Adrian McLemore and the International Summit of Youth in Care

Congratulations to Adrian McLemore for being selected as one of 30 delegates for the 2012 International Summit of Youth in Care World Congress.

During this event:

• 30 emerging leaders and 30 senior leaders from across the globe will meet to discuss foster care practices and policies

The Summit will take place at the University of Maryland:

• June 26-28: Youth in Care World Congress: 30 invited delegates on-site and hundreds more around the globe will work for three days to share experiences and discuss the challenges they have faced in care and the transitions. Using these shared experiences, they will create the foundation for the first draft of the International Youth in Care Standards for Practices and Policies. Other youth in care, from across the globe, will be invited to participate through an online Virtual World Congress.

• June 29: Multi-generational Forum on Transition: Young activists, development professionals and policy-makers will engage in discussion together to find new answers and develop new standards for transition related practices and policies.

Adrian McLemore in Associated Press article

This Father's Day, an article about our very own Adrian McLemore, first President and founding member of the "Overcoming Hurdles in Ohio" statewide youth advisory board, and current Media Spokesperson of Foster Care Alumni of America's Ohio chapter, is being shared throughout the country.

Authored by Associated Press journalist Helen O'Neill, this article focuses on Adrian's role as uncle/kinship caregiver for his niece and nephew.

Radio interview with ODJFS Director Michael Colbert and Adrian McLemore

ODJFS Director Michael Colbert and Adrian McLemore were recently interviewed by Mary Kuhlman of Public News Service, Ohio.

Key quotes:

• ODJFS Director Colbert points out that today's foster teens are Ohio's future citizens and leaders, and that by supporting them now, they won't need other types of support in the future.

"What you don't want is young people to leave our system and come back, right back in another system. You want them to leave our system and go on to become productive citizens in life."

• The director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Michael Colbert, has met with many of Ohio's foster youth, and says he is impressed with their resilience. He adds that it's crucial to prioritize support for their future success.

"These are very good young people. They've had some tough times and, by giving them a small bridge to help them better themselves in life, we are making Ohio as a whole better, and this goes a long way for such a little investment."

VISION in Dayton leads to campus housing

Kudos to the VISION Youth Advisory Board for their advocacy efforts to provide campus housing during breaks for former foster youth attending Wright State University!!

Quote from Adrian McLemore, posted on Wright State's website 

and featured in Sunday Dayton Daily News today:

"When I aged out of the foster system, I moved straight to Wright State. Being a former foster child, I had nowhere to go during breaks. See, we're not allowed to go back to where we were. Dan Bertsos and others at Wright State helped me to be sure I always had someplace to stay. They saw things in me that I couldn't see. I've learned a lot about myself and have become a leader, helping other foster kids find their way to college and to break the cycle of foster care."

—Adrian McLemore, Political Science major

Superintendent Delisle quotes Alex McFarland

The Office for Exceptional Children held their annual Special Education Leadership Conference yesterday afternoon and Superintendent Deborah Delisle provided the keynote address.

In her closing, she mentioned that she had come from a meeting with the OFCF Cabinet Council, where she heard from an amazing youth who had previously been in foster care. She proceeded to share Alex McFarland’s story as an example of the difference that one teacher can make in the life of a child, especially one that others may have overlooked or given up on.

Kara Waldron of the Office for Exceptional Children relates:

"Alex’s story was truly an inspiration to our crowd of more than 1,700. We are grateful for the work that he continues to do on behalf of Ohio’s youth. Without Alex McFarland, Adrian McLemore, and their counterparts, we might forget the meaning behind our efforts."

Happy Father's Day, Adrian!

Uncle takes on role of dad to keep family together
Wynn, Kelli. Dayton Daily News, June 19, 2010.

Adrian McLemore with his niece and nephew Arayiah McLemore, 3 and Tyiaun Jones, 1, play guitar and sing to Tina Turner in their home in Trotwood. McLemore grew up in Montgomery County’s foster care system. In order to prevent his niece and nephew from becoming wards of the county due to a family crisis, McLemore took custody of the children.


TROTWOOD — In December 2009, Montgomery County officials gave Adrian McLemore two options: Take custody of his sister’s two children or let them enter the foster care system until their mother’s life improved.

