Message of Encouragement

These quotes are just as true on Christmas Eve as they are during the Thanksgiving Together events when foster care youth and alumni designed these messages of encouragement for others:

Virtual Meeting With ODJFS

It was wonderful to be a part of tonight’s call. Todd had literally mentioned today how wonderful it would be to have another Roundtable with the Governor, and we are eager to learn more about what the Ohio Department of Health has in mind. 

Ohio youth leaders are creative and inspiring. Regine participating in a silent protest when Cuyahoga County youth were spending the night in county offices. Raven’s dedicated participation in PFOF meetings. Makayla’s work regarding the SAMHSA grant. Todd’s work to make bank accounts and IDA’s (individual development accounts) a reality for youth in Ashtabula County. La’Shoun being a voice for young people in and from kinship care.

ODJFS mentioned having competing priorities, and Raven was helpful in narrowing down a Top Three to improve outcomes for young people in and from foster care, and those with kinship care experience.

1. Basic preparation for adulthood – as noted in a recent First Friday, Ohio counties need more training to do this effectively
   
   
2. Surviving and thriving in young adulthood – when resources time out for youth at age 21, this is a 911 situation in their lives
   
   
3. Having normal experiences – especially for those entrusted to congregate care (group homes, residential)

1. Basic preparation for adulthood

a.) Can the OCWTP life skills training path that the OHIO YAB has been working on ultimately be made mandatory for foster parents, kinship caregivers AND caseworkers who serve teens?

As Raven mentioned, this would help address the conundrum in which the foster parent thinks it’s the caseworker’s job to prepare youth for adulthood, the caseworker thinks it’s the foster parents (and ditto for public vs. private agencies). 

Makayla made a great point last week that: “Not making this mandatory sends the wrong message to foster youth; it says that foster parents and kinship caregivers must be required to keep you alive (safety trainings are all mandatory) but care nothing for your success or outcomes (life skills trainings not mandatory).”

Roman shared on Sunday evening that: This needs to be implemented systemwide. Roman lived in an independent living group home and this has helped him succeed as a young adult. They taught him things that he would not have known about otherwise: bank account, car ownership, having an apartment. This created a positive impact in his life that continues to this day.

b.) Can ODJFS do a statewide youth survey for a ‘gut check’ when it comes to the effectiveness of independent living preparation in each county/private agency?  

Over the weekend, OHIO YAB representatives talked about: 

- Specifying certain percentage of youth (or striving for all youth) to participate

Asking questions as part of the survey including:

- How prepared were you?
- What specific resources were you informed about?
- Were you able to navigate and access those resources?  Which ones have you reached out to?
- Did you receive your vital records and other information such as medical records when you aged out?
- What was your transition plan, including your housing plan?
- What do you feel that you were missing when you transitioned from foster care to adulthood?
- How willing was your county to help with aftercare if you weren’t enrolled in Bridges?
- Did you feel supported?
- What type of help is missing that you could benefit from?
- If you have a one worker model in your county, how does this help or hurt when it comes to your outcomes?
- Have you been denied resources for youth in your county, and if so, do you know why?is 

The data from this future survey might help to:
- To level-set expectations for counties
- To encourage counties not to eliminate independent living departments when switching to a One Worker model
- To address the challenges that Makayla mentioned tonight re: life skills classes being unavailable during COVID and the structure of life skills classes not always matching with how young people learn
- To remind counties that administering a life skills assessment is only the first step; they then need to move forward to address gaps and build into that young person’s development 

Dorothy Striker mentioned needing to make sure that independent living preparation efforts are documented. 

c.) Can county agencies be invited to compile and share a list of local resources in their area to support older youth in/from foster care?

Makayla mentioned the need for an online platform. Todd shared how it could be a drop-down menu that lets youth identify which Ohio county they live in and what type of resources they need. 

Regine had mentioned including: “What is the recourse for youth who reach out to help to these resources and don’t receive a response?” such as maybe reaching out to Laurie Valentine and her team for technical assistance, but every youth doesn’t know how to do that. 

Having a central list of county-specific resources would be incredibly helpful. It is currently incredibly difficult to identify the county contacts for CCMP, short-term certificates, etc. After we gave out flash drives with resources at the early Thanksgiving this year, Raven emailed a list Cuyahoga-county specific resources that we weren't previously aware of, and definitely want to include in the future. 

Comparing and contrasting the disparity in resources when it comes to foster care vs. kinship would also be very helpful. For example, when it comes to the SOUL permanency option, we were told that without changing state/federal law, youth with a kinship care history won’t be eligible for many supports. And when Raven initiated focus groups of young people in and from kinship care, they shared that any financial support goes directly to their kinship caregiver – and mentioned lack of clothing, bus passes, not having art supplies for school and not knowing about any supports to help them 

2. Surviving and thriving during young adulthood: Extending foster care to 23 and ETV to 26:

The Family First Prevention Act allows states the opportunity to extend the age limit for Chafee to age 23 and Education and Training Vouchers (ETV) to 26. Makayla and Raven have done a deep dive on research regarding this… Raven and I have discussed that foster youth nationally graduate from higher education at an older age than 21.

As Makayla mentioned tonight: When youth “age out” of Chafee/Bridges at age 21, they are disconnected from supports. This undermines their outcomes. Ohio has not opted to extend these supports but over 1,000 youth emancipate from Ohio annually and are in need of the service. Young people continue to struggle while transitioning to adulthood and need help past age 21. States that do not extend foster care to 23 and also do not extend ETV funding to 26 ultimately contribute to the significant barriers foster youth already face. The pandemic further exacerbates these issues.

As Todd mentioned earlier today: The pandemic has shown us the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of the system.

3. Having normal experiences:

We recently learned that ODJFS is currently working to implement Normalcy recommendations from the Children Services Transformation Committee. Who is heading this up?  Could we connect with them directly?  We’ve begun gathering feedback from youth throughout the state regarding: “In what ways did you, and did you not, experience normalcy during your time in foster care?"

