2024 Community Cafe Summary by flchildren

Community Café Forum Community Café Forum

“Rise and Thrive”

WRITTEN BY:

DR.

NELLIUS-GUTHRIE

FCCEVP&Chief

InnovationsOfficer

PUBLISHED BY:

2024 FCC Conference Community Café Forums Executive Summary

I N T R O D U C T I O N

On July 21-23, 2024, the Florida Coalition for Children (FCC) convened its fourth annual series of Community Café Forums at its “Rise and Thrive” Conference event. The Cafés engaged over 390 individuals from across the statewide community of practice who actively participated in setting strategic direction for 2024-2025

The FCC Community Café priorities were established by the FCC members in 2021 and have been carried out over the past four years. The work has advanced significantly with several milestones achieved since inception. For more details and historical background please refer to the 2021 Executive Summary, the 2022 Executive Summary, and the 2023 Executive Summary

Each respective Community Café was co-facilitated by a team of subject matter experts, and individuals with lived expertise.

All Café Forums were centered around one of the four defined priority areas using data, research, content, and the experience of those who have been entrenched in the work and possess lived expertise within the system. Each of the groups discussed the following questions for dialogue and reflection.

Where are we as a state regarding the topic of the respective Café?

What is our collective vision of the future state regarding the topic? What strategies, tactics, and innovations do we need to employ over the coming year to realize and achieve our vision?

In the spirit of inclusion, collaboration, and collective impact, the FCC has adopted the Community Café Forum process to maintain a pulse on the ever-changing landscape of child and family well-being across the state of Florida. This enables the community of practice to annually review key priorities and goals, report progress and results, and realign strategic direction to co-create and design a pathway toward the future collectively envisioned.

To continue the work accomplished in the Community Café space in 2021-2023, the FCC hosted its fourth annual Community Café Forum in July 2024. The 2024 Cafés were attended by over 390 youth, parents, system professionals, and partners. Each Café facilitation team reported on the progress toward the 2023 goals and recommendations and focused on the identification of strategies, next steps, measurable results, and newly proposed recommendations moving into the future.

The 2024 Cafés included:

Families First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA)

Parent (with Lived Expertise) Leadership and Advisory Council Development

Workforce Innovation

Youth (with Lived Expertise) Leadership

Family First Prevention Services Act Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) (FFPSA)

Café Facilitator Team: Brena Slater, Café Facilitator Team: Brena Slater, Safe Children Coalition, and Irene Safe Children Coalition, and Irene Rickus, Children’s Home Network Rickus, Children’s Home Network

Overview of the Community Café:

The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) is one of the most significant child welfare finance reforms to occur in decades. Upon the passage of FFPSA over six years ago, the FCC, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and statewide stakeholders began planning for the implementation and adoption of FFPSA in the state of Florida and have carried out the work since that time.

During the initial planning and implementation phase of FFPSA, the FCC alongside of DCF co-convened the Statewide FFPSA Steering Committee. (The Florida Family First Prevention Plan can be found HERE).

The 2024 FFPSA Community Café facilitators conducted a retrospective strategy session to assess where we are as a state to identify existing gaps, needs, and proposed strategies that will advance practice and address barriers to align efforts with the original vision and intent as codesigned by the collective. Reflection included the current state of implementation, progress made, the status of projects such as blending and braiding funding, claiming, Qualified Residential Treatment Programs (QRTPs), and Evidence Based Practice (EBP) implementation. One hundred fourteen members of the statewide community of practice attended the Café to contribute to the discussion.

Following the historical overview, the Café Forum focused on three questions that resulted in the following observations and recommendations.

Question 1: What aspects of FFPSA have enhanced the Florida Child and Family Wellbeing System of Care and why?

a. Increased focus on preventative supports and programs

Use and increase in prevention plans

Continued push for systemic change towards prevention

Prevention and diversion programs

Identification of EBPs for prevention services

Serving families before removal

b. Funding

Increased funding for evidence-based programs

Providing financial support to children and youth in care

Strategic plan to draw down Title IVE

funding (Level 1)

Family First Transition Funds (FFTA) startup funding

Enhanced funding for relatives (Level 1)

c. Quality and Accountability

Continued push to make changes based on data

Fidelity and accountability

Redefined programs

Question 2: What have been the greatest obstacles to implementation and why? What can we do to overcome them?

a. Improve communication and guidance

Lack of understanding still exists

Licensing confusion

Fidelity to planned approach and adoption of newer Federal guidelines

Consistency in DCF interpretation and application of licensing rules

DCF could provide a rubric

Confusion in general Florida Safe Families Network (FSFN), internal and external role clarification across the aisle

Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS) updates – time and training

Need to address the belief that youth have to move from non-specified setting after 14 days

“The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) was signed into law on February 9, 2018 as part of Public Law (P.L.) 115- 123 and has several provisions to enhance support for families to help children remain at home, reduce the unnecessary use of congregate care, and build the capacity of communities to support children and families.”

