#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.