On July 24th we co-sponsored a virtual meeting to learn about Anthos Home, a non-profit organization in New York City that is transforming the process for securing permanent housing for families, including young adults leaving foster care. The Anthos Home model is based on building relationships with landlords, developing a bank of suitable apartments, and supporting voucher holders and landlords through the process. By proactively reserving and preparing housing units specifically for voucher holders, participants are guaranteed immediate access to suitable apartments.  The model has significantly shortened the time to secure an apartment while also increasing housing retention. 

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This virtual meeting was co-sponsored by Funders Together to End Homelessness and Youth Transition Funders Group’s Foster Care Workgroup.

During this virtual Foster Care Workgroup Meeting we learned about an exciting new “Adverse Placement tool” that gives states and localities the data they need to make more informed and results driven foster parent recruitment plans, with a special focus on recruitment to meet the needs of teens.
Noah Duncan at the University of Chicago's Center for Radical Innovation for Social Change (RISC):

• shared the rationale for developing an "Adverse Placement tool";

• walked us through what the Adverse Placement analysis entails; and

• provided examples of how states have used the tool to make significant changes in their recruitment process.

The adverse placement concept includes placements in which young people are not placed with kin AND also experiencing placement in group homes, sibling separations, and placements outside of a young person's community of origin.  Results can help communities develop strategies to meet the needs of all children in foster care so they never have to experience one of these adverse placements. In addition to sharing the tool, Noah was interested in hearing ideas for making it as relevant as possible to the YTFG population of interest and feedback on ways to expand its use and application in the field. 

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Join us for a virtual conversation on the importance of kinship and chosen family connections for belonging and connection for young people. This meeting is open to all YTFG members and will focus on what's needed to ensure young people have extended family and other connections to prevent systems involvement, achieve better outcomes for young people in the foster care system, and provide another permanency pathway to meet the unique needs of youth 16 and older.

We'll hear about:

• Young people who are in informal kinship placements, and the family and community supports needed to thrive.

• How multiple national organizations have come together to support states to implement federally approved kinship specific licensing standards.

• Recent passage of SOUL Family Permanency in Kansas and the promise of SOUL Family Permanency for older youth across the country.

• What foundations can do to further support kinship connections for young people.

Speakers:

• Jaia Lent, Generations United

• Jamarl Clark, Generations United

• Patty Chin, Annie E. Casey Foundation

If you have questions for our speakers about kinship related issues that you'd like us to cover, please send them in advance to Jennifer Miller.

Join us on February 6 at 3 pm EST / 12 pm PST for the first quarterly meeting of 2024, which will highlight strategies to address the ongoing youth homelessness crisis through cross system, upstream approaches. 

We’ll be joined by Sheila Babb Anderson of the Campion Advocacy Fund, who will share what’s been learned about addressing youth homeless before it occurs, as well as new opportunities to help bring prevention efforts together, fuel the movement, and drive greater public investments in prevention across the country and in certain regions. Sheila will also discuss the Preventing Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program Act which Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) plans to introduce this year. This meeting is open to all YTFG members.