CAFE CAFE

SUMMARY SUMMARY

b. More efficient processes

No defined/clear process

Operational processes are inefficient and take too long Children and youth are in wrong level of care

DCF delays in packet reviews for Level I homes

Changing requirements for Level I licensing

Can feel duplicative with other services, messaging, nuanced referral process

Need funding model for enhanced service provision

Address waitlists for therapy

Therapeutic intervention at removal

The EBP Clearinghouse is too restrictive (expand Clearinghouse)

Staff turnover/costs

c. Define the path forward

Increase the number of EBPs

Address and expand placement capacity and options

Inadequate funding

Identify gaps and needs and develop a capacity-building strategy and plan (such as for youth who don’t meet the at-risk criteria but require placement in the correct Level of Care (LOC)

Level I closures to permanent Guardianship (PG) – Children’s Legal Services (CLS) inconsistencies in requirements (like signature/order)

Attachment III equals increased group care costs and at-risk service provision in spell out (CCAs) not to level stated in rule

Gaps in placement array – need increase in levels and services from Medical Foster Care, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, PD, Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) among others

Not “Grandma friendly” as expected-it has become too strict on Level 1 licensing and even though families/kin may have been caring for the children for years, the process has become too rigid and is equivalent to Level 2 licensing which has contributed to a reduction and limits prospective families from being licensed as Level 1

Challenging to find right families, getting buy in/greater service option

Motivational Interviewing (MI) frustrations

Age-based criteria prevent some families from participating without alternatives (expand Clearinghouse)

Question 3: How do you envision the future of FFPSA and what are some concrete recommendations and strategies to get us there?

I. Education and training

II. Policies and procedures

III. FFPSA Subject Matter Experts (SME)/Single Point of Access (SPOC)

IV. FFPSA consultant position to support implementation

V. Adequate funding

VI. Communication plan and process flow

VII. Consistency across counties

VIII. Expand EBPs

IX. EBP approval process

X. Expand Clearinghouse options

XI. A Collaborative process between all partners

XII. Buy-in to using attorneys during investigation and using lived experience

XIII. Focus on continuing concrete partnerships amongst stakeholders

The implementation and adoption of FFPSA is gradually progressing with incremental milestones being accomplished while working through some of the complexities associated with change of this magnitude. Shifts and changes in direction are underway as the field is awaiting clarity and direction from DCF.

The FCC Learning Community continues to support the advancement of implementation by curating and maintaining a library of FFPSA resources and coordinating EBP trainings, technical assistance, and knowledge exchange forums for the community of practice. An additional continuum of resources and support to advance the use and implementation of EBPs through the formation and establishment of the FCCF Sunshine Health MCO Learning Collaborative is currently underway.

Details can be found here: 2024 FFPSA Café Presentation Visit FCC FFPSA Resources for more information.

Parent Leadership and Advisory Councils

Café Facilitator Team: Jarred Vermillion, National Center for Innovation and Excellence, and Christina Romero, PATH

Overview of the Community Café

The Parent (PAC) Café was led by Jarred Vermillion, National Center for Innovation and Excellence and Transformation Champion at HEROES, and Christina Romero, Executive Director, PATH. Jarred and Christina co-lead the Florida Thriving Families Safer Children Parent Advisory Committee Action Team and are part of the statewide Thriving Families Initiative which is co-convened by a parent with lived expertise, Tiffany Csonka, and Patricia Nellius, EVP, Florida Coalition for Children.

There were over 65 individuals present in the Café, with a mix of parent leaders, foster parents, child welfare staff, and administrators. The session opened with an overview of the Thriving Families Safer Children initiative and the specific work of the Parent Advocacy Council (PAC) Action Team.