McLemore knew that one day he might be faced with this decision given his sister’s background, but hoped this day would not come. The Trotwood resident loves his family and considers himself a brother and uncle who would always come to his family’s rescue in a time of need. But being a full-time surrogate father was not a part of his original life plan. Like his mentors said, this would be a great responsibility for a 23-year-old bachelor enrolled in college and managing a video store.

The decision to take custody of 3-year-old Arayiah and 1-year-old Tyiaun was not about what would interrupt McLemore’s life, but rather stopping the beginning of a family trend. “I refuse to let a second generation of the McLemores be in foster care,” he said.

McLemore, now 24, and his two sisters spent most of their childhood in foster care. They entered the system in Georgia as their mother battled alcoholism. The siblings ended up in Georgia after their mother moved them there from Florida following a divorce from their father in 1992.

The McLemore siblings would not be reunited with their father until 1995. Adrian McLemore was about to be put up for adoption when Ernest McLemore, who was serving in the U.S. Air Force, obtained custody and moved his children to Las Vegas. They lived with their father for two years before he announced that he had received an assignment overseas and gave them the option of moving to Ohio to live with their mother again. The children moved back with their mother, a decision that has Adrian and his older sister Britney McLemore, 24, asking themselves today, “what if?”

All three siblings were in and out of Daybreak, an emergency shelter for runaway and homeless youths, from 1999 to 2000.

At one point, Adrian McLemore did not want to return home, so shelter officials called Montgomery County Children Services, who placed him and his sisters in foster care. Britney and Adrian aged out of the system at age 18, and their younger sister, Devanna, was placed in Britney’s custody once Britney turned 21. At the time, Devanna was pregnant with Arayiah, who would have also become a ward of the county had Devanna remained in foster care.

Meanwhile, Ernest McLemore died in 2004 in Georgia at age 40 after suffering from brain cancer. His children were still in foster care.

Even though his time with his children was short, Ernest McLemore was a big influence. Adrian hopes that all the positive things that he learned from his father will help him while his niece and nephew are in his custody.

One of the messages that McLemore said he hopes his actions will send to Arayiah and Tyiaun is that “a man loves his child no matter what” and provides emotional and financial support for his family.


“I am convinced that I made the right decision based on where they are now — as far as development — compared to where they were the day I picked them up,” he said.

“I love them to death. I want to show them that I am here to play, to hug or discipline... Just to be there.”

Although McLemore’s experience in foster care has been mostly positive, he still said he feels “foster care is no system for children.”

He also didn’t like the idea of his niece and nephew potentially being placed in separate foster homes without a familiar face.

“Having a second generation of our family in foster care is unthinkable to me and I wouldn’t allow it,” he said.

Devanna McLemore, 21, was the one who suggested to county officials in 2009 that her brother take custody of her children. She currently has weekly visits with them and her next custody hearing is scheduled for January.

This year, Father’s Day takes on a whole different meaning to Adrian McLemore. He believes his father would be proud of the decision he made. “I could have continued to do what I wanted to do. But instead, I now do what I have to do.”

Governor's Steering Committee on Transitional Youth and Young Adults

 

During 2010, FCAA Ohio officers Alex McLemore, Adrian McLemore, Doris Edelmann and Lisa Dickson participated in the Ohio Family and Children First Youth and Young Adults in Transition Steering Committee.

The committee was convened by Governor Strickland to recommend alignment and consolidation of policies, efforts, and resources and to identify major gaps for this particularly vulnerable and often overlooked population: vulnerable youth and young adults, ages 14-25.

After months of meetings, the committee has released its final report. We were very excited to learn that the Ohio Family and Children First Cabinet Council accepted all of our recommendations.The report may accessed here.

Lisa Dickson and Alex McFarland of Foster Care Alumni of America Ohio chapter agreed to co-chair the implementation committee on Empowering Youth and Families with Tools for Successful Transition.

Ohio's FosterClub Outstanding Young Leaders of 2009

For more information, please visit FosterClub's Outstanding Young Leaders of 2009.

Adrian McLemore was placed in foster care at age six as a result of his mother’s substance abuse. During his time in foster care, he lost his grandmother in a car accident while driving from Georgia to come to take custody of him and his siblings. Instead of being immobilized by grief, he focused his efforts on education and providing leadership for other foster youth.

At fifteen, he was elected the youngest president of a statewide organization. Adrian attributes his success to his own determination and the support given to him by his case workers. He indicates that they were instrumental to his development by ensuring that he was able to participate in various programs and activities.

