Writing Letters of Support

Representative Michael Turner created the “Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act” as a direct result of meeting with Ohio foster care youth during our annual Three Days on the Hill trips to DC.

The Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance (Committee on Financial Services) is willing to include the bill within a hearing on Section 8 Vouchers. This hearing is tentatively scheduled for September 22, which is quickly approaching.

This is our opportunity -- as foster care youth, alumni and ally advocates -- to submit letters of support to Dan Hare, dan.hare@mail.house.gov  

The Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act Proposed Legislation – Rep. Michael R. Turner (OH-10)

The Problem: High rates of homelessness among foster care alumni leading to negative outcomes In FY2014, the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families estimated that around 22,000 youth across the country emancipated from foster care.

Because the government takes on the role of parent for these youth, and also determines when they age out of foster care, it is equally responsible for supplying adequate support as they make the overnight transition into adulthood so as to prevent government-triggered homelessness.
Homeless individuals face extraordinary difficulties across a broad range of life activities, and being homeless is associated with a host of negative outcomes, often straining America’s social safety net and financial resources.

Unfortunately, foster care alumni are one of the most vulnerable, high-risk groups when it comes to homelessness. Studies show that the sudden and permanent transition from foster care to adulthood is a key driver behind homelessness. Nearly one in five youth who were in foster care at age 17 reported that by age 19, they had experienced homelessness at some point during the previous two years.

A May 2014 Department of Housing and Urban Development analysis concluded that, “[c]urrent research on the outcomes of youth aging out of foster care points to a real need for policy and programs to assist them in maintaining housing. . . .” After all, aging out of foster care should not mean aging into homelessness.

The Solution: The Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act
The Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act presents a straightforward approach that will help break this cycle of homelessness and negative outcomes for foster care alumni, offering them enhanced opportunities to become successful, productive members of society. Essentially, the bill prioritizes minors who are aging out of foster care, and at risk of homelessness, when furnishing housing assistance.

This legislation uses a two-pronged approach that requires no new spending:

1. Early application: Minors will be able to apply for housing assistance upon reaching 16 years of age, prior to aging out of foster care.

2. Priority Preference: When a minor reaches the point 6 months prior to aging out of foster care, he/she will automatically receive a priority preference over other applicants for housing assistance, allowing the minor aging out of foster care to jump to the front of the waitlist.

The Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act requires that those receiving assistance hold up their end of this bargain by working to build their future. Participating foster alumni must demonstrate that they are actively working, pursuing further education, or engaged in workforce development or vocational training. To encourage attainment of self-sufficiency within a reasonable time period and to free up housing assistance for the new group of foster youth that ages out each year, housing assistance under this Act phases out upon reaching age 25.

Bottom Line: Given the parental role the government plays in foster youths’ lives, it has an obligation to prevent government-triggered homelessness within this vulnerable population. Foster care alumni with stable housing and a legitimate chance to establish themselves as they transition into adulthood are more likely to become successful, independent citizens.

Please send letters of support for Rep. Turner’s bill to Dan Hare, on Rep. Turner’s staff, via e-mail at dan.hare@mail.house.gov

The best "no" that Ohio has ever received

We as foster care youth and alumni were successful in advocating against the barriers posed by the Healthy Ohio waiver that threatened to undermine Medicaid access for foster care youth and alumni ages 18-26. And that's a victory for us, and for our state:

http://medicaid.ohio.gov/Portals/0/Resources/PublicNotices/HealthyOhio-decision09092016.pdf  

Outdoor Youth Leadership Retreat at Paradise in the Sky

Link to slideshow of more pictures from our second outdoor youth leadership retreat at Paradise in the Sky:

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMGlHXL7O3Lp46ggoltMgs1a4kbfSqYF1elbewH0kMF4qmN7OvCNWqbadtiXANffA/photo/AF1QipOzx3vnbgRbatMxJQ-0XV6A6Cx_kC56JB5xgNnM?key=S29kNFNHdzNoVTBRNjVuNkhZaXYyOVFLN0diR1RB

Felicia Saunders and Suits for Success

All of the 2016 Suits for Success volunteers were wonderful, and Felicia Saunders was exceptionally so...

Felicia stood out in the following ways:

• She came up with creative ways of loading and unloading the suits, using a wheeled cart from the Xenos kitchen, with permission from staff
• She came up with smart methods to repack the suits, and helped organize other volunteers 

It is a testimony to the strength of Felicia's commitment and dedication that she stayed to help until the very last suit was unloaded from the truck at UMCH. It was an incredibly hot day and the truck was even hotter. Sweat was dripping off our faces and into our eyes.

Felicia never complained, and never faltered. She took off her shoes so she wouldn't slip on the ramp. She made jokes and had a fabulous attitude.  She wowed and impressed us foster care alumni volunteers so much that, when we were finished and the truck was completely empty, we had to ask her name to make sure we will always remember her and her kindness.

She shared her name, and shared her signature quote, which we have added to her photo: "Felicia Saunders sticks around until it's done."

2016 Fostering Pathways to Success Conference

Link to more photos.

Appreciation for the Dave Thomas Foundation

Arlene Jones, ACTION Ohio and founding member of the OHIO YAB

Over the weekend, Ohio foster care youth and alumni leaders from all over the state issued themselves #TheSelfieChallenge to express their gratitude and appreciation to Rita Soronen and the Dave Thomas Foundation.

Melissa Stroud, OHIO YAB Media Spokesperson

MaryAnn Dowd, participant in Three Days on the Hill

Brittany Sergent, OHIO YAB Treasurer

Allissa Mitchell, two-term President of the OHIO Youth Advisory Board

Jamole Callahan, ACTION Ohio

Adrian McLemore, founding member and first President of the OHIO YAB

Nicole Chinn, ACTION Ohio Treasurer

Dorothy Dodson, former OHIO YAB Parliamentarian

Tatyana Rozhnova, ACTION Ohio

Doris Edelmann, OHIO YAB co-facilitator and ACTION Ohio Legislative Chair

Lisa Dickson, OHIO YAB co-facilitator and ACTION Ohio Communications Chair,
with Tyneisha, Brittany and Adrian at the 2011 Wendy's Wonderful Kids Summit

Appreciative and proud of Alex McFarland

Alumni of Care Together Improving Outcomes Now (ACTION) Ohio is appreciative and proud of our very own Alex McFarland.

He is living in Colorado right now, and pursuing vet school -- but still made time recently send us Ohio advocates valuable insights to help with Medicaid barriers and summer jobs for teens losing funding after this year.

#TheOneandOnlyAlexMcFarland
#NeverVeryFarAway
#EspeciallyWhenOhioYouthNeedSupport