The Thriving Families Safer Children PAC vision was shared, “To bravely and radically honor parents as partners in and with our family serving systems throughout Florida.” The goal of the committee was also shared: “To elevate power, create shared decision making and develop parent leadership throughout our policies, practices, and family serving systems in Florida.“

“Imagine a world where parents feel empowered, communities are strong, and everyone ’ s voice is heard.”

“Imagine a world where parents feel empowered, communities are strong, and everyone's voice is heard.” That was the vision that emerged from the Dreaming Big with Families workshop. This collaborative gathering brought together parents, youth, and community members to brainstorm ideas, share experiences, and build a supportive network.

Through interactive activities and open discussions, participants explored ways to strengthen their communities and empower parents. They dreamed of a future where parents could soar on wings of empowerment, collaboration blossomed like a magical garden, and support networks shimmered like a protective force field.

One of the key takeaways from the workshop was the importance of collaboration. Attendees discussed effective ways to work together, emphasizing the value of open communication, mutual respect, a focus on justice for all, and shared goals. They also created a vision for a supportive community network, drawing inspiration from fantastical elements to symbolize strength, protection, and empowerment.

By the end of the workshop, participants had a clearer understanding of how parent voices can make a difference. They had developed strategies for building stronger relationships within their communities, and they had created a shared vision for a more supportive and inclusive future.

The Dreaming Big with Families workshop was a powerful reminder of the importance of community and collaboration. “By working together, we can create a world where everyone feels empowered and supported to authentically thrive as unique individuals and cultures in a collective.”

The Dreaming Big with Families workshop was a collaborative gathering designed to empower parents and build a supportive community network. Participants were invited to envision a future where parent voices are celebrated and valued. Through interactive activities and discussions, attendees explored strategies for collaboration, support, and community building.

Dream Vision: Participants envisioned a world where parents are empowered, partnerships thrive, and communities are united.

Collaboration Strategies: Attendees discussed effective ways to work together, emphasizing the importance of open communication, mutual respect, and shared goals. Support Network: Participants co-created a vision for a supportive community network, drawing inspiration from fantastical elements to symbolize strength, protection, and empowerment.

Past Parent Cafés Review: The workshop reviewed previous Parent Cafés, building upon past successes and identifying areas for improvement.

Primary Objectives

Understanding Parent Voices: Participants gained a deeper understanding of the importance of gathering and amplifying the voices of system-impacted parents.

Collaboration Strategies: Attendees developed strategies for cultivating meaningful collaboration among parents, leaders, professionals, youth, and community members. Community Network: Participants co-created a vision and plan for a collaborative support network that empowers all voices and strengthens the community.

The Dreaming Big with Families workshop provided a valuable opportunity for participants to connect, share ideas, and envision a brighter future. By building and encouraging collaboration, building support networks, and amplifying parent voices, the workshop contributed to creating a more inclusive and empowering community.

“The Dreaming Big with Families workshop was a collaborative gathering designed to empower parents and build a supportive community network.”

Challenges Identified in Collective Café

Limited Resources: Inadequate funding, long waitlists, and insufficient support services

Systemic Racism: Bias within the system, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities

Power Imbalance: Families often feel powerless and controlled by the system

Generational Trauma: Historical trauma and its ongoing impact on families

Family-Specific Challenges:

Lack of Knowledge: Parents may be unaware of their rights, procedures, and available resources

Forced Separation: Trauma associated with child removal and placement

Stigma and Shame: Negative perceptions and judgments faced by families in need

Lack of Economic and Concrete Supports in time of need

Housing Insecurity: Difficulty finding affordable and suitable housing

Poor Legal Representation: Inadequate legal support for families involved in the legal system

Actions

Outcomes/Vision Identified in Collective Café

Parents as leaders in their own lives and decisions

Families feeling valued, respected, and supported

Systemic Reform: Starting at the Top

Revamping the court system for more equitable outcomes

Empowerment: Lived Voice

Developing community-based support centers

Prioritizing primary prevention and community-based solutions

Family-Centered Care: Community Thriving

Personalized approaches tailored to individual families' needs

Consistent and supportive relationships between families and service providers

Increased involvement of natural supports and community resources

Advocacy: Legal, Civic, Justice, and Family Legacy

Raising awareness about systemic issues and advocating for change

Building coalitions and partnerships with community organizations

Community-Based Solutions: Investing in community-based programs and services

Supporting local initiatives that address family needs

Family-Centered Practices:

