Federal Independent Living Program Funds example essay topic

Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 Table of Contents Title Page Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2 History 4 Political Forces 8 Values 8 Programs Implemented 8 Funding 11 Intended or Unintended Results 14 Suggestions for Improvements 14 Bibliography 17 Neeley Keith Dr. Howard Social Policy April 25, 2000 Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 Introduction Before this bill was signed into law the Federal Government provided about $70 million per year to conduct programs for adolescents leaving foster care that are designed to help them establish independent living. Research and numerous reports from States conducting these programs indicate that adolescents leaving foster care do not fare well. As compared with other adolescents and young adults their age, they are more likely to quit school, to be unemployed, to be on welfare, to have mental health problems, to be parents outside marriage, to be arrested, to be homeless, and to be the victims of violence and other crimes (Cook, 1991). The need for special help for youths ages 18 to 21 who have left foster care must be recognized to understand why the passage of this bill was so important. In the majority of states, emancipation of a foster youth is not determined by readiness, but happens by statute at 18 or upon attainment of a high school diploma or GED. Research demonstrates that young people who emancipate from the foster care system experience great risk in terms of emotional, economic, and physical safety.

Like all youth in their age bracket, they are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed, with the additional burden of less educational achievement and opportunity. Youn people report that the transition to independence and expected self-sufficiency is often very rapid, sometimes unplanned for and unexpected, and results in their feeling "dumped" (Mech, 1994). To strengthen the system of support that contributes to the safety of young people emancipating from the foster care system we must: Increase early and consistent access to independent living preparation, especially opportunities for realistic practice of employment and life skills; ensure the active involvement of young people in the individual planning and decision making process that will lead to successful emancipation; increase access to emergency shelter, transitional housing, and longer-term affordable housing options; ensure that no youth is discharged to homelessness and provide support and concrete assistance, including health care, basic necessities, and formal aftercare services through age 21 (Nixon, 1998). These things listed above are addressed in bill H.R. 3443. Young people need appropriate information about the strengths and limitations of all permanency options, including adoption, legal guardianship, and other permanent living arrangement, as well as emancipation. Though many foster teens are adopted each year, emancipation to independence is the reality for many others.

Long lasting, supportive, and strong connections to family members, friends, and other adults are critical to young people's healthy development while they are in foster care and to their success in adult life. Young people report that relationships with people who care about them and are there for them consistently make all the difference in the world when they are on their own (Mech, 1994). These are some of the problems faced by 20,000 foster children who age-out of care each year. History In the early 1980's, older adolescents in foster care and young adults who had been discharged from foster care become a source of great concern to professionals in human services and to society at large. Many young people released from foster care were returning to the care of the state as adults, either through the welfare or criminal justice systems, or as residents in shelters for the homeless (Stone, 1987). At the same time, studies such as the one conducted by Westat in 1986 showed that about half of the children in foster care nationally were age 12 or older, and that many of these teenagers would exit foster care as adults who must live on their own (Westat, 1988; Stone, 1987).

Public agencies recognized the need to make fundamental changes in their programs and services for these older children, particularly in the areas of education, employment, life-skills, and decision-making. These concerns culminated in the passage of legislation creating a federal Independent Living Program in 1986. In 1987, funds were allocated and program implementation began in all 50 states. In some states, federal funds supplemented state funds that were already being directed to the provision of independent living services to older teens in foster care.

Maryland, for example, had recognized the need for independent living services for teens and begun implementing a state funded program in 1985. The Independent Living Program amended in 1990 to extend eligibility for independent living services to age 21 at state option. This extension recognizes that young people in foster care often face difficulty in making abrupt transition out of care at age 18, and that services are more effective on a longer continuum. In 1993, the Program was permanently authorized and funded at $70 million. These funds are distributed to states by formula, and must be matched dollar for dollar over the original amount allocated to the state in 1986. Federal Independent Living Program funds may be used to provide counseling, educational assistance, life-skill training, and vocational support to youth in care.

Funds were also directed to state and local independent living staff positions, staff training, foster parent training, and youth participation activities such as annual youth independent living conferences. The Federal Independent Living Program does not require states to provide specific services (other than an initial life-skills assessment), and allows great flexibility in program design. States are required to have a state plan for independent living services, and individual independent living plan for each youth participating in the program, and cooperative and collaborative efforts among agencies. Other than these basic requirements, states have tremendous flexibility in designing and delivering independent living services. Many states' independent living programs vary widely across counties and cities as well. Programs in each state vary according to how social services are administered, i. e., centrally, through a state department or social services, or locally, through a county administered system.

