Maine Kinship to Permanency

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ME DHHS and Partners NE Permanency Convening 2010 Maine Kinship to Maine Kinship to Permanency Permanency All Children Deserve All Children Deserve Family Connections Family Connections

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Maine Kinship to Permanency. All Children Deserve Family Connections. Progress Towards Last Year’s Action Items. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transcript of Maine Kinship to Permanency

Page 1: Maine Kinship to Permanency

ME DHHS and Partners NE Permanency

Convening 2010

Maine Kinship to Maine Kinship to Permanency Permanency

All Children Deserve All Children Deserve Family ConnectionsFamily Connections

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ME DHHS and Partners NE Permanency

Convening 2010

Progress Towards Last Progress Towards Last Year’s Action ItemsYear’s Action Items

• Maine utilized the Fostering Maine utilized the Fostering Connections Grant Award to bring Connections Grant Award to bring together the full network of together the full network of organizations in Maine with a track organizations in Maine with a track record in providing services and record in providing services and supports to kinship families through a supports to kinship families through a model ofmodel of Kinship Navigation Services, Kinship Navigation Services, Kinship Focused Family Team Kinship Focused Family Team Meetings, and Family Finding Meetings, and Family Finding ProcessesProcesses. .

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ME DHHS and Partners NE Permanency

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Focus and ContextFocus and Context

The Family Finding component The Family Finding component focused on 26 older youth, aged 15-focused on 26 older youth, aged 15-17 who have been in care 3 or more 17 who have been in care 3 or more years. Casey Family Services, as a years. Casey Family Services, as a grant partner, utilized proven family grant partner, utilized proven family finding techniques and diligence to finding techniques and diligence to make connections between youth make connections between youth and family members.and family members.

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GoalsGoals

These activities met the goals of These activities met the goals of the project in supporting the project in supporting systems-level changes that systems-level changes that enhance family team meetings enhance family team meetings and family finding protocols and family finding protocols within the Department of Health within the Department of Health and Human Services and within and Human Services and within community agencies. community agencies.

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Examples of SuccessExamples of Success– One youth identified a third grade teacher who was a One youth identified a third grade teacher who was a

great support for him. When located, the teacher eagerly great support for him. When located, the teacher eagerly wanted to participate in the youth’s team. This work wanted to participate in the youth’s team. This work helped the youth find out why he was in care and to begin helped the youth find out why he was in care and to begin a connection with his father.a connection with his father.

– Another youth in residential care for many years has been Another youth in residential care for many years has been reconnected with her maternal aunts and a cousin reconnected with her maternal aunts and a cousin through pictures and letter writing. The youth stated “I through pictures and letter writing. The youth stated “I need to change my thinking because for years I had need to change my thinking because for years I had thought I had no one and now I know I do”. The family thought I had no one and now I know I do”. The family finding on this case also discovered that the youth’s father finding on this case also discovered that the youth’s father had passed away. She was able to learn this information had passed away. She was able to learn this information in a safe environment. in a safe environment.

– Five other youth who are close to aging out or have aged Five other youth who are close to aging out or have aged out are moving towards reconnecting and possibly living out are moving towards reconnecting and possibly living with their birth parents. with their birth parents.

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PartnersPartners

Relationships lead to:Relationships lead to:

understanding of the understanding of the strengths of kinship care and strengths of kinship care and the need for and path to the need for and path to safety, well being and safety, well being and permanency for youth in care permanency for youth in care or at risk of entering care. or at risk of entering care.

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ME DHHS and Partners NE Permanency

Convening 2010

Future for Family Future for Family FindingFinding

• Moving forward, the Family Finding Moving forward, the Family Finding will utilize extreme recruitment and will utilize extreme recruitment and permanency roundtables to enhance permanency roundtables to enhance their work to improve permanency their work to improve permanency outcomes for older youth in care. outcomes for older youth in care.

• Kinship connections are a priority.Kinship connections are a priority.

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ME DHHS and Partners NE Permanency

Convening 2010

Maine’s Focus on Maine’s Focus on Kinship CareKinship Care

In the State of Maine, over 11,000 In the State of Maine, over 11,000 children are being raised by a children are being raised by a grandparent or other relative.grandparent or other relative.

In the population of children in In the population of children in foster care, slightly more than foster care, slightly more than 1700 children, 30% are with 1700 children, 30% are with relatives, a significant increase relatives, a significant increase from the less than 10% only five from the less than 10% only five years ago.years ago.

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Convening 2010

Legislative Task Force on Legislative Task Force on Kinship Care Kinship Care

• In August of 2010 a Legislative Task Force was In August of 2010 a Legislative Task Force was convened to address the needs of kinship families convened to address the needs of kinship families in Maine. Maine DHHS was a member of the in Maine. Maine DHHS was a member of the panel. panel.

