The Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth

The issues facing foster youth and youth transitioning from foster care to independence have made it to the Congressional agenda. Four Representatives – Karen Bass of California, Tom Marino of Pennsylvania, Jim McDermott of Washington, and Michele Bachmann of Minnesota – created the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth to examine the child welfare system.

The Caucus will delve into the challenges facing foster youth, and develop policy recommendations in five focus areas:  Safety; Permanency; Well Being; Educational Opportunities; and Youth, Family, and Community Engagement.

In June, the Caucus invited 40 former and current foster youth to participate in a “Shadow Day on Capitol Hill” and a Town Hall meeting. Members also introduced their first legislative initiative: the A+ PLUS Act. The measure focuses on improving the educational experiences and outcomes for youth in foster care. It would override some provisions of existing education and privacy laws, which do not allow temporary guardians or child welfare agencies to access students’ educational records. This hinders their ability to address issues regarding school enrollment, or to advocate for youth in care within the schools. The A+ PLUS Act would give these individuals automatic access to student records.

Caucus members are also holding a national “Listening Tour”, which will allow them to meet with current and former foster youth across the country. For more information about the Caucus, please visit its website at http://fosteryouthcaucus-karenbass.house.gov/.

International Summit of Youth in Care

This time next week, a remarkable gathering will take place outside Washington, DC. The International Summit of Youth in Care will bring together young adults who have been in the foster care system with policymakers and stakeholders from government and support agencies for a frank, open exchange about how to improve the child welfare system.

This unique youth/adult partnership will be an opportunity to set an agenda for change and to start a large-scale conversation on how to facilitate healthy transitions for youth leaving foster care. Much of the discussion will be based on the Transitions Framework.

Want to be a fly on the wall at the Intergenerational Forum? Event organizers are livestreaming the event online. It will take place from 12:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 29.

Please visit the International Summit website for more information about this exciting event!

“If You’re Right for the Job, It’s the Best Job in the World”

Social workers play many important roles in the lives of foster youth. They are key to recruiting qualified foster parents, placing children in supportive homes, and coordinating resources for foster families.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) conducted a survey of its members working in the child welfare system, to determine the types of work they are doing, and how they view their jobs.

Social workers in the child welfare system conduct interventions and work directly with families to protect children and preserve family structures. They develop programs and support systems that aim to prevent child abuse and to provide safety nets and services for families in crisis.

The system includes a continuum of services such as child protective services, family foster care, group homes, kinship care services, and adoption services. Both public and private agencies are involved in the system, along with many other community resources (educational support, health care, financial and employment assistance).

The child welfare workforce is diverse and complicated. However, recent studies show that 90% of states have difficulty in recruiting and retaining child welfare workers. Challenges include low salaries, high caseloads/workloads, heavy administrative burdens, risk of violence, limited supervision, and insufficient training.

U.S. Government research found that child welfare workers with social work degrees (both BSW and MSW) perform their jobs better and experience lower turnover rates than their colleagues with other educational backgrounds. Among social workers working in a child welfare setting, 67% provide direct services, 29% provide administrative or management services, 25% provide supervision, and 14% fill other roles.

Key findings of the survey are:

1. Social workers in child welfare are more satisfied with their jobs than the general population of child welfare workers.
2. Work-related issues (how to solve problems confronting their clients) are more challenging than work-place issues.
3. Helping children and families is the most satisfying aspect of social workers’ work in the child welfare system.

View the full report here.