Indiana Youth Connections Program

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Indiana Youth Connections Program

• Department of Child Services
• Indianapolis, Indiana

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Topics to be covered

• The Youth Connections Program
• Why connections?
• Program basics
• Protocols and procedures
• Certificate of connection
• Program outcomes
• Future of program
• Family finding techniques
• Why family finding?
• Case mining
• Working with youth
• Using search tools
• Working with relatives

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Why connections?

• Connections to family are critical for healthy
  child and youth development.
• Children and youth need many different kinds of
  connections with family members.
• Paternal and maternal relatives are important to
  children and youth.
• Family members have a right to know how the youth
  is doing and deserve the opportunity to restore
  hope, by providing support to the youth, if
  appropriate.

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Why Youth Connections?

• Research on young adult development and youth
  transitioning from foster care shows that
• Outcomes are very poor for youth who age out of
  the foster care system without a family or
  committed, caring adult to provide supports and a
  safety net.
• These youth face joblessness, homelessness,
  serious health issues, low education, and another
  generation (in their children) of contact with
  child welfare.
• On average, young adults do not become fully
  independent until well into their twenties,
  relying on their families for support during
  challenging times.
• Foster youth who leave the system without a
  permanent family often do not know who to turn to
  for help as they struggle to become fully
  functioning adults.

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The Youth Connections Program

• Goal To ensure that all youth aging out of
  foster care have a permanent family, or a
  permanent connection with at least one committed,
  caring adult who provides guidance and support to
  the youth as they make their way into adulthood.

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Connections can provide

• A home for the holidays.
• Someone to talk to about their problems.
• Help finding housing, services, educational
  opportunities, and/or a job.
• Assistance with money and household management..
• Assistance with health issues, relationship
  counseling, and/or babysitting if youth is a
  parent.
• Advocacy, motivation, mentoring.
• Emergency cash.
• A place to do laundry, use a computer or phone.
• A link to community resources and social
  activities.
• Transportation, clothing, occasional meals.

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Program principles

• Supportive adult relationships are critical to
  the wellbeing of youth transitioning out of
  foster care.
• Every youth should have a permanent family they
  can turn to during times of need. In the
  alternative at the very least, each youth should
  have one committed, caring adult whom they can
  count on to be there for them when they need
  love, support, information, and resources.
• The youth must take the lead in identifying who
  these committed, caring adults should be.

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The Youth Connections Program currently serves
foster youth

• Ages 14 to 18 years old.
• Whose parents rights have been terminated.
• Who express that they no longer desire to be
  adopted.

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The YCP includes the following key program
elements

• Voluntary participation by youth
• Case file review by a specialist
• Meetings with youth to discuss possible
  connections
• Use of the latest search tools to find
  connections
• Ongoing input from and communication with FCMs
• Close coordination with IL services
• Certificate of Connection
• Help building permanent connection

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Expanding the definition of relatives

• The YCP first searches for relatives and other
  caring adults known to the youth or other family
  members.
• The YCP does not limit searches to blood
  relatives, which can reduce the possible
  resources available to the youth.
• The definition of relatives includes fictive
  kin, individuals who are not blood relatives,
  but have or have had a significant relationship
  with the youth.
• Searches include both maternal and paternal
  relatives to increase the opportunities for
  important kinship connections for the youth.

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YCP protocols

• YCP work requires close partnership with other
  key
• professionals serving the youth, as well as with
  the youth and his or her family
• Protocols are in place for working with FCMs, IL
  workers, group home staff, relatives and other
  possible connections
• YCP specialists partner with youth, FCMs, IL
  workers and others to
• Identify youth eligible for the program.
• Find committed, caring adults for the youth.
• Solidify and support those connections so that
  they are maintained after the youth ages out of
  the foster care system.

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YCP procedures

• Family case manager makes a referral to YCP
• YCP specialist reviews the youths case file
• Youth and family case manager recommend adults as
  possible permanent connections
• YCP specialist uses Internet search tools and
  other methods to find and contact the adults

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YCP procedures, continued

• YCP specialist facilitates meetings with youth
  and adult. (FCM may, but is not required, to
  participate in this meeting.)
• Youth and adult sign a certificate of connection
  defining their relationship and the supports the
  adult can provide
• YCP specialist works with FCM, IL worker and
  others to help maintain the connection the youth
  and adult have made

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Current YCP outcomes

• In Year One (January through December 2007)
• 57 youth were referred to the YCP.
• 25 youth participated.
• 480 contacts were made with possible
  connections.
• Permanent connections were found for 19 youth.
• 1 youth was moved from a group home to a
  placement with a relative. Another, at
  emancipation, went to live with relatives instead
  of going to a homeless shelter.

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Future of the program

• YCP specialists continue to carry YCP caseload
  and provide trainings and technical assistance in
  family finding approaches.
• Family finding is now being used in other areas
  of permanency, including Independent Living (IL)
  and the Special Needs Adoption Program
• Service standards have been created for private
  IL services contractors to bid to provide
  lifelong connections for foster youth.
• FCMs and other DCS staff receive training in
  family finding to use as appropriate to reach
  case goals.

