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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 04101987 - 2.3 TO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS R. E. JORNLIN, DIRECTOR FROM: SOCIAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT Contra March 9, 1987 DATE'. CostaCounty APPROVAL OF COMMITTEE REPORT REGARDING NEEDS OF SUBJECT: CHILDREN IN PERMANENT PLACEMENT SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION I . RECOMMENDATION Approve the recommendation outlined in the att-ached repor_t dated March 9, 1987, received from the County Welfare Director in response to Supervisor Fanden' s proposal for a two-fold program to assist special children. II . FINANCIAL IMPACT None. III . BACKGROUND On January 13 , 1987 , Supervisor Fanden submitted to the Board a proposal in concept for a two-fold program to assist in the adoption of children with mental, physical, or emotional problems. Subse- quently, a committee meeting was held with Social Service staff, a representative from the Family & Children' s Services Advisory Committee, and staff from Supervisor Fanden' s office. It was decided that the focus of Supervisor Fanden' s proposal should be redirected to address the needs of children in permanent placement who are not adopted and who must enter adulthood without a support system. The urgent needs of this group are outlined in the attached report. A:BD.ODR; HR:cw Attachment CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: - YES SIGNATURE: - RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOAR COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON MAR t 0 158f APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER X The Board REFERRED this matter back to the Social Service Department for a report in six months on the activities and the results of ,its recruitment and refinement of the Committee's suggestions and recommendations. VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT III & IV AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. CC: Social Service Dept. (Attn: Contracts) ATTESTED MAR 10 1987 County Administrator PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF FACSAC Wo Barbara Chase) SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR M382/7-83 BY ,DEPUTY SOCIAL SERVICE DEPARTMENTCONTRA COSTA COUNTY March 9, 1987 TO: Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors FROM: R. E. Jornli Director of Social Service SUBJECT: Report on the Proposed Establishment of a Promotional Program and Scholarship Trust Fund to Benefit Special Children This preliminary report, in response to Supervisor Nancy Fanden' s proposed concept of a two-fold program to assist in the area of special children, will be brief and the response positive. A Committee meeting was held with Social Service staff, a Family & children' s Services Advisory Committee member, and staff from Supervisor Fanden' s office. This Committee decided that it would be premature to formulate a final plan at this time because the issues involved are too important; and the needs of these children, who are not reunited with their families, are dire. After much discussion, it was decided to address the needs of children in permanent placement who are not adopted and who must enter adulthood without a support system. The population has been defined and redefined. The how-to`s are still under study. These children are subject to permanent planning, which "frees" them for adoption, guardianship, or permanent placement in a foster or group home situation. Those children who are adopted have problems that are met by the adoptive parents. Those children under guardianship or permanent, long-term place- ment more often than not face nearly insurmountable problems when they reach the age of 18 years and no longer quality as depen- dents ( 3001s) in the child welfare system. Each year approximately 50 to 55 children reach the age of 18 years and are on their own. What does this mean? Gen 9c (New 3/86) Memo to Board of Supervisors March 9, 1987 Page 2 Most of those children entered the system as teenagers. Their academic abilities, for a variety of reasons, are marginal; some are behind in school. A minority are severely handicapped; they are the "lucky" ones, they can "graduate" into other systems serving the needs of handicapped adults. The majority, however, enter adulthood with few skills and few supports--emotional, familial, or financial. The most deprived are those who have spent their time in group homes. For those fortunate enough to have an attachment to a foster family, there can be emotional and familial support; financial support is difficult for many foster parents struggle to maintain their own children and other, younger foster children. Many of these children and their social workers have struggled to prepare them as best they can. Please keep in mind that while receiving foster care payments, these individuals can accumulate no more than $1,000 in assets of any kind. Two examples should help you to understand the difficulties faced by these youngsters. One young woman is now attending cosmetology school, is doing well, and is expected to complete her course of study in October, 1987 . She must put in over 700 hours and cannot work outside while doing this. She lives with an aunt who is a single parent, herself living on aid because she is ill and unable to work. The young woman, who is a dependent of the court ( 300) , will be 18 years old in June, 1987, four months short of completing her education. The social worker is currently attempting to put together re- sources so that the girl/woman can remain with her aunt and complete her education--an education that could make her self- sufficient. Without these resources, the aunt will not be able to keep her, thus forcing her out of school and into the market- place looking for a job requiring few or no skills. The second case involved a young man who was attempting to become an apprentice carpenter. In order to join the Carpenter' s Union and enter its program, he needed the basic carpentry tools-- $150. 00 worth. Not a fortune. But where could he get the money? The social worker tried everywhere without success. She then decided to get creative. The young man' s clothing allowance had not been fully spent and contained the amount needed. Since these tools were to be "worn" around his waist, it was decided that the clothing allowance remaining could be used to purchase the tools. ) j Memo to Board of Supervisors March 9, 1987 Page 3 The young man is now 22 years old and is a journeyman carpenter and quite capable of caring for himself. As a result of the above considerations, it was decided that any "concept" to develop a two-fold program of recruitment and establishment of a trust fund should be redefined in terms of addressing the needs of children in transition who are about to "graduate" from the child welfare system. The goal would be to provide some assurance that those children will become self- sufficient adults. The Committee has just begun to address the issues of recruitment of foster parents and the establishment of a much-needed fund for those children to address the broader needs that are generated while trying to establish a hold in the adult world. These needs include and go beyond educational costs but could, and should, include the needs of everyday living--first and last months' rent, basic -furniture, etc. Plans are also under way to educate the community of the need for foster homes. The education of the community around the need for foster parents and the "emancipation needs" of those children have met with enthusiastic response by Social Service staff who are eager to bring this "concept" into reality as quickly as feasible. BC:cw(A:SPEC.ED)