02BY JENN REXROAD

CONNECTED CAREGIVERSUpdates & Opportunities for Resource/Kinship/Foster/Adoptive/Guardian Families in CA

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 V O L . 1 5

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Legislation Update

Ten Ways to Lose aFoster Parent

Connect & Follow! 

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Caregiver Day at the Capitol!

Placement Stabil ity

SNEAK PEEK

Sign up for FREEmembership

cacaregivers.org

Resource FamilyLiaison Best Practices

Guidance from CDSS

Caregiver Day at theCapitol Flyer

Caregiver Day at the Capitol is right around the corner!On March 10, 2020, foster, kinship, guardian, andadoptive parents will gather in Sacramento toadvocate for the needs of the children in their care. Forthe third year, CAC will be co-hosting Caregiver Day atthe Capitol with the Alliance for Children's Rights.Participants will gather in the morning for a workshop,and presentations by Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris andDepartment of Social Services Director, Kim Johnson.Participants are divided into small groups and plantheir meetings with legislators over lunch. The groupwill walk across the street to the Capitol for 4-5meetings each. We anticipate holding about 100meetings. The day wraps up with a celebratoryreception and debrief. This day is FREE forfoster/kinship/guardian/adoptive families and is madepossible with support from our generous donors. TheCalifornia State Foster Parent Association issponsoring lunch for participants. Sign up here!

Hidden Foster Care – AB 2124addresses the Hidden Foster Caresystem, when abused and neglectedchildren are given probateguardianship instead of accessing theservices, supports and due processprotection of dependency court.Child Care Bridge Expansion – Budgetrequest for additional child carevouchers and trauma-informedtraining for providers.Education Stability – AB 1944provides for additional transportationfunding and notification of funding toeligible caregivers.

Issues Highlighted at CDATC

Placement Stability - What isNeeded?

Transportation Support (to visits,appointments, and school of origin)Timely, appropriate mental healthservices for all ages that is easy to accessChild Care and/or Respite CareResource Family Liaison or Specialist toanswer questions quickly and assist withconnecting the family to resources andservicesConnection to the Foster Care EducationLiaison & help obtaining educationinformation and resourcesParent Coaching for technical assistantin addressing behaviors in a trauma-informed manorSupport groups for connection andadviceInformation at the time of placementSpecial Care Increments or IntensiveFoster Care when neededChild & Family Team meetings andadvance notice

Does your county or foster family agencyhave a Resource Family Liaison or Specialist?CAC convened a Resource Family Liasonconference in December to learn how thisposition supported placement stability andhow they could help to stabilize a familybefore a potential placement disruption.Here are some ideas of what families need toprovide stable homes for children:

What else does your family need when facedwith crisis and to stabilize placements? Email: jrexroad@cacaregivers.orgNorCal Foster Parent

Appreciation Day

Resource Family Handbook Project The Resource Family Handbookworkgroup is collaborating with the CADepartment of Social Services to create auseful tool for foster and kinshipcaregivers. This handbook is gathering allimportant information regardingsupports, services, and guidelines forresource families in one place. This will bethe cumulation of all All County Letters(ACL) and All County Information Notice(ACIN), and statute guidlines that affectresource families. Make a reservation for atraining in your county:

Feb 29 - Supporting & EmpoweringParents & Caregivers (Long Beach) -FREE w/breakfast, lunch & child care

March 10 - Caregiver Day at the Capitol- (Sacramento)

March 27 - Parents & Caregivers forWellness training for Providers (Davis)

March 28 - Supporting & EmpoweringParents & Caregivers (Davis) - FREEw/light breakfast, lunch & child care-

May 30 - NorCal Foster ParentAppreciation Day (Sacramento)

May - Foster Family Day, Los Angeles,details coming soon

Upcoming Events

Recent Guidlance from the StateACL 20-11 Foster Parent Retention,Recruitment, Support fundingextension

A CIN 1-77-19 Best Practices forRetention and Recruitment Derivedfrom FPRRS Reports

