Connecting the Dots Conference featured in Foster Focus Magazine

Owned and edited by a former foster youth, Foster Focus is the nation's only monthly magazine dedicated to the foster care industry and community.

The Ohio chapter of Foster Care Alumni of America greatly appreciates Chris Chemielski's willingness to travel six hours away from his home, to support Ohio's 2012 Connecting the Dots Conference. We also appreciate him sharing about the conference in the November issue of Foster Focus Magazine.

To quote from Chemielski's article:     

"Before I delve into the details of the event, let me make note of the coordinators of the conference. Lisa Dickson is a former foster youth turned pit bull foster care advocate, and Doris Edelmann is a German-born transplant, with a passion for helping kids...

"This particular conference focused entirely on the Ohio foster youth population. Innovative activities included a Suits for Success room, where youth were able to choose (free) business attire...

"The Keynote Speaker was Archie Griffin, an Ohio native and college football's only two-time Heisman trophy winner..."

"Other highlights included a Resume Clinic, during which youth had one-on-one sessions...

To learn more about the 2012 Connecting the Dots Conference, please visit:  http://fosterconnection.wikispaces.com

To learn more about Chris Chemielski and Foster Focus Magazine, please visit: http://www.fosterfocusmag.com

2012 Central Thanksgiving Together in Columbus

The 2012 Central Ohio Thanksgiving Dinner took place in Columbus: (link to more photos)

Date: Sunday, November 18, 2012
Time: 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Location: Harry C. Moore Campus Center, 745 Pleasant Ridge Ave., Bexley OH 43209

Sponsors:

• Capital University President Bowman's Office
• Capital University ROTC Crusader Battalion
• Capital University student organizations and Campus Ministries
• National Council of Jewish Woman: Columbus Section
• Foster Care Alumni of America, Ohio chapter
• Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
• 2 Lt. Gabriel Koshinsky, 10th Mountain Division

Planning Committee Members Include:

• Bethany Koshinsky, ACTION Ohio
• Lisa Dickson, ACTION Ohio

2012 NE Ohio Thanksgiving Together in Cleveland

The 2012 NE Ohio Thanksgiving Together took place in Cleveland: (link to more photos)

Date: Saturday, November 17, 2012
Time: 11:30 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Antioch Baptist Church, 8869 Cedar Ave., Cleveland OH 43209

Sponsors Included:

• Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services
• National Council of Jewish Woman: Cleveland Section
• Antioch Baptist Church
• Adoption Network Cleveland
• ACTION Ohio

2012 NW Thanksgiving Together in Toledo

The 2012 NW Ohio Thanksgiving Dinner took place in Toledo: (link to more photos)

Date: Sunday, November 11, 2012
Time: Noon - 3 pm
Location: The Andersons Activity Center,1833 Holland Sylvania Rd. Toledo OH 43537

Sponsors Included:

• The Andersons
• The Dave Thomas Foundation
• Northwest Ohio Youth Advisory Board
• Whitmer Catering
• Lucas County Children Services
• Foster Care Alumni of America, Ohio chapter

Planning Committee Members Include:

• Lead Facilitator: Marcus Henry, President of NW Ohio Youth Advisory Board
• Lisa Dickson, ACTION Ohio
  Mandy Lehman, ACTION Ohio
• Crystal Oliver, ACTION Ohio
• Tabatha Miller Ashford, General Public
• Aimee Falk, Marketing Coordinator, University of Toledo

2012 SW Thanksgiving Together in Cincinnati

The 2012 SW Ohio Thanksgiving Dinner took place in Cincinnati: (link to more photos)

Date: Saturday, November 10, 2012
Time: From Noon - 2:30 pm
Location: The People's Church, 220 William Taft Road, Cincinnati OH 45219

Primary Sponsors:

• The People's Church
• Coalition of Care

In the words of Katie Deyo, "As a church we believe in these young people and want to bless them."

Planning Committee Members Included:

• Lisa Dickson, ACTION Ohio
• Laquita Howell, ACTION Ohio
• Doris Edelmann, ACTION Ohio
• Katie Deyo, The People's Church and Coalition of Care.
• Moira Weir, Hamilton County JFS
• Brian Gregg, Hamilton County JFS
• Madeleine Kipperman, Cincinnati Works
• Cindy Skinner, Focus On Youth
• Evelyn Spears, JOURNEY to Successful Living
• Val Bairnsfather, Safe Pastures Transitional Living
• Teresa Nered, Cincinnati Youth Collaborative
• Annie Schellenger, HEMI
• Pat McCollum, SWOFCA
• Shahrazad Ali, Lighthouse Youth Services
• Carol Wheeler-Strother, UC School of Social Work
• Sherrie Mathis, Mathis Foundation
• Bridget Doherty, Hamilton County Youth Advisory Board

2011 FosterClub All-Star, Dauntea Sledge

Dauntea Sledge is a former Franklin County foster youth who currently serves as President of the Franklin County Youth Advisory Board, and Media Spokesperson of the Ohio Youth Advisory Board. He is an active member of the Ohio chapter of Foster Care Alumni of America.

