SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 4
STARTING NOW
- Ed ucat ion 10 1: Foster ing Success in Ed ucat ion - Traum a Infor m ed Classroom s - Beat ing t he Od d s: Our Extraord inar y Yout h
A magazine of Extraordinary Families Page
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Q &A A Conver sat ion W it h Our COO, J anet Mar inaccio
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IN FOCUS Ed ucat ion 10 1: Foster ing Success in Ed ucat ion
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VOICES A Glim p se int o t he Lives of Child ren & Yout h in Foster Care
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ACTION ALERT
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE Traum a Infor m ed Classroom s
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EXTRAORDINARY YOUTH Meet Reb eca Diaz-Perez
Connect LA: Putt ing Power int o t he Hand s of Yout h
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Q&A Janet Marinaccio, Chief Operat ing Of f icer Q: Why is f ocusing on educat ional success part icul arl y import ant f or chil dren & yout h in f ost er care? A: Prioritizing education needs to start young. Beginning with our earliest educational experiences, we learn to plan, to organize, to use critical thinking skills, and learn self-agency. These are skills that are essential throughout adulthood. When we do well in school, it prepares us to do well in life. In the words of Kofi Annan, ?Knowledge is power; information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.? Q: What advice can you give t o resource parent s of ol der yout h? A: Some children and youth in foster care may have missed out on conversations that answer the question, ?What do you want to be when you grow up,? discussions about college, or any future planning, for that matter. For a young person who has lived in multiple foster homes, there is a lack of continuity, and for youth who age out of foster care without a permanent home, they're expected to make major decisions about their education or career all on their own. They often default to what they know: social worker. If you are fostering or even mentoring an older youth, talk to them about careers. Wherever you go, there is someone doing a job,
whether it?s at the grocery store, the doctor?s office, or driving on the freeway. Help them imagine the possibilities. Also, get them engaged in services in the community that are geared toward education planning and employment. Extraordinary Families?Unlimited Possibilities for Youth (UP4Youth) is one such program.
these are jobs that pay well. The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a great resource to find this information. Did you know the demand for phlebotomists (people who draw blood) is expected to grow by 25 percent, requires only a certificate, and has a median wage of $31,000? Demand for dental assistants is projected to grow 18 percent through 2024, and the Q: What are some educat ional and median pay is about $35,000. A empl oyment opport unit ies f or really interesting occupation that is yout h t ransit ioning out of f ost er expected to grow by 9 percent is care? A: There are many resources water transportation with a median and supports to help foster youth pay of $55,000. There are so many achieve their educational and opportunities, and youth should be employment goals. Whether it is encouraged to explore all avenues. through attaining an advanced In fact, we at Extraordinary Families degree, certification at a trade encourage youth to research careers school, or developing skills to move and try out different short-term jobs straight into the workforce. Funding through paid work experience is available to foster youth that programs ? such as Summer Youth significantly offsets the cost of Employment or Bridge to Work school, and youth who pursue skills programs. Given that youth in foster training in occupations that are care often end up unemployed or considered ?rapid growth? are under-employed by their mid 20s, it eligible for free tuition. The County?s is incumbent of anyone in a Independent Living Program has a care-taking role ? whether social great resource for higher education worker, resource parent, mentor, or planning, the Foster Youth teacher ? to help them discover the Educational Planning Guide. possibilities and resources available If you look at Department of Labor to them. At Extraordinary Families, statistics, there are numerous jobs that is our commitment. For further that don?t require post-secondary information on how to apply for and schooling. There are also a finance college, trade school, or significant number of growing occupational training programs, occupations that require only a contact UP4Youth Program Manager post-secondary certificate from a Isaac Casas at (213) 365-2900. Career and Technical School, and
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In Focus Focus In Educat ion 101: Fost ering Success in Educat ion
Approximat el y 40% of California?s school-age children in foster care live in Los Angeles County, the largest concentration of foster youth in California. These children represent a vulnerable cohort in our education system, as children in foster care fall far behind their peers in the general population in standardized testing and in high school and post-secondary education rates. Overall, fewer than 50% of youth in care graduate from high school, and a mere 3% graduate from college. This is not a reflection of the children in foster care, but is rather an issue with the schools and the system. A number of factors contribute to this, such as school instability, persistent low expectations and advocacy from adults in their lives, inadequate life-skills training, inadequate special education and early intervention services, and cultural insensitivities. Further, although there are laws to protect the educational rights and stability of children in care, they are not widely known or consistently implemented. The issue of school inst abil it y is significant. Children Ext raordinar yFamilies | Sum m er 20 16
