Welcome - are resources will be at FosterClub.org/oypr

Is the PowerPoint at the FoserClub site as well?

How will we get the campaigns going to reach the older youth?

Children’s Bureau Information Memorandum (Jan 15, 2021), https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/im-21-05.pdf

That’s a great question Courtney. Our Outreach and Planning grid provides a template for creating outreach / marketing, for these provisions which will be updated throughout the implementation period: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19AiJBdPlJxbPXfFuC0E6tTkO239G-C8Ik7R9IxLn79o/edit#gid=0

That's a beautiful sentiment. Yes, so much of this work is attributable to the example set by CYC. Lisa! You are the best.

Remember you can drop your questions into the chat!

Can someone confirm whether the supplemental funds can be used to provide services to youth in care, specifically those on extended foster care or only those youth who have exited care? The law says it cannot be used for youth eligible for/receiving Title IV.

Why is there “major flexibility” when we have advocacy groups that recommend exactly where the funds should go?

Okay, this is my answer maybe, sorry

Flexibility might be important to allow the young person to identify what they need for themselves

Or are you asking about use of Chafee and IV-E at the same time? In our state, we’ve been told that’s considered “double-dipping.”

The supplemental has exactly the same flexibility that Chafee has had since 1986.

How are most state child welfare agencies issuing direct cash assistance to eligible youth that are not currently receiving services and/or are beyond the age of 21 or 23 depending on the state?

I am also curious if states are planning to use these supplemental funds to increase direct services (staffing) for youth

It is designed for IL coordinators to use the funding for whatever a young person needs to move into independence as an adult. A prom dress to a trust fund to a cash payment and everything in between

Yes Lisa, I'm referring to whether Title IV committed youth are eligible for these additional funds or only youth who have exited care. My understanding is also that it would be double dipping

Chafee is available to youth who are current wards of the state. It is designed to serve youth as young as 14. Obviously, they would be in care so it is not double dipping. That said, why would one use this Covid-19 funding for anyone under the age of 21?

@Amanda, in addition to direct payments, yes we are looking at potentially using the funds to contract for additional staff such as service navigators to assist the youth in connecting to resources and services they need such as housing, etc.

You should use Title IV-E to do direct payments for youth under age 21 and use this emergency supplemental funding for 21-26 (27th bday) that way you can maximize the funds.

Thanks @Lorraine & @Amanda: A great opportunity to also consider for service navigation is prioritizing hiring young people with lived experience being able to provide some of that service navigation as peers.

Please highlight he distinction between direct payments to youth verses the direct payment going to agencies to distribute.

Will this powerpoint be available to participants? I would love to pull from these slides in an upcoming meeting.

Thank Angel. Excellent Idea

Yes, @Rachel this powerpoint will be posted afterwards with the recording!

As we are ramping up outreach efforts to reach as many young adults as possible, does anyone have a recommendation around fraud? specifically, parents applying for the funds if they get the letter in the mail that their youth is eligible. One thing we are doing is focusing on electronic payments, but that won't stop parents from applying if they have their child's information.

That sounds like a lot of time and money to be sent to he “warm line”, like is this real change or a warm voice to promise us changes?

To Courtney - that warmline isn't something that would come from this $344 mil. It would be a repurposing of existing hotlines run by HHS. But I totally get your point for sure.

Courtney, I agree with you that we want the funds to go to the young people themselves. The purpose of the warmline would only be to expedite that. I say this as a volunteer in my role ;)

These funds exist to provide pandemic relief to the young people themselves. Nothing is more important than making that happen, and making sure that it does happen before deadline. This pandemic has not been easy on current and former foster youth.

Florida supports a portion of the funds to improve communication and outreach through a Warm Line. It's a great way to have disengaged youth speak one-on-one with peer specialists and professionals that are fully knowledgeable of ALL resources that the youth are potentially eligible for, like Medicaid and housing vouchers.

Hi, I am just catching up on that chat! Still haven't read everything... I'm the Youth Housing Assistance Program Coordinator in Illinois. We are issuing direct payments to youth who are not yet 22 until September 30, and cash assistance up to age 27

Tip #1 make meaningful organizational investments to cultivate authentic leadership within orgs across the board.

How can youth access the warm line?

Illinois' housing program distributes to vendors/landlords directly. We are instituting a separate direct payment to youth through a hotline

Is the deadline to exhaust funds September 2021

Yes, that’s currently the deadline.

We just had a meeting with our ETV youth last week and they said they need more than just direct payments. They need help finding housing, mental health, employment etc.

I believe 9/30/21 is the deadline to obligate funds and 9/30/22 for liquidation.

I thought it was Sept. 2022.

Register here for our March 10th webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYsf-ysrTMsGNz_cyeECEylooxvEdRW5iXA

So we will be funding service navigators to assist youth in maximize the funds they are going to receive and access all available community resources

Lorraine, Illinois has housing advocates who are supporting that until September for youth up to age 27.

Chafee funds have to be exhausted by 9/30/21. Increased ETV funds available through 9/30/22.

Illinois is amazing!!! Great work on behalf of youth AND families.

Thank you all! Looking forward to next steps.

That's a great idea Arielle. Housing Assistance is needed. Providing homeless youth direct payments with this additional funds is not very helpful in my opinon.

oypr@fosterclub.com

Illinois is definitely doing a lot.

Thanks

Thank you!