 

Youth Ombudsman Office ~ Great News!!

 

The OHIO YAB, ACTION Ohio and the Children's Defense Fund~Ohio held a successful meeting with Representatives Susan Manchester and Phil Plummer on December 1, 2021 and are delighted to share that they have agreed to amend House Bill 4 to include the three revisions requested by Ohio foster care youth. Please see page 27-28 of Amendment #134-2057-02.

We are committed to support House Bill 4 as it makes its way through the Ohio Senate if these three changes are included. We look forward to partnering with ODJFS and the Office of the Governor during the implementation phase.

Ohio Legal Help - for foster care youth and young adults

The OHIO YAB is currently partnering with Ohio Legal Help, a two-year old non-profit organization that was established by the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation, the Ohio Supreme Court, Ohio’s legal aids, and other stakeholders in Ohio’s legal system. 

Ohio Legal Help plans to add a special section on their website to support the legal needs of current and former foster youth, and has invited feedback from current and former foster youth.   

Below are the Top 14 Legal Needs that have been identified by the OHIO YAB so far:

1.) Assistance in Accessing Benefits: Such as Medicaid to age 26, Social Security and/or other benefits for which they might be eligible. And being unsure whether they are allowed to apply for food stamps if they are in Bridges or enrolled in college.

2.) Custodial Issues: Former fosters seeking to maintain custody or contact with their children.

3.) Filling Out Forms: Assistance with leases, filing taxes, understanding the FAFSA, applying for Educational Training Vouchers, etc.

4.) Housing Issues: Avoiding eviction, handling landlord-tenant disputes, and how to address unsafe housing conditions (bugs, mice, mold or lead).

5.) Identity Theft: Foster youth are at high risk for identity theft because they frequently change placements, giving an expanding group of adults access to their personal information. 

6.) Legal Citizenship: Ensuring that young people don’t emancipate from foster care and then discover that they are not legal citizens. Young people who are abused, neglected or abandoned by their parents must apply for Special Juvenile Immigrant Status before age 21. 

7.) Name Change: Seeking a legal name change in order for their last name to match that of a siblings, or in order to not reflect an adoptive family if that adoption ended in dissolution.

8.) Protection Orders: Seeking a restraining order and other protections, when trying to escape an abusive relationship during young adulthood.

9.) Records: Desire to access their case file, ICCA form, school records, medical records, adoption records and/or desire to expunge a juvenile record.

10.) Rights Violations: Wanting to ensure that a prior abuser is no longer able to harm others.

11.) Sibling Connections: Assistance in contacting one or more siblings from whom they were separated.

12.) Vital Records: Assistance for young adults who do not have a birth certificate, Social Security card, and/or photo ID.

13.) Wage Issues: Young people who do not receive payment for work they did, and are unsure of how to seek recourse.

14.) Youth Voice in Court: Desire to have a voice in their case plan, transition plan, placement decisions, and/or staff annual reviews, and to be notified about and allowed to attend hearings and communicate with their judge. 

Youth Ombudsman Advocacy

 The work continues...

OHIO YAB Statement about Foster Youth Rights in Ohio Administrative Code

The Overcoming Hurdles in Ohio Youth Advisory Board is a statewide organization of young people (aged 14-24) who have experienced foster care. The OHIO YAB exists to be the knowledgeable statewide voice that influences policies and practices that impact youth who have or will experience out of home care.

As an OHIO YAB Youth Ambassador, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with ODJFS and my fellow foster youth on the wording of the Foster Youth Bill of Rights in Ohio Administrative Code. We appreciate ODJFS incorporating our feedback, including ordering youth rights by triage by putting the most vital rights first. We also thank ODJFS for agreeing to require that these rights be clearly posted in congregate care facilities such as group homes and residential facilities.

My fellow Officers and I are proud to stand by our work to ensure that these rights are clear to youth and everyone caring for them. We want to make sure that every youth gets a copy and understands their rights, and that these rights are followed. This is the first step in the right direction on our ultimate path to create a Youth Ombudsman Office to give youth a safe place to report and make the system a safer environment for those who have to navigate it.

A quote stands out to me by American author Alfie Khon: "Children, after all, are not just adults in-the-making. They are people whose current needs and rights and experiences must be taken seriously." This is what we are doing here, and I am glad to be a part of it. Thank you again for this opportunity. This is a win for both ODJFS and for those in the foster system, because it will give not only youth, but also caseworkers an opportunity to make the system better.

~ Raven Grice, pictured below with her fiancé 

OHIO YAB in ODJFS First Friday Publication

 

Press Conference for Foster Youth Bill of Rights

State Senators Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) and Tina Maharath (D-Canal Winchester) held a press conference on Friday, Oct. 22, 2021 at 10 am to introduce Senate Bill 254, to codify the Foster Youth Bill of Rights in Ohio Revised Code.

OHIO YAB Ambassador Raven Grice was honored to participate. She was joined by foster care alumni Melinda, Ashley, Deanna and Lisa. Participants were quoted in the Hannah Report.

Foster Care Alumni, Lawmakers Urge Foster Bill of Rights to Be Written into Law
Hannah Report, Oct, 22, 2021.

Former foster youth joined two Democratic senators Friday to advocate for codification of rights for children under state protection, to help them have a voice in setting the direction of their own lives and give them meaningful recourse when facing mistreatment.

Sens. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) and Tina Maharath (D-Canal Winchester) introduced SB254 earlier this week; it was also referred to Senate Judiciary Committee this week. Fedor and Maharath -- the latter of whom spent time in foster care -- joined several advocates who experienced foster care themselves to press for action on the measure during a press conference Friday.

Maharath said the proposal would guarantee rights to be free from physical, verbal, emotional and sexual abuse, from discrimination, and to have privacy, belongings and access to communication, among other things.

A codified bill of rights for foster youth was among recommendations of the DeWine administration’s Children Services Transformation Advisory Council. (See The Hannah Report, 10/26/20.)