lose up to 6 months of their education every time they change schools, and children in care often change schools as many as 10-15 times throughout their education. Not only is this associated with poor academic achievement, grade retention, and dropping out, it challenges children?s ability to develop and sustain supportive relationships with teachers or peers as well relationships that can be powerful contributors to the development of resilience and wellbeing. Additionally, children in care miss more school than their non-foster care peers, and they frequently experience delays in school enrollment, increasing missed opportunities to learn. Beyond school instability, approximately half of the children in care have learning disabilities or developmental delays. They also have varying levels of exposure to trauma, which often manifests behavioral or emotional challenges requiring special education services. Yet, as the Casey Family Program reported in a literature review, ?stories of foster children in special education are all too often stories of 4
In Focus unserved or underserved children, lost records, minimal interagency communication, and confusion over the roles of birth parents, foster parents, and social workers.? These children also experience more school transfers, are placed in more restrictive educational settings, and have poorer quality education plans than their non-foster care peers in special education. Addit ional l y, t eachers, school guidance counselors, social workers, and even resource parents, may not expect children in foster care to excel in school or encourage them to go to college. According to the Vera Institute of Justice, research with older youth tell us they actually have high aspirations, resent not being expected to do better, and would benefit from such encouragement. All children respond to expectations, and when expected to do poorly, they often fulfill those expectations. Whil e syst emic reform is necessary, you do not have to wait for systemic change to make real improvements, and it can begin in the foster home. To succeed in school, children in foster care need stable placements with resource families who are aware of the laws protecting their educational rights and who use this knowledge to advocate on their behalf ? resource parents who value, support, and are actively involved in their youth's education. Although biological parents have the right to make educational decisions for their children (unless the court has placed a limit on the parents?educational rights), resource parents still can and should be involved in their children?s education. Here?s how:
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Resource parent s need t o develop partnerships with their children?s teachers, parents, County Social Workers (CSW), Foster Care Social Workers (FCSW) and other key support team members. Improved communication and partnering can go a long way in supporting educational outcomes for children in care. Let the team know you are invested in your child?s education and want to help them learn. To that end, work with your CSW and FCSW to determine how much and what type of information should be shared with teachers or other school staff. This will help ensure they receive the services and support the school already has to offer them. You can also provide teachers with information on traumainformed practices, if they aren?t already familiar. Also, request teachers to notify you immediately of any concerns with behavior, wellbeing, or learning in school, and ask to be involved in parent teacher conferences and, if applicable, Independent Education Plan (IEP) meetings. Further, make certain your child is properly tested, placed in the appropriate grade, and receiving any necessary services and support without delay. At home, monit or grade and attendance reports. Help your children with homework, setting aside time everyday for homework to be completed. Don?t expect or demand perfection, but show interest in what they?re learning, offer praise, and provide guidance when needed. To that end, help develop your children?s desire and ability to read. Have books that cater to their interests accessible to them, read to them or have them read to you, limit screen time, and visit public libraries. Helping children become strong readers is one of the most important things
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In Focus you can do to improve school outcomes. Be sure to seek tutoring support as needed for reading and any other subjects. There are a number of free tutoring resources available for children in foster care. Also, talk to your children about school and what they?re learning, and try to apply what they?re learning in your day-to-day activities and conversations. Let your children know, too, you are invested in them and their education, you value education and have high (but realistic) expectations for their success ? further, that you believe in them. Finally, become familiar with the laws set in place to protect their educational rights so that you can best advocate on their behalf. For instance, Assembly Bill 490 allows for: children to stay in their school of origin regardless of the district they reside in; immediate enrollment without any of the normally required documentation, such as proof of immunizations; records to be requested and forwarded within two days; rights to partial credits (if a youth must change schools midway in a
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semester); and rights to access the same academic resources and extracurricular activities available to all students. Each school district is also required to have an AB 490 Liaison to help enforce these rights. It's a good idea to know who that person is and have his/ her contact information handy. Educat ion can be a crit ical l if el ine for children in foster care. Not only can it bolster economic success in adult life, it provides opportunities for improved wellbeing in physical, intellectual, and social domains during crucial developmental periods. Resource parents - who are with their children daily, take them to and from school, and help with homework - play a vital and perhaps one of the most important roles in whether a child succeeds in school. You can make a difference now by taking an active role in your child?s education that will last a lifetime. For more information, review these factsheets on education laws for California youth in foster care.
