1. Professional Development Meeting Wednesday , April 29, Beaudry Building Room :30 Am – 4:30 pm

2. Welcome Sign In Agenda Parking Validations
Logistics ( Restroom location, …)

3. Program Updates
La Shona Jenkins, FYAP Program Coordinator

4. Denim Day is Today

5. LAUSD District Nursing Services
Othello Childress,
Field Coordinator, ESC South

6. Independent Living Program
Otho Day, Director, Youth Development Services – Independent Living Program
What is ILP? Who is eligible? What else is available?
What does ILP offer?

7. Sign In Card and Absence Reporting Procedures
Karen Timko, Specialist
Megan Brown, Interim Specialist

8. Employee Time Record hi Add all your regular hours worked
Add up your personal necessity
Add regular, illness, PN and holiday hours.
Add your paid time off (holiday)
Sign here on monthly basis
Add the total number of illness hours

9. Time Card
Make sure to complete the following information on the bottom of the time card:
Personnel No = Your Employee Number
Employee Name
Job ID = for PSA Counselors
0569 for PSW’s
Cost Center =
FD and Funct Area = leave blank
Person ID = Employee Number

10. Semi Annual Certification

11. Semi Annual Certification
Please complete the following items on the
Semi- Annual Certification form:
Period covered (January – June 2015) If you started after January please raise your hand!
Name
Signature
If you are unsure please leave blank and we will complete for you.

12. Absence Procedures 1. FYAP Secretary
When you are or plan to be absent, you MUST inform the following people prior to 8:00am that work day, or as soon as reasonably possible if you are leaving early.
1.      FYAP Secretary
Gloria Zuniga-- 
2.      Time reporter
PSA: Estefana Llano-- OR Absence Phone Number,
PSW: Sandra Jones-Seck—
3.      Your school site
4.      CC Your assigned Specialist
North and East FYAP: Megan Brown—
South and West FYAP: Karen Timko—
5.      CC Coordinator
La Shona Jenkins—
It may be helpful to CC your Lead Counselor, but this is not required. 

13. Include in your
The following information needs to be stated on your communication re: your absence:
Complete name:              -
Employee Number:          -
Date of Absence:             -
Type of Absence:             -
Number of Hours/Days:   -
Best practice is to cut and paste the above information into your , and then fill in with your specific information.

14. Why?
All the people on the may not know your specific work hours if they are different than 8 to 4:30 and if you just state “you are leaving early” at a certain time this is not clear.
There are different types of illnesses, and this needs to be clearly indicated. Examples: your personal illness or dr. appt, FMLA, illness or dr. appt. of child (kin care), etc.
Use the illness or non-illness form to see a list of all of the types of absences that can be reported.

15. Submit your absence form asap!
Your Certification/Request for Absence Form should be submitted as soon as possible upon your return to Gloria Zuniga at
Absence forms (illness and non-illness) can be found on the PSA website when you login under Pupil Services Login:

16. Counselor Spotlights
Tracey Peeples nominated by Lead Counselor – Norlon Davis, ESC South
Traci Williams nominated by Lead Counselor – Rachael Coates, ESC North

17. Traci Williams: SPOT LIGHT
Homeless Holiday Sponsor
OSB Prom Event
Traci goes the extra mile for her students!

18. Counselor Spotlights Angelica Valenzuela nominated by Lead Counselor-
Jennifer Rios-Zambrano
Dianna Armenta nominated by FYAP Counselor – Orlando Villa

19. Break Time!!!!
Please be mindful of our guest we will have a 15 minute break at this time!

20. Youth Engagement Workgroup Updates

21. Summer Camp Program Updates
April Jones, Lead Counselor, ESC West

22. Youth Council Updates Jennifer Rios-Zambrano, Lead Counselor, ESC East
Marcia Price, Lead Counselor, ESC South

23. Pinz End of the Year Celebration
Maral Sousani, Lead Counselor, ESC North
Rachel Coates, Lead Counselor, ESC North

24. The Role of the Education Rights Holder (ERH)
By Megan Brown, LMFT
Interim Specialist, FYAP
April 29, 2015

25. Who is the Education Rights Holder (ERH)?
The default ERH is the biological parent.
A court can limit a parent’s education rights and appoint a “responsible adult” or an “educational representative” to be the ERH.
IF the court is unable to appoint an ERH and the child has been referred for a Special Education assessment or has an IEP, then the district must appoint a Surrogate parent.
A child 18 or older is their own ERH.

26. Who can (or can not) be the ERH?
Who can be the child’s ERH?
Who can NOT be the child’s ERH?
Biological Parent
Legal Guardian or Adoptive Parent
Responsible Adult that is appointed by the court (could be the foster parents or a relative caregiver)
Surrogate appointed by the district (only for students in Special Education or the Special Education process)
For children in long-term foster care, (if the biological parents rights have been limited and reunification services have ended) the caregiver could be the ERH
DCFS social worker
Probation officer
Group home staff member
District employee
Employee of any agency involved in the “education or care” of the child
Anyone with a conflict of interest

27. How do you know who is the ERH?
Helpful documents:
JV-535 form designates the ERH
DCFS 1399 form: Notification to School of Pupil’s Foster Youth Status
Ask the caregiver and verify with CSW or Probation officer
Contact CLC Attorney or Public Defender

28. Empowering the Biological Parent as the ERH
Biological parents often do not know they are the ERH, because their child has been taken out of their home
If parent is trying to reunify with child (or get in- home services case closed), showing ability to address child’s educational needs can help!
Parents’ attorneys should work with their clients to and empower them to be good ERHs.
If parent unwilling or unable to act as ERH, and court limits educational rights, this hurts parent’s case.

