Presenter: Lauren Reicher Gordon Vice President and Director of Family Visit Programs Kidsave International

The goal of the Weekend Miracles program is to create permanent families and connections for older youth growing up in the foster care system. The Goal

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 A partnership between Kidsave and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) that connects older youth (ages 9-17) with adults who want to help them find legal and non legal permanency  It is a weekend hosting program where approved volunteer families, called “hosts,” commit to spending two days or two weekends a month with a child for one year.  Hosts develop a relationship with the youth and advocate to find the youth a permanent family. Sometimes hosts become the permanent connection.  It utilizes Kidsave’s signature Family Visit Model (FVM) which is based on best practices.

The FVM is built on the premise that once people meet older children in need, they will be compelled to help. 1.Hosting combined with activities to introduce children to the host’s circle of friends, media outreach and other community relations 2.Mentoring 3.Training and support for families and children

 It opens the door wider  Families do not have to have a home study to spend time with youth  Hosts only have to commit to weekend visits  It starts with a smaller commitment so it is not so intimidating for youth and adults  It allows kids and adults to get to know each other in a non threatening environment

 Youth ambivalent about adoption can participate without having to commit  Kids only need to be open to a connection  It provides support to families throughout the process  It creates more avenues for child specific advocacy

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10 Blanket Minute Order signed by Children’s Court judge to enable recruitment publicity Community Partnerships Host Advocacy through personal networks Social Media Online Publications Adoption Websites Kidsave Website Blogs E-Newsletter Advocacy Flyers Monthly Advocacy Events

 When referred to Kidsave at age 15:  In care 3 years  1 adoption disruption  Living in a group home  Advocacy  Kidsave featured James in newsletters and partnered with faith based and local community organizations, and foster agencies to share his advocacy flyer with prospective adoptive families  Ruben and Gerry saw the advocacy flyer for James and attended a Kidsave event to meet him  After spending three events together, James began having visits in the home  1 year later, James’ adoption was finalized, at age 17 Click to add text

 Unattached foster and probation youth between the ages of 9-17  Family reunification services must be terminated  Living in a foster family or group home  Children do not need to be open to adoption but must be open to a connection  Single youth and sibling sets  Children must be mentally and physically able to handle the program  Youth are given the opportunity to see the program in action and choose to participate

 Part of the Kidsave T.E.A.M.  Establish a relationship of Trust and Empathy with the youth  Advocate on behalf of the youth to help find an adoptive family  Mentor the youth in life skills and building self-confidence  Volunteers who are cleared and approved by DCFS  Make a 1 year commitment of seeing child a minimum of two weekends each month

 When referred to Kidsave at age 11:  Multiple disrupted adoptive matches  Failing in school  Hosting  Jennifer, host family, helped Jacob with homework, enrolled him in Karate lessons, and raised concern regarding Jacob’s foster home  When a prospective adoptive family, Alex and Gregg, became interested in getting to know Jacob, Jennifer arranged outings for the four of them to do together  Adoption  Jacob moved in with Alex and Gregg, and his adoption was finalized at age 16.  Jennifer continues to be a presence in Jacob’s life, and is one of his “all-time favorite people”

 24 years and older  Couples  Singles  Same sex couples  Families with other children  There are important considerations—prior medical/ psychiatric history, arrests (including DUI), substance abuse, etc.* (* these must be disclosed and could prevent program participation )

Orientation Meeting Kidsave Application Packet Live Scan through LA County CPR/First Aid and TB test 12 hour Host Training 3 hour Kidsave Program and Advocacy training Face-to-face visit with social worker Approval by DCFS or dually licensed FFA

 Safe, fun, child centered activities  Youth and prospective host families engage with each other  Place where children meet prospective adoptive families  Can be “open” or “strategic”  Media may attend to raise awareness on the issue of kids needing families  Youth and families complete Participation Form

 When referred to Kidsave at age 11:  In foster care since infancy  Experienced 27 different placements  Living in a residential facility, diagnosed with multiple disorders including ODD  Considered by her social worker to be “unadoptable”  Hosting  Eunice met Sari at the annual Fall Festival event, and they experienced a mutual connection while carving pumpkins  Sari transported Eunice to the next two events, spending time getting to know her  3 months after their first meeting, Sari began hosting Eunice every other weekend  Permanency  After being hosted for 6 months, Eunice moved into Sari’s home.  One year later, Sari finalized legal guardianship, and has plans to finalize adoption.

 Permanency  The only program focusing on making NEW connections ▪ Legal Permanency - Adoptions, Legal Guardianship ▪ Non Legal Permanency - Lasting Connections ▪ Transitional programs unlikely to succeed without at least one caring adult  Recruiting families the County would otherwise not have  Families want to be a part of an older youth’s life if given the opportunity and support  Alleviates pressure for families who want to move slowly

 Changed perception of social workers  Believing that older kids really can find a permanent family  Reporting improved self esteem, academic performance, and more stable placements for participating youth  Youth Empowerment ▪ Matching with a host is by mutual consent ▪ Potential for greater commitment to match ▪ For kids who don’t want to be adopted, hosts become a lasting connection

 Savings to LA County  Total achieved and Anticipated savings without expenses $4,893,633  Expense of project through 12/30/2012 $1,629,772  Achieved and Anticipated Savings minus expenses to 12/30/2012 $3,263,861

Total Served # of Connections % % 156*11070% LA Connections *Excludes youth who are on hold or who exited the program prior to being matched with a host