Prioritizing family involvement in decision-making

Providing culturally competent and trauma-informed care

Building trust and rapport with families

Systemic Reform:

Advocating for policy changes to improve the child welfare system

Supporting initiatives to reduce racial disparities and promote equity

Key Themes

Empowerment: Centering families as leaders in their own lives

Community-Based Solutions: Leveraging local resources and partnerships

Systemic Reform: Advocating for changes to address systemic issues

Cultural Competence: Providing culturally sensitive and respectful care

Trauma-Informed Care: Addressing the impact of trauma on families and individuals

By addressing these challenges and working towards these goals, we can create a more supportive and equitable system that empowers families and promotes their well-being.

Details on the opening presentation can be found here: Parent Leadership Café Presentation

SUMMARY SUMMARY

Workforce Innovation Workforce Innovation

Café Facilitator Team: Dr. Lisa Magruder

Café Facilitator Team: Dr. Lisa Magruder and Kristina Finch, Florida Institute for and Kristina Finch, Florida Institute for Child Welfare (FICW), and John Cooper, Child Welfare (FICW), and John Cooper, Kids Central, Inc. Kids Central, Inc.

Overview of the Community Café

On July 21st, 2024, the FCC Conference hosted a Community Café session led by Dr. Lisa Magruder and Kristina Finch from the Florida Institute for Child Welfare (FICW), and John Cooper, CEO of Kids Central, Inc. During this session, the participants broke out into seven groups to discuss questions posed by the Institute revolving around what inspired child welfare workers to begin working in the field and what has proven to be the most challenging and rewarding aspects of their work. Each breakout group was led by a facilitator who guided discussion around six questions:

1) What inspired you to join the child welfare workforce?

2) What aspects of your job do you find particularly rewarding or fulfilling?

3) What are some of the most difficult aspects of your job? How do you typically navigate those?

4) What types of support have been most beneficial to you in maintaining balance and well-being in your job? These can be personal or professional supports. (If none: What types of things do you think would help you better achieve balance and well-being in your job?)

5) In what ways do you feel valued or appreciated in your work? Are there changes you think could be made to better recognize your contributions?

6) Is there anything else we haven’t covered that you’d like to share?

Participants had approximately half an hour to share their thoughts regarding these questions with their groups and facilitator. Each table was equipped with a designated note-taker to document the group’s discussion. The Institute has compiled these

notes and found overarching themes that were brought up by each group and warrant further attention.

Results

Inspiration for Joining the Child Welfare Workforce

Purpose, Passion, and Personal Experience

In response to the first question of what inspired participants to join the child welfare workforce, most responses related to finding a personal purpose and “why” in the work. Multiple participants shared that they were impacted and motivated by interactions with children and/or families in the system or by personal experiences within the system. Participants remarked that these interactions with children in crises and experiences with families and children at risk inspired them to want to help, with multiple individuals stating they wanted to “make an impact.” Another common response was that previous jobs had exposed them to the need for child welfare workers and motivated their job transition. Further, multiple groups noted that this job was a “passion” for them. Multiple participants cited their personal experiences with the system or siblings in the system as a large contributor to their reasoning for joining the workforce.

Job Opportunity

Notably, some participants shared that they entered the child welfare field as they were looking for better career opportunities and out of necessity. Two participants shared it was “the only job I could get” leaving college. Further, one participant shared that they “never intended to stay” in the field but they had needed a job. Overall, it appears that while some individuals joined the child welfare workforce due to the availability of job openings, their reasoning for staying changed over time as they saw the impact of the work.

“Multiple groups noted that this job was a ‘ passion ’ for them.”

Rewarding Aspects of the Job

When prompted to discuss the most rewarding and fulfilling aspects of the job, a majority of workers stated that seeing the difference they made in the lives of children and families is the greatest part of the job. In fact, many participants echoed one participant’s response that “making a tangible difference in the lives of children and families” is the most rewarding part of the job. Additionally, multiple groups shared that “seeing growth” within their trainees, supervisees, coworkers, and selves was the most rewarding part of the work. One participant shared they felt particularly fulfilled through “empowering employees to take ownership of what they are doing, helping them connect with the children on their caseloads.” In regard to families, multiple participants particularly pointed out the joy over seeing parents and foster parents grow and become more responsible. Overall, the sentiment of growth in both children and families as well as within the agency staff was the primary response for a majority of groups in what they found to be the most fulfilling.