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Family finding can help with

• Reunification
• Relative placement
• Placement stability
• Permanency
• Permanent connections for youth

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Family case managers can

• Assess cases to determine how family finding
  strategies can support case goals
• Use case mining and search tools to locate
  extended family members
• Partner with other professionals involved in the
  case to locate relatives
• Contact relatives
• Engage relative in case goals as appropriate
• Seek help from YCP specialist as needed

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Family finding strategies include

• Gathering information about the childs family
  history and background
• Working with child to identify important adults
  in his/her life
• Case mining to find their contact information
• Contacting known relatives to locate other
  extended family members
• Using search tools to obtain contact info
• Working with family members to see how they can
  support case goals

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Case Mining

• What to look for
• Siblings
• Names, demographic information, SSN
• Paternal and maternal contacts
• Basic Information about the youths history
• Relevant family history information
• Look carefully at
• Earlier case files and court hearing documents
• Visitor logs
• ICWIS contact log

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Working with child to identify family

• Use ecomaps and genograms to learn about family
  members and other adults important to the child
• Ask children who is important to them and whom
  they would like to contact
• Ask children about names you have found in their
  case file
• Have children draw their old neighborhood to help
  them remember who was important to them then

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Sample questions to ask the child

• Where would you feel most comfortable living
  right now if you cannot live at home for a while?
  
• Who are the grown-ups whom you love the most? Who
  are the grown-ups who love you the most?
• Who do you turn to beside your parents when you
  have something to celebrate?
• Who do you go to for advice? Who do you call when
  youre feeling upset?
• Who are the grown-ups you like to spend time with
  or feel close to? Is there an adult who is
  especially nice to you?

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Finding extended family

• Contact people found from the case mining.
• Work with birth parents (if safe) so they
  understand why you want more family information.
  Stay focused on the needs of the child. Be
  persistent.
• Locate the family historian to get more
  information about the extended family.
• Respect the familys cultural practices and
  traditions.
• Use free Internet search tools to find relatives
  and their contact information.
• When all other options have been tried, use US
  Search to find relatives and their contact
  information.
• Experienced searchers report that their best
  leads come directly from parents, child and
  others who know them.
• Even small bits of information can be helpful in
  subsequent searches.

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Using search tools

• Use free Internet search tools and public
  databases first (ICES, prison locator, SSI death
  index, utility company records, obituaries, etc.)
• Cross reference information by using multiple
  search tools to find common names in both.
• Look for the common address usually the main
  resident of this address is the family helper and
  a good resource.
• Look for elders who are more likely to be home
  during the day and also know family history.
• Even when using customized searches like US
  Search, you will have to weed through the
  information provided.

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Public agencies and databases

• School records
• Court records
• Birth certificates
• State clerks records (marriage certificates,
  etc.)
• Social services and health care agencies
• Law enforcement agencies
• Department of motor vehicles
• Department of corrections
• US social security administration
• Federal parent locator service
• Child support agency

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Free Internet search tools

• www.Zabasearch.com
• www.msn.com (white pages)
• www.people-data.com
• www.reunion.co
• www.peoplelookup.com
• www.usa-people-search.com
• www.411.com
• www.obitlinkspage.com
• www.myspace.com
• www.anywho.com
• www.blackbookonline.info

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When to use US Search

• You have exhausted other search methods
• No one in family knows how to reach person
• You have tried contact information and it is not
  correct
• There is a rush on the case and you dont have
  time to use the other approaches
• You have gotten permission from your supervisor
  to request the search

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What US Search provides

• A list of people who fit the information you
  submitted and contact information for each of
  them
• Recent addresses for them and names of people
  with whom they have lived
• Other names associated with this person and
  contact information for them

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How to use US Search

• Go to www.ussearch.com
• and click on community at lower right
• Type your email address and group password
• Provide information on person being searched
• Do not submit searches on children
• Use SSN when possible for best results
• If common name, add information such as SSN, DOB,
  previous address, city and/or state of residence
• Results will come within 24 hours to your email
  address, so be sure you submitted it correctly
• Submit follow-up questions or additional
  information via email, not website, or IN DCS
  will be charged for a new search.

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Getting US Search results

• Results will come to your email address, so be
  sure you submitted the correct address
• Submit follow-up questions or additional
  information via email, not website
• State pays 25 per US Search
• Contact person at US Search
• Clif Venable 310-302-6440
• Cvenable_at_ussearch.com

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Making contact with relatives

• If a call does not get results, try a letter in
  which you state your purpose and ask for family
  information.
• Emphasize mutual interest in helping the foster
  child.
• Contact both maternal and paternal relatives,
  using special care in cases involving domestic
  violence.
• Be prepared to hear complaints or bitterness
  about the child welfare process.
• Be persistent. Sometimes relatives are not ready
  to share information on the first contact.
• Ask known relatives to contact other family
  members.

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First calls to relatives

• Be clear in the first few minutes why you are
  calling
• Determine the relatives relationship to youth
  and
• tailor questions based on that relationship
• Dont ask too much of the relative in this first
  call
• If one family member is not responsive, move on
  to the next one on your list
• A call is successful even if you only get new
  information about the family

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Questions about the YCP or family finding
techniques

• Contact IN DCS permanency manager
• Cassandra A. Porter, JD
• 317-234-4211 (w)
• 317-650-6626 (c)
• cassandra.porter_at_dcs.in.gov
• Or YCP specialist for Southern Indiana
• Julie A. Deckard
• 812-895-3585 x206 (w)
• 812-830-9245 (c)
• julia.deckard_at_dcs.in.gov