthma, are more likely to suffer a <a href="http://mucenter.missouri.edu/developmentaldisabilitiesJune2010.pdf">higher rate of cognitive delays and developmental disorders.</a> <br />
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Absent intervention, these children will face great difficulty in transcending the disadvantages of their early lives and, as adults, are likely to perpetuate a cycle of poverty that has consumed generations in areas like East New York, Brooklyn; Jamaica, Queens; Morrisania in the Bronx; East Harlem; and Port Richmond on Staten Island. <br />
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Such an outcome is not acceptable to advocates like Richard R. Buery Jr., president and chief executive of the <a href="http://www.childrensaidsociety.org/">Children’s Aid Society</a>, who said, “Those who love our country, and believe in its ideals, cannot be satisfied until the promise of equal opportunity is made true for all of our children.”Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-17829338084281844602010-12-23T09:12:00.000-08:002010-12-23T09:12:27.732-08:00Christmas Wish: No New York youth sleeping on the streets this winter<a href="https://donate.covenanthouse.org/donate/online?utm_source=sunshinegirlonarainyday&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=blog-outreach" target="_blank"><br />
<img alt="Kids shoudn't have to live on the street. Help us bring them inside. Donate." border="0" height="150" src="http://www.covenanthouse.org/images/banners/Banner2_180x150.png" width="180" /><br />
</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.covenanthouse.org/">Covenant House</a> was founded 38 years ago with the mission <span style="color: #0b5394;">to help homeless teens and young adults get off the street and into productive lives.</span><br />
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They serve as a refuge to:<br />
<ul><li> <span style="color: #0b5394;">young people who are running from abuse at home</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394;">youth who've been kicked out of the house (often because of their sexual orientation)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394;">young people who "age out" of the foster care system at age 18 and face the adult world alone.</span></li>
</ul><a href="http://www.covenanthouse.org/">Covenant House </a>connects these young people with:<br />
<ul style="color: black;"><li>Shelter, including a transitional housing program</li>
<li>Access to medical care</li>
<li>Coaching in basic life skills </li>
<li>Opportunities to finish high school</li>
<li>Resources for job skill development</li>
</ul>Staff work with youth on developing a long-term plan for their lives. <br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Covenant House's Transitional Housing Program:</b> Youth pay rent to Covenant House for their apartment, and after 12-18 months when they graduate from the program, they are given ALL of their rent to help them to put a deposit on an apartment and set up a household.</span> <br />
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<a href="https://donate.covenanthouse.org/donate/online?utm_source=sunshinegirlonarainyday&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=blog-outreach" target="_blank"> <br />
<img alt="My Christmas wish: No kid sleeping on the street this winter. Can you help Covenant House make it real? Donate." border="0" height="150" src="http://www.covenanthouse.org/images/banners/Banner6_PostIt.png" width="150" /> <br />
</a>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-24506946243267857212010-06-05T06:46:00.000-07:002010-06-05T06:48:57.482-07:00More than 4,000 vacant NYC condos could be made into low-income housing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4tj9wtF5zPmzAWkP4MMbj86n1JF8v806mAHlKBgFaqdxMMh5RN_g21NP9WprlmsjdQI3_hjVICRMH3fvLGNQo-tAeb3CK4YFsLWOzmwpIVK2lzWNsdnkAYrfYqGfgq91tDhs_n-_GLLps/s1600/HomelessNYC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4tj9wtF5zPmzAWkP4MMbj86n1JF8v806mAHlKBgFaqdxMMh5RN_g21NP9WprlmsjdQI3_hjVICRMH3fvLGNQo-tAeb3CK4YFsLWOzmwpIVK2lzWNsdnkAYrfYqGfgq91tDhs_n-_GLLps/s320/HomelessNYC.jpg" /></a></div>The New York City chapter of the <a href="http://www.righttothecity.org/">Right to the City Alliance</a> has issued a report documenting the thousands of vacant condominium units in the city that could be converted into housing for individuals in need. <br />
<br />
Funded by the <a href="http://comm-org.wisc.edu/sif/">Sociological Initiatives Foundation</a>, the report, <a href="http://www.urbanjustice.org/pdf/publications/People_Without_Homes_and_Homes_Without_People.pdf">People Without Homes and Homes Without People: A Count of Vacant Condos in Select NYC Neighborhoods</a> (72 pages, PDF), found that there are more than four thousand vacant condo units in nine New York City neighborhoods that could be made into low-income housing. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanjustice.org/pdf/publications/People_Without_Homes_and_Homes_Without_People.pdf">The report</a> lays out several policy recommendations for the city's <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/home/home.shtml">Department of Finance</a>, the <a href="http://www.empire.state.ny.us/">Empire State Development Corporation</a>, the <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.beb0d8fdaa9e1607a62fa24601c789a0/">Mayor</a>, and the <a href="http://council.nyc.gov/html/home/home.shtml">City Council</a> on how to covert and maintain the units as part of a broader effort to better serve the city's low-income individuals.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-28262089063526860912010-05-18T11:38:00.000-07:002010-05-18T11:38:22.090-07:00Opening Doors to Higher Education for Youth in Foster Care<a href="http://www.scaany.org/documents/cpa_highered_policybrief_march2010.pdf">Opening Doors to Higher Education for Youth in Foster Care</a>, from the <a href="http://www.scaany.org/">Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy</a>, addresses the financial aid reforms necessary for youth in care as they strive to attain a postsecondary education.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-36509416375569716672010-04-05T06:45:00.000-07:002010-04-05T06:45:33.965-07:00NY Proposed Legislation re: Immigrant Children in Foster Care<div style="color: #073763;"><b>Dromm Bill Helps Immigrant Children In Foster Care</b></div><div style="color: #073763;"><i>By John Toscano, Western Queens Gazette, March 31, 2010.</i></div><br />
A bill that would require the city Administration for Children’s Services to create a plan to protect immigrant children in foster care and perhaps put them on the path to permanent status in the U.S. was passed by the City Council last week.<br />
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The bill, introduced by Councilmember Daniel Dromm (D–Jackson Heights), seeks to ensure that immigrant children who are eligible for Special Immigration Juvenile Status (SIJS) are identified as quickly as possible and are receiving all the appropriate benefits, Dromm who chairs the Immigration Committee, said.<br />
