Updates on policies for foster youth.

From Policy to
Practice:
Making the
Local Control
Funding
Formula Work
for Foster
Youth
Earlier thismonth,
eight
organizations
called on State
Board of
Education
President Michael
Kirst and
Education
Superintendent
Tom Torlakson to
enact a seriesof
measuresthat
would ensure that
recent changes in
how California
fundspublic
education benefit
children and youth
in foster care. As
many following the
issue are aware,
California recently
adopted a policy
to include foster
youth asone of
three at-risk
subgroups
included in the
local control
funding formula
(LCFF)and added
foster youth as a
subgroup to
California’s
academic
performance index
(API).

According to a
joint letter,
organized by the
National Center for
Youth Law, these
changeswill not
havethe intended
effect without
further action on
the partof the
California
Department of
Education (CDE).
First among the
recommendations
of thegroup
includes fully
implementing a
statelaw that
requires the CDE
to inform local
education
agencies(LEAs)
which of their
students are in
foster care. A
second important
action required is
modifying Local
Control
Accountability
Plan templates to
requirespecific
information about
how districts will
serve foster youth
and collaborate
with local child
welfare agencies.
To read the full set
of
recommendations,
follow this LINK.
To read recent
coverage ofthis
issue in EdSource,
follow this LINK.

News!

implementation
for youth in the
juvenile
delinquency
system remains
uneven, due to
pocketsof
misinformation
that often
prevent youth
from accessing
these critical
services.

Please join the
John Burton
Foundation on
Thursday,
November 21st
from 10:00 to
11:30 a.m. for a
web seminar to
address this
misinformation
and ensure that
youth in
California’s
juvenile
probation
system have
equal access to
extended foster
care.

AngieSchwartz
of theAlliance
for Children’s
Rights and Brian
Blalock ofBay
Area Legal Aid
will be
presenting and
will cover the
issues of
eligibility,
placement,and
benefits along
with discussing
courses of
action taken by
judges,
probation
officersand
other youth
allies that may
inadvertently
limitaccess to
extended foster
carefor youth in
the juvenile
probation
system. Most
importantly,
ample time will
be provided to
answer your
specific
questions,which
maybe
submitted in
advance or live
during theweb
seminar.

If anyone is interested

Some Wise Words !

If you stand for nothing you'll fall for everything.

Fall Semester!

Good luck everyone in your fall classes.

Hard to swollow

2 nights ago my cuzins best friend was murdered by her abusive boyfriend. He beat her to death in the middle of the street with a cinder block then just got up and drove away.  If you are in a abusive relationship please get help and get out.

http://www.koco.com/news/oklahomanews/okc/victim-suspect-in-thursday-slaying-idd-oklahoma-city-police-say/-/11777584/20664010/-/ayj2hs/-/index.html

Right on the money: Ten tips for writting a persuasive grant proposal.

1. Follow directions. "Federal proposals are very much like baking a cake," Tammy Hopper, now of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Centers, told us a few years ago. "On the Betty Crocker box, it tells you what ingredients to use, what temperature to cook your cake, and it even tells you what type of pan to put the cake in." Read the funding opportunity announcement very closely and be sure to provide exactly what it asks for.

2. Start fresh. A common mistake is pulling out last year's winning proposal and starting from there. But unless you have the reviewer's comments, you don't know why that old proposal was funded. Get the reviewer's comments and start a brand new proposal from scratch.

3. State the facts. State the problem that exists in your community and find current research to support your proposal. In cases where your organization on its own doesn’t meet all the eligibility criteria, demonstrate that you have access to resources and partners that qualify your organization for funding.

4. Translate the mission. A crucial part of your proposal is aligning your program’s mission with the requirements of the grant. Talk with program managers and work out creative ways to explain how your nonprofit will fulfill the requirements of the grant.

5. Ask questions. In the case of FYSB grants, NCFY or the grant program’s training and technical assistance provider can help you navigate the funding opportunity announcement and the grant-writing process.

6. Forego the old "team" approach. Because many staff members have information to contribute, proposals often come in without a cohesive voice. A grant reviewer shouldn't feel the proposal was written by committee. Have one person tie it all together to present a uniform tone.

7. Make it visual. Convey as much information as possible in visual form. Use logic models, graphs and bullets points.

8. Choose your words. Make your points in short, clear, jargon-free language. And avoid words that over-promise, like “unique,” “the best,” “the only”—unless they are really true.

9. Proofread, please! Although you won't lose points on paper, if the grant reviewer spots a typo, you won't make the best possible impression. Have a pair of fresh eyes review the final product.

10. Don't rush. Too many grant writers end up chasing the FedEx truck at the end of the day because they didn't allow enough time to write a good proposal. Give yourself enough time to polish your work

- See more at: http://ncfy.acf.hhs.gov/news/2013/06/right-money-ten-tips-writing-persuasive-grant-proposal#sthash.1EdK4mr2.dpuf

Just Text " BeFree" to (233733) to Connect

A new resource from the National Human Trafficking Resource Center enables youth who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation to ask for help discreetly over text message. Young people simply text “BeFree” (233733) to connect immediately with the resource center's hotline. Users communicate with trained specialists about their situation and learn about local services, all without having to speak a word. The resource center, which is run by the anti-trafficking nonprofit Polaris Project and supported by a grant from the Administration for Children & Families, added the 24/7 texting option to give youth a way to reach out when they can't talk about their circumstances safely. Some youth may prefer to text even when they are not under a trafficker’s watchful eye. For those who would rather call by phone, the hotline is always available at 1-888-373-7888. Youth workers can call or text the resource center for information about trafficking and nearby resources, or if they think they may be working with a trafficked young person - See more at: http://ncfy.acf.hhs.gov/news/2013/06/young-victims-trafficking-can-text-%E2%80%9Cbefree%E2%80%9D-help#sthash.izuVpV9g.dpuf

Some useful information

Today's words of wisdom from me to you!