Multiple groups cited working together to achieve a common goal and being able to remove barriers for children and families to be a satisfying part of the job. Further, the idea of connection was reflected on by multiple groups in that workers found being able to connect families with each other and resources as well as building connections with coworkers and families as being a key to what makes the job all worth it. In fact, one participant stated: “The people are the reward: parents, kids, foster youths. If you’re in this, you have to find your reward in the people, even the people you work with too.” In addition, some participants noted that feeling supported by the leadership to develop further in the field and as workers was rewarding; one participant shared that having leadership that “lets you swing for the fence” and “lets you be innovative” was particularly inspiring and rewarding.

Challenging Aspects of the Job Bureaucracy and Procedures

In response to what workers found to be the most difficult and challenging parts of working in child welfare, a majority of the groups responded with saying that the bureaucratic challenges proved to be the most difficult part of working in the field and was often a barrier to helping the families. A majority of groups indicated that all the “red tape” was frustrating and that the “bureaucracy is doing a disservice to their kids because they are making it more challenging for their workers.” Furthermore, workers find that the system has “so many hurdles to care” in and of itself. One participant mentioned that they felt there were “too many hands in the cookie jar” which muddied their ability to do their job effectively. Others shared they just “do the best we can with policies and procedures by going through the channels to get it done,” but noted there always seems to be a “plateau.” Some participants noted that any change “takes too long” and implied it can be disheartening. Meanwhile, participants

displayed a sense of feeling overwhelmed by “new mandates” that can be overlooked as their plates are already too full with things to do. One particular source of difficulty for multiple groups has been navigating “legal complexities” and dealing with the courts. Various groups cited the court system as being difficult to learn and deal with.

SUMMARY SUMMARY

Workforce Challenges

Multiple groups shared that the hardest part of working in child welfare was workforce issues. For instance, some participants referenced not having enough staff and workers to get everything done as being a large challenge. Further, participants shared the challenge of maintaining their existing workforce and feeling the pressures of wanting to keep staff happy but not being able to provide much due to the budget not being “where it needs to be.” One participant noted that the budgetary restraints further perpetuated the problem of staff being overworked and morale becoming lower as they were unable to hire other workers. In addition, multiple groups cited that training and keeping those who have been trained is one of the most challenging parts of the work. One participant noted they found it particularly challenging when they had poured their resources, time, and money into training someone and after they completed training, they often left due to pay. Another group offered insight into this difficulty, stating that training “taught me how to take the test, trainings aren’t reflecting policy.” This group shared that training and preservice did not prepare them for what the job is really like.

Others noted that they found the communication within the workforce, or lack thereof, to be the biggest difficulty they face on the job. Multiple participants indicated that oftentimes there is a lack of “transparency” between colleagues; one participant indicated frustration that “everyone goes behind instead of having direct conversations. People hide behind an email or desk,” noting that these difficulties in communication were exacerbated by the increasing use of email and text rather than face to face conversations. Additionally, one participant shared that within-agency communication lacks clarity and is limited to task distribution, stating they “tell you to do something, but not how to do it.”

Another area of concern within the communication realm was advocacy. One participant shared that the greatest challenge they faced within child welfare was being able to “advocate for staff collectively,” which reflected the earlier sentiment of bureaucratic and administrative barriers creating challenges for the workers.

A lack of adequate supervision appeared to be a large challenge cited by multiple groups. Participants shared “supervisors don’t know how to be supervisors,” noting that they hardly ever saw their supervisor or received guidance from them. Multiple participants shared their supervisors lacked the “skillset to manage people” which created more difficulties for them within their work. One participant suggested that supervisors are moved up to the position without adequate training on how to do the job. Additionally, participants noted that there is no existing level of mentorship and stated they graduated from training, received their cases and then there was “no one there to guide you.”

“Multiple groups shared that the hardest part of working in child welfare was workforce issues. ”

Client Challenges

Interestingly, a smaller portion of respondents remarked on the difficulty of dealing with the children and families the system serves. Among these responses, participants noted that it is incredibly difficult to watch children who are at high risk be discharged and manage cases of those who are in particularly complex scenarios such as “cases of severe neglect or abuse, which can be emotionally taxing and distressing.” In many cases, respondents went back to referencing “not having enough time” and not being able to “fix things fast enough” to be effective. Additionally, participants mentioned the difficulty of a lack of resources and having to take more time to “build partnerships in the community, working within barriers” as a hurdle they faced in helping these families.

