Teens Still in Care My Services Review Spring 2011 14-17-yr-olds 14-17-yr-olds

* Highlights Independent Living Services

Survey Results

Teens Still in Care

My Services Review Spring 2011

14-17-yr-olds

AGE F in Care

Females Surveyed

% Surveyed

M in Care

Males Surveyed

% Surveyed

TOTAL

14 354 148 42% 345 143 41% 42%

15 420 157 37% 440 214 49% 43%

16 554 260 47% 511 252 49% 48%

17 465 198 23% 460 188 41% 42%

Total 1793

763 43% 1756

797 45% 44%

My Services Review Spring 201114-17-yr-olds

Have you changed schools in the past year?

% Answering YES

47%


14-yr-olds 15-yr-olds 16-yr-olds 17-yr-olds0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

60%

53%56%

61%

21%17% 17% 17%19%

29%27%

22%

Number of Schools 2

Number of Schools 3

Number of Schools 4 or more

For the 734 Children Who Reported Changing Schools within the Last School Year ; “How many schools have you attended?”


* Independent Living Services

Survey Results by Calendar YearEDUCATION AGES 13-17:

Question to Caseworkers 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Youth is at or above grade level (age 13)

60% 61% 63% 64%

Youth is at or above grade level (age 17)

45% 56% 50% 52%

If not on grade level is youth is receiving remedial education.

60% 66% 60% 57%

6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th GED/Diploma

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

12

74

147

58

03

28

121

155

58

32

7

37

159

200

79

112

1

1

3

41

92

121

64

38

Age 17

Age 16

Age 15

Age 14

My Services Review Spring 2011 Youth Reporting their School GradeGrouped by Age 1,517 Youth Responding

How far behind in school?

* Highlights Independent Living ServicesSurvey Results by Calendar Year

Health Care 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Received dental services in last year (ages 13 to 17)

58% 70% 67% 72% 85%

Received dental services within last 6 months (ages 13 to 17)

75%

Last Eye Exam within 12 months 81%

Last Eye Exam within 6 months 67%



Survey Results by Calendar YearLIFE SKILLS 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Completed standardized life skills assessment (age 14)

63% 69% 79% 85%63%

(79% of 16-yr-olds & 82% of 17-year-

olds)

Completed standardized life skills assessment (age 17)

80% 81% 87% 87% 82%

Open and active bank account (age 15)

Question added in

200813% 10% 16%

8%(37% -38% of 17-yr-olds checking and/or savings)

Written plan for participation in age appropriate activities (normalcy) (age 17)

47% 65% 76% 65% 76%

Youth has successfully completed driver’s education (age 17)

10% 22% 22% 13%

17% Different question: 20% have driver’s license or permit


14-17-yr-olds


Survey Results by Calendar Year

LIFE SKILLS ages 13-17 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Youth has completed an age-appropriated, standardized life skills assessment

69% 74% 82% 83% 74%

Youth has received services for life skill deficiencies

67% 75% 80% 84% 67%

Youth has had the opportunity to participate in job training

39%Note: Ages 15-17 only

25% 24% 23%

30% total

13% currently enrolled

17% have completed


14-17-yr-olds


Survey Results by Calendar Year

CASE PLAN AND AFTER CARE 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Case plan filed with the court (age 13 to 17)

55% 77% 74% 75% 83%

Youth involved in case plan development (age 13 to 17)

29% 51% 59% 53% 65%

Youth has signed his or her independent living transition plan (age 17)

64% 64% 64% 68% 53%

Youth connected to adult mentor (age 13 to 17)

29% 41% 47% 50%

73%NYTD

17-year-olds only


Observations from responses to areas of questioning: How are we doing ?Medication- 44% reported taking prescription medication

• 83% knew the names of their medication• 94% Knew what the medication was for• 80% knew the side effects• 73% were involved in the decision• 78% Agreed with the medication• 86% agreed they had someone to talk to about the medication

Teaching— 95-97% of Teens reported they had learned about • Risks of drugs, alcohol and tobacco• How to have healthy relationships• Domestic violence• Gang and gang violence


Observations from responses to areas of questioning: How are we doing ?

Educational Supports-Teens reported

• 79% of their caregivers review their grades/report cards with

them

• 73% of their caseworkers do the same

• 71% of their caregivers review their education and career

plan• 84% of 17-year-olds and 67% of 14 thru 16-year-olds reported

they know the skills to get employment—interviewing, filling out applications, writing a resume

• Assisting older teens with post-secondary applications and funding sources for tuition—positive responses in the 40-60% range

• 46% someone assisting them with post-secondary

applications


Observations from responses to areas of questioning: How are we doing ?Pre- and Independent Living Skills

• 81% Going to the grocery store with care givers

• 73% Practice cooking with caregivers

• 85% Get up on their own in the morning for school/work

• 39% Earning money and learning job skills thru mowing lawns,

babysitting, etc.

• 41% of 14-16-yr-olds have been told about jobs in their area

• 34% are volunteering

• For 17-yr-olds onlyo 77% know housing options in their area o 66% have developed a budget for life after foster care


Observations from responses to areas of questioning: How are we doing ?Teen Life

• 66% have a normalcy plan; 90% of those are followed and 81% are updated every 90 days

• Spending time supervised (79%) and unsupervised (72%) with friends

• Most prevalent curfew is 10pm on Friday and Saturday• 89% report participation in extracurricular activities –for those

who don’t o transportation and money are common barriers o for 12 % it is the place where they are living, which could

include RTCs, jail, etc.• Mid-80% range for 15-17-yr-olds to date, go to prom,

homecoming, etc.• For 15-17-yr-olds

• 58% have cell phones • 46% have computers • 73% have internet where the are living and 93% of these

are allowed to use it.