Adrian is a member of the Ohio chapter of FCAA, the OHIO Youth Advisory Board, and serves as Vice-President of the VISON Board in Dayton, Ohio. He has advocated many times at both the State and Federal Level on bills that affect foster youth. While Adrian has positioned himself to be an advocate and a leader in his community, it is unfortunate the he aged out of the system without a permanent home.

Currently, Adrian is pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management at Wright State University. He hopes to further his education at a graduate level, either obtaining a Masters Degree or a Law Degree. He has future aspirations for public service.

Cedric Riley is a 20-year-old college student dedicated to community leadership and success for himself and others. At the age of nine, he and his four siblings were placed in the Cuyahoga County Foster Care System due to parental neglect, and his life has been changed ever since. Though he and his siblings were placed in different homes, Cedric was able to adapt and learn the importance of independence and relationship-building. After 8 years in the foster care system, Cedric was adopted into a loving home in Cincinnati, Ohio where he experienced much of his scholastic and professional success.

Having enjoyed the honor of several leadership and academic accolades throughout his time in Cincinnati, Cedric has decided to give back by speaking passionately to youth, expressing that “Success is a Choice.” He also engages with professionals who work with youth to enforce that their work makes a difference.

Currently Cedric is developing the pilot of his curriculum and campaign entitled “America’s Next Motivator!” to bring creative empowerment to life.

Testimony from Adrian McLemore

Adrian and Chairwoman Edna Brown during the lunch break after his testimony.

Link to more photos.

I am a product if you will of the independent living services. 

I am a former foster youth who has spent a total of 11 years in the foster care system. I have utilized every available resource in the program in Montgomery County. From text books for school to the budgeting tips I use at Kroger. 

And I can tell you today, my future fellow colleagues, that independent living services are a vital part and play a determining factor in the success of my fellow brothers and sisters aging out of foster care.  As you know, all TANF earmarks are excluded in the current version of House Bill 1. Independent Living Services are part of the ODJFS Budget. 

If you move forward with excluding these funds, more and more of my brothers and sisters will continue to fall behind in; an already uphill battle to become productive responsible citizens in our great state. You will see an increase in homeless youth on our streets; you will see a decrease of enrollment in colleges and universities. My future fellow colleagues; is this what we want for our young people? 

 

While I understand the Governor and Legislature’s intent behind the elimination of all TANF earmarks, I urge you to re-examine this initiative. Restoring its funding would show your continued commitment from to the foster youth in Ohio, who looks to you as our legal guardians, in essence our parents. Momma Brown, Daddy Burke, Auntie Sears, Sister Boyd and Cousin Driehaus, I hope you are proud of your son who stands before you today (thanks to TANF funds) in his senior year at Wright State, hoping one day to be Mayor of Dayton, Governor of Ohio, and President of the United States. This is one dream from one foster youth and I hope you will not let down the dreams of my 1,300 fellow brothers and sisters aging out every year.

Please don't cut Ohio's TANF Independent Living Allocation

Witnesses Tell Personal Stories of What State Assistance Means to Them

Hannah Report, March 19, 2009

Thursday’s Human Services Subcommittee hearing had a whole different tone as legislators got to hear from a number of beneficiaries of state human services programs – many of whom thanked them for supporting a variety of state programs.

An upbeat group of witnesses were current and former foster youth themselves.

While they were lobbying for the restoration of $2.5 million/year in Independent Living funds to help foster youth who age out of the system, they themselves were perhaps the best selling point, with Rep. Denise Driehaus (D-Cincinnati) commenting that they were a “thoroughly impressive group.”

Making a notable impression was Adrian McLemore, who addressed the subcommittee as “future colleagues” and who said he hopes one day to be mayor of Dayton, governor of Ohio and president of the U.S.

He also addressed the panel as “Momma Brown, Daddy Burke, Auntie Sears, Sister Boyd and Cousin Driehaus, making the point that it is the state that is family for foster youth.
Gabriel Koshinsky expanded on that idea: “Many of you growing up had the privilege of living in a loving home with caring parents and a strong community that supported you. These relationships provided a basis of empowerment and investment that gave you the reinforcement to believe in yourselves.

“Unfortunately, this is not the case for all children and young adults in this state. Over 17,000 children in the state of Ohio do not have a home and many are separated from their own siblings. They are alone in a world that is difficult to navigate.”