Dauntea's volunteer experience includes the following:

• Bridges Out of Poverty Steering Committee
• Youth Violence Prevention Board
• Franklin County Citizen Corps Counsel
• Salesian Boys and Girls Club
• Americorps VISTA 

After attending the Bridges Out of Poverty and Getting Ahead programs as a participant, Dauntea now assists facilitators in leading workshops that support the Bridges Out of Poverty Initiative.

During his time with the Salesians Boys and Girls Club, Dauntea was the runner-up for "Youth of the Year" and received the "Turned Around Teen of the Year" award.

Dauntea spent a year volunteering for Americorps Vista, working for Community Properties of Ohio, working with people in poverty and broken homes.

Recent activities that Dauntea has been involved in include:

• Participating in an FCAA/FosterClub Focus Group to investigate launching an Americorps pilot targeted specifically for foster care youth
• Presenting as part of a Youth Panel during the 2010 Ohio CASA Conference
• Co-presenting workshops for youth during the 2010 Northeast Ohio Independent Living Summit
• Sharing the importance of "Youth Voice In Court" during a 2010 Judicial Teleconference hosted by the Ohio Supreme Court

After presenting during the 2010 Judicial Teleconference on Youth Voice in Court, Dauntea was asked to write an article for Common Ground, a publication of the Ohio Supreme Court that goes out to each of Ohio's 88 judicial districts. The decision was made that, from now on, there will be a Youth Corner in the Common Ground Publication.

During his time in foster care, Dauntea was able to stay in touch with his younger brother Antonio, in order to support and encourage him, and make sure he is aware of resources to assist in navigating both foster care and young adulthood.

Dauntea and Antonio currently volunteer to co-facilitate monthly activities for Village Network Columbus in order to help to prepare foster youth for adulthood, and encourage them to support one another as peers.

Additional investments that Dauntea makes with his time include:

• Supporting the goals of National Center for Adoption Law and Policy to starting a free legal clinic for current and former foster youth
• Supporting ODJFS in improving the quality of caseworker visits
• Supporting Ohio CASA in their desire to include the voices of current and former foster youth on Citizen Review Panels.
• Being a wonderful father to his two children: 

Resources for Ohio Youth Aging Out of Foster Care

Employment

• Foster care youth are 100% eligible for WIA funds.
• Contact your local WIA Board.

Food

• Go with the young person to apply for food stamps, or accompany him or her to the nearest Food Bank.
• Here's a list of Food Banks in Ohio.

GED

• Job Corps is a great way to complete a high school education, and even provides housing!
• Ohio has three Jobs Corps Centers.

Healthcare

• Foster care youth who "age out" of the system can receive Medicaid until age 21.
• Navigating the adult Medicaid system can be challenging.
• Don't assume that the staff at the Medicaid office will be aware of this program -- bring a copy of the flyer.

Higher Ed

• Ohio Reach is a statewide initiative to increase the number of foster care youth who enroll in and graduate from college.
• A good place to start in choosing a college is to look over the list of Ohio Reach Campus Liaisons.

Housing

• The Family Unification Program provides housing vouchers for which foster care alumni are eligible.
• Find out if your county has applied for FUPS - and how to make this happen.

Legal Assistance

• Mission Transition is a free online resource.
• Capital University Law School plans to pilot a Foster Youth Legal Clinic (currently under development)
• Another free online source is the Foster Youth Rights Handbook created by the Ohio YAB.

Literacy

• Have you contacted your local library and/or Literacy Council?
• The Ohio Literacy Network offers a free online membership.

Mental Health

• Each Ohio county has a Mental Health Board, and it's up to us to advocate for specific services for transitioning foster care youth.
• It's important to be aware that former foster youth suffer from PTSD at a rate twice that of Vietnam war veterans.

Parenting

• The Ohio Parent Information Network provides free information and support, and the State Library of Ohio has compiled this list of additional resources.
• Foster Care Alumni of America recently published a book, FLUX, which includes a chapter on parenting after foster care.

Phone Bills

• Lifeline, Link Up, and Toll Limitation Service (TLS) help keep Americans connected by making basic, local telephone service more affordable for more than 7 million Americans.