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Voices A Gl impse int o t he Lives of Chil dren & Yout h in Fost er Care
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Act ion Aler t Connect LA: Put t ing Power int o t he Hands of Yout h For a number of young people in foster care, the goal of finding a permanent home is never met and they transition or ?age out? of the child welfare system. Every year in California, roughly 4,000 youth between the ages of 18-21 age out of care, and over 1,000 are in Los Angeles County alone. While most youth in the general population continue to receive support and guidance from their families well into their twenties and thirties, youth who age out are expected to live independently. Without adequate preparation and support, these youth are at risk for a number of poor outcomes across several domains. For instance, roughly half will be unemployed by the age of 24, almost three quarters of young women will be pregnant by the age of 21, approximately 1 in 5 will be homeless after the age of 18, 1 in 4 will have PTSD, and about 20 - 25% will become incarcerated or involved in the juvenile justice system. Given t he compl exit y of the challenges they face, youth transitioning out of care benefit from a combination of strategies, such as increasing access to programs and comprehensive services and building supportive relationships. They often require support in meeting basic needs and developing interpersonal and life skills. Above all else, they need an awareness of the available
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services and an ability to navigate the system of resources. Ext raordinary Famil ies recent l y l aunched a new smartphone app, ConnectLA, that empowers youth to navigate the resources they need to achieve their goals. With the app, they can quickly locate nearby services for housing, employment, education, food banks, health and mental health care, childcare, legal assistance and more. ConnectLA is available for free through the iTunes and Google Play stores as a quick, one-touch download. There is no login required: Upon download, users can immediately access and use the database to find the local services they need. As Sarah Boone, CEO of Extraordinary Families, stated, ?Youth transitioning from foster care face many challenges, but getting access to local community resources is no longer one of them. If they need a place to stay, help finding a job, or directions to a nearby clinic, then ConnectLA is for them.? Help empower our youth transitioning out of care in Los Angeles County by telling them about ConnectLA. For more information, please email info@extraordinaryfamilies.org or visit our website.