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Qualifying for SIJS, Dromm added, would enable undocumented children to apply for this status, become permanent residents and obtain a green card.<br />
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“Immigrant children deserve the same rights as everyone,” Dromm stated. “This bill will help children in ACS supervision get access to the immigration services they need. We must ensure that children who qualify are given the opportunities they deserve, including the ability to be put on a path towards citizenship.”<br />
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Dromm added that he was “proud to move this important bill which protects the rights of immigrant children in foster care”.<br />
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Without a dedicated plan for immigrant services, Dromm explained, once a young person turns 21, he or she become ineligible for SIJS status and also loses the opportunity to take full advantage of various services available to lawful U.S. residents.<br />
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Dromm, whose district is one of the most diverse in the city, pointed out that his legislation would result in an accurate and efficient identification and tracking system in order to coordinate immigration services that would most fully protect the rights of immigrant children.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-34036737573656829542009-12-27T13:33:00.000-08:002009-12-27T13:37:45.188-08:00Yay, Merli<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiop-FPTS7OgREtiPZNrYVfkmFcKMNLUPwpxJmcCr60Vvoa8GlX2pKxD_83FAr9aoqgFVmSSGPWc_WC9haOTzd70a-P5fnKcEoKdFh7qL6zEikUDTSI5TRW5HkToIX_4yWRWZPnZ3p9bX8j/s1600-h/017_desrosier_estime--300x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiop-FPTS7OgREtiPZNrYVfkmFcKMNLUPwpxJmcCr60Vvoa8GlX2pKxD_83FAr9aoqgFVmSSGPWc_WC9haOTzd70a-P5fnKcEoKdFh7qL6zEikUDTSI5TRW5HkToIX_4yWRWZPnZ3p9bX8j/s320/017_desrosier_estime--300x300.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><i><span style="font-size: small;">THE GREATEST LOVE: Former foster kids Merli Desrosier (left) and her big sister, Marie Estimé, are setting up house in Brooklyn. ~ Photo credits: Angel Chevrestt of the NY Post.</span></i><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>A 'minor' miracle: Feisty foster kid to be sister's keeper</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Klein, Melissa. New York Post, Dec. 27, 2009.</span><br />
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Every year, Merli Desrosier promised her little sister a Christmas gift better than a new doll or the latest computer game.<br />
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"She was, like, 'Don't worry. Next Christmas, you're going to be living with me,' " said Marie Estimé, who then lived with their allegedly neglectful father. "Then it kept going -- 'next Christmas, next Christmas.' "<br />
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Merli was practically a child herself, a teenager living in foster care and attending high school.<br />
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But this Christmas, Merli made good. Now a 25-year-old college graduate, she took in her sister, now 16, and is pursuing the unusual step of adopting her. The move will legally cement a bond that has endured through years of hardship.<br />
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"Since I was 9, it's been that way -- that I'm like her mom," Merli said.<br />
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Merli's mother died four days after giving birth to Marie in 1993 because of complications from the birth and sickle cell anemia. The sisters and their brother, Yves, were shuttled between relatives and foster care before their father took them in two years later.<br />
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Merli was placed in foster care again at 16 after an argument with her father during which, she said, he tried to strangle her.<br />
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Marie and Yves stayed with their father, and Merli visited often to keep tabs on them, bringing her sister clothes and doing her hair.<br />
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Marie eventually went back to foster care. Merli continued her education, something she said her mother always stressed and she enjoyed.<br />
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"School was the only place I could be a kid, where I could be a teenager and not be a parent or an adult," she said.<br />
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Merli got a scholarship to the College of Staten Island. A financial-aid package later allowed her to attend Purchase College, and she graduated in May.<br />
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Her little sister, meanwhile, was despondent in her foster home.<br />
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"I just decided, whether or not I had a career lined up or an actual place big enough for her to live in, that I would take her in," Merli said.<br />
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Merli became Marie's foster mother, and the younger sister moved into her "mom's" Harlem studio in July.<br />
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Merli said she wanted to adopt her sister to get her out of the foster-care bureaucracy and provide her with a more normal life, one that she had promised.<br />
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But the small apartment was a roadblock, because it was not suitable for an adoption placement.<br />
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And Merli has been unable to find work in marketing or public relations, as she had hoped, and has only a part-time job at a clothing store.<br />
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The New York Foundling, the agency that oversees Marie's care, has stepped up to help with the adoption process and in securing a bigger apartment.<br />
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First, the agency asked some hard questions, to make sure Merli was in it for the long haul. Cases of siblings adopting siblings are extremely rare, with the agency overseeing just one such arrangement, out of 123 adoptions, in the last fiscal year.<br />
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"We just wanted to make sure that this was beyond a passing infatuation," said Bill Baccaglini, The Foundling's executive director. "Merli has certainly demonstrated that."<br />
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He said Merli never wavered from her goal of getting an education and one day taking in her sister.<br />
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The agency provided the security deposit and first month's rent for a two-bedroom in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. A Section 8 housing subsidy will help Merli pay the $1,224 rent. The sisters will move into their new home in a couple of weeks. The adoption process could take up to 10 months.<br />