Fedor, who’s spent much of her legislative career focused on trafficking issues, said foster youth who are frequently moved around and crave attention and stability become targets of traffickers. 

Though they expressed support for the legislation, the former foster youth said the state needs also to create an independent ombudsman’s office for foster youth to ensure their rights are truly preserved.

Lisa Dickson, representing ACTION OHIO and the Ohio Youth Advisory Board, said from the founding of those foster youth organizations she’s observed the following three trends: grievances filed by youth generally sit unaddressed on someone’s desk; youth who call abuse hotlines are not taken seriously; and those who run away from abuse are often sent right back to the place they’re being abused. 

These situations make it “vitally important” that foster youth be informed of their rights, including whom to contact when those rights are violated, and that those complaints generate a meaningful response, she said. 

Melinda Juergens, now 30, described the abuse she experienced in her teen years at her fourth foster placement -- being made to stand with her arms outstretched for hours at a time, severe restrictions on food, orders not to sit down unless asleep, bathing or in the bathroom, and having to drink dish soap after being reported for cursing at school. “For a long time, I couldn’t even smell lemon dish soap without getting queasy,” she said. 

“It amounts to torture, and if I would have had that youth ombudsman office back then, my adoptive parents could have empowered me to go through and use my rights to report these foster parents with the youth ombudsman office, and I could have prevented [placement of] the seven other children they fostered after me,” she said. 

“I was in the same private foster care agency that Marcus Fiesel was in,” Juergens said, referencing the 2006 case of a three-year-old boy murdered by his foster mother. 

Fedor said after their remarks she’d seek an amendment to create an independent ombudsman office. 

Fedor said she would like to see the bill of rights get full hearings in both chambers as standalone legislation rather than attaching it to HB4 (Plummer-Manchester), other child welfare legislation that’s passed the House and is pending in Senate Judiciary, because she wants her colleagues to hear the youth voices behind the proposal.

Presentation for Cleveland State University

OHIO YAB Representatives were delighted to share with Pratt Center Scholars about the state and federal policy work that the Board has and continues to be involved in...

2021 OHIO YAB Policy Work from Lisa Dickson

Kinship Care Focus Group

The Overcoming Hurdles in Ohio Youth Advisory Board is a statewide organization of young people (aged 14-24) who have experienced foster care which exists to be the knowledgeable statewide voice that influences policies and practices that impact youth who have or will experience out of home care

Spearheaded by Raven Grice, the OHIO YAB recently held a focus group of young people with lived experience in kinship care. 

Participants shared:

- Positive aspects of kinship care placements

- Negative aspects of kinship care placements

- Resources that might have helped their situation

Former foster youth who served in a kinship role for siblings shared their insights, and former fosters who wished they had been able to do likewise shared the barriers that impeded them from pursuing this option. Youth discussed the benefits of the SOUL Family Permanency option, along with the desire to maintain eligibility for state and federal resources. 

The conversation concluded after a detailed discussion regarding: "What will it take to make kinship care a safe and viable resource for youth... including during their transition to adulthood?" 

Two themes that came up repeatedly in conversation were that many of the support services for kinship care providers are only short-term, and that existing financial supports appear to be for kinship care providers, rather than funding to support the youth themselves during their teenage years, and while navigating the transition into young adulthood. 

Youth Ombudsman Coalition

The Youth Ombudsman Coalition was initiated by the Overcoming Hurdles in Ohio Youth Advisory Board, which is a statewide organization of young people (aged 14-24) who have experienced foster care that exists to be the knowledgeable statewide voice that influences policies and practices that impact youth who have or will experience out of home care.

Members of this growing coalition include: ACTION Ohio, Adoption Network Cleveland, Athens CASA/GAL Program, Better Together Toledo, the Children’s Defense Fund, Columbus State Scholar Network, Community of Hope, Disability Rights Ohio, El’lesun, the Fostering Achievement Network, iFoster Inc, Junior League of Columbus, the Miresa Arts Foundation, the National Center for Housing & Child Welfare, the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition, the Ohana Project and Think of Us.

Learn more at: https://fosteractionohio.org/advocacy-toolkit/  

Youth Voice in Pre-Service

Based on the OHIO YAB focus groups related to the Foster Youth Bill of Rights:

The following topics have been recommended to emphasize in Preservice training for foster parents. 

1. Normalcy
    a. Being able to access the residence.
    b. Receiving an allowance.
    c. Being allowed to participate in extra-curricular activities.

2. Home: Safety
    a. No lead-based paint.
    b. No roaches, fleas, or vermin.
    c. Need for a housing checklist.

3. Care and Supervision: Clothing
    a. Receiving clothing. 
    b. Having a choice regarding clothing.
    c. Receiving hygiene items.

4. Care and Supervision: Food

    a. Don't close the kitchen at a certain time.
    b. Don't lock the refrigerator doors.
    c. Include youth voice in menus.

Second Zoom Meeting with Representative Jarrells

The OHIO YAB and ACTION Ohio held a Zoom meeting with Representative Jarrells on Friday, Oct. 8, 2021.

We deeply appreciated Representative Jarrells' offer to circle back with Representative Manchester this week regarding attached strike-through document that we recently sent her regarding HB 4, which is currently being reviewed by the Senate Judicial Committee, and will likely go next to the Senate Finance Committee.

The wording of our message to Representative Manchester was as follows:

After reviewing with participants of the Youth Ombudsman Coalition and the OHIO YAB, we wanted to make additional suggestions to the amendment drafted by LSC. We hope that the attached redlined version of the amendment helps to clarify our positions and moves us towards an amendment that can be supported by the OHIO YAB and the coalition that has been working towards a truly independent and effective ombudsman’s office.

Our redlined version of the amendment does two important  things:

• Clearly makes the youth ombudsman a separate appointed role.  This is the primary request and this change would accomplish the main intent.
  
