National Convening on Youth Permanence Addresses Needs of Older
Children and Youth in Foster Care
September 14, 2006

Contacts:
Roye Anastasio-Bourke, 203.401.6955
Marci Bransdorf, 301.257.7348
Nicole Tidwell, 202.715.0385

WASHINGTON, DC — Close to 400 child welfare commissioners, legislators, attorneys, judges, researchers, professionals, families, and youth from 41 states, Native American tribal nations, and the District of Columbia will take a close look at the barriers to finding permanent families for youth in foster care. The 2006 National Convening on Youth Permanence is set for September 14- 15, 2006, in Washington, DC at the Renaissance Washington Hotel (999 Ninth Street, NW).

The conference will look at the serious challenges to finding and maintaining permanent family connections for the more than 255,000 young people who are 11 or older and in foster care.
“Family permanence and strengthening reunification efforts for youth in care and their families is important to us at the Casey Foundation,” says Douglas W. Nelson, president of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. “It reflects our history and commitment to stability and family permanence for all children. In addition, we see the benefits of public/private partnerships in this area and community collaborations that make a difference for the children and youth in our care.”

At the National Convening on Thursday, Sept. 14 and Friday, Sept. 15, there will be numerous sessions addressing the needs of older children and youth in foster care:

THURSDAY, SEPT. 14:

9:30 a.m. -- Telling the Story: Youth Perspectives on Permanence - Plenary Session
Panelists: Lauren Frey, project manager, the Casey Center for Effective Child Welfare Practice, Casey Family Services, New Haven, Connecticut; Daniel Knapp, conference director and youth communication coordinator, FosterClub, Seaside, Oregon; Nancy O'Reilly, young adult, modesto, California; and Nadege Mardy Breeden, young adult, Norwalk, Connecticut.

10:45 a.m. -- There will be a series of small group sessions. The sessions open to the media are:

• Leadership to Implement the Vision of Youth Permanence
  Moderator: Allen Casad, Massachusetts division director, Casey Family Services.
  Panelists: Harry Spence, commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Social Services; and Mary Gambon, assistant commissioner for adoption and foster care services, Massachusetts Department of Social Services.
     
• Teaming Strategies: Building Lifelong Family Relationships for Older Children and Youth in Residential Care
  Moderator: Isabel Morales, senior project associate, the Casey Center for Effective Child Welfare Practice, Casey Family Services, New Haven, Connecticut.
  Presenters: James Beougher, director, Maine Bureau of Child and Family Services, Department of Health and Human Services; and Heather Stephenson, team leader, Maine Division, Casey Family Services.
     
• The Impact of Youth Permanence Initiatives on Reducing Racial Disproportionality and Disparities
  Moderator: Carolyne Rodriguez, Texas state strategy director, Casey Family Programs.
  Panelists: Joyce James, child protective services assistant commissioner, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services; Debra Emerson, director of policy and programs, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services; and Vickie Coffee-Fletcher, division administrator, Family Focus, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 15:

8:30 a.m. -- Reports from the 2006 National Convening on Youth Permanence Research Roundtable and Policy Briefing

• Raymond L. Torres, executive director, Casey Family Services, New Haven, Connecticut
     
• Sania A. Metzger, director of policy, Casey Family Services, New Haven, Connecticut; and
     
• Ben Kerman, director of research, Casey Family Services, New Haven, Connecticut.

9 a.m. -- Telling the Story: Effective Court and Legal Partnerships to Achieve Permanence for Older Children and Youth - Plenary Session
Moderator: Gary Stangler, executive director, Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative.
Panelists: The Honorable William Thorne Jr., Utah Court of Appeals; Robert Harris, public guardian, Cook County Illinois Public Guardian's Office; Elizabeth Fassler, litigation supervisor, Center for Family Representation, Inc.; and Jennifer Rodriquez, legislative and policy coordinator, California Youth Connection

10:15 a.m. -- Telling the Story: Working with the Media
Moderated by Judy Woodruff, special correspondent, the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer

INFORMATION ON YOUTH IN CARE
According to the most recent (2004) federal data on youth in care:

• Nearly 50 percent (255,364) were age 11 or older;
   
• Twenty percent were not living with families;
   
• Fifty-eight percent were minorities, with African Americans comprising 34 percent, Hispanics 18 percent, Native Americans 2 percent and Asians 1 percent;
     
• Service plans for many called for long-term foster care and emancipation rather than family reunification, guardianship placement, or adoption; and
     
• More than 20,000 will be left on their own with no meaningful connection to a family member or caring adult when they reach the age of majority.
     
• More than 25,000 foster youth "age out" of state care or run away every year before authorities can reunite them with their parents, place them permanently with relatives, or secure an adoptive family.
     
• These vulnerable youth lack ongoing connections to family members or caring adults. Without a lifelong committed family relationship, these young people are at high risk for negative outcomes including homelessness, unemployment and criminal activity.

Outcomes for youth who have “aged out” of care continue to be poor:

• In one study, 46 percent had not completed high school; 50 percent were unemployed; and 25 percent had experienced homelessness four years after leaving care.
   
• Eighty percent of youths did not earn enough to be fully self-supporting four years after leaving care.
   
• In another study, more than 20 percent had been arrested since leaving care and 90 percent were earning less than $10,000 a year, according to a survey of 19-year-old former foster youth from Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin.

“This Convening is an important opportunity to share ideas and articulate ways to implement new strategies that will change the way this country cares for the more than a half-million children in foster care,” said Raymond L. Torres, executive director of Casey Family Services. “Through research and on-the-ground work, we will show that family permanence for older children and youth in foster care is possible, powerful and must become a national priority.”

Longtime innovators in the field of child welfare policy and practice, the Annie E. Casey Foundation of Baltimore, Maryland, and its direct service agency, Casey Family Services, headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut, are lead sponsors for the policy briefing and the National Convening, with support from The Freddie Mac Foundation, The Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption, Casey Family Programs, Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, The Hite Foundation, The Stuart Foundation and 37 other nationally known organizations.

On-site registration is available for the media at the event location, the Renaissance Washington Hotel at 999 Ninth Street, NW, Washington, DC.

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