Somerset Home for Temporarily Displaced Children
Jeffrey Fetzko, ACSW, LSW, CFRE
Vol. 8, No. 8, April 15, 2010
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.
My Place Project Should Wrap Up Soon
The My Place garage renovation project should be completed within a few short weeks. Construction crews took advantage of the nice weather and started on the exterior of the building. Finish carpentry and painting has begun on the inside and the new siding should be up soon.
Report: Two-thirds of
older foster kids haven't completed 'life skills' course
Monday, April 12, 2010
BY SUSAN K. LIVIO
State House Bureau - Star Ledger
Two-thirds of New Jersey’s oldest foster children haven’t completed a "life skills" course that would help them to live independently and qualify for financial assistance, according to a report released Monday.
The New Jersey Child Welfare Citizen Review Panel surveyed 175 foster children ages 15 to 21 from 16 counties, as well as 241 public and private child welfare and mental health professionals and volunteers who work closely with them.
Since 2006, the Division of Youth and Family Services has allowed foster children to voluntarily request to remain under the agency’s support until they turn 21. But the survey found 55 percent of those who allowed their DYFS workers to close their cases did not understand what they would be forfeiting.
"An open DYFS case permits youth to access housing options and other services not otherwise available to them,’’ according to the report.
Neither the youth nor child welfare professionals surveyed felt the system adequately prepares the 800 foster children who leave state supervision every year for adulthood.
The majority of youth, 68 percent, said they had never completed a life-skills program, which provides instruction in financial management, cooking, housekeeping and other living skills. Yet DYFS policy requires that all foster children 14 and older be referred for life skills training.
"The vast majority of the professionals — 86 percent — reported that they believed there is an insufficient number of life skills classes to meet the demand,’’ the report said.
Lauren Kidd, spokeswoman for DYFS’ parent agency, the Department of Children and Families, said the report would be used to make improvements for aging-out teens.
"We plan to set standards that specify more clearly what a life skills course must include,’’ she said, taking into account "the differences in the youth we serve.’’
Not all of the findings revealed a bleak outlook for children "aging-out" of DYFS’ care. Nearly all the teens and young adults surveyed — 93 percent — said they had grandparents and family friends on whom they could rely for help. In addition, 86 percent reported they had health coverage, primarily through the state Medicaid program, the report said.
Susan K. Livio may be reached at (609) 989-0802 or slivio@starledger.com.
As always, thank you all for your continued hard work on behalf of our youth.