Helpful Supports

When asked about what supports have been most helpful in maintaining their wellbeing, participants shared that supervisor and leadership support was key. Multiple participants discussed the importance of having leadership that promotes growth with one participant stating: “as a leader you need to be able to scaffold with others” and another sharing they felt the best support is when leaders “force the growth of their team.” Notably, groups suggested that although mentorship and training is most beneficial, it is often overlooked due to senior case managers and supervisors having too high of caseloads to be able to mentor. In addition to supervisor support, participants noted that support from their colleagues was crucial, sharing that relying on their teams and leaning on each other was most helpful in promoting their well-being. One group indicated there were no existing helpful supports to their well-being and suggested increased training and mentorship as a possible help.

Feeling Valued

Although most groups were unable to answer how they felt most valued in the workforce due to time limitations, one group was able to provide responses. The group indicated that “verbal recognition” made them feel appreciated in their work as well as having opportunities to nominate people for “monthly awards.” Others cited outside opportunities “such as conferences and trainings” as making them feel particularly valued within the field. Participants also mentioned they felt valued when they received support and when there was clear “expectations of the organization for support.” Overall, participants appreciated little acts of support and transparency as well as small tokens such as snacks and water to keep them going.

Limitations

Due to time constraints, only one group was able to answer question five on feeling valued. Most groups were able to answer up until question four, however, not all were able to get that far. As such, it is important to note that not all participants were able to share their responses to all questions and consider the presented responses accordingly. The Institute sent out an online survey of these questions to all in-person participants who provided an e-mail address for follow-up. Only one individual responded to that survey and responses were in alignment with the above summary.

The Community Café presentation can be found here: Workforce Innovation Café Presentation.

CAFE

SUMMARY SUMMARY

Youth Leadership Youth Leadership

Café Facilitator Team:

Café Facilitator Team: James Minter and James Minter and Janessa Collins, Selfless Love Janessa Collins, Selfless Love

Foundation Foundation

Overview of the Community Café

This Cafe was titled Empowering Connections and included 83 individuals comprised of child welfare leaders, system partners, and young adults with lived foster care experience. The goal was to come together and explore strategies for improving the foster care system. Building on insights from the recent Think Tank Report and direct feedback from Florida youth, participants engaged in collaborative discussions focused on enhancing family finding efforts, ensuring meaningful youth engagement in policymaking, and developing truly youth-centered transition plans. The session emphasized the importance of shared power and open dialogue, with participants co-creating actionable solutions and recommendations grounded in real-life experiences.

The discussions focused on shared power, driving the collective commitment to prioritize youth voices in decision-making processes, preventing tokenization, and increasing permanent connections. Participants were challenged to continue these important conversations within their local youth councils to create lasting, positive change in the child welfare system.

Family Finding: How are we engaging youth in the family finding process, and how are agencies leveraging resources throughout transition planning? Feedback from youth indicates that engaging in open discussions about connections can significantly reduce their anxiety during transition planning. This approach should be a standard practice across the board.

1. Regular and Structured Check-Ins:

Family finding should be a continuous process with regular updates integrated into key meetings like judicial reviews, home visits, and transition plans.

2. Youth Involvement and Voice: Youth should be actively involved in identifying their connections and have a say in who they consider as family. Respecting their choices is critical to building trust.

3. Dedicated Resources and Specialized Teams: There’s a need for dedicated teams whose sole purpose is family finding, ensuring consistent attention and expertise in this area.

4. Enhanced Use of Technology and Systems: Leveraging technology, updating databases regularly, and adding specific features to statewide systems can improve the efficiency of family finding efforts.

5. Collaboration and Community Support: Engaging broader support networks such as schools, churches, and community groups can help identify and sustain connections that might otherwise be missed.

6. Training and Communication: High turnover rates among caseworkers highlight the need for ongoing training, ensuring that new workers understand how to handle family finding effectively and communicate clearly with youth.

7. Minimizing Trauma and Disruptions: Emphasizing stability and reducing unnecessary disruptions during the family finding process helps avoid compounding trauma for the youth.

Agencies should review their policies and procedures related to family finding and include lived experts in that process. Develop a structured check-in process with dedicated staff to engage youth in discussions about their family connections, ensuring they fully understand the available resources during existing meetings and judicial reviews.