ACL 19-116 - AB 2083 MOU Guidance forTrauma Informed System of Care

ACL 19-103 - Fee exempt Copy of BirthCertificate

ACL 19-91 - Resource Family ApprovalPortability

ACL 19-80 Information Provided toCaregivers

Citizen Review Panels - ParticipantsNeededIn compliance with the Child AbusePrevention and Treatment Act of 1996,California has established three CitizenReview Panels to improve safety,permanency, and well-being of children andfamilies involved in the Child Welfare System.Upcoming Meetings for the Children & FamilyServices Citizens Review Panel: May 6, July 22For more information, visit:www.bprac.com/crps/

Please take our Parents & Caregiversfor Wellness (PC4W) Survey!Each year, Parents & Caregivers forWellness gathers information regardingservices and supports for children andfamilies facing behavioral healthchallenges. PC4W prepares a state of thecommunity report, and training andadvocacy based on caregiver voice.ENGLISH SURVEY SPANISH SURVEY

2020 California Alliance of Caregivers Legislation Tracker

Issue Area Bill Number

Author Brief Description CAC Position Status

Foster Youth Education Stability AB - 150 Cooper

School transfers: coursework for high school graduation Support active

Hidden Foster Care AB - 2124 StoneCivil liability/damages awarded to victims of sexual abuse Support active

Transition Age Youth AB - 2005 Levine

Transitional Independent living case plans Support active

Sexual and Reproductive Health Education AB - 2035 Rubo

Foster youth - sexual and reproductive health education N/C active

Transition Age Youth AB - 2202 Mathis

Documents for transition age foster youth Support active

Relative and Sibling Placements AB - 1954

Cooley, Gipson, Lackey

Considerations for relative and sibling placements Support active

Non-Minor Dependents Housing AB - 1979 Friedman

Requires county placing agencies to examine their ability to meet the emergency housing needs of non-minor dependents N/C active

Foster Family Agency Rates AB - 2086 Rubio Foster Family Agency Rates Support activeReasonable Travel Reimbursement for School AB - 1944 Quirk-Silva

CASA invited to Child & Family Team Meetings Support active

Transition Age Youth AB - 1996 Gipson

California Fostering Connections to Success Act - extending foster care to age 25 Support active

Transition Age Youth SB - 912 Beall

California Fostering Connections to Success Act - extending foster care to age 25 Support active

8:30 AM - 7:30 PMTHE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENTBREAKFAST TRAINING * TEAM LUNCH * LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS * RECEPTION & DEBRIEF

SAVE THE DATE!TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

Co-hosted by:

The Alliance for Children's RightsCalifornia Alliance of Caregivers

Step Up Coalition

Register at: www.cacaregivers.org/cdatc

Resource Family Liaison Key Qualifications, Best Practices, and Anticipated Retention, Recruitment, and Support Outcomes

A panel of nine Resource Family Liaisons presented on their positions and experiences providing caregiver support and advocacy at the Resource Family Liaison Conference. Attendees and presenters collaborated to create the following recommendations. Key Qualifications of a Resource Family Liaison

1. Be experienced as a caregiver with experience and knowledge of county systems and community resources. 2. Be a relationship builder, utilizing effective listening skills and interacting from a place of empathy and

compassion between county staff and resource/foster families. 3. Be flexible with extended availability while utilizing appropriate professional boundaries. 4. Have the ability to work collaboratively and across county units in order to move critical issues to appropriate

county leaders in a timely manner. 5. Be experienced in resource advocacy with the ability to teach resource/foster families how to get the services

necessary for placement stability. 6. Be experienced as a trauma informed advocate

Best Practices of a Resource Family Liaison

1. Build Relationships a. Embed the liaison within the county in order to build positive working relationships and trust between

county staff and resource families. b. Support the needs of all caregivers by establishing a system to improve equal access to services for

kinship, guardian, adoptive and resource families. c. Make immediate face-to-face contact to ensure a commitment of ongoing support and availability to all

resource families. 2. Foster Teamwork

a. Work openly and effectively with all stakeholders in order to positively affect change and advocate for resource families and children.

b. Be a systems-informed advocate who knows how to access supports and services for the resource family and child in a timely manner.

c. Encourage all caregivers to connect with one another. d. Train resource families to become effective advocates for the children in their care.