  
• Clarifies that the OHIO YAB will have input in the selection of the Youth Ombudsman. This is also a primary request and goes hand-in-hand with the first request.

The following are suggestions that build off of some of the changes included in the LSC prepared amendment. These amendments continue to build on the intent of our original proposal to Representative Manchester's office.

• Change the name from Children Services to "Youth and Family" with the "Family Ombudsman" as adult-serving and the "Youth Ombudsman" as youth-serving. 
  
  
• Clarify that the two ombudsmen will be housed in the same office at JFS, but will not report to the Director of JFS and will not be subject to budget reductions
  
  
• Add the OHIO YAB to the list of people who will receive and evaluate the annual report.
  
  
• Create an appropriation line item and clarify that the Youth Ombudsman shall receive no less than 50% of the budget.

#UPChafee

Ohio foster care youth and alumni have been working for years to propose an increase in Chafee funding. 

The Supporting Foster Youth and Families through the Pandemic Act (H.R. 7947) which passed in December 2020, includes a temporary increase of Chafee funds by 400 million in FY 2021, which does not require a state match. 

It also temporarily extends Chafee eligibility until age 27, and allows states to lift the 30% cap on room and board and provide room and board to young people who are between ages 18 years and 27 and have experienced foster care at 14 years of age or older. 

This provision will time out on Oct. 1, 2021. We are currently working with others to request an extension of these provisions. Here is a link to the sign-on letter, which was signed by the OHIO YAB and ACTION Ohio.

Request for meeting with ODMHAS

The OHIO YAB was delighted to sign on to this letter requesting a meeting with Director Lori Criss and Sequel Pomegranate survivors.

We were joined in our advocacy by:

STATE ORGANIZATIONS 

Alumni of Care Together Improving Outcomes Now (ACTION Ohio)
Black Lives Matter Cleveland Inc. 

Children’s Law Center, Inc. 

Disability Rights Ohio 

Faith In Public Life 

InterReligious Task Force on Central America 

Juvenile Justice Coalition 

National Association of Social Workers, Ohio Chapter 

Ohio Student Association 

Opportunities Peoples Justice Leaders 

P.O.W Protect Our Women 

River Valley Organizing 

Stay Focused Movement 

Showing Up for Racial Justice Ohio 

The Freedom BLOC 

Universal Health Care Action Network of Ohio 

  

NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 

Breaking Code Silence 

Center for Children’s Law and Policy 

Children’s Rights 

National Juvenile Defender Center 

National Juvenile Justice Network 

The Sentencing Project 

We Warned Them Campaign
Youth First Initiative  

Interested Party Meeting with Representative Manchester's Office

On Wednesday, August 18th, Makayla Lang of the Wingspan Care Group and the OHIO YAB participated in an Interested Party meeting with Rep. Manchester and others yesterday to discuss Ohio's need for a Youth Ombudsman Office.

She was joined by Jermaine Ferguson and Juliana Barton of ACTION Ohio, and Kim Eckhart of the Children's Defense Fund-Ohio.

Partnering with Disability Rights Ohio

On Monday, August 16, representatives from the OHIO YAB and ACTION Ohio held a virtual focus group with Disability Rights Ohio. 

Personal experiences shared by individuals included substandard education in residential placements and not being diagnosed with dyslexia until high school. 

Below is a diagram that illustrates the key themes that arose. Many thanks to Disability Rights Ohio for their willingness to explore solutions and give a voice to current and former foster youth.  

2021 All About YOUth

Jaye Turner, Emmonie Crouch and Kay Riley did a wonderful job sharing about Foster Youth Rights during the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition’s All About YOUth virtual conference. Here's a link to the PPT they shared.

OHIO YAB Presentation for Governor DeWine

Governor DeWine said, of the OHIO YAB's presentation today: 

1.) That the youth were articulate and professional

2.) That the points they made and their stories were compelling

3.) That he wants to take some time to evaluate and talk with his team re: separating out Youth Ombuds Office from the Children Services one

4.) That: "We don't write the laws, but we can weigh in"

5.) That we should seek to get the General Assembly to understand our point of view

Another cooking class for Scholar House 3

 

Link to photos.

 

Excellent Op Ed about the need for a Youth Ombudsman Office

Opinion: Foster children need a voice and to be heard: Dylan McIntosh
Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 13, 2021.

Dylan McIntosh lived in 23 different homes during the course of his time in foster care. That's why he is pushing to create an ombudsman office to be a voice for children in foster care. (Photo Courtesy of Dylan McIntosh)

Guest columnist Dylan McIntosh spent 10 years in foster care. He “aged out” of the system at 18 years old. Back in January 2020, prior to the pandemic, Dylan shared his foster care experience with Gov. Mike DeWine’s Children’s Services Transformation Advisory Council.

Think back to when you were 13 years old. Now, think about a time when someone did you wrong and how you handled it. Did you have a trusted adult’s attention to whom you could bring your problem? 

If you did, I bet they were able to listen and help you get through it.

Now, imagine that you didn’t live with your family; that you had to change where you lived, with whom you lived and which school you attended -- often.

Also, take away the trusted adult who could help you solve your problems and process your concerns when something went awry.

That is reality in the life of a child in foster care – ever-changing and inconsistent.

I know that reality all too well. In the course of my time in foster care, I lived in 23 different homes. I’ve been able to see the faults and cracks in the well-intentioned system that is meant to help, but oftentimes is under-resourced and under-staffed.

Unfortunately, due to issues with the child welfare system -- ranging from overwhelmed caseworkers to extended wait times on crisis lines and a lack of funding, -- children in foster care who have serious problems often have nowhere to turn, which can lead to tragic results.

We owe more to the most vulnerable.

There is a powerful solution that could help kids in foster care, if done properly. The solution is a Youth Ombudsman Office, serving youth throughout the entire the state of Ohio. It would be an independent office tasked with listening to the voices of vulnerable children who, through no fault of their own, find themselves often outside of their biological family.

