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FOSTER CARE
Young
Adults Move from Foster to Dream Homes. A
recent Associated Press article highlighted former
foster youth Anita Alston, 23, and Katrina Lawson, 24,
who are the first two participants in the Jim Casey
Youth Opportunities Initiative to buy homes. The program trains participants
ages 14 to 24 in money matters - from opening a checking
account and buying car insurance to starting their own
small businesses. To read the story, click here.
In
December, the Institute for Higher Education
Policy released a report that provides
recommendations for policymakers to improve the
independent living skills program and access to mental
health care for students who are emancipated from the
foster care system. To download a
copy of the report, Higher Education Opportunities for
Foster Youth, click here.
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JUVENILE
JUSTICE
Chapin
Hall Center for Children and the Urban
Institute present Thursday’s Child: Can
Positive Youth Development Improve Juvenile Justice?
Thursday, January 19, from 9 -10:30 am at the Urban
Institute, 2100 M Street N.W., 5th Floor,
Washington, D.C. Click here for more info, or
register at http://www.acteva.com//booking.cfm?bevaID=99125.
The
Rand Corporation recently released
Accomplishments in Juvenile Probation in
California Over the Past Decade, which is a
2005 report prepared for the Chief Probation Officers of
California.
If you didn’t receive a copy of this new report,
it is available online at www.rand.org or by clicking here.
A
Philadelphia-based study on court-involved
youth recently released by the National
Institute for Justice suggests that youth often commit
crimes in pairs or groups, arguing that “co-offending”
is linked to increased risks for recidivism and
violence. To access this new report, click here.
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YTFGMatters
At YTFG, we seek to bring
awareness around and encourage dialogue about the
cross-cutting issues that often have an impact on the
lives of our nation's most vulnerable youth. We
have a special interest in
encouraging dialogue and action around
engaging youth in their own advocacy, confronting racial disparities, collaborating
across systems, and highlighting successes in the
field.
YOUTH INVOLVEMENTMatters
The Youth
Board of Michigan, with funding from the Jim
Casey Youth and Opportunities Initiative, recently
published a youth-written newsletter that advocates 15
statements of concerns cited by Michigan foster
youth. The
Youth Board represents youth from seventeen counties in
Michigan. To view
the publication, VOICE, click
here.
The
Youth Transition Funders Group Welcomes New YTFG
Fellow. Mary
Lee is the first fellow in the new YTFG fellowship
program that offers in-depth research opportunities for
graduate students interested in disconnected youth and
policy issues, while creating a learning exchange
between funders and youth leaders impacted by public
systems of care. Mary is a
24-year-old graduate of
Austin
Peay
State
University and is a
current student at the University of Memphis School of
Law. Read
More>>
CROSS-SYSTEMMatters
Youth
Advocates Meeting Discusses Progress in 2005.
Connect for Kids and Voices for
America’s
Children will host a youth advocates meeting in
Washington,
DC,
on Tuesday, January 10, from 1:00
until 3:30
pm. Topics will
include outstanding wins and notable losses for 2005, as
well as a review of what’s on the federal agenda for
children, youth, and families for this year. The meeting
has a call-in option by sending an RSVP to Filipowich@voices.org
for teleconference instructions.
Read
More>>
Release
of New Study on Disconnected
Youth. The
University
of Chicago
Press
released On Your Own Without a Net: The Transition to
Adulthood for Vulnerable Populations,
a study of The MacArthur Research Network on Transitions
to Adulthood. The volume discusses foster youth, youth
formerly involved in the juvenile justice system, youth
in the criminal justice system, runaway and homeless
youth, former special education students, young people
in the mental health system, and youth with physical
disabilities.
Click here for more
info.
Legislation in the
News. According to a December report released
by The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the U.S.
Congress budget conference agreement contains
substantial cuts aimed at low-income individuals,
including those affected by Medicaid, TANF, and foster
care “kin” placement. Read
More>>
SUCCESSMatters
Youth
advocates had some major successes in late
2005 :
By
an overwhelming vote of 353 to 62, the
U.S.
House of Representatives passed the Federal Youth
Coordination Act (H.R. 856).
This top legislative priority of the Forum for Youth
Investment and the National Collaboration for Youth is
expected to improve coordination among federal youth
programs and help to maximize the return on the Federal
investment in young people. Click here for more
info.
In
California, AB 824 and SB 436 were signed by
Governor Schwarzenegger on October 7th! SB 436 will
provide a safety net and increase the amount of housing
available for pregnant and parenting foster teens. AB
824 stabilizes housing needs for youth exiting the
foster care program by offering transitional assistance
up to age 24.The Campaign for Safe Transitions worked
hard to ensure the passage of these bills. Learn more about the Campaign for Safe
Transitions.
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 The Institute for Youth, Education, and
Families of the National League of Cities has a senior-level
position open for Program Director - Youth Development.
If you are a member of YTFG and have recommendations for an
ideal candidate, please contact Clifford Johnson at cjohnson@nlc.org
for more information. |
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SPOTLIGHT ON
FUNDERS
YTFG
Member Casey Family Programs announced
William C. Bell as the organizations new president and
CEO, effective January
1, 2006.
Read
More>>
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YTFG
CALENDAR
For regular
updates on vulnerable youth forums and issues relevant
to funders, go to the YTFG events
calendar!
Don’t
forget to check out the web-based Celebrating
Families Calendar by Connect for Kids. Click
here.
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The YTFG Action Group
Convenings are scheduled earlier than
usual in 2006. The first meeting will be held in
Miami, FL, during the first week
of April. The second meeting will be held in
Chicago, IL, in mid-October. This is a tentative
schedule. Members will receive final dates by the end of
January. Please contact Lisa McGill at lmcgill@ytfg.org if you
are an action group member and need more
information.
Are you a grantmaker interested in being an
action group member of YTFG? Materials for
prospective members are available upon request.
Contact memberservices@ytfg.org,
or be in touch with members of the YTFG steering
committee and work group
co-chairs. |
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YTFG IN THE
NEWS
YTFG Featured
in Sidebar of Special Clearinghouse
Review Issue on Youth in Poverty. “Our Commitment
to Youth,” the July-August 2005 special issue of Clearinghouse Review:
Journal of Poverty Law and Policy, is a call to
action for advocates, policy makers, and others willing
accept responsibility for ensuring a brighter future for
youth in poverty. Published by the
Sargent
Shriver
National
Center on Poverty
Law, the special issue
features a series of in-depth articles and advocacy
strategies by legal
advocates from across the nation. For more information
on how you can purchase a copy of this special issue,
please visit
www.povertylaw.org.
YTFG RSS
NEWSFEED
Can’t wait for the bi-monthly
newsletter?
YTFG
manages a weekly newsfeed, This Week’s News:
Youth in Transition, to keep you up-to-date on
issues affecting disconnected youth or those at risk of
being disconnected. Updates are
available in RSS newsfeed format on the YTFG website every Monday
under YTFG SPOTLIGHT. Please check out
the newsfeed and tell us what you
think!
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