3. Communicate and Collaborate a. Meet regularly with county child welfare staff to ensure clear and open communication, appropriate

provision of supports/services, and trauma informed transition plans. b. Actively inform, train and update county staff about resource family needs in an effort to avoid

placement disruptions and improve resource family retention.

Anticipated Retention, Recruitment, and Support Outcomes of a Resource Family Liaison 1. The Resource Family Liaison position bridges the gap between resource families and the county by providing

consistent communication and the timely delivery of supportive services, potentially reducing the number of placement disruptions that are currently occurring due to lack of timely support services delivery.

2. The Resource Family Liaison position creates an opportunity to cultivate a culture of value and respect between resource families and county staff.

3. The Resource Family Liaison position provides supportive communication and timely responses to service needs for families, reducing the workload for county social workers.

4. The increased level of resource family support will lead to improved caregiver satisfaction, long-term retention of RFA families and peer-to-peer recruitment increasing the number of referrals to counties and Foster Family Agencies for future resource families.

REGISTER AT WWW.CACAREGIVERS.ORG/PC4W

Funding provided by the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission

For Parents and Caregivers of Children with Mental Health Needs

Free Child Care(must pre-register)

Light Breakfast & Lunch Included

October 15, 2019

The Top 10 Ways to Lose a Foster Parent

chronicleofsocialchange.org/fostercarecapacity-org/the-top-10-ways-to-lose-a-foster-parent/38245

As California continues to implement

sweeping changes to its child welfare system

through its Continuum of Care Reform,

fewer youth are placed in group homes. But

the demand for supportive family homes

continues to increase.

California has invested in programs and

services to support resource families, both

foster homes and relative caregivers. But

there are still a lot of things that public and

private agencies do that cost them the

continued service of families. These are, in my opinion, the top ways that agencies fail at

resource family retention.

10. Fail to support families after they close their home because their family has been

made complete through adoption or they’re ready to start a new chapter of their life

beyond fostering.

To start with the positive, most families never regret their experience as foster or kinship

families. Many enjoy this role for years and end up filling their home with more children

than they ever imagined they would have the love/space/time/patience to handle. Some

families are no longer able to foster because after adopting one or more children from

foster care, their homes are full. These homes are “closed” for the best possible reason.

These families can still contribute to foster care by sharing their advice and experience with

other families and are often the best recruiters! Maintaining a good relationship with

families as they leave the system is just as important as when they are currently fostering!

9. Inadequately provide support to foster families experiencing primary or secondary

trauma.

Most foster families do not have access to therapeutic support for themselves or their

biological children during or after caring for children in foster care. Marriages and healthy

family functioning can be greatly impacted by witnessing the effect of trauma on children in

foster care. Transitioning to life without a beloved family member is similar and different to

experiencing the death of a family member.

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The UCLA Nathanson Family Resilience Center has services for families who have

experienced trauma, including foster families. FOCUS on Foster Families is a program that

all families can access for support and skills to overcome challenging situations.

8. Fail to communicate in an honest, respectful and timely manner.

Everyone is stretched to their maximum capacity when a child is placed in foster care.

Foster parents may be desperate for details to help them properly care for a child. They may

be desperate for dates of: visits with parents, meetings with social workers, individualized

education program (IEP) meetings, child and family team meetings, and court hearings.

When caregivers receive incorrect information about children in their care, it can result in

children being in an unsuitable home, leaving the placement is at risk. Over time, many

foster parents learn to mistrust all they are told by the child welfare agency.

Foster parents want to know of meetings in advance. They would like clarity and full

disclosure of important information prior to the placement of a child in their home.

Placements are at high risk of failure if a family is not given a true picture of what is needed

to best support a child.

Some counties have used their Foster Parent Retention, Recruitment and Support dollars to

hire “Resource Family Liaisons.” These workers support social workers by answering

questions and returning phone calls. They are also an important link between the agency

and families. Many resource families who have access to a Resource Family Liaison cannot

imagine fostering without this type of support.

