Somerset Home for Temporarily Displaced Children
Jeffrey Fetzko, ACSW, LSW, CFRE
Vol. 6, No. 3, February 7, 2008
The Executive Director's News is published every two weeks, and is specifically written for the employees, board of trustees and friends of the Somerset Home. This issue and past issues are available on our web site at http://www.somersethome.org/main/pages/employee_newsletter.htm.
Washington DC Advocacy
Alex Ciccone, Megan Kayser, Anne Bradley Sosis, Marshall Christie and Alison Mathewson (above) and I comprised the Washington advocacy team for 2008.
This year we worked on advancing the "Place to Call Home Act", reauthorization of the "Runaway and Homeless Youth Act" and related appropriations for next year.
We also advanced a special funding request or "earmark" for our new transitional living project, My Place III (working title) which will provide housing and supportive services to youth ages 18-21 who have aged out of the foster care system and are attending community college.
Senators Kerry, Murray Introduce Bill to Address Youth Homelessness
Eases Foster Children into Adulthood, Improves Support Network
01/28/2008 -- WASHINGTON DC – Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) introduced the Reconnecting Youth to Prevent Homelessness Act, to give more support to foster families, foster children, and young adults transitioning from the foster care system into adulthood. Right now, one-fifth of foster children wind up being homeless adults.
The bill provides solutions for child welfare, temporary family assistance, and work opportunity credits. The Reconnecting Youth to Prevent Homelessness Act (H.R. 4208) is sponsored in the House by Shelley Berkley (NV-01) and has received an enthusiastic endorsement from a leading foster care advocate, the National Network for Youth.
“Every child deserves a chance to succeed in a healthy, safe environment, no matter where they grow up or who raises them,” said Senator Kerry. “This bill would help every child and young adult get a fair shot at a promising future. The status quo leaves vulnerable children behind and that is absolutely unacceptable in the United States of America.”
"This bill extends a helping hand to those who have no adult to count on," said Senator Murray. "While every homeless American deserves our respect and support, we need to pay close attention to homeless youths so that we break the viscous cycle that disconnects them from the help they need. By improving stability, targeting older youths, and making it easier to get work, this bill provides a lifeline for our most vulnerable to latch on."
"Up to three million youth annually experience homelessness in our nation,” said Victoria A. Wagner, CEO of the National Network for Youth. “Some groups of young people are at heightened risk of homelessness, among them youth involved in the child welfare system, youth who are pregnant or parenting, and youth who are unemployed. Senator Kerry's legislation will improve the prospects of homeless and other disconnected youth overcoming great odds and reaching independent and productive adulthoods. We look forward to working with him to assure passage of his transformative bill."
DCF Commissioner Kevin Ryan Resigns
Two years after he was appointed to restart New Jersey's stalled effort to fix its child welfare system, Kevin Ryan announced his resignation on January 24th, stunning child advocates who fear the reforms may lose momentum.
"I have a lot of confidence in Jon Corzine's commitment to this child welfare reform effort," Ryan said. "I've seen first-hand the strong work of the reform team over the last two years, and together that's a winning combination that can continue to succeed."
The 41-year-old lawyer said he will depart Feb. 29 to oversee philanthropic work in Newark and Africa by the foundation created by multimillionaire and Newark native Raymond Chambers.
"It's a wonderful opportunity," Ryan said of his new position with the MCJ Amelior Foundation. His title and duties are still under discussion, he said. In a letter to his staff yesterday, Ryan said that its interests include "the eradication of malaria through Malaria No More, an organization it helped create."
Economic concerns drove Ryan's decision to leave, according to two officials close to the commissioner who asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. Ryan and his wife, Clare, of Fair Haven, have six children ranging in age from 2 1/2 to 16, and they are worried about college expenses.
The commissioner is not the only top child welfare official leaving the department. Ryan's chief of staff, Lisa Eisenbud, is leaving Feb. 1 and moving to Toronto.
"There are a number of people who are hugely pivotal to the reform now and are not going anywhere in the near future," Eisenbud said. "There is a foundation to continue the work. The main thing is there is this governor and his 'whatever it takes' attitude. I think as long as he is there, we are going to be okay."
Department leaders likely to be considered for Ryan's job include Molly Armstrong, director of policy and planning, and DYFS Director Eileen Crummy, officials say.
Before becoming commissioner of the Cabinet-level department dedicated to family issues, Ryan was the state's first Child Advocate, appointed by Gov. James McGreevey to be an independent watchdog over DYFS. Among its investigations, the Child Advocate's Office highlighted the agency's blunders that allowed a Collingswood family to starve and withhold medical care from four brothers they adopted from foster care.
When Corzine won the election in November 2005, he recruited Ryan to become the troubled system's administrator.
Corzine spokeswoman Lilo Stainton praised Ryan for making "extraordinary gains under his leadership -- reducing caseloads and improving training and support on the front lines." Corzine remains "deeply committed" to child welfare reform, Stainton said, vowing to "get the highest-quality successor he can."
A prominent union leader said she'll miss Ryan's "tremendous knowledge and his sincere respect for front-line workers. "His legacy is that he gave the system credibility," said Hetty Rosenstein, president of Local 1037 of the Communications Workers of America, which represents thousands of DYFS workers in North and Central Jersey. "For the first time, people believed the reform was happening."
My Place III - Transitional/Permanent Housing
View of Raritan Valley College
Development work has begun on a new program with the working title of "My Place III". Envisioned as a program for older youth (over 18) who are attending community college, we have begun to explore program models and funding opportunities.
There are two new programs that have opened recently in the southern part of the state, similar in concept. Life Link (30 beds) and Camden Dreams (13 beds) have opened as permanent housing programs (the definition of permanent housing is two years residency) and are highlighted below.
In five years, New Jersey has moved from the state with the fewest number of transitional living program beds, to the state with the most transitional living beds (over 200). New Jersey is now recognized as a national leader in providing housing for youth aging out of the child welfare system and we have many models and experienced developers to assist us in our planning.
LIFE LINK HOMES
Robins’ Nest opens the final phase of Life Link Homes! - On October 26, 2007, Robins’ Nest opened the last twenty units of permanent, affordable housing in Life Link Homes. Life Link Homes is a permanent, affordable and supportive housing development sponsored by Robins’ Nest, Inc. Now that it is completed, this project provides thirty (30) permanent, affordable and supportive housing units three buildings. Each building consists of ten (10) efficiency apartments, each with it’s own kitchenette and bathroom. Additionally, each building will have common areas as well as a manager’s apartment. The project will provide housing for young adults aging out of the foster care system.
CAMDEN DREAMS
Dreams come true on Benson Street - Camden DREAMS, the thirteen unit permanent, affordable and supportive housing project in Camden for aging out and homeless youth, had their grand opening on Friday January 25, 2008. The thirteen young adults moved in on Monday, January 28th 2008.
As always, thank you all for your continued hard work on behalf of our youth.