Social Security

• Emancipating foster care youth with disabilities can submit SSI applications up to 90 days before federal foster care payments are supposed to end.
• Remind the staff member that this is an exception to the general rule regarding this process.

Ohio FosterClub position - Only five days left for youth to apply!!

Ohio is Sponsoring an Foster Club All-Star this year!

But - the application deadline is FEBRUARY 15th.

The FosterClub All-Star program provides young people age 18-24 with skills to be leaders and advocates.

This year long position includes a summer internship, including 10 weeks in Seaside, Oregon. The 12 young people selected to serve as All-Stars will have the opportunity to travel the nation, speak and train their peers in foster care, and participate in public awareness and policy activities.

Part 1: Application
The All-Star application must be completed online. This application may require up to two hours to complete.

To help youth prepare, FosterClub has provided downloadable Word and PDF versions of the application. They strongly encourage youth to download a practice application, review the questions, and write out practice essay questions, which they can then use to copy into their application.

Incomplete applications will not be accepted, so youth are encouraged take their time in reviewing questions and to allow adequate time to complete the entire application:

These resources are available at: http://allstars.fosterclub.com/article/apply-be-all-star

Part 2: Recommendations: 
A youth application is not complete without two recommendations.

The people youth choose to provide a recommendation will be asked to rate their leadership skills and any other qualities that would make them a good candidate to become an All-Star. Recommendations should not be from friends or relatives.

Here's the link for adult recommendations: (Please note that the deadline is in FIVE days!!)
http://www.fosterclub.com/2010-all-star-application-recommendation

For more information about the All-Star program, please contact Lupe Tovar at 503-717-1552 or lupe@fosterclub.com

Wishing Ohio foster care youth the very best this year -- because, as always, they deserve it!

Ohio Child Abuse By County

Ohio County Map - Foster Care Youth & Alumni Communities

Please click on this image to view it at a larger size and higher resolution:

Reforming how IL Services are administered in Ohio

Definition of "tenacious:" Persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired.

Ohio FCAA members need to be tenacious right now.

Breaking News: Governor Strickland VETOED the Independent Living Initiative.

Item Number 40

On page 2900, delete the boxed text.

Section 309.45.15 Earmark for Independent Living... Read More

Quote: "This provision earmarks $1.5 million of the Children and Family Services line item for independent living services to youth. The majority of the funds in this line item are already allocated to county agencies for their use to support child welfare programs, including independent living. This earmark will constrain the county agencies ability to use the allocated funds in a flexible manner that meets each county's needs to support children. For these reasons, a veto is in the public interest."

This is not a defeat; this is a 'Call to Action'

Regardless of whether or not this financial earmark was maintained, we still needed to follow up regarding how Independent Living funds were administered and whether available Independent Living funds were spent.

Our work was worth it, and our continued efforts are needed!

What do we have now, that we didn't at the beginning of this budget process?

Ohio legislators know who we are, and care about our cause. We gave a voice to a voiceless population - and they listened.

Please note that during our "Call to Arms" about this issue, we have no beef with Ohio Senators and Representatives - we have only heartfelt appreciation. Ohio legislators, in the Senate and the House, both Democrat and Republican, asked insightful questions each time we testified, and in each of their versions, they maintained IL funding.

Throughout this entire process, Ohio legislators have never let us down. The Ohio House of Representatives, Senate and HB 1 Conference Committee all maintained IL funding, and we sill need to write and thank them.

Because of our testimony, House Finance Chairman Representative Vernon Sykes is forming a Foster Care-Independent Study Committee to develop legislative and funding recommendations on funding for IL services for foster youth.

Our 'Next Steps' remain the same:

1. Thank our legislators and invite them to be a part of Rep. Sykes' IL committee

2. Be a part of Rep. Sykes' Independent Living committee

3. Work to establish a Regional approach to Independent Living preparation

4. Enlist our allies in supporting and being a part of our cause.

5. Build a relationship with Ohio journalists.

Twenty-four office visits to Ohio Senators on April 28, 2009

Link to more photos.

Ready to Launch refers to a statewide coalition of advocacy and youth-led organizations that promote cross-system reform for services to transition-age youth.

Our first goal is advocacy for youth programs in the state budget bill.

We held Ready to Launch Advocacy Day in Columbus on April 28, which consisted of a youth advocacy training, a “meet and greet” luncheon, and several scheduled meetings with Ohio Senators and Representatives.

