News Mashup for November 2023
Self-Sufficiency For Former Foster Youth
A recent national study has shown that about 30% of transition age foster youth become homeless after aging-out of the child welfare system, and 1 in 4 of these youth end up being incarcerated. This month, ProPublica gives voice to two young women who aged-out of New Mexico’s child welfare system in 2022.
Many state governments and advocacy groups are working to improve outcomes for former foster youth with a variety of programs that move the needle on gaining self-sufficiency.
In California, for example, Governor Gavin Newsom launched two eighteen-month guaranteed-income pilot programs this month to “help level the playing field and give these former foster youth the support and resources they need to pursue their California dream.”
Specifically, the City and County of San Francisco was awarded $3,439,090 to provide 150 former foster youth with $1,200 per month, Ventura County Human Services Agency was awarded $1,538,758 to provide 150 former foster youth with $1,000 per month.
Click on the links below to learn more about these stories and other foster youth news.
Office of Governor Gavin Newsom. November 3, 2023. California launches first state-funded guaranteed income pilot programs. State of California [Press Release]. Retrieved November 23, 2023 from https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/11/03/launch-of-first-state-funded-guaranteed-income-pilot-programs.
Kitra Cahana, Ed Williams, and Kitra Cahana November 6, 2023. Here’s what can happen when kids age out of foster care. ProPublica. Retrieved November 30, 2023 from https://www.propublica.org/article/when-kids-age-out-of-foster-care-new-mexico.
Karen Brooks Harper. November 6, 2023. Sex trafficking, drugs and assault: Texas foster kids and caseworkers face chaos in rental houses and hotels. The Texas Tribune. Retrieved November 30, 2023 from https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/06/texas-foster-kids-cwop/.
Rebecca Corey. November 8, 2023. More than 1 in 4 kids in U.S. child welfare system prescribed psychotropic medication, study finds. Yahoo!life. Retrieved November 30,2023 from https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/more-than-1-in-4-kids-in-us-child-welfare-system-prescribed-psychotropic-medication-study-162607997.html.
John Farnam, DJ Summers, Cole Anderson. November 14, 2023. Untapped potential: Economic costs of Colorado’s foster youth. Common Sense Institute. Retrieved November 30, 2023 from https://commonsenseinstituteco.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/COFosterCare.pdf.
Pranita Mainali, Ramu Vadukapuram, Chintan Trivedi, Wali Yousufzai, Zeeshan Mansuri and Shailesh Bobby Jain. November 21, 2023. Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among children and adolescents in child welfare custody admitted to the hospital: A nationwide inpatient sample analysis. Psychiatrist.com. Retrieved November 30, 2023 from https://www.psychiatrist.com/pcc/prevalence-psychiatric-disorders-among-children-adolescents-child-welfare-custody-admitted-hospital-nationwide-inpatient-sample-analysis/.
Belinda Luscombe. November 22, 2023. Millions of kids have been taken in by relatives: Soon those families could get paid. Time. Retrieved November 30, 2023 from https://time.com/6338306/foster-care-kinship-caregivers-rule/.
Blaise Mesa. November 28, 2023. A 15-year-old killed himself in Kansas foster care, underscoring a shortfall of mental health care. NPR-KCUR. Retrieved November 30, 2023 from https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-11-28/a-15-year-old-killed-himself-in-kansas-foster-care-underscoring-a-shortfall-of-mental-health-care.
Fowler PJ, Marcal KE, Zhang J, Day O, Landsverk J. Homelessness and aging out of foster care: A national comparison of child welfare-involved adolescents. June 2017. Child Youth Services Review. Retrieved November 30, 2023 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29056803/.
Leveraging Medicaid To Meet Complex Mental Health Needs
This month, Manatt Health released a report outlining ways in which state policy-makers can optimize Medicaid and CHIP resources to better serve youth with complex mental health needs. The report, which was supported by The Commonwealth Fund, provides actionable strategies that “are rooted in a family- and community-based approach that recognizes children and youth fare best when treated in the context of their families (broadly defined) and communities, as well as when interventions build on their strengths and maximize their choices and autonomy.”
Click on the link below to learn more.
Jocelyn Guyer, Sheamekah Williams, John O’Brien, Gina Rogari, and Michaiah Parker. November 2, 2023. Leveraging Medicaid to support children and youth living with complex behavioral health needs. Manatt Health. Retrieved November 30, 2023 from https://www.manatt.com/Manatt/media/Documents/Articles/The-Commonwealth-Fund-Report_2023-11_c.pdf.
More Stories in November: Her daughter stopped going to school because of anxiety: Now Lauri Hornik helps other kids — through books People Magazine — 11.05.2023; School connectedness and mental health among Black adolescents Journal of Youth and Adolescence — 11.08.2023; The state of girls’ mental health and self-confidence, in charts Education Week — 11.09.2023; Analysis: California Is rationing care for people with disabilities: it’s indefensible, but here’s a solution California Health Report — 11.14.2023; How racism affects the mental health of Black youth Time — 11.14.2023; Universities pushed to address mental health concerns on campus after student suicides NPR —11.15.2023; More than 1 in 10 pediatric ambulance runs are for mental health emergencies, finds study Medical Xpress — 11.16.2023; The pandemic disrupted adolescent brain development Scientific American — 11.17.2023; 6 stats you need to know about LGBTQ+ youth mental health KTVA — 11.17.2023; Republican candidates are talking about mental health. Is there room for bipartisanship? USA Today — 11.17.2023; Tribute to Rosalynn Carter, a tireless voice for mental health MindSite News — 11.21.2023; The relationship between harsh parenting and adolescent depression Nature Scientific Reports — 11.24.2023; Biden Administration to overhaul welfare following ProPublica reporting ProPublica 11.28.2023; Suicide deaths reached a record high in the US in 2022, despite hopeful decreases among children and young adults WSILTV — 11.28.2023; Analysis: Flipping the script on teaching neurodivergent students — and the implications for all learners LA School Report — 11.29.2023;