The presence of state Independent Living Coordinators and state-wide Independent Living Advisory Committees facilitates the sharing of program strategies and fosters consistency in program implementation. Federal funds were not to be used to provide room and board to youth participating in the independent living program; residential services or other housing assistance were provided through other funding sources. For example, in many states, residential placements and subsidized independent living services were paid through Title IV-E foster care maintenance funds or other state funds (Cook, 1991). On May 6th 1999, Congresswomen Nancy L. Johnson (R-CT), Chairman, Subcommittee on Human Resources of the Committee on Ways and Means introduced bill H.R. 3443.

The bill was introduced to assist States in strengthening and expanding programs for youth emancipating from foster care to help them establish independent living (Committee on Ways and Means, 1999). In a flurry of activity prior to adjournment, Congress approved legislation to provide additional supports to young people aging out of foster care. The Foster Care Independence Act, now recorded as H.R. 3443 was approved by the House on November 18, and then by just minutes before the Senate adjourned for the year on November 19. The final version of the Foster Care Independence Act includes language from the bill (H.R. 1802) passed by the House in June. The revised bill also has new provisions reflecting input from the Senate. On December 14, 1999, the President signed into law the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999, Public Law 106-169.

The law includes provisions relating to foster care and attached to the law are provisions that establishes new title V of the Social Security Act for providing special cash benefits to certain World War II veterans. Political Forces A number of organizations, including CWLA, the National Resource Center for Youth Development, the National Independent Living Association and the Daniel Memorial Institute supported bill H.R. 3443 and provide resources, information, training and other support to independent living programs nationwide. Groups or organization opposing bill H.R. 3443 were not found. The bill had support in the Senate and the House. The vote in the House was 427 for it and 8 opposing the bill. Values Values underlying this policy would be in support of the worthy poor.

Orphaned children have always been deemed as worthy poor and it was obvious the needs of the children aging-out of foster care have without governmental help. These children are mostly wards of the State and it is the States responsibility to care for them. Bill H.R. 3443 gives the States more flexibility and funds to assist these children, the worthy poor. Social Programs Implemented Services and programs provided through federally and state-funded independent living programs represent one part of the continuum of services and opportunities available to young people in foster care. Independent Living program services may include: Centralized state-wide activities, resources, information, and program planning available through federally funded independent living program, and implemented by the state Independent Living Coordinator and, if in place, the state Independent Living Advisory Board; Assessment, life-skills activities, training, support and case management related to preparation for independent living provided by individual case workers and independent living coordinators at the local or county level; Residential services, including foster homes, stipend boarding arrangements, supervised independent living apartment, residential group care, and apartment-based independent living programs.

These programs may also include counseling, educational / vocational assistance, case management, life-skills training, socialization, and community resource development (Cook, 1986). Most states offer all the basic services that the federal Independent Living Initiative supports: education and / or employment assistance; training in daily life skills; individual and group counseling; integration and coordination of services; outreach; and a written individual transitional living plan for each participant. The availability of these services varies widely among the states, as does eligibility for participation in IL programs. Independent living services, by law, must be available to all youth in foster care at age 16. Some states, such as New York, Maryland and Missouri, have chosen to use state funds to provide independent living services for youth as young as 13 or 14. Eligibility to receive services ends at 6 months after emancipation, which occurs between ages 18 and 21, depending on the state.

It is important to note that the majority of states are reaching only 50% of the youth eligible to receive independent living services (Stone, 1987). Completion of a high school education, and participation in higher education, are some of the strongest indicators of future ability to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency after discharge from Social Services " custody (Cook, Fleishman, & Grimes, 1991). Youth who receive support from the state (their legal "parent") up to age 21 and who participate in post-secondary education programs may be more likely to obtain living-wage employment, less likely to become pregnant as teenagers, less likely to become involved in the criminal justice system, and less likely to become homeless or join the welfare rolls after discharge. This is a fairly new public law so the effectiveness of the law is unstudied. It will be years before anyone will know if the bill helped the foster children who aged-out of foster care. It looks hopeful that the bill reaches it's goals.

Funding One of the goals for bill H.R. 3443 is to increases funds to states to assist youths to make the transition from foster care to independent living. Federal funding for the Independent Living program was doubled - from $70 million to $140 million a year. Funds can be used to help youths make the transition from foster care to self-sufficiency by offering them the education, vocational and employment training necessary to obtain employment and prepare for post secondary education, training in daily living skills, substance abuse prevention, pregnancy prevention and preventive health activities, and connections to dedicated adults. States must contribute a 20 percent state match for Independent Living Program funds.