7. Lack organization, lose paperwork and fail to document or misrepresent key

information in a case.

There is a great deal of bureaucracy to get approved to foster a child. It involves paperwork,

classes and meetings. Many potential resource families do not complete the resource family

approval process because of the disorganization, length of time and lack of communication

involved in that licensing process. An adoption process can be so lengthy and unnecessarily

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complicated, that families decide not to continue fostering other children after the adoption

is complete. Caregivers are even more frustrated when key information is lost or not

included in reports. This has led to children waiting long periods of time for funding and

services.

Social workers are over-worked. Resource families who have a good working relationship

with agencies can support workers by documenting key information, keeping copies of

paperwork, and asking for updates.

6. Fail to respect the time of resource families.

The time of resource families is best spent caring for children and not on other onerous

activities. Driving to family visitations, cancelled visitations and missed visitations are all an

expected part of foster care. However, when resource families are asked for an

unreasonable amount of time to supervision visitations, driving or other activities, in

addition to the normal parenting that children need, resource families can burn out quickly.

Agencies that offer support with transportation and keep a family’s overall schedule and

well-being in mind have happier resource families who are often more than happy to go the

extra mile to help out.

5. Fail to show appreciation.

Resource families typically do not foster for awards or acknowledgment. But it is difficult for

resource families to continue fostering if they feel unappreciated.

Children in foster care should not be expected to show appreciation, though they often do.

Biological families should not be expected to show appreciation, though they also often do.

Hence, it falls to the agency to ensure that their resource families feel appreciated. One

caregiver was shocked that after a medically fragile child died while in her care for a long

time, the agency did not reach out with any kind of sympathy or acknowledgment.

A supportive community or resource family liaison can show appreciation to resource

families. Many communities have annual picnics and other activities to show appreciation

for resource families. We hear that the most effective way of showing appreciation is an

ongoing and overall attitude of respect and acknowledgment of what resource families do

for vulnerable children and families.

4. Retaliate against resource families.

Unfortunately, it is very common for families to experience real or perceived retaliation for

disrupting placements, advocating for a child, asking too many questions, and more.

Retaliation often comes in the form of removing a child or not placing a sibling, or refusing

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to place in a home again. Sometimes families are “rewarded” for taking harder to place

children by being “first in line” for the next infant with a low legal risk, and high potential for

adoption.

A child’s best interests should always be the top priority when a placement decision is

made. Placements should never be made or disrupted to punish or manipulate resource

families. In addition to harming children, this has a disastrous effect of overall morale of a

fostering community and to resource family retention.

3. Fail to provide appropriate support to children with extensive needs and behavioral

issues.

Resource families say that they are receiving more children with a higher level of needs than

ever before. Because of neonatal exposure to substances, and because of the level of

trauma that children are experiencing before entry into foster care, higher levels of support

are needed. Higher rates are provided for families who need to provide advanced levels of

care, supervision and behavioral intervention. More often than not, families are not given

the support that is intended for children.

2. Fail to create a community for resource families.

Resource families have a day-to-day life that can only be understood by other resource

families. Relatives are usually brought into this new reality overnight, with little time to

prepare. Seasoned resource families may have ongoing secondary trauma and loss to

process. Without a community to feel a part of, resource families can feel alone and unable

to reach out for the support that they need.

Agencies that offer peer mentors, support groups and social activities for resource families

ensure that they have a place to connect with other parents who walk with them on their

journey through the child welfare system. Resource families who have been fostering for a

long time usually are part of a fostering community that sees them through the highs and

lows of foster care.

1. Show a lack of respect.

Oftentimes people forget that foster and kinship parents are volunteers. They receive a

maintenance payment to cover some of the cost of caring for children placed with them by

child welfare agencies. Their time is valuable. They are donating a great deal of time, energy,

and ”bandwidth” to care for the most vulnerable children in our communities, and although

most do not expect a badge of honor, most expect to be shown respect. This includes being

treated as a stakeholder in the case, and as a partner with the child welfare agency.

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