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Making A Difference Trauma Inf ormed Cl assrooms Chil dren in f ost er care have complex traumatic histories, not only as a result of the abuse or neglect they experienced but as a result of their involvement in the child welfare system as well. Trauma can include removal from families, multiple foster placements, separation from siblings, prior adoption dissolutions, unwelcome moves to new schools, and much more. Advancements in neuroscience have shown us that children with such histories have altered brain development, chemistry, and activity. In times of great stress or trauma, the brain activates its primal fight, flight, or freeze responses. With repeated exposure to toxic stress, the neural pathways associated with these fear and survival responses become strongly developed, often leaving children in a constant state of hyper-arousal and the tendency to feel threatened by innocuous events. Of significance, a major study of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) by the Centers for Disease Control and Kaiser Permanente found that the higher a young person?s ACEs score, the greater the risk in adulthood of chronic disease, mental illness, and premature death. Well before adulthood, however, the effects of trauma begin to take its toll, significantly interfering with children?s ability to learn, behave, and relate to others. The l ink bet ween chil dhood trauma and trouble at school is strong, according to a 2011 study from the Bayview Child Health Center in San Francisco. In that study, a child with four or more ACEs was 32 times more likely to be labeled with a learning or behavior problem than a child with no ACEs. When a traumatized child is in a state of alarm he or she will be more anxious and less capable of concentrating, paying more attention to 'non-verbal' cues such as tone of voice, body posture and facial expressions. Ext raordinar yFamilies | Sum m er 20 16
The school setting, then, can feel like a battleground for these children: their perceptions of the world as a dangerous place sabotage their ability to regulate their behavior, and it becomes difficult if not impossible to achieve the state of calmness necessary to process information, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Overall, the effects of trauma can thwart the development of language and communication skills, undermine the establishment of a coherent sense of self, interfere with the ability to attend to classroom instructions and tasks as well as organize and remember new information, and compromise the understanding of cause-and-effect relationships ? all of which are essential to processing information effectively. It can also interfere with the capacity for creative play, which is one of the ways children learn how to cope with everyday life problems. St udent s?expl osive anger, classroom outbursts, habitual withdrawal and self-injurious behaviors are often symptoms of traumatic stress, maladaptive coping mechanisms they have developed to ?survive.? Unfortunately, educators often identify these children as their behavioral ?frequent flyers,? who take significant time away from their class instruction for behavior management. Tragically, these children are punished and often removed from the academic setting. Routinely they are suspended, 9
Making A Difference placed in more restrictive classrooms or alternative educational settings, or expelled. Their opportunities for favorable academic and life outcomes become bleak, and they are fast tracked on the school-to-prison pipeline. ?Studies show that one suspension triples the likelihood of a juvenile justice contact within that year,? according to California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye. ?And that one suspension doubles the likelihood of repeating the grade.? Posit ive out comes can be achieved with the help of trauma-informed educators and academic settings equipped to meet each child's unique needs. For many educators, simply reframing their students? behaviors as survival strategies rather than willful disobedience can create a dynamic shift in classroom interactions and behavior management. If educators approach students with ?How can I help??versus ?What?s wrong with you??they are more likely to feel safe and lower their defenses rather than react and act out or withdraw. Likewise, if educators
contemplate the question ?What has happened to this child??rather than ?What?s wrong with this child??? the answer explains the behavior, fosters empathy and compassion, and helps teachers to recognize strengths in the face of adversity rather than intentionally defiant troublemakers. Beyond a shif t in percept ion, there are simple, pragmatic changes educators can make to greatly enhance traumatized children?s opportunities to learn. According to Gabriella Grant, director of the California Center of Excellence for Trauma Informed Care, trauma is about lack of safety, and unsafe behavior is an expression of how unsafe a child feels. The focus, therefore, should be on restoring a sense of safety. According to Howard Bath, licensed psychologist and author of the article, The Three Pillars of Trauma-Informed Care, adults who are consistent, reliable, predictable, available, honest, and transparent are best able to create safe environments for children. Strategies in keeping with these attributes include the consistent use of
W elc om e N ew B oar d M em b er s Dawn Bridges is the Director of Information Technology at KTGY and has 20+ years experience in architecture and technology management, with specialties in global programs, strategy, and fiscal controls. As an adoptive parent of a teen through Extraordinary Families, Dawn is committed to addressing the educational needs of older youth in foster care, and helping them make a successful transition to adulthood and independence.
Rick Bieber is an Extraordinary Families adoptive dad, and an award winning director, writer, and producer. Rick has served as a high profile film and television executive throughout his career. In addition to running his production companies MiNDS i CiNEMA and Angel City Pictures, Rick, whose features include Flatliners, Made In America, Radio Flyer and The 5th Quarter, is responsible for over 30 television and cables movies.