States must use federal training funds (authorized by Title IV-E of the Social Security Act) to help foster parents, adoptive parents, group home workers, and case managers to address issues confronting adolescents preparing for independent living. States must use some portion of their funds for assistance and services for older youths who have left foster care but have not reached age 21 (Cook, 1991). States can use up to 30 percent of the Independent Living Program funds for room and board for youths ages 18 to 21 who have left foster care. States may extend Medicaid to 18, 19, and 20-year-olds who have been emancipated from foster care (Schor, 1982). Access to the new independent living funds is not contingent upon states exercising that option. The bill offers states greater flexibility in designing their independent living programs.

States can serve children of various ages who need help preparing for self-sufficiency (not just those ages 16 and over as in pervious law), children at various stages of achieving independence, and children in different parts of the state differently; they also can use a variety of providers to deliver independent living services. The assets limit for the federal foster care program was changed to allow youths to have $10,000 in savings (rather than the current $1,000 limit) and still be eligible for foster care payments (Nixon 1998). Bill H.R. 3443 establishes accountability for states in implementing the independent living programs. The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) must, in consultation with federal, state, and local officials, advocates, youth service providers, and researchers, develop outcome measures to assess state performance. Outcomes include education attainment, employment, avoidance of dependency, homelessness, non-marital childbirth, high-risk behaviors, and incarceration.

HHS must also collect necessary to track how many children are receiving services, services received and provided, and implement a plan for collecting needed information. HHS must also report to Congress and propose state accountability procedures and penalties for non-compliance. States must coordinate the independent living funds with other funding sources for similar services. States are subject to penalty if they misuse funds or fail to submit required data on state performance. $2.1 million was set aside for a national evaluation and for technical assistance to states in assisting youths transitioning from foster care. The total amount of funds authorized for bill H.R. 3443 was $140 million; however, the FY 2000 appropriation is $105 million.

Therefore, the total amount available for State allotments in FY 2000 is $102,900,000. Also, Puerto Rico will participate in Federal program for the first time, increasing to 52 the total number of jurisdictions participation in the Independent Living Programs. In line with current appropriation law, States must spend FY 1998 and FY 1999 monies in accordance with the former Section 477 provisions. No FY 1998 or FY 1999 funds may be expended for costs incurred under the new provisions implemented by Public Law 106-169.

For example, no room and board or services for children younger than 16 may be provided with funds awarded prior to the enactment of the new law. Also, amounts paid to the State under the law must be used to supplement, not supplant, any other funds available for the same general purposes. Intended or Unintended Results Intended benefits have already been discussed. They include more educated foster children who would be more employable, less foster children who become pregnant, less foster children involved in the criminal justice system and less homelessness. Unintended results may include a group of young adults that are still dependent on the state after turning 21.

This may cause more aged-out foster children to enroll into welfare rolls and cause them to feel entitled to benefits. Suggestions for Improvements More money is needed to implement these services appropriately. This would be the first change to be made. An allotment of $30,000 per child for four years would be set aside to pay university tuition. There would be a requirement that all foster children either receive a high school diploma or receive a GED by their 18th birthday and enroll in a university or vocational school. Personal and social functioning, health, education and employment are all critical areas of well-being for young people as they move toward adulthood.

The experience that result in children and youth being placed in foster care, as well as the actual experience of foster care, can create barriers to achieving well-being in any or all of these areas. Coordinated efforts on the part of policymakers, public official, caregivers, service providers, educators, community members, and youth themselves would be critical to the positive development of young people making the transition to productive interdependence. Young people who have left the foster care system say the disruptions in education due to changing placements, inadequate preparation for the workplace, lack of access to physical and mental health care, and the immediate struggle for day-to-day survival after leaving care make planning for a good future very, very difficult. To ensure the well-being of transitioning foster youth, I would: provide a continuum of support and preparation for adulthood that begins when a child or youth enters foster care and continues through the post-emancipation period; stabilize foster care placements to ensure educational continuity and achievement; increase youth involvement in the planning and delivery of services to transitioning youth at local, state, and national levels; create national and local networks of foster youths and former foster youths that will enhance overall levels of support and participation; provide opportunities for organizations serving older youth to network with each other, communicate strategies, and coordinate service delivery; facilitate greater coordination among and between national and local education, housing, health, employment, and assistance programs to better serve this population and ensure accountability through data collection on 6-24 month outcomes for youth leaving foster care and evaluation of independent living services.

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