What would a Youth Ombudsman’s Office do? It would serve youth experiencing abuse and neglect in a variety of settings (foster care, kinship care, respite care and institutional/residential care).

To avoid a conflict of interest, it should be independent from the Department of Job and Family Services. It needs to be youth-specific and separate from agencies serving adult caregivers. It should also possess meaningful oversight of child welfare agencies, in order to assure that issues are solved, rather than lost in the red tape.

Most importantly, it should be designed by those who have experienced the foster care system and it should be created to be easily accessible. It is incredibly important to give youth in foster care a voice and a space to be heard that is separate from the way that foster parents submit their own concerns.

Advocates for foster youth believe there should be “nothing about us, without us” in the creation of solutions impacting children in care. A Youth Ombudsman Office should be no different.

As someone who did not have the benefit of an advocate when I was bounced around in the foster care system, I implore the General Assembly to pass and Gov. Mike DeWine to sign House Bill 110 to create and fully fund a Youth Ombudsman Office to serve the foster youth in our state so that they may thrive and live better than those who came before them.

It may be too late for those of us who have already aged out of foster care, but it’s not too late for those in care now and those who may be in the future.

Kudos to Raven and appreciation for Nikki

Kudos to Raven Grice for the wonderful job she did in representing the OHIO YAB during a recent meeting of Partners for Ohio's Families (PFOF) on June 10, 2021, and many thanks to foster care alumna Nikki Chinn for being there as her adult supporter.

To quote from Karen McGormley: "Raven (and Nikki) did a great job at the PFOF meeting.  It was important to have the youth voice at the meeting to speak to the changes made to the draft foster youth bill of rights, so others could understand the reasons for the proposed changes."

Partners for Ohio’s Families (PFOF) is the outgrowth of a three-and-a-half-year, competitively selected federal grant to identify how the Office of Families and Children could most effectively support the public and private agencies that serve Ohio’s children and families.  Since its start in 2010, PFOF has evolved from a grant-funded initiative to an ongoing commitment to sustaining innovations linked to successful outcomes for children and families. 

PFOF is founded in the science of implementation, integrating the principles of stakeholder engagement and continuous assessment.  A constellation of activities supports each component of the PFOF Five Strategies.  These include the following:

1.  Building a team approach.

2.  Building institutional behavior.

3.  Establishing structured communication.

4.  Building a knowledge base.

5.  Supporting agencies to self-assess.

Click here to learn more about Ohio’s federally funded grant through the Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center and to read about the results of various evaluation activities.  

 

 

Foster Youth Roundtable with Governor DeWine

Seven Ohio foster youth were honored to participate in a Youth Roundtable with Governor DeWine on Friday, May 28, 2021. Opening words were made by Kristi Burre, youth introductions were facilitated by Lisa Dickson, and questions were asked of youth by Deputy Director Jeffrey Van Deusen. 

Participants were invited to share: 

• Their goals for the future
  
  
• Any struggles or barriers they might have experienced in accessing state resources (i.e. Bridges, ETV funds or housing), especially in the midst of COVID-19
  
  
• Suggestions they have for improving care or services for foster youth
  
  
• Ideas for ways to recognize foster youth

Insights from participating youth: 

• They highlighted the need for communication, and to include youth voice regarding case plan, placement and transition into young adulthood. 
  
  
• They underscored the need for normalcy, especially in congregate care placements. 
  
  
• They shared solutions-based suggestions to improve care and services for foster youth. 

OHIO YAB President Roman Sandhu also reiterated his request for a future meeting with Governor DeWine regarding the establishment of a Youth Ombudsman Office in the state of Ohio.

Youth Panel for Franklin County CASA

Alexys, Kallie and Hannah did a wonderful job in training Franklin County CASAs and GALs. Participants were eager connect youth with the OHIO YAB, provide them with a copy of the Foster Youth Rights Handbook, and learn more about available resources, including the Every Student Succeeds Act.

They gained a deeper understanding about how to invest time and build trust with youth. One panelist shared how important it was to her to change her name after returning to foster care from an abusive adoptive placement. Eye-opening, heart-inspiring, positive, proactive, purposeful and powerful!!!

Youth Panel for Franklin County CASA from Lisa Dickson

Yesterday's testimony regarding the need for a Youth Ombudsman Office

 

Link to Charmion's testimony.

A Youth Ombudsman Office could have saved Ma'Khia Bryant's life

Ma'Khia Bryant death: Former foster-care kids say youth ombudsman in Ohio could make a difference.
Ken Gordon, The Columbus Dispatch, May 12, 2021.

Deanna Jones stepped to a lectern in the Ohio Statehouse last week and told lawmakers that having a youth ombudsman office might have saved Ma’Khia Bryant’s life.

Jones spoke as one who, like Bryant, had been in foster care and knew from personal experience that having someone who will listen to a foster child’s concerns and take appropriate action can make all the difference.

Bryant, 16, was fatally shot by a Columbus police officer April 20 outside her Far East Side foster home. Bryant had a knife in her hand and had swung it at one woman and was threatening another when she was killed.

Exact circumstances of what led up to the incident remain unclear.

But Jones emphasized reports that Bryant and other foster children at the home appeared to be having trouble with several former foster children who had lived there, and that Bryant’s younger sister had called police in March and requested that she be removed from the home.

“I understand there are things that are debatable and that (Bryant) had a knife and that’s all some people saw,” said Jones, 39, “but honestly, I feel Ma’Khia was in survival mode, and that’s why I identified with her.”

Jones said during her rocky tenure in foster care in the 1980s and 1990s, she benefited from a sympathetic caseworker who listened to her complaints and removed her from several bad homes.

“I saw how my life could have ended if I had not had an advocate,” Jones said. “There were times when my rights and concerns were being violated, but I had someone to go to bat for me, and we don’t have that now.”

And that’s why Jones and several other former foster kids testified in front of an Ohio Senate committee last week in favor of ensuring that a newly created Youth Ombudsman Office is adequately funded and also fully independent of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, which oversees the foster-care system.

