Helping Kinship Families Inside and Outside the Child Welfare System Moving the Work Forward: Best Practices to Support Kinship Families Thursday, July 23, 2015, 1:15 2:30 PM Annette Saunders, Kinship Caregiver and Advocate Angie Schwartz, Alliance for Childrens Rights Liliana Hernandez, US Administration for Children and Families Ana Beltran, Generations United Understanding Kinship Care Funding 2 The Story of Naomi and Farrah Naomi Aspires to be a chef. Has experienced severe abuse and neglect. Multiple calls made to child protective services since she was 12 Now age 15, Naomis grandmother has taken her in at the urging of a social worker. There is no foster care placement and no VPA. Farrah Aspires to be a chef. Has experienced severe abuse and neglect. Multiple calls made to child protective services since she was 12 Now age 15, she is removed from her home and formally placed into foster care with her grandmother. 3 Fiscal Structure of Supports for Youth with Relatives Youth (Abused, Abandoned, or Neglected) Informal care with grandma Formal care with grandma 4 Fiscal Structure of Supports for Youth with Relatives Informal care with grandma Disability? SSI? Medicaid (Only if eligible under ACA after 18) TANF? 5 Fiscal Structure of Supports for Youth with Relatives Formal care with grandma Federally eligible under IV-E (including ASFA) NOT federally eligible under IV-E Foster Care benefits Subsidized permanency (Kin-GAP, AAP) State foster care funding? State subsidized permanency programs?? TANF OR 6 Federal Foster Care Benefits: Basic Eligibility 1. Categorical requirements of the child (age, residency, immigration status, deprivation 2. Conditions of removal from the home and placement into approved/licensed facility (ASFA) - OR - Voluntary Placement Agreement 3. Financial eligibility 7 Federal Foster Care Benefits: Financial Eligibility To receive federal foster care benefits, the youth must meet the 1996 AFDC criteria in the home of removal in the month of removal or one of the six months prior to removal In 1996, income limit for a family of 3 to qualify for AFDC was$723** BY CONTRAST : The income limit for the same family to qualify for cash assistance today is $1,169** What that means : a child can be removed from a parent receiving welfare benefits and STILL not qualify for federal foster carebenefits IMPORTANT: Federal test has nothing to do with the needs of the child or the needs of the relative where the child is placed ** California income eligibility limits 8 Little Known Facts re Federal Eligibility Federal eligibility is a one-time determination done at removal Federal eligibility does not depend on the type of placement o A youth who is not federally eligible in a relative home, is also notfederally eligible in a group home Eligibility for federal foster care benefits is distinct frommeeting federal home approval standard o A relative in California who meets federal home approval standardsis still denied foster care benefits when the child does not meet the1996 welfare standards Only about 40% of youth nationwide are eligible for federalfoster care benefits (in FY2011), down from 54% in the mid-1990s. 9 Benefits for Farah and Naomi vary greatly depending on if the child receives foster care funding vs. child-only TANF Federal Foster Care Benefits vs. Child-Only TANF Farrah: placed in foster care with a fully approved relative $820 (CA foster care benefit) $511 (U.S. average foster care) Farrah: placed in foster care with a relative approved under separate process $369 (CalWORKS aka TANF) $249 (U.S. average child-only grant) Note: some states pay more than the child-only grant Naomi: living with relative outside foster care $369 (CalWORKS aka TANF) $249 (U.S. average child-only grant) Generations United10 Reliance on TANF to Fund Kinship Families Sets Families Up to Fail TANF child-only vs. TANF 3-child grant vs. Basic Foster Care Rate as a % of the Estimated Cost of Providing for the Needs of a 15 18 Year Old 11 Liliana Hernandez, Childrens Bureau CHILD WELFARE/TANF COLLABORATION KINSHIP NAVIGATOR PROGRAMS Kinship Navigator Programs 1) Arizona Children's Association, Tucson, AZ:Project Director, Julie Treinen, 2) Catholic Charities of Rochester, NY :Project Director, Gerard Wallace, 3) The Children's Home, Tampa, FL:Project Director, Larry Cooper: 4) Community Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment, Los Angeles, CAProject Director: Joseph Devall:5) Homes for Black Children, Detroit, MIProject Director: Linda Lipscomb, 6) North Oklahoma County Mental Health Center (NorthCare), Oklahoma City, OKProject Director: Emily Carmichael, Emily Carmichael 7) United Ways of California- 211-iFoster Collaborative,www. unitedwaysca.org; Project Director: Serita Cox, Peter Manzo, TANF Collaboration Childrens Home Inc, Tampa, FL Peer to Peer Navigators Home Visit with laptops to assist family complete online application for TANF grant Community Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment, Los Angeles, CA TANF worker present after support groups to facilitate applying and debunking myths about TANF application. Kinship Caregivers said they did not want to apply to TANF because of Child