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Emil y Brown is an associate at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe where she focuses her practice on complex civil and class action litigation. Emily's passion for supporting children in foster care began when she was a student at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. Through the Children?s Rights Clinic she represented children of all ages involved in the child welfare system, giving them a voice in court.
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M ak ing A Dif fMaking erence A Difference positive discipline techniques to reinforce good behavior rather than punitive techniques to punish bad; offering ?comfort zones? to students ? safe spaces where children can retreat to when overwhelmed or upset ? which can be as simple as a beanbag chair in a quiet corner; maintaining neat and organized classrooms and using predictable classroom routines with advance warning to students of any changes; providing unconditional positive regard and maintaining high expectations; and checking all assumptions and reactive tendencies about poor behavior at the door, observing behavior instead, trying to decipher possible triggers for maladaptive tendencies to avoid in the future while asking those
questions, ?what happened to this child?and ?how can I help.? Since t he ACEs st udy and continued advancements in neuroscience and our understanding about impact of trauma on learning, educators and policymakers are beginning to take notice. One of the first schools to adopt the trauma-informed approach, Lincoln High School, an alternative school in Walla Walla, Washington and the focus of a recent documentary Paper Tigers, has made outstanding progress with students, including an 85% reduction in suspension rates. Locally in Los Angeles, School Mental Health (SMH) professionals of the Los Angeles
W elc om e N ew B oar d M em b er s Roy Firest one is a 20-year advertising technology executive and a named inventor on a US Patent for Viacom. He adopted two boys through Extraordinary Families and is passionate about maintaining the high level of services achieved by the dedicated staff. As a single gay dad, he advocates for the adoption rights of all qualified families. Roy is also an active film composer and organist.
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Lisa Jordan, President of Human Solutions LLC, has been providing workforce development and disability-related services for 20+ years. A former DCFS Social Worker and fostered adoptee, Lisa brings a unique perspective to the Board. She currently serves as the President of the National Employment Network Association, and as a Committee Member of the Orange County Department of Education; Lisa also proudly served in the US Navy.
Shauna Shal om is a Vice President, Relationship Manager with Boston Private Bank. She joins the Board with over 14 years' experience in client management, and also serves as a board member for the Women?s Connection Committee and previously served on the Santa Monica Breakfast Club and YMCA boards. Her passion lies is making a difference and aims to do this in every aspect of her life. 11
Making A Difference communities are implementing practices based on the research to address toxic stress, the Every Student Succeeds Act has the potential to accelerate the trauma-informed movement in schools ?as long as the states and local school districts use their new authority and trauma-informed principles to guide reforms locally. It will also require Congress to fund the new and reauthorized programs at sufficient levels and for the Department of Education to write rules and regulations that address the academic, social, and emotional needs of all students.? Unified School District (LAUSD) support LAUSD school communities to be trauma-informed. Throughout the District, SMH educates school communities about the approach and how it can be used to promote safe and healthy schools, increase attendance, and decrease the necessity of student discipline and suspensions. Also in Los Angeles, Echo Parenting and Education, which advocates and promotes nonviolent parenting, is part of a growing community of organizations championing this change in paradigm. Each summer, Echo provides a Trauma-Informed Compassionate Classrooms training for educators, providing tools and strategies for creating safety to support all students.
Wit h much of t he current education system running counter to the needs of children struggling with trauma, however, more needs to be done. ?High-stakes testing? defining students by a test score? goes against everything research is telling us about how to help these kids,? said Jim Sporleder, former principal of Lincoln High. ?It also leads to hostile environments where extremely stressed teachers are working with highly stressed students. It?s an unsustainable situation and needs to change.? Advocates for trauma-informed schools need to actively engage with educators and policymakers at all levels to help make this change.