Deanna Jones, of the East Side, testified last week in front of an Ohio Senate committee about her experience in foster care and the importance of establishing a youth ombudsman office that is independent of the state agency that oversees Ohio's Children Services' system.

The issue is emotional to former foster kids who viewed Bryant’s death as avoidable.

“To those of us from foster care, anyone who was in foster care is our brother and sister, so losing one of our sisters is heartbreaking to us,” said Nikki Chinn, 30, a Clintonville resident who said she endured abuse and neglect in the foster-care system. “There are so many different opinions people have of the situation, but the fact of the matter is that a young girl in the foster system died, and there was no reason she should have died."

Chinn was in and out of foster care from a very young age until, at age 14, her biological parents lost all parental rights, then she remained in foster care until she aged out at 18.

In one home, Chinn said, she and four other “foster sisters” were forced to share one bedroom with a bunk bed and a mattress. They took turns sharing the beds and sleeping on the floor. Meanwhile, they were not allowed to eat without permission, she said, and there were padlocks on the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator.

Chinn said they repeatedly complained to caseworkers, but, “it got turned around on us. The foster mother was able to convince the caseworker that it was a punishment for something we did wrong."

Kim Eckhart is the Kids COUNT project manager for the Children's Defense Fund-Ohio, a nonprofit organization focused on lifting kids out of poverty and protecting them from abuse and neglect.

She accompanied the former foster kids who testified last week.

“A lot of youth are blamed for being in foster care because of their behaviors, like they are responsible for the situation they are in,” she said. “They want to have someone who can really hear them from an unbiased perspective, which I hope is that this youth ombudsman office will be.”

One key state official said that will be the case. Kristi Burre is director of Children’s Initiatives for Gov. Mike DeWine and previously led DeWine’s Children Services Transformation Advisory Council, which last year included the creation of a youth ombudsman office among its 37 recommendations.

DeWine has been a strong advocate of children's services in general. He convinced lawmakers to increase Children Services' funding by $220 million in the current (2020-21) budget, and asked for another large increase ($78 million in 2022 alone) in the budget being debated now.

In February, he called for a "more compassionate and more child-centered" foster care and adoption system. "Our goal is to change the children's services system in the state of Ohio, and change it and get it right," he said.

The youth ombudsman office has a proposed budget of $1 million ($500,000 annually) for the state's next two-year budget (2022-23). That amount is a “placeholder” Burre said, and could change as lawmakers debate the budget.

“There is absolutely a sense of urgency (to set up the office),” she said. “It’s one of our top priorities.”

Burre also said she agrees with child-welfare advocates that the office will be “an impartial, neutral entity.”

According to information compiled by ACTION Ohio, a foster-care advocacy group, 21 states have youth ombudsman offices, with a wide range of structures. 

The group cited the systems in Delaware, Georgia and Texas as having best practices, much of that having to do with their independence from the state agencies that oversee foster care. The office in Texas, for example, reports directly to the state's legislature and governor.

Burre said the state's proposal is that the office will be funded by the Department of Job and Family Services.

Nikki Chinn, of Clintonville, talked about 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant's death and her own experiences in foster care as part of testimony before an Ohio Senate committee last week as they debated funding for a youth ombudsman office.

Chinn said if the state keeps the office within that department, “it will create a conflict of interest. You can't be the prosecutor and the defense attorney for the same case. It cannot be housed under JFS. There is no way you could be impartial and be paid by the same people who paid for the foster care placement."

And like Jones, Chinn talked about Ma’Khia Bryant in her testimony to lawmakers as they debate funding for the ombudsman office.

“I used that story,” she said. “I said, `This outcome could have been changed.’ I aged out (of the foster system) in 2008, but my story is still relevant. I wanted to show them (lawmakers) that these stories are still happening today.”

Testimony before the Ohio Senate Finance Committee

Here is a link to testimony shared by Lisa Dickson today before the Senate Finance Committee regarding: 

1. What we are asking for in terms of a Youth Ombudsman Office

2. Why existing resources are not working to address this need

3. Why it must be autonomous and able to operate independently of ODJFS

4. Why it must be dedicated to youth and not combined with an office for caregivers

5. Why the voices of those with “lived experience” in foster care need to be included in its design

ABC6 On Your Side: Advocates fight for independent Ombudsman officer to help children in Ohio

"We want this office to be implemented correctly. Not just to say we did something. We want it to be structurally sound where it can actually serve children."

~ Quote from Jermaine Ferguson, which represents the stance of   Children's Defense Fund-Ohio, the OHIO YAB and ACTION Ohio.

Ongoing testimony for a Youth Ombuds Office

It was vitally important that Nikki, Deanna and Juliana testified earlier this week and that Jermaine and Kim testified today, and it will be vitally important for all of us to stay engaged in this effort in order to safeguard what youth have asked for, which is:

- A Youth Ombuds Office, separate from any mechanism to serve foster caregivers 

- Able to operate independently and autonomously of ODJFS 

Once again, our advocacy efforts made the news: 

Children Services Ombudsman Office Added To Abuse Reporting Measure

The House on Thursday took a step toward the creation of an ombudsman office for the state's foster care system, although a leading child welfare advocacy group asked lawmakers to go further with the language.

The proposal to create an arbiter of conflicts within the children services system, which has been the subject of biennial budget (HB 110) testimony, was amended into separate legislation on child abuse reporting (HB 4) during its fourth hearing before the House Families Aging & Human Services Committee. The bill remains in committee.

Chair Rep. Susan Manchester (R-Lakeview) said the amendment, adopted without opposition, also expands the pool of qualified home study assessors for the foster care system. It is supported by the DeWine Administration, she said.

However, Jermaine Ferguson, speaking on behalf of the Children's Defense Fund-Ohio, ACTION Ohio, and the Ohio Youth Advisory Board, asked the committee "to add more robust language to the amendment…."