NEED A HOST 15 ARE CURRENTLY IN HOSTING (UNDER 18 YEARS OLD & WITHOUT PERMANENCY IN PROCESS) 15 ARE PLACED WITH HOST OR A NREFM or relative 5 ACHIEVED LEGAL PERMANENCY 31 ARE IN PROCESS OF LEGAL PERMANENCY 27 ADOPTION DISRUPTIONS 9 EXITED WITHOUT A HOST 21 EXITED WITH A HOST 33 ON HOLD 3 EXITED PROGRAM/NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THE PROGRAM 27 YOUTH SERVED186

 Volunteers who spend time with children because they have made a connection, not because they are paid.  Hosts attend Child and Family Team Meetings (CFT’s), attend IEP’s, and advocate to ensure the youth’s educational, medical, dental and psychological needs are being met.  Hosts who serve as bridge for children and adoptive families, remain connected to children during the adoption process, after adoption or, for those who are not adopted, remain connected after children exit care.  Older youth are less likely to be adopted and require greater personal advocacy.  Hosts are able to talk about the youth as someone they know and love and encourage their networks to become actively supportive of the youth.  Kidsave staff advocates tirelessly for each youth to find families.

Administrative “buy in” (Government Agency) Committed community partner Steady referral of kids Sustainable funding plan Dedicated staff and hard work A system for tracking and evaluation

GOVERNMENT Identification and referral of youth Assessment, clearances, & approval of families Preparation of kids Support to kids Matching and placement services Pre and post adoption related services KIDSAVE Outreach and recruitment Training and preparation of families Organization and implementation of events Support to families Child specific advocacy BOTH Protocol development & updating Host matching Recruitment Transportation of kids Problem solving

GOVERNMENT Identification and referral of youth Outreach and recruitment Training and preparation of families Assessment, clearances, & approval of families Preparation of kids Support to kids Support to families Matching and placement services Pre and post adoption related services COMMUNITY PARTNER Organization and implementation of events Child specific advocacy This option illustrates which roles and responsibilities could be assumed by the government versus having to contract with an outside entity. Bold indicates the role was previously assigned to the community partner

Bureaucracy Funding Transportation of kids Lack of support from caregivers Staffing Labor intensive

 “Weekend” - key word in recruitment of families  Youth do not need to be open to adoption to participate in the program  Importance of strategic events  Keeping families engaged is critical  Hosts and youth need a lot of support  It’s important to youth that hosts are not paid  Need better support services for youth  No matter how long the youth and host have been together, support services are essential upon placement

Program materials, website advocacy, and consulting available Contact Lauren Reicher Gordon

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 When referred to Kidsave at age 13:  In the foster care system since birth  13 different placements  As an African American teenage boy, statistically had the lowest probability of achieving permanency  Hosted by  (LAUREN TO EXPAND ON RELATIONSHIP, EXPERIENCES, ETC.)  Adoption finalized when Travion was 17  Graduated from high school and living and working in No. CA

 Weekend Overnight Host  Two weekend overnight visits each month  Foster Care licensed by CCL or certified by a DLFFA  Day Host  Two weekend day visits a month  No overnight visits permitted (unless approved by social worker and caretaker using Prudent Parent)

 Presentations to faith based communities, schools, businesses, local organizations  Social Media  Website  Building local partnerships  Word of mouth

Outcomes for Family Units Inquiries Attended Orientation114 (24%)221 (38%) Outcomes for those who attended an Orientation Submitted Application61 (54%)64 (29%) Trained39 (34%)44 (20%) Approved17 (15%)17 (8%) Matched with a Youth13 (11%)13 (6%)

 Licensed social worker facilitated 12 hour host training curriculum includes:  Who are the children, why they are in care, what are their needs  Who is the child’s team  Attachment, abuse and neglect, loss and grief  Strategies for managing child’s behavior  Activities including role playing  Kidsave Staff facilitated 3 hour Kidsave Program and Advocacy includes:  Roles and responsibilities of a host  What does it mean to advocate  Tools and resources for effective advocacy  Activities including role playing and opportunities to talk to a host family and youth * Those with current PS MAPP/PRIDE training are only required to complete Program and Advocacy training

Placement and Recruitment Social Workers refer youth on their caseload to DCFS Program Liaison Program Liaison discusses youth with Kidsave Program Manager, and a decision is reached whether to accept the youth Youth’s ACSW meets with the youth to discuss program participation If youth is interested, an event referral is submitted by DCFS for the next advocacy event Post-event, youth’s ACSW discusses with youth whether they would like to continue in the program, then notifies Kidsave of youth’s decision

1. Based on connections formed at advocacy events 2. If a youth and prospective host indicate a mutual interest, Kidsave provides prospective host with youth’s assessment for review 3. If prospective host states they would like to host, adoption social worker speaks to the youth about the match 4. If youth agrees to the match, an introductory meeting is set by the adoption social worker. a. Introductory Meeting: Where the adoption social worker, youth’s caregiver, youth and host meet to review everyone’s roles and responsibilities 5. Hosting begins the day the introductory meeting takes place.

Youth Date entered system Date entered program Ethnicity Age # of placements & current placement Date matched with host and/or adoptive family Academic level – graduation status Post high school educational status Families Ethnicity Age Single, married, partner Prospective adoptive family vs. host Events Attendance Family and child interest

 Government:  Program manager  Program coordinator/recruiter – 100% (4) ▪ Case load of 25 kids ▪ Case load of 30 families  Community Partner:  Program manager  Program coordinator  Program assistant  Two Program recruiters