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Merli, Marie and their brother -- now a 24-year-old college student in Florida -- spent Christmas together. While Marie said she got good gifts, the holiday wasn't about presents.<br />
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"I didn't really want anything," she said, "because I already got what I wanted -- which was to live with my sister."Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-67676813064545424762009-11-27T09:43:00.000-08:002009-11-27T09:53:34.331-08:00Grant to assist Rochester service providers in understanding & responding to impact of trauma on foster children<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><b>Mt. Hope Family Center Awarded $1.2 Million as Part of Child Trauma Network</b><br />Hagen, Susan. University of Rochester News, Nov. 25, 2009.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.psych.rochester.edu/MHFC/">Mt. Hope Family Center</a> has been awarded a three-year, $1.2 million grant to join the <a href="http://www.nctsnet.org/nccts/nav.do?pid=hom_main">National Child Traumatic Stress Network</a>, a federally funded partnership of academic and community-based centers aimed at improving care for children and families struggling with abuse, neglect, community violence, and other forms of trauma.<br /><br />The new funding will allow the <a href="http://www.rochester.edu">University of Rochester</a> center to provide treatment for 270 young children in foster care and their biological and foster families and to develop effective therapies that can be used at centers nationwide. Mt. Hope is the only program in Western New York invited to join the network.<br /><br />"Being selected is huge because Mt. Hope will now be able to partner with about 60 centers across the nation, all focused on evidence-based therapies for children recovering from trauma," says Sheree Toth, executive director of Mt. Hope Family Center. "It's an incredible opportunity to bring in resources, one that not only enhances our capabilities, but that changes our community."<br /><br />Toth explained that the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;">new resources will strengthen ongoing efforts by Rochester-area service providers to understand and recognize the effect of trauma on children</span>. For instance, she explained, a high percentage of youngsters referred for behavior problems or mental health issues in this community also have experienced trauma. Understanding that history and learning how to help children recover can be key to preventing a lifetime of problems.<br /><br />The grant will supply support for a variety of innovative therapies that have been clinically proven effective, including one of the center's most promising: Child-Parent Psychotherapy. "We believe a strong parent-child relationship is the key to preventing maltreatment and building healthy families," says Toth. To reinforce those ties, psychotherapists will meet with families weekly, helping parent and child nurture a close, connected relationship and encouraging appreciation for the child's developmental level. Research shows that the psychotherapy program builds parents' sense of competency and strengthens children's sense of security and attachment, improving their chances for success. Without such intervention, explains Toth, families struggling with trauma often fail to create a secure relationship, which "sets children up for a cascade of failures in their whole life." As an indication of the success of the approach, says Toth, 48 of the 60 members of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network have expressed interest in child-parent psychotherapy.<br /><br />The grant also will make available one-on-one therapy with children to help them better understand and cope with the emotional shock they have experienced. For example, children who have suffered physical abuse often believe that they deserve the ill treatment, explains Toth. Therapy helps children let go of these unhealthy feelings of guilt and recover a sense of safety. It teaches children problem solving and self-calming skills and helps them to identify and express emotions appropriately. To ease the adjustment to foster care, center therapists also work with caretakers, encouraging understanding of and appropriate responses to the negative behaviors that often accompany post-traumatic stress.<br /><br />The exciting thing about this grant, says Toth, is that it will bring proven treatments for trauma to those who need them most. "That's a significant advance over the 1970s and 80s, when service providers basically thought, 'Well, I'll be a nice person to these children and somehow that will make them better," she says. "Children and their families now have the possibility of benefiting from interventions that we know will work."<br /><br /><b>About the University of Rochest</b>er<br />The <a href="http://www.rochester.edu">University of Rochester</a> is one of the nation’s leading private universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by the Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, and the Memorial Art Gallery.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-39902929459915498972009-11-27T09:37:00.000-08:002009-11-27T09:41:45.289-08:00Underground Railroad to Success for Foster Care Youth<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><b>Local Advocate for Foster Children Awarded Business Grant</b><br />Baristanet, Nov. 24, 2009.</span><br /><br />Tanisha Cunningham knew too well how difficult the transition from foster care to emancipation can be. Having been raised in foster care and group homes herself, the sudden transition to independence was jarring. "The fact that I succeeded is not the usual case. It was not because I was given the resources, but because I sought them out for myself."<br /><br />Her own experience in foster care inspired her to work in the New York City Child Welfare Office and to later pursue advanced degrees in Public Administration. In January 2009, she started <a href="http://railroad2success.com/default.aspx">The Underground Railroad to Success, Inc.</a>, a Montclair-based non-profit designed to provide resources to children transitioning out of the foster care system. According to Cunningham, most children in this situation never receive information about available resources, information that could assist with housing, job opportunities, and tuition grants for higher education.<br /><br />The website lists dire statistics about the path of emancipated foster children: "According to the Child Welfare League of America, 25 percent become homeless, 56 percent are unemployed, 27 percent of male children end up in jail."