Establish dedicated teams and resources to support family finding throughout a young person's entire journey, not just at the beginning. Emphasize that connections and a sense of belonging continue beyond care.

Implement a feedback loop with youth advisory councils, to monitor progress, revise policy/procedures, and minimize unintended harmful consequences.

Co-create a training on youth engagement with lived experts for caseworkers to improve their communication, service delivery, and youth engagement skills.

Policy and Tokenizing: We must commit to embedding lasting practices that ensure youth have shared power and direct access to decision-makers. Feedback from youth reveals that when they are appropriately prepared and empowered to participate actively in decision-making settings, where their voices are heard, they feel more valued and invested in the outcomes. Making this a foundational practice is essential for fostering authentic youth participation, avoiding tokenization, and establishing shared power.

1. Authentic Youth Voice and Participation:

Policies should be more targeted to youth experiences, ensuring youth voices are genuinely heard and respected. This involves promoting their participation in all decisionmaking settings, including court hearings, case planning meetings, transition planning, and placement staffing, allowing them to ask questions and express their emotions and perspectives freely.

2. Creating Safe and Supportive Spaces:

Establish youth advisory boards or councils as voluntary, safe spaces where youth can communicate openly and advocate for themselves. Ensure these spaces are trauma-informed to prevent traumatization and encourage honest dialogue.

3. Training and Empowerment:

Provide targeted training and mentorship to build youth capacity for self-advocacy and leadership. Caseworkers and professionals should be trained to effectively engage with youth, understand their lived experiences, and recognize their value in contributing to policy and decisionmaking.

4. System-Wide Change and Accessibility:

Create diverse, inclusive, and accessible spaces for youth participation, where they feel comfortable sharing their ideas without fear of judgment or tokenism. Ensure a wide range of youth voices, especially those who are often underrepresented, are included in decision-making.

5. Feedback and Accountability:

Establish regular, structured feedback mechanisms (e.g., surveys, youth councils) to ensure youth input is consistently gathered and taken seriously. Youth should see their feedback result in real changes, building trust and encouraging ongoing participation.

6. Policy Understanding and Education:

Simplify policy discussions and provide clear explanations so that youth understand the policy and planning processes they are engaging in. This can be achieved through targeted training sessions or regular check-ins by case managers.

“Effective communication is the key to ensuring youth understand their options, rights, and resources. ” .

Enhanced Suggestions for Moving Forward:

Facilitate Direct Access to DecisionMakers: Create regular opportunities for youth to engage with agency leaders and policymakers through roundtables, caféstyle forums, or other collaborative meetings. Youth councils at each CBC should be a focus for this.

Build Shared Power Structures: Meet with your CBC youth councils and include youth as partners in decision-making and solution building. Ensure their voices influence outcomes alongside adult leaders.

Establish Leadership Development Programs: Invest in youth leadership development to empower them to participate meaningfully in policy planning. Programs should focus on building skills like storytelling, advocacy, and decision-making, preparing youth to effectively engage with various stakeholders.

Youth Centered Transition Planning: Moving forward together requires a unified commitment to centering youth voices in every aspect of transition planning. By prioritizing early engagement, creating flexible processes, building strong networks of support, and incorporating peers as advocates, we position youth as the primary drivers of their own futures. Additionally, stabilizing case management teams and conducting a deep dive into what a 'healthy' and fully funded support team looks like is critical. This collective approach empowers not just the youth, but the entire community, leading to more successful, meaningful, and sustainable transitions.

Keys Themes:

1. Early and Proactive Planning:

Transition planning should start early, ideally by age 14, to allow sufficient time for goal setting, exploration of options, and resource alignment. Planning should be a continuous process that evolves as the youth’s needs and aspirations change, avoiding last-minute decisions.

2. Youth-Driven and Flexible Processes: We must hold ourselves accountable to ensure that transition planning is genuinely youth-led, with flexibility for youth to outline their goals, choose who attends their planning meetings, and have control over how these meetings are structured. This commitment is essential to prioritizing youth voices and preferences throughout the transition process, going beyond compliance to create meaningful engagement.

3. Building a Strong and Inclusive Support Network:

The support network should extend beyond those formally assigned to a youth's case, involving a diverse range of individuals such as mentors, community members, teachers, peers, and others—who can provide additional guidance and support. This broader network not only supports the transition process but also fosters a sense of belonging, helping youth feel connected to the world around them.