LEGAL REQUIREMENTS• 54% report getting their allowance each week (should ask re:

monthly)

• 97% report they can spend as they wish

• 66% know how to get their case record

• 22% report having a Master Trust Account (not all children in foster care have these); of those, half know how much is in the account

• 43% state knowing they have an IEP (better explaining to young people needed?)

• 84% know they have a case plan; 65% report helping with its content; 39% have a copy

• 92% understand they can ask to have the court review their permanency goal

• 78% report they have had a photo taken in the past 3 months

• 42% have completed an Exit Interview if and when they left a placement


I have been in foster care for the last 16 years of my life and trust me this has been no smooth ride between losing your parents. thats no easy thing for children to go through it really hurts them. It makes the child feel that its all their fault.

i have good foster parents and am proud to say when am here i get good grade and most of the time am happy the house is alway clean there always food in the if you do good in school you get extra allowance and most important i feel love in my home.

What the young people told us about…..

Being in Foster Care

i don't like foster care i don't want no help all i want is to be with my family


What the young people told us about…..Being in Foster Care

foster care sucks and i hate this test!!!!!!! they dont do there job and they need to be confronted about it.

i am okay with this placement untill i turn eighteen but i wish to move to clearwater after that and i dont know what the rules are about transportation with ageing out of dcf care.

i dont like how the rules are so strict

This house isnt that bad, but i dont want to be here cause im so far away from my family and friends


living with my foster parents is the most wonderful thing that have ever happen in my life i love where i have been placed i get treated like a family member its like im not even in foster care i love every moment we spend together!!

UMM... I like staying with my foster parent even though sometimes i feel wierd because im in foster care...I can say that i am lucky to be in a placement like this..BUT I am still willing to be adopted because i want a place where i can call home.


Adoption

i have been thinking about getting involved in getting adopted.

i want them to adopt meI want to be adopted by my cargivers but ___wont let me.

i wish the state would stop talking about adoption i am staying with my mom. stop trying to trick me into getting adopted, and stop lying to foster kids. quit sending so many people to see me everyday there is someone new almost every month


i really like the placement i am at, however being as though it is a theraputic foster home it is a program that children are able to be discharged from. i feel it is most benificiary to me to stay at my current placement without being discharged until 18


Making things better for them

Many comments about needing more clothing, clothing does not fit, no one takes them shopping for clothes, want to pick out their own clothes sometimes

I want my foster care placement to trust me more and allow me to communicate with my friends and give me more responsibilities.

___ needs to leave foster kids alone and stop making so many ___ people coming over all the time and quit making us do things we do not want to like this



Making things better for them

teens should not be forced to go back to live with biological parents or other family members if they do not want to. Teens should have the right to stay in their foster homes if they feel that is best for themselves

that the placement should choose the kids they accept more wisely

There has been times when there was neccessities i needed such as jeans for school and I didnt receive them. I was told there wasnt enough funding and I dont think that was fair. There has also been times when all my medical needs have not been met.

I think I should have signed copy of my Tx Plan

YES I DO!!!!! i wanna go home

Yes I Would Like To Live With My Brother .


What the young people told us about…..Their CaregiversIt is often stated that people are more likely to give comments on surveys when they are unhappy. We also can acknowledge that teens not in foster care are often unhappy with their parents. But a youth voice is important for us to hear how they feel and view foster care and the quality of the parenting and care they are receiving.

55% of the comments about foster homes were positive.

46% of the comments made about group care were positive

Positive comments tended to be more specific and longer than negative comments. The often observed teen propensity for superlatives was evident in both sets of comments: words like love it, best, awesome, amazing, sweet, etc. and stinks, hate it, sucks, horrible, like being in hell.



Their Caregivers

living with my foster parents is the most wonderful thing that have ever happen in my life i love where i have been placed i get treated like a family member its like im not even in foster care i love every moment we spend together!!

My group home staff love me, take care of me and care about me...both me and my brother are well taken care of and like to live here until we move to Ohio

not everyone at the group home placement gets treated the same . we dont get the same discipline or the same attention. sometimes the people dont even pay attention to us. and we dont have any privacy because we have cameras in the house that watch

I think my placement is not a good place for any foster kid.The foster parnet is not nice to me and the other kid that lives here. The lady ……yells all the time.


MY foster mom is my true mother she's everything to me

My foster mother is awsome, she is a gift from God. We have so much in commom. we always go fishing and swimming and enjoy other fun and adventerus activities

My foster perents take of just like I was there own child They the best perant a kid can ever ask for

My foster parent is good to me but I am still treated as if I'm a foster child.

Their CaregiversWhat the young people told us about…..

SHE IS A LOVING PERSON SHE HATIAN AND CARE SO MUSH SINCE I DOUNT HAVE NO PARENTS SHE IS MY MOM AND MY DAA AND MY HERO.


Documents

Teens Still in Care My Services Review Spring 2011 14-17-yr-olds 14-17-yr-olds