Challenges identified by the panel included: Challenges identified by the panel included: • Achieving permanency for children and the Achieving permanency for children and the

balance of parental, kin and children’s rights and balance of parental, kin and children’s rights and interests. interests.

• The timeline for permanency; concern about the The timeline for permanency; concern about the effect of further disruption in the life of the child;effect of further disruption in the life of the child;

• Legal processes, legal expenses.Legal processes, legal expenses.• Balancing the benefits, requirements and Balancing the benefits, requirements and

restrictions of involvement by the State; restrictions of involvement by the State;

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Challenges, cont’d.Challenges, cont’d.• Providing support and services to kinship families, Providing support and services to kinship families,

including what are the legal requirements for education, including what are the legal requirements for education, special educational services, health care services; special educational services, health care services;

• The range of legal status of families caring for non-The range of legal status of families caring for non-biological children [(1) formal with DHHS involvement, biological children [(1) formal with DHHS involvement, (2) informal with a legal guardianship or parental rights (2) informal with a legal guardianship or parental rights and responsibilities court order, (3) informal with a and responsibilities court order, (3) informal with a power of attorney and (4) informal with no legal power of attorney and (4) informal with no legal paperwork];paperwork];

• Providing behavioral health services for children in Providing behavioral health services for children in kinship care; andkinship care; and

• How to provide guidance to schools regarding How to provide guidance to schools regarding enrollment requirements, to families and health care enrollment requirements, to families and health care providers regarding authority to consent to treatment providers regarding authority to consent to treatment and authority to treat, and to housing authorities and authority to treat, and to housing authorities regarding non-biological children being considered regarding non-biological children being considered members of the family.members of the family.

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Partnering with Youth to Partnering with Youth to Meet the ChallengesMeet the Challenges

• As we review recommendations As we review recommendations made by the task force to address made by the task force to address the needs of kinship families we the needs of kinship families we intend to partner with our youth to intend to partner with our youth to address those challenges to have address those challenges to have youth safely placed with relatives.youth safely placed with relatives.

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Partnering PlansPartnering Plans

• Formalize the role of Youth Transition Workers Formalize the role of Youth Transition Workers with regard to permanency efforts for older with regard to permanency efforts for older youth on V9 Agreements (18-21). Youth youth on V9 Agreements (18-21). Youth Transition Workers will help identify supports Transition Workers will help identify supports (past and current) to facilitate increased (past and current) to facilitate increased informal supports and family being included in informal supports and family being included in the youth’s family team. the youth’s family team.

• Youth Transition Workers will also continue to Youth Transition Workers will also continue to facilitate numerous youth panels across the facilitate numerous youth panels across the state that focus on training child welfare staff state that focus on training child welfare staff and resource family providers about the needs and resource family providers about the needs of older youth for permanent family of older youth for permanent family connections. connections.

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PDSA ModelPDSA Model

• OCFS is currently working with youth and OCFS is currently working with youth and others within child welfare to participate others within child welfare to participate in a “PDSA” to provide older youth in care in a “PDSA” to provide older youth in care cell phones and supports to reach out to cell phones and supports to reach out to estranged family members. This “Cell estranged family members. This “Cell Phone Pilot” will provide resources and Phone Pilot” will provide resources and guidance to youth and caseworkers about guidance to youth and caseworkers about supporting the process of youth searching supporting the process of youth searching for families and kin and potentially for families and kin and potentially reconnecting with them. reconnecting with them.

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Legislative ActionLegislative Action

• During this legislative session, During this legislative session, DHHS is introducing legislation to DHHS is introducing legislation to allow the reinstatement of parental allow the reinstatement of parental rights post-TPR when doing so rights post-TPR when doing so would allow for the safe return of would allow for the safe return of youth to their birth parents. youth to their birth parents.

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Accessing Technical Accessing Technical AssistanceAssistance

• The Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Child Welfare Strategy Group is Child Welfare Strategy Group is meeting regularly with senior meeting regularly with senior management to develop additional management to develop additional strategies to improve permanency strategies to improve permanency outcomes for older youth in care. A outcomes for older youth in care. A focus on kinship care will be a part focus on kinship care will be a part of this process.of this process.

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TogetherTogether

• As we engage in more opportunities As we engage in more opportunities to hear from youth and allow youth to hear from youth and allow youth to direct their own lives we will to direct their own lives we will make a difference.make a difference.

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ThanksThanks

Thank you from the Maine Team………… Thank you from the Maine Team………… • Jim BeougherJim Beougher• Dulcey LabergeDulcey Laberge• Carla MowattCarla Mowatt• Ed FordEd Ford• Brenda MartinBrenda Martin• Marinda Nha Marinda Nha • Dianna Walters Dianna Walters • Susan Burns ChongSusan Burns Chong• Chris DilworthChris Dilworth• Mark MillarMark Millar• Ginny Marriner Ginny Marriner