4. Continuous Communication, Clarity, and Accountability:

Effective communication is key to ensuring youth understand their options, rights, and resources throughout the transition process. This includes regular updates, check-ins, and clear explanations of services and supports, along with assigning specific tasks to all parties involved to maintain accountability.

Transition planning should include practical, hands-on life skills training that is tailored to the youth’s individual needs and future goals This training should cover essential areas such as financial literacy, housing, employment, and daily living skills, empowering youth to feel prepared and confident as they transition to adulthood.

6. Stability and Consistency in Case Management:

High turnover rates among caseworkers and other staff can create instability for youth. Ensuring stability in case management and building a well-supported, fully funded team are essential for providing consistent, reliable guidance and support throughout the transition planning process.

7. Empowerment and Preparation:

Youth should be fully aware that their transition plan belongs to them, not the system. All stakeholders involved should make it clear that the youth’s voice is the most important in these discussions, empowering and preparing them to take ownership of their transition planning journey.

8. Post-Transition Support and Follow-Up:

The support network should extend beyond the point of aging out, maintaining connections and offering resources to help youth continue their development and achieve their goals. This includes providing contact information for key supporters, ongoing mentoring, and opportunities for continued engagement.

Next Steps:

Prioritize Early and Youth-Led Transition Planning:

Begin planning well before what Florida law requires, ensuring the process is youth-led with realistic and achievable goals. Place a focus on preparation for these meeting with a young person with a supportive adult that can be their guide through the process. Allow youth to take the lead in meetings, choosing who attends and setting the structure that works best for them.

Expand Peer Support Programs:

Develop and implement statewide peer support programs that connect youth with others who have similar experiences. These peers can serve as advocates, helping to amplify the youth’s voice in decision-making processes and providing guidance and support throughout their transition journey, fostering a sense of community and shared understanding.

Empower Youth as Advocates:

Equip youth with the tools to advocate for themselves, ensuring their voices are central in all planning discussions, and create opportunities for them to engage meaningfully in decisionmaking processes.

Strengthen Communication and Support Systems:

Ensure consistent and transparent communication with youth by regularly checking in, providing updates, and clarifying options and resources. Focus on stabilizing case management and integrating support systems to provide reliable guidance throughout the transition process.

Closing:

We must move forward with a collective and unified commitment to genuine action. Engaging young people as true partners means more than asking them to share their stories on a panel; it requires acknowledging their sense of loss, recognizing their trauma, reciprocating with genuine support, and being prepared to address our mistakes that have contributed to further harm. Only by fully acknowledging these realities can we truly share power and develop informed solutions alongside those most impacted by the system.

We must critically evaluate and revise our current procedures, embrace innovative approaches such as incorporating peer advocates in transition planning, and leverage all available resources to support youth navigating the foster care system. Every young person who exits care without a connection or sense of belonging represents a failure of our system.

To improve outcomes, we must integrate these resources into our practices, ensuring that transition-aged youth are fully supported, heard, valued, and empowered. Now is the time to move from conversation to meaningful action, with a unified commitment to making these practices the core of our efforts statewide.

The Youth leadership and advocacy work is carried out year-round and supported by the Selfless Love OVI team. There is a growing number of youth and young adults who are actively engaged and a growing number of Youth Councils.

For more information visit: http://selflesslovefoundation.org/ovi/

The Community Café presentation can be found here: Youth Leadership Café Presentation.

FCC

2024 Conference

2023 COMMUNITY CAFE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: 2023 COMMUNITY CAFE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: CONCLUSION CONCLUSION

In conclusion, over 390 FCC members, stakeholders, and individuals with lived experience came together at the 2024 FCC Community Café Forums to review progress towards the goals and priorities established in 2023, and to jointly identify and set strategic direction moving into 2025. The scope of work, time and investment that has occurred over the past three years is a testament to the ability a group of people who share a common agenda have when they join forces as a community to co-create the path to making a collective impact.

A special word of appreciation goes to the Café Facilitators and their organizations for giving their time and talent to share their experience and expertise, and to the hosts, scribes, and volunteers for providing much needed assistance. The FCC is grateful for the strong and invested partnerships we share.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions or would like to learn more about how to become involved please contact patricia@flchildren.org

Dr. Patricia Nellius