Not abl y, Oregon recent l y passed legislation to address chronic school absence by using trauma-informed education practices. Hopefully other states will follow suit. Perhaps of most significance, however, is the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which contains provisions and funding sources for school-based mental-health services and staff development that use trauma-informed approaches. According to ACESTooHigh, a news site that reports on research about ACEs and how people, organizations, and Ext raordinar yFamilies | Sum m er 20 16
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Our Extraord inar y Yout h Rebeca Diaz-Perez
Meet one of our ext raordinary young adults, Rebeca Diaz-Perez. Rebeca interned for Extraordinary Families' youth program and is a strong advocate for other emancipated youth and young adults. As a chil d, Rebeca was shy and nervous speaking around other people. She spent a lot of time listening to the classical and gospel music her mother played and sang along to. It was this music that sparked her imagination and led her to find a creative outlet in art as a means of self expression. At the age of 16, however, the music stopped: Rebeca?s mother tragically passed away and she was sent to live with family she didn't know. She was also separated from her two younger sisters, one having been placed in a group home and the other in relative care with her paternal family. The culmination of events threw her into a depression that worsened with the instability of her home life and schooling. In two short years, she changed schools three times. She experienced maltreatment in one home and was sent to live in another with family she again had no connection to and never grew to trust. The lack of bonding and support was evident in that family?s failure to attend Ext raordinar yFamilies | Sum m er 20 16
her high school graduation. Like so many young adul t s involved in the child welfare system, Rebeca emancipated at just 18 years old with little to no support. Searching for hope, she decided to pursue higher education at Santa Monica College (SMC) to better her chances for a brighter future. But it wasn?t easy. Rebeca struggled with transportation, health, food insecurity, and paying bills and rent. There were times she felt self-doubt, ?disoriented, stressed, and overwhelmed.? But she prayed for positive outcomes and pressed on. It was then she sought support from campus services and was introduced to the Guardian Scholars program at SMC. ?Guardian Scholars took me under their wings,? Rebeca said, ?and supported me ever since.? Guardian Schol ars is an invaluable program offered in Community Colleges and State Universities whose mission is to support the academic and personal success of youth involved or formerly involved in the child welfare system. By offering a variety of services, resources, and support, the program is pivotal in college retention and graduation amongst this vulnerable population. Rebeca?s goal is t o earn a degree in the arts from Otis College of Art and Design in pursuit of a career as a digital artist or art director. Having received outstanding academic awards and earning her way onto the Dean?s List, Rebeca is well on her way. Once reserved and quiet, Rebeca is now an outspoken and confident young woman. She hopes to be an inspiration to her two younger sisters, and that her story can help inspire others. If you are a yout h or young adul t with aspirations to to earn a college degree and have been involved in the child welfare system, Extraordinary Families can help you achieve your goals. Contact our UP4Youth Program Manager Isaac Casas at (213) 365-2900. 13
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Juliet Musso Flournoy Professor of State Government, USC Sol Price School of Public Policy Secret ary Sean Reese (Interim) Adoptive Parent & Child Advocate Treasurer Sean Reese Adoptive Parent & Child Advocate Chief Execut ive Of f icer Sarah Boone, MSW Rick Bieber Principal, MiNDS i CiNEMA, Angel City Pictures Dawn Bridges Director of Information Technology, KTGY Emily Brown Associate, Orrick
The mission of Ext raordinaryFamilies is to transform the daily lives of children and families in child welfare with innovative strategies and visionary policy reforms.
Roy Firestone Senior Director of Product, Engage BDR Lisa Jordan President & Workforce Development Expert, Human Solutions
Thank you for your support!
Brooke Kaufman Halsband Associate, Hilton & Hyland Lisa Kring, LCSW Instructor, Insight LA Shauna Shalom Vice President, Relationship Manager, Boston Private Jocelyn Tetel Vice President Advancement, Skirball Cultural Center Rosanne Ziering Entrepreneur, Activist & Philanthropist Ext raordinar yFamilies | Sum m er 20 16
155 N. Occidental Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026 info@extraordinaryfamilies.org www.extraordinaryfamilies.org
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