<br /><br />Currently, the new organization's activities mostly center around arranging workshops for children aging out of foster care in the age groups of 15 - 17, or recently emancipated adults between the ages of 18 - 24. These workshops focus on a variety of life skills, such as learning how to manage stress and emotions, set up bank accounts, and dress for interviews. "These are things that may seem obvious to you, but for them they are not....Most kids coming out of foster care are not educated, they have system hopped from foster care, group homes, or been incarcerated," said Cunningham. "They need to be taught these skills."<br /><br />Cunningham leads most of the workshops herself, but sometimes seeks the help of professionals, such as arranging for a Rutgers faculty member to talk about the process of applying for college, or staff members from local banks to discuss financial literacy.<br /><br />In the future, Cunningham would like to raise the funds to create a group home for older children. For now though, the organization is still focusing on gathering available resources for foster children. Having worked in the New York foster care system, the New Jersey laws and resources are considerably more complicated by comparison, and the organization's first goals are to understand and compile the available resources to help the children.<br /><br />URS was recently awarded a $500 stimulus micro-grant from <a href="http://iiwomen.com/#AboutIIW">Investing In Women</a>, a group that empowers women with small businesses or non-profits. The money will be used toward marketing URS, says Cunningham. "There are a lot of people who don't know about this need, and we are on a mission to raise awareness."<br /><br />URS is welcomes donations for their services and programs, as well as dedicated volunteers to serve as mentors.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-22990863236684447882009-10-13T14:24:00.000-07:002009-10-13T14:34:33.299-07:00New York Life Foundation Seeks Proposals from New York City and Westchester Nonprofits Serving ChildrenSince 2004, the <a href="http://www.newyorklife.com/nyl/v/index.jsp?contentId=118696&vgnextoid=238b5a0489c04210VgnVCM100000ac841cacRCRD&vgnextchannel=85ba5a0489c04210VgnVCM100000ac841cacRCRD">New York Life Foundation Awards Program</a> has supported smaller nonprofits by providing six $25,000 grants per year: one in each New York City borough and one in Westchester County, NY. These grants are earmarked for one-time-only support for existing programs.<br /><br /><strong>Can you apply for a Foundation Awards Program grant?</strong> Yes, if:<br /><br />- Your program is located in and serves young people in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, or Westchester County in New York.<br /><br /><br />- The total budget for your organization is $5 million or less.<br /><br /><br />- Your organization is a 501(c)3 and has at least two full-time staff members.<br /><br /><br />- Your program serves disadvantaged youth, including those who are in foster care or aging out of foster care, are homeless, or are neither in school nor working.<br /><br /><br />- Your program prepares young people for higher education or the workplace and equips them to be responsible citizens. Program activities should enrich academic performance and educational commitment; provide a foundation in basic skills, such as reading, writing, mathematics and science, and enhance thinking skills, such as decision-making, problem-solving and reasoning.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newyorklife.com/nyl/v/index.jsp?contentId=118700&vgnextoid=11ae5a0489c04210VgnVCM100000ac841cacRCRD">Apply from October 1 to December 15, 2009</a><strong><br /><br /></strong><strong></strong>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-83131297293608403942009-09-19T11:07:00.000-07:002009-09-19T11:14:09.005-07:00Author of Cheetah Girls series grew up in foster care<span style="color:#000099;"><strong>'The Cheetah Girls' creator talks to EWN</strong><br /><em>7Online.com, September 05, 2009.</em></span><br /><br /><em>NEW YORK (WABC) --</em> Deborah Gregory is an inspiration to many.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">Homeless on the sidewalks of Brooklyn at the age of three, she was separated from her mother and became a ward of the state.</span> Now, she's a best-selling author, famous for her creation of "The Cheetah Girls" phenomenon and her second book of the "Catwalk" series is out next week. Deborah Gregory spoke to Eyewitness News about growing up in foster care and her books.<br /><br />You grew up in the foster care system. While all such experiences are different, what was it like for you?<br /><br />Mine was in the 25 percentile-children who are placed in high risk situations. <span style="color:#3366ff;">It's a complicated system so there is no one to point the finger at.</span> My first foster mother was illiterate. She couldn't read or write one letter of the alphabet. The hardest part of course is the aftermath. Trying to sort out what happened. I didn't know where my mother was, or how I ended up in the system. When I became a journalist, a contributing writer for ESSENCE magazine, I began trying to sort it out.<br /><br />You aged out of the foster care system at 18. What was crucial in piecing together your life?<br /><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">I had so many HOLES. It was important for me to try to figure out to the best of my ability-exactly what happened. How did I end up in foster care? Where was my mother? After ten long years of searching for answers, I was able to find some closure.</span> My mother was evicted, homeless with three children. We then became wards of the state. Her three children became wards of the state and we were separated-placed in different children's centers. I later found out that there were two other children. I don't know one of my siblings. The other is dead. Most importantly, I searched for my mother. I found out that she was committed to a mental institution. I got a court order and was allowed to see her records at Central Islip Mental Institution in Long Island where she had been committed for nine years. I got from there the most important thing I could get: a small, black and white photo of her from the folder!<br /><br />Can you ever really heal from childhood trauma?<br /><br />No, you cannot. It is a movie myth that you just "move on." You cannot leave your past behind. What it means to be a human being is to be a fleshy part of the past, present and future. This is what shapes you. There is not a day that goes by I don't think about what my experiences were growing up in foster care. About my missing mother. Or about the father I never knew. At least I'm honest and don't pretend. <span style="color:#3366ff;">The cracks remain-what I try to do is repair the cracks to the best of my ability. </span>Thanks to therapy, I was able to do a decent job at that-but that's all-just decent. I'm still and will always remain a wounded person with lots of holes and strength and sadness and humor. In other words, a typical New Yawker! I did not grow up in a foster home on a farm in Maine like someone I know and adore (Victoria Rowell). <span style="color:#3366ff;">Growing up in the foster care system in marginal foster homes in New York City was far more wicked-every kind of craziness coming at you-</span>I mean, walking down the street to the store was like surviving an episode of Animal Kingdom without the safari gear!