29. What is the role of the ERH?
Stand in the shoes of the parent and make educational decisions based upon the child’s best interest
Investigate the child’s educational needs and determine whether or not they are being met
Communicate with the CSW prior to each hearing regarding the educational needs of the child

30. The ERH is the most important decision maker
The school district must afford the same rights to an ERH as to a student’s parents in making educational decisions (they act as the parent)
Only the ERH can make educational decisions on behalf of the students
The ERH’s decision is the final one- they hold more weight than the CSW, school staff, agency, group home, etc.

31. Example situations where the ERH is needed:
Whether or not a child should remain in his/her school of origin or transfer to a new school
Whether or not a child’s IEP is appropriate
Whether or not a child should graduate from high school under AB 167/216

32. The law says the ERH must be notified when:
When a school is recommending that a foster child transfer to a new school
Whether a foster child qualifies for AB 167/216, within 30 days after a child transfers into a new high school after their second year
When the child is subject to a specific disciplinary proceeding such as an expulsion hearing

33. FYAP Process for Identifying the ERH

34. Non-Emergency Situations
Process for identifying the ERH
1. Use Data-Matching List: Determine if ERH can be determined based on the information gathered from the data-matching list. The following assumptions can be made based upon the child’s service type:
Family Maintenance (FM): Youth is living with parent or legal guardian, who is their ERH.
Permanent Placement (PP): If a youth is living with a prospective adoptive parent, then most likely the caregiver is the ERH. To be sure, follow (2)-(4) below to determine ERH.
Youth 18 and older: youth are their own ERH
Family Reunification (FR): ERH may or may not be the youth’s caregiver, follow (2)-(4) below to determine ERH.

35. Non-emergency situations, cont.
2. Contact Social Worker: Send an to the social worker asking for the ERH’s full name, relationship to the child, address and phone number. Use subject “First Request for ERH info.”
If the social worker states the parent does not have a phone or current address, ask if they are visiting the child regularly and where to see if communication can be establish via those connections.
3. No response from social worker: If no response is received after 2 business days, forward original to maintain tracking and put in the subject line “Second Request for ERH info” and cc supervising social worker.
4. No response from social worker and supervisor: If no response received after 2 business days of ing supervising social worker, forward trail to with the subject “Third Request for ERH info.” The education unit will then track and ensure identification of ERH.

36. Non-emergency situations, cont.
If No ERH Appointed :
LAUSD Suggestion: If FYAP Counselor has suggestion of who may serve as an ERH, the social worker, supervising social worker, and Minor’s Attorney requesting an appointment of an ERH, and the relationship between the suggested person and the youth. If this is not a special education student, notify in that a surrogate cannot be appointed instead of an ERH.
No Suggestion: social worker, supervising social worker, and Minor’s Attorney asking for someone to be appointed that is willing and able to participate in the youth’s education. If this is not a special education student, notify in that a surrogate cannot be appointed instead of an ERH.
If ERH Inappropriate :
social worker, supervising social worker, and Minor’s Attorney explaining what the concerns are regarding the current ERH and follow above directions if there is or is not a suggested replacement. If this is not a special education student, notify in that a surrogate cannot be appointed instead of an ERH.
See FYAP Template

37. Emergency Situations Examples of emergency situations:
Potential or recent home placement or school change
Pending suspension or expulsion
Potential AB 167/216 eligibility
Upcoming IEP or special education assessment request

38. Emergency Situations Process:
For youth with an emergency issue, the social worker, supervising social worker, and Minor’s Attorney, cc’ing using the subject line “Immediate [nature of issue]; ERH Concern]
Use template to discuss what is needed
Within 24 hours, counselor should receive a response.

39. Initial Contacts Will Make Your Job Easier!
When you first start working with a foster youth,
send introductory s or make phone calls to the
youth’s:
Education Rights Holder
Caregiver (if not the ERH)
DCFS social worker or probation officer
CLC attorney and/or public defender

40. Initial Contacts, Continued…
Connecting with you will help foster youth’s ERH’s, caregivers, social workers, probation officers, and attorneys do their jobs.
Let them know you can help by providing information they need for their reports, and working with them to address the youth’s education needs and resolve problems.
Ask them to call you about any situation that affects a youth’s education … especially a potential change in placement!

41. Advocacy is Key
It is your responsibility to identify the ERH, make them aware of any concerns, and to advocate for the needs of the student! Thank you for advocating for our youth!

42. End of the Year Procedures
Sunshine Committee
Fundraising f

43. End of the Year Procedures
Make sure that all documents are completed and submitted to your lead
CAA’s
Success Plans
Progress Notes
Supplemental Forms (if applicable)
Submit time cards—fax to Gloria
Collection of Equipment
Lap Tops
Time Sheets
Last time sheets and mileage for the year are due
June 1st!

44. Updates
Sunshine Committee
Fundraising for Foster Youth

45. Birthdays for March & April
Christina Sunderraj Wilkening – 3/27
Denise Ornelas – 4/1
Valeska Cosci – 4/10
April Jones – 4/26
Karen Timko – 4/30

46. May is National Foster Care Awareness Month!
Closing Remarks
La Shona Jenkins, FYAP Coordinator
May is National Foster Care Awareness Month!