Support needed by parent. Navigation Services Arizona Children Association Service Individuals Information and Referral (sustained program) 4,952 Basic Navigation (sustained program) 4,423 Guardianship Clinic908 Support Groups495 Kinship Information Session478 Children of Incarcerated Parents133 adults, 276 youth Types of New Legal Relationships Established due to services (N=54 Children) Pro Bono Legal Assistance NYS KN program Consultations with KN Legal subcontractors (entire state) Over 40 attorneys, broken down by region and specialty 826 total referrals in 5 target counties Child Welfare Collaboration Permission to Contact form faxed to KN from local TA/CW- contacts caregiver with 48 hours and completes intake, FNS, ACE, local Kinship referral Semi-Annual Trainings for 568 CW workers on kinship issues Child Welfare Collaboration Homes for Black Children, Detroit, MI Foster home licensure and engagement to kinship care providers Collaboration with TANF agency and the Detroit Public Schools. North Oklahoma County Mental Health Center Completing the foster parent approval process with CW families and to promote placement stability. Mental Health Services for Kinship Families United Ways of California-211-iFoster.org An online resource portal to connect kinship families with needed community services and private business resources. Employs former foster youth as ambassadors to conduct community outreach. Arizona Clients and Receipt of TANF Benefits 437 AKSS caregivers matched FAA data for having a TANF participation code. 887 Kinship Children 76% (663) received TANF-Child Only benefits 13% (116) were benefit capped (policy reform issue with recommendation of kinship liaisons in each region) 9% (82) did not request benefits 1% (12) received SSI OUTCOME FINDINGS CHILDRENS HOME INC More adequate Family Support, both informal and formal Support from professional agencies, social /parent groups, and professional helpers. More adequate Family Resources Time to socialize, Dental Care for family, Money to buy special equipment and supplies for family, Public Assistance, Time to be by yourself, Money to buy things for yourself, Medical care for family. Child Safety and Permanence Did not enter out of home care at one year follow up. 99% of children in FY Cost Savings Childrens Home Inc Generations United21 Kinship Services Network of Pinellas Adjudicated Dependent Foster CareResidential Group Care Cost of care $1,449$3,900$11,420$38,276 Littlewood, K. (2015). Kinship Services Network Program. Five year evaluation of Family support and case management for informal kinship families. 22 Kinship TANF Model Checklist and Educational and Health Care Consent Laws Available atand23 Kinship TANF Model Checklist Promising Policies Reinstate the previous work requirements and time limit exemptions Increase asset limits and income disregards Make clear use of the good cause exception Allow adults with a family- like relationship to the children to be eligible Promising Programs Offer subsidized guardianship/enhanced payments Provide non-financial support Make short term benefits available Ensure that working kinship caregivers can qualify for child care Generations United24 Kinship TANF Model Checklist contd Promising Practices Combine application requirements for TANF and other major public benefits Ensure that child welfare and TANF collaborate Provide concurrent TANF benefits for kin and parents Hold joint TANF/Child Welfare training Conduct joint TANF/Child Welfare outreach to kin Have kinship work groups Generations United 25 Available atand26 Consent laws Generally, both education and health care consent laws allow a caregiver to complete an affidavit under penalty of perjury that he/she is the primary caregiver of the child Then, by presenting the form, they can consent to treatment, school enrollment, and educational services These laws typically protect parents rights by stating that parents can rescind the affidavits at any time and do not give the caregivers legal custody They also shield health care providers and schools districts from liability by relying on the affidavit Generations United27 28 29Generations United Elements to include Put the form for the affidavit in the law itself Cover comprehensive health care and educational services Allow the caregiver to complete the form without the parents signature Address parents rights Shield providers from liability Specify the penalties for fraudulent consent Allow consent to be valid until rescinded by parent or caregiver Permit all full time caregivers to complete affidavits Generations United 30 Elements to avoid Not allow local school districts to decide whether to accept affidavits Not require sworn statements from the parents Minimize documentation requirements Generations United31 Tools and strategies educate that existing alternatives are not enough protect parents rights involve educational stakeholders and respond to their concerns make clear that these laws are cost neutral protect against liability and fraud use community partners to help advocate separate educational from health care consent laws share personal stories Generations United32 33 Questions and Group Discussion