<br /><br />What would you like to resolve?<br /><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">There are millions of people walking around the globe who do not know who their father is. It creates such a hole.</span> At some point, I was told that I was biracial, although I didn't believe it, but the denial finally lifted when I got a DNA test and discovered that it was true. I have 48 percent European DNA. So, I always wanted to know the ethnic heritage of my father. Thanks to DNA testing, I was able to confirm that he was white (European DNA) but that's all they could tell me. If it had been my mother who was white (mitochondrial DNA) they could have told me the region of my maternal ancestors.<span style="color:#3366ff;"> It leaves a hole inside of course when you don't know who your father is. No name. No photo. No history.</span> I wish the world would institute a global DNA bank-where everyone had to put their DNA into a bank, then this way whenever someone wanted to find people related to them, they could. Unlike the search through adoption records, you wouldn't even have to know the name of the person-just submitting your DNA would provide the match-because there is always someone in the world who is related to you. We are all connected. So all those people who are related to my father, I never got to meet. It would have been cool.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">This month, I became a bone marrow donor. It's possible through HLA tissue typing that they will be able to tell me POSSIBLY the ethnic group of my father. I have to wait six weeks. I hope I find out! That will be so cool-to finally know my birth father's ethnic heritage!</span><br /><br />What's the inspiration behind your teen series Catwalk?<br /><br />Fashion! On a recent AOL study, fashion designer was in the TOP TEN category of dream careers. And there practically isn't a girl alive who doesn't fantasize about what it would be like to be a MODEL. I was a model-for one glorious year-and wish I had the emotional stamina to have pursued it, but the aftermath of growing up in foster care overwhelmed my life.<br /><br />CATWALK shows the inner workings of the fashion world. Like with Cheetah Girls, I envision CATWALK in a synergistic way: I see the characters in the books, but I see them on the screen, the style and even the opportunity to empower teens through runway lessons and live fashion show events. That's how I think&Fashion is a global force-it's a way to bring multi-culturism into the forefront-my characters are from all parts of the globe-and I'm glad I got to create a few gay teen characters too as they are an essential part of any fashionable tale. One of the CATWALK characters, Nole Canoli, was inspired by my close friend, Nole Marin, who is a fashion stylist and former judge on America's Next Top Model. He was also on the ABC show True Beauty. I can't wait to see that character come to life on screen-prancing around with his thick black Gucci glasses on his pudgy face-and carrying his pooch Countess Coco in his Prada bag!<br /><br />In CATWALK, the characters have their own glossary of words. What is a FELINE FATALE?<br /><br />It's a girl who worships at the altar of pinkdown-because pink is not just a color, it's a cat=itude. It's a girl who never says goodbye to HELLO KITTY and wears her catty style with confidence!<br /><br />The Cheetah Girls was an international onscreen success. Are there any plans To bring CATWALK to TV?<br /><br />YES! CATWALK has been optioned by TEEN NICK network for a TV series! Like the Cheetah Girls, the CATWALK characters are destined to have an onscreen shelf life&And I'm delirious that the TEEN NICK network is so excited about it. They are the perfect network for it-they have a built in fan base with teens-many of whom are avid DeGrassi fans--I can't count the number of Cheetah Girls fans who are obsessed with DeGrassi. They love it. Also, TEEN NICK depicts real teens-and that's what I'm aiming for-a campy, multi-cultural and fashionable platform. Development is what it is, but I can only keep my fingers crossed that the diverse CATWALK characters will get their day onscreen. They deserve it! It took five years for the first Cheetah Girls movie to find its way onscreen. TV and film development is a long process-and I plan on kissing a lot of catnip and crosses to keep my strength up&.!<br /><br />This time around though, I will serve as executive producer and co-write the pilot with Jacob Epstein, who was an EP on SHARK and WITHOUT A TRACE. His wife, Susie Norris Epstein, for VP of SERIES for Disney Channel, pursued vigorously to snag the rights to the Cheetah Girls. So she is also attached and I really dig her style and sense of family dynamics. She's a dedicated mother and tres stylish and funny. When you're dealing with something like fashion, there is nothing better than bringing the story alive on the screen. Sashay, parlay!<br /><br />Were fans upset that Raven did not reprise her beloved role as Galleria Garibaldi in the third movie sequel, `Cheetah Girls: One World?'<br /><br />They were so disappointed that my computer froze from all the sad emails! The avalanche of response from fans everywhere I go is palpable. And we're talking about children, so they really don't understand reality. The truth is, when a talent becomes closely related to a beloved character-such as Galleria Garibaldi, the leader of The Cheetah Girls-you shouldn't disappoint. Just dust off the debris and don't disappoint the fans! Simply put, Raven could have done the third movie-and went back to crafting her master plan for "solo'' stardom. Even Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall put aside their differences to go on the stroll-again-in their well-worn Manolos to film the movie version of "Sex and The City.'' But, here you have a young black actress-singer, who has an even bigger responsibility to her fans because she is an even bigger role model because of the limited opportunities that Black actresses are given to create such memorable characters--and what does she do: opt out of the third Cheetah Girls sequel, so she could do, what? "College Road Trip''? Puhleese-fire the psychic who advised steering her star vehicle on that "road-less-traveled'' to the box office because, "knock, knock'': her crystal ball is cracking, hello! Of course, I wish her well, but the rule of the Hollywood jungle is simple: once a cheetah, always a cheetah--so show their spots!<br /><br />What's in for fashion for fall?<br /><br />Pink Cheetah! It's always in. And short booties worn with footless textured tights. Headbands are skinnier and skirts are not as short as last year. So give those micro minis to a toddler consignment store. Maxi coats are in for winter worn with fur pom=pom hats-preferably pink ones.<br /><br />What's in store for the CATWALK series?<br /><br />The second book in the series - CATWALK: STRIKE A POSE will hit bookstores on September 8. Visit Cheetahrama<br /><br /><strong>More about Deborah:</strong> <em>For Deborah Gregory, a best-selling author and award-winning writer who had contributed to Essence, Redbook, Entertainment Weekly, Vibe and More, survival was crucial. Homeless on the sidewalks of Brooklyn at age three with her single mother and two sisters, Gregory was separated from her family and became a ward of the State. She spent her childhood in the New York City foster care system under ACS until she aged out of the system at 18. Upon becoming a journalist, in 1990 she spent a large portion of her career searching for the mother who was committed and piecing together the puzzle of her early years and a painful family legacy. She channeled her pain into writing, creating diverse characters that would empower and unite tween and teen girls across the country.<br /><br />"The Cheetah Girls" unprecedented franchise success for the Disney Channel began with the airing of the first Cheetah Girls movie in 2003. Within two years of the movie's debut, the fictional group gained a staggering global fan base, topped the soundtrack charts with a double-platinum soundtrack and enjoyed a highly-rated DVD release. In 2006, "The Cheetah Girls 2" made its debut and was the #1 basic cable movie that year among kids 6-11 and tweens 9-14.<br /><br />The CATWALK series has officially been optioned by The N (which will be renamed TeenNick in the fall) for development. Girls across the U.S. will fall in love once again with Gregory's dynamic and diverse urban characters who represent survival.<br /><br />Gregory will also serve as the television series' executive producer and co-write the pilot episode with TV veteran scribe Jacob Epstein ("Shark" and "Without A Trace"). Susie Norris-Epstein also serves as the series Executive Producer. Norris-Epstein was Vice President, Series Television for the Disney Channel, where she was responsible for developing the smash hit, Lizzie McGuire, which launched the career of teen star, Hillary Duff, and discovered The Cheetah Girls book series before its initial publication in 1999, snagging the dramatic rights in the process.<br /><br />Gregory's Catwalk deal with The N was brokered by Lauren Heller Whitney of the William Morris Endeavor Entertainment and attorney, Lisa Davis, a senior partner at Kurnit, Klein, Selz law firm in New York City. </em>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-54354013585218235972009-06-13T09:15:00.000-07:002009-06-13T12:25:27.827-07:00'Once they are in our house, they're OUR children'<span style="color:#000099;"><strong>'Mom' to many</strong> </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Pike, Farah Jadran. Eagle Newspapers, June 11, 2009.</span><br /><br />Mary Hudgins stands in her North Syracuse home with her many Mother's Day gifts.<br />For more than 12 years Mary and Bobby Lee Hudgins Sr. and their four children have called their North Syracuse residence home. But for more than 17 years, 26-plus children have called the Hudgins “mom and dad.”<br /><br />The Hudgins have always had a lot of love and care to give even after they had their first son Keith, 40, and their triplets Bobby Lee, Kenneth Lee and Calvin Lee, now 34 years old.<br /><br />Even though Mother’s Day passed almost two weeks ago, the Hudgins dining room table is still covered in cards, flowers, gifts and balloons given to Mary by the numerous children that still call her “mom.”<br /><br />“I’m still celebrating,” she said.<br /><br />As she remembered her own childhood growing up in a family of seven children, she had only her father with her life. Although she didn’t have a mother figure, there was neighbor named Miss Clara, who she still thinks of as a mother.<br /><br />“Miss Clara had one child that she adopted, but no other children,” Hudgins said. “But she looked out for other kids in the neighborhood.”<br /><br />Like Miss Clara, Hudgins said she truly believes that her upbringing has made her into the loving woman she is today.<br /><br />“It’s like the parallel to where I am today,” she said of Miss Clara’s presence in her life. “She taught me many things, but most importantly, she taught me about the Lord.”<br /><br />Firmly believing in Christianity, the Hudgins family attends New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Syracuse with several family members and two foster children that are in their care presently.<br /><br />Because of their faith, the Hudgins never lost hope in one foster child in particular, Allen. Although each foster child is different and most have different needs that parents need to attend to, Hudgins said she couldn’t believe the things that one of their foster children went through.<br /><br />Allen came to the Hudgins’ home when he was 11 years old. No matter the problems Allen had, the Hudgins wanted to make sure they gave him a good life for as long as he wanted to be with the family.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">“Once they’re in our house, they’re our children,” she said. “We’re devoted no matter what.” </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Hudgins said she sees Allen as special because he stayed with the family even after he aged out of the foster program at age 18. He finally felt ready to live on his own when he was 22 years old.<br /></span>Now in his late 20s, Allen still calls the Hudgins “mom and dad,” even after many years of struggling to overcome challenges for a normal family dynamic.<br /><br />“We had to teach him so many things,” she said. “He didn’t know how to use a bar of soap and take a bath, and about nutrition.”<br /><br />She remembered the first time she realized his eating habits when she was making liver for dinner.<br /><br />“I was cleaning it [liver] and seasoning it when he asked me why I was doing all of this,” she said. “He said that he was used to eating it raw.”<br /><br />Baffled by the fact that this young boy had eaten something like liver raw made her feel more compassion and a stronger need to turn him around. Hudgins said the environment that children grow up in has such an impact, that Allen was starting over from scratch since he had never had a good example to follow. His nutritional habits were such that he would eat bacon, sausage and eggs all uncooked.<br /><br />“Even though this happened, he was never ashamed,” she said. “And he knows his mom and dad are proud of him.”<br /><br />Allen had other issues like hoarding food because he grew up with the fear that he might not eat the next day. Hudgins said she would make 10 or 12 sweet-potato pies at a time with the intention of freezing most of them.<br /><br />“I remember finding out that he took a few of the pies to eat at the bus stop,” she said. “Those pies only had the batter poured in them so they were raw.”<br /><br />Like any bad habit, she said it took time and a lot of love and care to help Allen break old habits and form new ones.<br /><br />Aside from poor eating habits, Allen was never given proper attention while growing up.<br /><br />“He wanted attention so bad that he would follow me all around the house,” she said.<br /><br />Allen had a hard time understanding boundaries at first, but the family pushed forward to help him learn. The Hudgins experienced hard times while Allen was in school because his behavior was so erratic, there were several times when they thought they couldn’t help Allen and should just give up.<br /><br />“Even though we wanted to give up, we thought about how if God didn’t forgive us for our sins we wouldn’t be here,” she said. “My strong conviction in God made us keep him.”<br /><br />As the Hudgins began to believe in Allen more and more, he started to thrive by attending church more and acting as a respectful family member.<br /><br />Hudgins said Allen’s living situation before coming to their home was unbelievable.<br />Allen also struggled with his faith at first because he started to ask where God was in his life when he was eating out of a trashcan or going without a bath.<br /><br />“Now he is so involved with church, even more than I am,” she said. “He plays in the church’s band and tells others about his relationship with Jesus.”<br /><br />Because of Allen’s upbringing before the foster care, Hudgins said she truly believes that he has come from the worst of times to the best.<br /><br />“That in itself is a blessing,” she said. “These children are the purpose of my life.”<br /><br />Hudgins said she has always had a soft spot for the children and the elderly in her life. As she has come to care for so many kids, she wanted people to know that she and her husband had been taking care of children even before stipends and foster care became what they are today.<br /><br />The family had been taking in children from time to time no matter if it was for a few days, weeks or months.<br /><br />“This is my calling from God, the ministry of my life,” she said. “It’s all about the kids and loving those kids.”<br /><br />While some parents experience “empty nest syndrome” after all their children have grown up and moved out, Hudgins said their home will always be filled with kids that they will love forever. She recommends fostering to those that feel they have love to give.<br /><br />“Become a foster parent please, because there’s no need for people to feel a void in life,” she said. “Share the love you have because God didn’t give us love to sit on it.”<br /><br />Even people scared to try fostering should try it, she said. Her faith in God urges Hudgins to care for the children of the Lord.<br /><br />“I always think of the book of Matthew that says, ‘Suffer little children and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven,’” she said.<br /><br />Throughout her many years of fostering, she said that people who believe they can’t do something should try it because they can do it, and the blessing would be insurmountable.<br /><br />“You’ll be doing God’s will and he will richly bestow blessings upon you,” she said.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-43561253750476927112009-06-10T05:10:00.000-07:002009-06-13T12:27:10.448-07:00Infant dies in NY foster home of 'shaken baby syndrome'<span style="color:#000099;"><strong>Mother to sue over son slain in foster care<br />County should have prevented it, she says</strong> </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Drumsta, Raymond. Ithaca Journal, June 8, 2009.</span><br /><br />ITHACA - A 14-month-old boy in foster care died due to negligence by the Tompkins County Department of Social Services, according to his mother.<br /><br />In a notice filed with the claims court, Kristine Freda announced her intention to sue the county in connection with the death of son Adrian Hines last fall. Her attorney, Edward E. Kopko, filed the notice, which alleges that Adrian suffered "severe life-threatening injuries, including head trauma" while in the foster home.<br /><br />Kopko could not be reached for comment, and the county attorney's office declined to comment. District Attorney Gwen Wilkinson said that her staff continues to investigate Adrian's death, but that no criminal charges have been filed.<br /><br />Around 5:20 p.m. Oct. 2, deputies, Freeville firefighters and Etna firefighters responded to the report of an unresponsive child at the foster home on Etna Road, sheriff's officials said. Adrian was taken to Cayuga Medical Center and on to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, where he "subsequently died from injuries he sustained," they added.<br /><br />According to sheriff's officials, an autopsy later determined that Adrian's death was a homicide.<br /><br />After Adrian suffered his injuries, a doctor at Upstate Medical Center told Freda that <span style="color:#3333ff;">the child was brain dead because of head trauma - including swelling and bleeding of his brain - caused by shaken baby syndrome,</span> the notice went on to say.<br /><br />"Adrian sustained conscious pain and suffering and wrongful death because of the negligence and recklessness of employees, agents and/or servants of (the Department of Social Services)," the notice alleged.<br /><br />Among many other functions, DSS "oversees recruitment and retention of qualified, caring families who are willing to provide temporary foster care for children and to work with families toward reunification," according to its Web site.<br /><br />The department removed Adrian from Freda's home in July, the notice said, and filed a neglect petition. The petition alleged that Freda had hit Adrian, shaken him and screamed at him on May 22, 2008, and that she had failed to provide appropriate supervision and make a "sanitary and safe home" for him - all of which Freda had emphatically denied, the papers said.<br /><br />"A doctor evaluated Adrian subsequent to May 22, 2008 and found Adrian to be without injury," the notice said. Nonetheless, DSS placed Adrian in a foster home on July 24, then moved him to the foster home on Etna Road a few days later, according to the notice.<br />Advertisement<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">The foster home was "more dangerous of an environment than Freda's home,"</span> the notice alleges, where Adrian was regularly left in the care of the foster family's 15-year-old daughter "without adult supervision."<br /><br />Adrian died because DSS failed to contact Freda's extended family to place him in their care and failed to investigate the foster home before placing him in it - all protocols that should've been followed, the notice said. The doctor at Upstate Medical Center, who had 30 years of experience, advised Freda that it would be best to take Adrian off life support "and let him die as peacefully as possible," the notice went to say.<br /><br />"At 12:28 a.m., Oct. 3, 2008, Adrian died in Freda's arms," the notice said. Freda intends to sue for her pain and suffering due to Adrian's death, along with his medical and funeral expenses, "which have been accumulated in an amount to be determined at trial of this action."Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-48925805486321784352009-06-08T08:04:00.001-07:002009-06-13T12:30:42.633-07:00$7.4M budget cut will further jeopardize safety of children<span style="color:#000099;"><strong>Proposed Cuts to Foster Care Protested at New York City Hall</strong></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Phillip, Joshua. Epoch Times, June 4, 2009.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Foster care agencies are being threatened with a $7.4 million cut in New York City’s 2010 budget.</span> On Thursday the steps of City Hall were swamped with more than 100 parents and foster care providers.<br /><br />They were joined by Council Member Bill de Blasio to rally against the proposals, concerned that the cuts would jeopardize the safety of children throughout New York.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">“We cannot play Russian roulette with the safety of our children,”</span> said Council Member Bill de Blasio in a press release.<br /><br />Several sectors of New York are being impacted as the city tries to close a $1.9 billion budget gap. The deficit emerged largely from a $6.8 billion drop in anticipated tax revenue, as jobs and homes were lost amid the global financial crisis.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">“Times are tough all over, but gutting programs that protect children is not the answer,”</span> said Mr. de Blasio.<br /><br />The five percent cut will impact the city’s 35 foster care agencies and near 17,000 foster children. Among the effects of the cuts would be the elimination of 1,000 positions at the Administration for Children’s Services.<br /><br />Richard Altman, CEO of the Jewish Child Care Association explained that the cuts will result in staff reductions and services that will cause longer lengths of stay for kids in foster care.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">“These abused and neglected children and youth are literally in the custody of the city--so the city must not cut the services that protect their safety and well-being,"</span> said Mr. Altman. "These children deserve a permanent family connection without delay.”<br /><br />There is also <span style="color:#3333ff;">a proposal to eliminate funding for the Child Safety Initiative, which helps to lower caseloads at community-based preventive service programs. The initiative currently costs the city $4.2 million a year.</span><br /><br />“Without the funds needed to support lower caseloads through the Child Safety Initiative our ability to perform ... will be <span style="color:#3366ff;">seriously compromised</span>,” said Charles Barrios, division director of Brooklyn Preventive Service Programs at Good Shepherd Services.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-60581931828903070432009-05-26T10:55:00.000-07:002009-06-13T12:33:30.568-07:00Sandra Ferguson: Foster and Adoptive Parent<span style="color:#000099;"><strong>National Foster Month</strong></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Lee, Karen. News 10 Now, May 25, 2009.</span><br /><br /><em>SYRACUSE, N.Y</em>. -- Sandra Ferguson first became interested in foster parenting about seven years ago. <span style="color:#3333ff;">She disapproved of how some foster children she knew were being treated, so she signed up to do it herself.</span><br /><br />"I always wanted a big family but I didn't want to have a big family. So this was my way of giving back to the community," Ferguson said.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">She's since fostered six children and is currently in the process of adopting the last two.</span> They've been living with her and her two biological children for the last few years.<br /><br />"There is no difference. She provides them with every opportunity that she does with her own biological children and <span style="color:#3333ff;">she has done a great deal by opening up her home to these teenage, more difficult kids that a lot of people are scared to take</span>," said Jean Galle, Hillside Foster Care Manager.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Ferguson admits that raising older children has been a challenge as they tend to be more guarded. But with the combination of patience and love, she says they will open up.</span> Ferguson witnessed that this past Mother’s Day through a text message.<br /><br />There's said to be no comparison to the bond that's felt between a parent and child. And it doesn't matter if that relationship began in the womb or later on in life. May is National Foster Care Month and our Karen Lee visited the Hillside Children's Center in Syracuse and spoke with one foster mother who is encouraging others to take on the challenge.<br /><br />"He says thank you for being my mom and almost brought me to tears at work but that lets me know that I must be doing something right," Ferguson said.<br /><br />Foster care agencies like the Hillside Children's Center are looking for more people like Ferguson. For those who can't be a full-time mom and dad, there are other options.<br /><br />"They may only take a child on the weekend or an as need basis. So they may have not have the time or the ability to take on a child full-time but they can become a supportive resource for a child in that way," Galle said.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">"These kids just need to know what love is. That there's people that care about them, that care more about them waking up and going to sleep, that really actually care about their well-being and wanting them to succeed in life,"</span> Ferguson said.<br /><br />If you would like more information on becoming a foster parent, contact the Hillside Children's Center at (315) 423-5112.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8198424053639440267.post-86005053965718329812009-05-22T07:50:00.001-07:002009-06-13T13:58:08.466-07:00Judith Leekin's alleged abuse of 10 disabled foster children<span style="color:#000099;"><strong>Ten Sue NY in Foster-Child Abuse Case<br /></strong>Courthouse News Service, May 01, 2009.<br /></span><br />The City of New York Administration for Children's Services <span style="color:#3333ff;">allowed a woman to collect money for years for 10 disabled foster children she beat, starved, humiliated, and imprisoned, handcuffed, in a basement for years</span>, according to a complaint in Federal Court.<br /><br />Judith Leekin - not named as a defendant in this case - used six aliases to collect the checks, according to the complaint. The crimes allegedly occurred from 1986 to 1994.<br /><br />The defendants allegedly placed the children with Leekin after failing to identify her fictitious identities, and failed to supervise or monitor her or the children.<br /><br />Here are the defendants: City of New York, Administration for Children's Services fka Child Welfare Administration, St. Joseph's Services for Children fka Catholic Child Care Society of the Diocese of Brooklyn, Heartshare Human Services fka Catholic Guardian Society Diocese of Brooklyn, and SCO Family of Services fka St. Christopher-Ottilie.<br /><br />Lead attorneys for the plaintiffs are Howard Talenfeld of Fort Lauderdale and Thomas Moore of Manhattan.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944993180509479994noreply@blogger.com0