He requested that the committee:

• Establish an independent and autonomous Youth Ombudsman Office outside of the Department of Jobs and Family Services.
  
• Define the powers and duties of the office.
  
• Explicitly state that the office be dedicated to youth and not serve both youth and caregivers.
  
• Mandate that current and former foster youth be involved in the design and operation of the office.

"The Youth Ombudsman office should not be housed in the DJFS because the agency is solely responsible for the state's supervision of the child welfare system. There is at a minimum an appearance of a conflict of interest because the ombudsman, staffing, operations, and the budget are directly influenced by DJFS," he said. "The Youth Ombudsman office should not serve both youth and the caregiver – there must be independent mechanisms that serve youth and the family caregiver to prevent any appearance of a conflict of interest."

Chair Manchester said the decision was made to house the office withing ODJFS based on precedent and the focus of state resources. Regarding some of the specifics requested by the witness, she said policymakers did not want to be too descriptive with the language.

The chair also noted that a $1 million appropriation for the office mention by Mr. Ferguson and a subsequent witness had been removed by the House under the assumption that ODJFS could establish the program with existing resources. She added that HB4 does not include an appropriation for that purpose.

Rep. Thomas West (D-Canton) and other members questioned why the office should not focus on both youth and caregivers.

Mr. Ferguson said he's not saying caregivers should not be served, just that a separate independent office should be focused on youth.

Responding to a question from Rep. Tim Ginter (R-Salem), the witness said an ombudsman could initiate an investigation based on trends or when a youth or caseworker flags a problem.

Kim Eckhart, also with the Children's Defense Fund-Ohio, raised the same concerns with the amendment's approach by requesting the ombudsman office be independent and focused on youth.

She told Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland) her group had not done cost estimates for the program but was asking that its funding be used in specific ways.

Responding to Rep. Stephanie Howse (D-Cleveland), Ms. Eckhart said of the original funding proposal, "I would say it's an under-estimate," especially of there were two separate offices for youth and caregivers.

The witness opined that it would be feasible to use that funding for an independent office with a separate line item.

Legislative testimony to establish a Youth Ombuds Office

Foster Youth Seek Independent Ombuds Program  
Tuesday, May 4, 2021.

Witnesses told a Senate panel Tuesday that they want a proposed foster youth ombuds office to be separate from the Department of Job and Family Services. 

Kim Eckhart, with the Children's Defense Fund of Ohio, told the Senate Health Committee that the language in the budget (HB 110) doesn't clarify that it will be independent or that it will particularly serve foster youth. The $1 million allocated in the spending bill could be used to begin a procurement process, with input from foster youth, to develop an outside ombudsman program. 

Deanna Jones, who is a former foster care youth and a caseworker in the foster care system, said an independent youth ombudsman office is needed. "I have heard stories in the community that youth have endured more trauma, more abuse, and more neglect as a result of feeling like they were not heard by their service team or the agency surrounding them," she said.

"Ohio children and teens who are experiencing abuse in biological, kinship, adoptive, foster, congregate care and residential placements deserve to be heard – but continue to report expressing their concerns, and not being listened to." 

She pointed to the story of Ma'Khia Bryant, who was killed by a Columbus police officer last month. In that case, there were previously reported issues with her foster placement that were not addressed. 

"Prior to her death, Ma'Khia and her sister reported that there were adult children in the foster home that were making them feel unwanted and unsafe," Ms. Jones said. "Lacking the current existence of a Youth Ombudsman Office, who also could they have called when they feel their service team was not able or willing responding to those concerns?" 

Nikki Chinn, a former foster youth, said current and former foster youth have advocated in recent years to address problems at residential facilities where abuse was reported, and officials did not at first take concerns seriously. 

Having an ombuds office serving youth could have led to complaints being investigated more quickly. "Having a Youth Ombudsman they could have called to investigate the issues and take appropriate action would have prevented these vulnerable young people from having to endure the abuse and trauma so many faced at the facilities," she said.

An office that tries to serve both foster youth and caregivers would have an inherent conflict of interest, she said. "Lessons learned from other states are that when an Ombudsman Office tries to serve both youth and adults, it ends up serving primarily adults." 

Juliana Barton, governmental liaison for ACTION Ohio, which represents foster care alumni, described her experience with abuse and said when she entered children services custody, she was asked why she hadn't reached out for help sooner. "An office designed by and serving youth and young adults could have prevented the years of abuse I suffered by providing an alternative mechanism to investigate the complaints against my father after children's services failed to intervene," she said. 

The advocates also urged members of the Senate General Government Budget TrackCommittee to establish the office, stressing the need for the ombudsman to be an independent entity built with the input of former foster youth. 

When asked, witnesses acknowledged that they are somewhat late given the looming deadline later this month for amendments to the budget. A version of the amendment is currently being drafting, Ms. Eckhart said, and "we are definitely working as speedily as possible." 

Even if that deadline is missed, Sen. Steve Wilson (R-Maineville) and Sen. Bob Hackett (R-London) urged the witnesses to continue their efforts. "Sometimes you don't get things done in time for the budget," Sen. Hackett said. "Don't give up." Sen. Hackett added that although he agrees with the need for independence, "the ombudsman should work extremely closely with (ODJFS)." 

Sen. Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus) described his own family's experience adopting youth and navigating the system, telling witnesses: "When we say to you we appreciate you coming down it's not hyperbole." Regarding the office, he asked: "What do you see that framework looking like?" 

Ms. Jones said the office should not be "just paperwork" and that the statute should "contain some teeth" so the proposal is not brushed aside as just another recommendation. "I just want to really stress it needs to be independent," she asked. "I cannot stress that enough." 

Sen. George Lang (R-West Chester), noting his own experience as a foster child, asked the witnesses what they envision success looking like at the conclusion of the biennium. Ms. Eckhart said the state can look at several other states that have created such offices as a guide. But she acknowledged that the health and wellness of children is difficult to measure. "I would encourage you to spend a little bit more time putting some specificity on that," Sen. Lang replied.