Ohio chapter at FCAA Alumni Leadership Institute

Dayton Foster Youth Fight For More Reforms Han, Carol. News Center 7, Nov. 18, 2008.

WASHINGTON -- When President George W. Bush signed a foster care bill into law last month, foster youth from the Dayton saw it as a personal victory.

Foster Care Alumni of America estimates that there are currently 700 foster children living in our area. Last year, a group of them traveled to Capitol Hill to ask Ohio lawmakers to support the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act.

The sweeping reform bill helps keep siblings together in foster care and provides federal assistance to family members who become legal guardians of relatives' children. It also extends foster care benefits until age 21.

The bill passed with bipartisan support, and on Tuesday, the foster youth were back in Washington to thank lawmakers and to drum up support for more reforms.

Devaughn Staley, 18, wants to see Ohio foster youth be given the green light to get driver's licenses. Ohio is one of many states that do not allow kids in foster care to get a license due to insurance liability reasons. Staley wants to see the state help take up the liability. He told News Center 7 that it has been hard not being able to drive to the mall or to a job.

"We're pushing for Ohio to close that gap between foster kids and normal kids," Staley said. "Close that gap so we can be normal and feel like we belong."

Other students want to see more help extended to foster kids who want to go to college.

Alex McFarland described how credits from his high school in Tennessee weren't accepted by his school in Ohio. As a result, the 18-year-old could not graduate with his class and had to get a G.E.D.

"It was a big letdown for me because I really had that American dream about going to college with a high school diploma, walking across the aisle, going to my senior prom and I didn't have that," McFarland said.

McFarland now attends Sinclair Community College and has plans to transfer to Ohio State University.

Adrian McLemore, an 11-year veteran of Ohio's foster care system, is now a junior at Wright State University studying business and political science.

News Center 7 first met McLemore in May 2007, when he and the first group of Dayton foster youth lobbied Congress for foster care reform.

McLemore says he's happy to be back in D.C., especially so soon after President-elect Barack Obama's election win.

McLemore -- who plans to run for political office someday -- said, "Barack Obama beat me to it, he beat me to the election. But it's a testament to the resolve [about] working hard and working for the American dream. He just made it that much closer of a reality for me."

For video coverage, please visit: http://www.whiotv.com/news/18011200/detail.html

State of the Board Address by Adrian McLemore

Photograph of President Adrian McLemore of the Ohio statewide youth advisory board and President Kierra Williams of Montgomery County's VISION board.

The state of our board is well as can be expected for it to be for our first year of existence. We have accomplished a lot of our goals during our first year; and have laid the groundwork for future boards to follow.

We set high goals for this organization, and I have no doubt that we will achieve them. We told the United States Congress that it’s time to reform the foster care system. We told them that it’s time to start acting like our parents, and I strongly believe they got the message.

We told the Ohio Legislature that we needed health care past the age of 18. They disagreed at first, but after we testified again and stressed the importance, they passed the law – and now every child in foster care has the opportunity to have health coverage until the age of 21.

We traveled the state, spreading the message of improving the foster care system, and our voices have not gone unheard. We have attended countless conferences and sat on numerous panels, discussing the issues that concern us most. We have stood in front of agency directors and told them how child welfare policies need to be updated or changed altogether.

As you can see, we have done a lot this year, but all of our success would not be possible if not for the help of youth and adult supporters alike...

As we move forward, we must focus on what lies ahead. We have one foot in the door already, and we must step through it.

We must receive our 5013c status in the coming year, to solidify our legitimacy in the state of Ohio. We must fight for teen mothers in foster care, and for better treatment in group homes across the state. We must fight for tuition waivers so that we may further our education. We must fight for better foster parent training, and develop a statewide handbook so that the entire state is on par.

To the new board officers this year, congratulations, you have inherited a board in great shape, ready to move forward. We have established a presence in the Capitol, a presence in the agencies, and a presence in the state. On behalf of the 2007 Youth Advisory Board state officers, I wish you much success and God bless!

Outcome of YAB elections: President Adrian McLemore, of Montgomery County, is entering into his second term of office. Vice President Ebony Orr and Media Spokesperson Danny Taylor represent Cuyahoga County. Treasurer Laura Johnson, Parliamentarian James Burge and Secretary Katrina Gallimore represent Lorrain County.