Below is a list of the 24 Ohio Senators whose offices Ready to Launch Coalition members visited during this event:

- Senator Steve Buehrer, Senate Building, Room #134
- Senator Capri S. Cafaro, Ohio Statehouse, Room #303
- Senator John Carey, Senate Building, Room #127
- Senator Kevin Coughlin, Senate Building, Room #222
- Senator Keith Faber, Senate Building, Room #138
- Senator Teresa Fedor, Ohio Statehouse, Room #051
- Senator Bob Gibbs, Senate Building, Room #125
- Senator Karen Gillmor, Senate Building, Room #035
- Senator David Goodman, Senate Building, Room #039
- Senator Timothy Grendell, Senate Building, Room #042
- Senator Bill Harris, Ohio Statehouse, Room #201
- Senator Jim Hughes, Senate Building, Room #038
- Senator Jon Husted, Senate Building, Room #034
- Senator Eric H. Kearney, Senate Building, Room #057
- Senator Ray Miller, Senate Building, Room #228
- Senator Thomas Patton, Senate Building Room #140
- Senator Tim Schaffer, Senate Building, Room #142
- Senator Tom Sawyer, Senate Building, Room #049
- Senator Joseph Schiavoni, Senate Building, Room #052
- Senator Kirk Schuring, Senate Building, Room #137
- Senator Jimmy Stewart, Senate Building, Room #040
- Senator Nina Turner, Senate Building, Room #226
- Senator Mark Wagoner, Senate Building, Room #129
- Senator Jason H. Wilson, Senate Building, Room #050

Ready to Launch Coalition Sign-On Letter

Many thanks to Mark Mecum of OACCA and Angela and Nick from YEP for drafting this letter on behalf of Ohio's statewide Ready to Launch Coalition advocating for the needs of transition-age youth:

Honorable Ted Strickland
Honorable Armond Budish
Honorable Bill Harris

Re: State Funding for Transitional Youth

Dear Governor Strickland, Speaker Budish, and President Harris:

The Ready to Launch initiative urges your support for continued funding for services provided to at-risk youth in Ohio who are transitioning into adulthood. We are comprised of service providers, advocates, and transition-age youth. In the FY 2010 and 2011 budget bill, several important programs that serve these transition-age youth are proposed to be eliminated or significantly reduced. The cost-cutting measures will have a severe effect on Ohio’s most vulnerable citizens: children and youth.

The Independent Living Initiative is the only state program that provides transitional living services to foster care youth. The budget bill completely eliminates its funding. It is funded by a TANF earmark, administered by ODJFS, and implemented by county children services departments. Funds are used to provide drivers’ education, life skills training, job readiness training, and food and housing assistance.

Housing is a key aspect of this program, as it provides shelter for homeless youth and those at-risk for becoming homeless. According to feedback from the Ohio Summit on Children, a top challenge faced by counties is lack of funding for transitional services for older youth in care. Eliminating this program will further exacerbate this challenge. We urge you to restore funding to FY 2009 levels or establish a new, non-earmark program to replace it.

The Mental Health Systems of Care is the primary state funding source for community mental health programs that serve children and youth. The program is administered by ODMH and implemented by county mental health boards. Funds are used to serve children, youth, and adults with serious mental health disorders by providing medication, assessment, counseling, crisis intervention, community psychiatric supportive treatment, and day treatment services. If GRF funding of this program is not increased to comparative levels from FY 2008-2009, many youth will go without crucial mental health services, which will be a serious impediment to success as young adults.

Lastly, the Ohio Housing Trust Fund is a funding source that provides housing and homeless services to vulnerable Ohioans. The fund, in past years, has exceeded its cap at $50 million. If the General Assembly lifts this cap in the budget bill, it will permit funds collected for housing services to go toward housing services.

We also support expansion of the Housing Trust Fund eligibility to Runaway and Homeless Youth Act programs, which adds youth homeless shelters as eligible funded agencies. As the need to provide emergency housing to youth rises, we must ensure that effective programs receive necessary funding to meet the rising need.

We are privileged to work, serve, and advocate for Ohio youth. But without necessary funding, the youth will not receive the services that they need to succeed. We welcome the opportunity to work with you to develop a plan to ensure that the needs of Ohio’s transition-age youth are met.

Paving the Way for A New Day for Young Adults in Ohio's Mental Health System

In Ohio, we are working to bridge the gap between the juvenile and adult mental health systems.

This initiative, "Paving the Way for A New Day, Young Adults in Ohio's Mental Health System" is based on the premise that: “Transitional youth are the ones in need of the most help because they are at the point in their life where they can either drown in poverty and depression or get the help they need to turn their life around to become productive members of society…”

The Ohio chapter of Foster Care Alumni of America strongly supports this initiative, because we know that transition from juvenile systems, such as foster care, mental health, to adult systems of support can be challenging.

Ironically and sadly, the easiest system-transition is from the juvenile justice system to adult prisons, a.k.a. the Cradle to Prison Pipeline.