Press Release re: Youth Ombudsman Office

Ohio’s FY22-23 budget bill could pave the way to creating an Ombuds Office that would protect and give voice to youth in the foster care system.

Current and former foster youth are launching an advocacy campaign to develop an independent Ombuds Office to protect the rights of children and youth in care by investigating and resolving reports brought by youth themselves. The office would act as a safeguard to ensure that youth have someone to call who will listen and advocate for them.

“When I was a child, I used to wish that someone would stop by our house and that they would find us. It never happened. My summers were filled with abuse and fear… By providing a venue where the voices of youth can be heard without fear of retribution, this office will ensure the safety of Ohio’s youth,” said Jonathan Thomas, the NW Ambassador of the Overcoming Hurdles in Ohio Youth Advisory Board (OHIO YAB).

Thomas is one of the members of the YAB taking part in an advocacy campaign launched by CDF-Ohio, ACTION Ohio and the OHIO YAB to add provisions to the budget bill (HB110) that clearly state that the office should be dedicated to youth, independent from children’s services and designed by current and former foster youth. The Ohio YAB is a statewide organization of young people (aged 14-24) who have experienced foster care. ACTION Ohio (Alumni of Care Together Improving Outcomes Now Ohio (ACTION Ohio) is dedicated to improving outcomes for current and former foster care youth.

The campaign kicks off with the release of the Ombuds Office Legislative Issue Brief and advocacy toolkit followed by more than a dozen visits with legislators and youth with lived experience in foster care to explain the importance of this office. The campaign will ramp up in May during Foster Care Awareness Month and as the Ohio Senate holds hearings on the FY22-23 budget bill.

On May 17th, youth will present at the Ohio Legislative Children’s Caucus, a bipartisan, bicameral caucus devoted to championing children’s issues.

“The voices and involvement of those with lived experience is key to making this office a success. My recommendation for an ombudsman goes beyond just having an independent agency/office doing the necessary investigations and advocating for youth. I believe that having someone working in this office, with the experience of going through foster care, is essential. While anyone can work to understand what it is like to go through the system, there is no better expert than those that have directly experienced it,” said Jeremy Collier, former foster youth and current advocate.

Governor DeWine included $1 million, or $500,000 in each year of the FY22-23 biennial budget bill, HB110, to establish an Ombuds Office after the Children’s Services Transformation Advisory Council recommended creating an Ombuds Office for caregivers and youth in its 2020 report. However, the bill does not include a specific appropriation or clearly state that there will be an office dedicated to foster youth. It also does not clearly state that the office will be independent from the Department of Job and Family Services or that current and former foster youth will have a role in its design and implementation.

Advocates are excited to see the progress made but seek to highlight that key provisions must be added, specifically:

1. To clearly state that the future Youth Ombudsman Office will be dedicated to youth and not combined with an office for caregivers;

2. To establish the office as independent from children’s services; and

3. To mandate that this office be designed by current and former foster youth

Friday filled with fabulous opportunities

2021 Training of Ohio Financial Aid Administrators from Lisa Dickson

Ohio foster care youth and alumni had a beautiful whirlwind of a Friday, with several amazing opportunities in one day.

1.) We began with a morning meeting with Representative Russo regarding the establishment of a Youth Ombudsman’s Office. Participants included OHIO YAB President Roman Sandhu, Jermaine Ferguson, Juliana Barton, Jeremy Collier, Antonio Sledge, Lisa Dickson, Doris Edelman, and Kim Eckhart. Jermaine Ferguson’s legislative connections and prior networking with the Children’s Caucus brought great value to today’s legislative meeting.

2.) Next, we facilitated a training for the Ohio Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. Participants included financial aid administrators from all over the state. The training was facilitated by Tina Jacob of Ohio Reach, Lisa Dickson of ACTION Ohio, and Ohio Reach Peer Mentors Kyajah Rodriguez, Cloe Cooper, Amadea Jennings and Lamar Graham. 

It felt like coming full circle that Director of Financial Aid John Brown at Capital University is dedicated helping to champion the needs of foster youth on campus, since Capital University was also the site of our 2009-2012 Thanksgiving Together celebrations. As today’s training came to an end, Director Brown stressed that, “We don’t want this to be a one and done thing - this is an ongoing partnership.”  

3.) Afterwards, we had a call with Kerstin Sjoberg, the Executive Director of Disability Rights Ohio, and Ohio Long-Term Care Ombudsman Beverly Laubert, which was made possible thanks to Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio. Excellent insights were shared. 

Virtual meeting with Deputy Director Jeff Van Deusen today

Today's virtual meeting with Deputy Director Jeff Van Deusen of the ODJFS Office for Families and Children went great...

Participants included: Roman Sandhu, Jonathon Thomas, Raven Grice, Makayla Lang, and Alexys Madero of the OHIO YAB, and foster care alumni Amanda Davis, Nikki Chinn, Jaye Turner, Jasmine Hardy and Lisa Dickson.

Two quotes from today's meeting:

• About the need for an Ombudsman's Office: "In my experience, abusive adults charm themselves out of situations, and if the report is not substantiated, the abuse will increase. This is why establishing this office is imperative." ~ Jonathan Thomas
  
  
• About the need to Make Every Training Hour Count: "The foster parent thinks the caseworker is preparing the young person for adulthood, and the caseworker thinks the foster parent is doing it. The private agency thinks the public children welfare agency is doing this, and vice versa."
  
  

Two quotes from the Deputy Director:

• "If I could, I would be on a call like this every hour of my day. I wish I had cleared my calendar for three hours for today's phone call. Let's schedule more regular calls in the future."
  
  
• "It is crucial not to make decisions about people without people. We need to make sure not only to establish a Foster Youth Ombudsman's Office, but to have it operate to effectively meet the need - and your input is what is needed."

OHIO YAB participates on national webinar

 Here are some of the slides we shared on March 3, 2021: