Roundtable Overview and Materials
The Child Welfare Policy Roundtable highlights the major child welfare and foster care issues facing California, visions for systemic reform, and policy opportunities to improve the lives of our state’s most vulnerable children and youth. Co-hosted by Children Now and the Assembly Foster Care Select Committee, this monthly meeting features a panel of policymakers, practitioners, advocates and former foster youth and provides an informal opportunity to learn and ask questions about California’s child welfare system. Legislative staff, advocates, stakeholders, and the public are invited to join the conversation. For meeting information, contact Sara Fung at 916-379-5256 ext. 129 or sfung@childrennow.org.
June 2020: The Proposed Budget and Its Impact on the Child Welfare System
Legislative Analyst’s Office, lao.ca.gov
Angela Short, Fiscal & Policy Analyst, angela.short@lao.ca.gov
- No materials were provided
California Department of Social Services, cdss.ca.gov
Greg Rose, Deputy Director, Children and Family Services Division, greg.rose@dss.ca.gov
- No materials were provided
County Welfare Directors Association, cwda.org
Frank Mecca, Executive Director, fmecca@cwda.org
Alliance for Children’s Rights, kids-alliance.org
Angie Schwartz, Vice President, Policy and Advocacy, a.schwartz@kids-alliance.org
View a Recording of the Meeting Here
Panelists shared the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on:
Children and Youth Who Have Experienced Prior Trauma
Ken Berrick, CEO, ken_berrick@senecacenter.org
Seneca Family of Agencies, senecafoa.org
- No materials were provided
Transition Age Foster Youth
Angie Avina, Youth Speaker, angie@voicesyouthcenter.org
VOICES, voicesyouthcenter.org
- No materials were provided
Birth Families
Dennis Smeal, Executive Director, smeald@ladlinc.org
Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers, Inc., ladlinc.org
- No materials were provided
Caregivers
Jenn Rexroad, Executive Director, jrexroad@cacaregivers.org
California Alliance of Caregivers, cacaregivers.org
County Child Welfare System
Diana Boyer, Director of Policy for Child Welfare, dboyer@cwda.org
County Welfare Directors Association, cwda.org
- May Revise Budget Priorities in Light of COVID-19 Pandemic
- Letter to Chief Justice re: COVID-19 and the Courts: Impact on the Child Welfare Program
Providers
Josh Lepore, Psy.D., Senior Director of Campus Services, jlepore@casapacifica.org
Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families, casapacifica.org
Foster Children and Youth and Families
Rochelle Trochtenberg, CA Foster Care Ombudsperson, rochelle.trochtenberg@dss.ca.gov
Office of the Foster Care Ombudsperson, California Department of Social Services, fosteryouthhelp.ca.gov
- No materials were provided
California’s Disaster Services
Jennifer Dulay, Senior Emergency Services Coordinator, jennifer.dulay@dss.ca.gov
Adriana Flores, Senior Emergency Services Coordinator, Adriana.flores@dss.ca.gov
CDSS Disaster Services Bureau, cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/disaster-services-bureau
Sonoma County Experience with Recent Wildfires
Nick Honey, Sonoma County Child Welfare Director, honeyn@schsd.org
Sonoma County: Family, Youth and Children’s Services Division, sonomacounty.ca.gov/Human-Services/Family-Youth-and-Children-s-Division/
- Materials were not provided
The Impact of Natural Disasters on Foster Youth and Caregivers
Amber Twitchell, Director, amber@onthemovebayarea.org
VOICES, voicesyouthcenter.org
- Materials were not provided
Challenges Experienced by Youth
Kitara McCray—Youth Speaker
- Materials were not provided
The Child Welfare Disaster Response Account
Sean Hughes, Consultant, sean@socialchangepartners.com
Social Change Partners, socialchangepartners.com
Alliance for Children’s Rights, www.kids-alliance.org
Kristin Power, Government Relations Director, k.power@kids-alliance.org
- 2020 Policy Priorities
- AB 150 (Cooper): Foster Youth Education Success
- AB 1996 (Gipson): Supporting Vulnerable Older Youth and Transition Age Foster Youth
- AB 2124 (Stone): Protecting Abused and Neglected Children In Guardianships
California Alliance of Child and Family Services, www.cacfs.org
Jackie Rutheiser, Senior Policy Advocate, jrutheiser@cacfs.org
- AB 2086 (Rubio): Improving Retention of Foster Family Agency Social Workers
- Foster Children Living in Home Based Care
California Youth Connection, www.calyouthconn.org
Jordan Sosa, Policy Coordinator, jordan@calyouthconn.org
- 2020 Legislative Priorities
- AB 1858 (Rivas): California Youth Empowerment Act
- AB 2469 (Gómez Reyes): A Place to Call Home
Children Now, www.childrennow.org
Susanna Kniffen, Senior Director of Child Welfare Policy, skniffen@childrennow.org
Children’s Law Center, www.clccal.org
Julie McCormick, Policy Associate, mccormickj@clcla.org
- Children’s Law Center Bills 2020
- AB 1324 (Levine): Foster Children: Immigration Counsel
- AB 1954 (Cooley): Keeping Families Together
- AB 2005 (Levine): Supporting Transition Age Youth with Developmental Disabilities
- AB 2051 (Gómez Reyes): Maintaining Important Connections for Youth in Foster Care
County Welfare Directors Association, www.cwda.org
Diana Boyer, Director of Policy for Child Welfare, dboyer@cwda.org
- AB 1929 (Rubio): Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting, Child Abuse Reporting Electronic System (CARES)
- AB 1979 (Friedman): Achieving the Vision of the Extended Foster Care Program
John Burton Advocates for Youth, www.jbaforyouth.org
Anna Johnson, Senior Project Manager-Housing and Health, anna@jbay.org
- 2020 Priorities of John Burton Advocates for Youth
- Budget Proposal: 10% Homeless Youth Set-Aside of the California Fund for Housing and Services Solution
- AB 2035 (Rubio): Healthy Futures for Foster Youth
- AB 2880 (Ting): Preventing Foster Youth Homelessness
- SB 860 (Beall): Improving FAFSA Completion for Foster Youth
- SB 958 (Leyva): Supporting Foster Youth in Community College
National Center for Youth Law, www.youthlaw.org
Dafna Gozani, Policy Attorney, dgozani@youthlaw.org
- Budget Proposal: Expanding School Based Health Centers
- Budget Proposal: Improving the Educational Outcomes for Homeless Students Experiencing Barriers to Educational Engagement
- AB 901 (Gipson): Prevent Youth Contact with the Juvenile System
- AB 2425 (Stone): Limiting Access to Youth Diversion Records
- SB 1134 (Beall): Limiting the Amount of Time that Youth Spend on Probation
Youth Law Center, www.ylc.org
Erin Palacios, Staff Attorney, epalacios@ylc.org
Overview of the CSEC Advisory Board
Julie McCormick, Policy Associate, mccormickj@clccal.org
Children’s Law Center of California, www.clccal.org
Housing Challenges & Options for CSEC Youth
La Toya Gix, Crisis Invention Specialist, latoyagix@yahoo.com
Family Violence Law Center, www.fvlc.org
- No materials were provided
Training Needs (Who Needs Training & What Should Be Included)
Arien Pauls, CSEC Advisory Board member, arien.pauls@yahoo.com
- No materials were provided
Ongoing Criminalization of CSEC
Jessie Slafter, Mental Health Attorney and Social Worker, jessie.slafter@ebclo.org
East Bay Children’s Law Offices, www.ebclo.org
- No materials were provided
The Importance of Survivor Involvement (Developing/Implementing CSEC Policy)
Josie Feemster, Human Trafficking Case Manager, josiefeemster@gmail.com
Weave, Inc., www.weaveinc.org
- No materials were provided
California Department of Social Services, http://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/Continuum-of-Care-Reform
Sara Rogers, Branch Manager, Continuum of Care Reform Branch, sara.rogers@dss.ca.gov
- Materials were not provided
County Welfare Directors Association, www.cwda.org
Loc Nguyen, Child Welfare Policy Consultant, lnguyen@cwda.org
Youth Law Center, www.ylc.org
Lucy Salcido Carter, Policy Advocate, lcarter@ylc.org
Erin Palacios, Staff Attorney, epalacios@ylc.org
- Materials were not provided
California Alliance of Caregivers, www.cacaregivers.org
Jennifer Rexroad, Executive Director, jrexroad@cacaregivers.org
California Alliance of Child and Family Services, www.cacfs.org
Stephanie Ivler, Senior Policy Advocate, sivler@cacfs.org
Alliance for Children’s Rights, www.kids-alliance.org
Angie Schwartz, Policy Director, a.schwartz@kids-alliance.org
- Materials were not provided
California Coalition for Youth, calyouth.org
Jevon Wilkes, Executive Director, jevon@calyouth.org
Bianca Christian, Program Manager, California Youth Crisis Line, bianca@calyouth.org
- No materials were provided
California Youth Connection, calyouthconn.org
Qajiai Johnson, CYC Member, Alameda County
Jasmine Harris, CYC Member, Alameda County
Journey House, journeyhouseyouth.org
Jesse Aguiar, Beyond Foster Care Director, jhadvocates@gmail.com
- No materials were provided
Sierra Forever Families, sierraff.org
Rodanthy Souza, Member-Youth Speak Out
Aja Gordon-Small, Member-Youth Speak Out
VOICES Youth Center, voicesyouthcenter.org
Erica Hickey-Smith, Policy Coordinator, erica@voicesyouthcenter.org
Pablo Toscano, Youth Advocate, pablo@voicesyouthcenter.org
Youth Engagement Project, cfpic.org/projects/yep
Lauren Mendez, Project Associate, lauren.mendez@cfpic.org
Arielle Rubio, Senior Ambassador, Stanislaus County
- No materials were provided
Overview of Immigration Detention & Deportation Systems for Children & Youth
Rachel Prandini, Staff Attorney, rprandini@ilrc.org
Immigrant Legal Resource Center, https://www.ilrc.org/
Challenges Faced by Undocumented Foster Youth
Odessa Berry-Powers, Immigration Attorney, berrypowerso@clcla.org
Children’s Law Center of California, https://www.clccal.org/
Specialized Immigrant Status Unit & County Strategy
Roberta Medina, Deputy Director, Bureau of Specialized Response Services, MedinR@dcfs.lacounty.gov
Los Angeles County Department of Children & Family Services, https://dcfs.lacounty.gov/
- No materials were provided
Children in ORR Custody
Joyce Capelle, CEO, jcapelle@crittentonsocal.org
Crittenton Services for Children and Families, https://crittentonsocal.org/
- No materials were provided
Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit
Sarah Pauter, Founder and CEO, sarah.pauter@phenomenalfamilies.org
Phenomenal Families, www.phenomenalfamilies.org
- No materials were provided
Trauma Informed Practice in Child Welfare
Karleen Jakowski, LMFT, Deputy Branch Director, karleen.jakowski@yolocounty.org
Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency, Child Youth and Family Branch, https://www.yolocounty.org/health-human-services/child-youth-family-services/child-youth-family
An Update on the State’s Role in Trauma Prevention and Treatment
Lishaun Francis, Associate Director, Health Collaborations, lfrancis@childrennow.org
Children Now, www.childrennow.org
Trauma-Informed Care Code of Conduct
Jeff Weiner, Program Manager, jweiner@clintonfoundation.org
Clinton Health Matters Initiative, www.clintonfoundation.org
Vanessa Davis, Rise to Resilience Consultant, vanessa@jitfosteryouth.org
Just in Time for Foster Youth, www.jitfosteryouth.org
Youth Perspective
Lauren Mendez, Project Associate, lauren.mendez@cfpic.org
Youth Engagement Project, www.cfpic.org/projects/yep
- No materials were provided
What Does the Data Tell Us?
Danielle Wondra, Senior Associate, Child Welfare Policy, dwondra@childrennow.org
Children Now, www.childrennow.org
School Stability
Kristin Power, Senior Policy Associate, k.power@kids-alliance.org
Alliance for Children’s Rights, www.kids-alliance.org
Foster Youth Services Coordinating Program
Paula Evans, Consultant, pevans@cde.ca.gov
California Department of Education, https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/pf/fy/index.asp
FosterEd California
Jessica Maxwell, Deputy Director, jmaxwell@youthlaw.org
National Center for Youth Law, www.foster-ed.org/california/home/
Office of Foster Care Ombudsperson Foster Child Complaint Investigations
Rochelle Trochtenberg, CA Foster Care Ombudsperson, rochelle.trochtenberg@dss.ca.gov
Office of the Foster Care Ombudsperson, California Department of Social Services, https://fosteryouthhelp.ca.gov/
- No materials were provided
Bringing Families Home
Theresa Pena, Senior Policy Analyst, tpena@cwda.org
County Welfare Directors Association, www.cwda.org
Dependency Counsel
Sue Abrams, Policy Director, abramss@clcla.org
Children’s Law Center of California, www.clccal.org
- No materials were provided
Family Urgent Response System
Susanna Kniffen, Senior Director-Child Welfare Policy, skniffen@childrennow.org
Children Now, www.childrennow.org
Foster Family Agency Rate
Jackie Rutheiser, Senior Policy Advocate, jrutheiser@cacfs.org
California Alliance of Child and Family Services, www.cacfs.org
Emergency Caregiver Funding
Angie Schwartz, Policy Director, a.schwartz@kids-alliance.org
Alliance for Children’s Rights, www.kids-alliance.org
- No materials were provided
Housing and Homelessness
Simone Tureck, Associate Policy Director, simone@jbay.org
John Burton Advocates for Youth, www.jbaforyouth.org
Jevon Wilkes, Executive Director, jevon@calyouth.org
California Coalition for Youth, www.calyouth.org
- Facts about California’s New Investment in Reducing Homelessness Among College Students (AB 74)
- Facts about California’s New Investment in Reducing Homelessness Among Former Foster Youth (SB 80)
- Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program (HHAPP): Eight Percent Homeless Youth Set-Aside ($52 million)
- Youth Homelessness in California: What impact has the 5% Youth Set-Aside in the Homeless Emergency Aid Program had so far?
Juvenile Justice
Briana Zweifler, CA Youth Justice Initiative Fellow, bzweifler@youthlaw.org
National Center for Youth Law, www.youthlaw.org
- No materials were provided
CalWORKs Home Visiting Initiative
Natasha Nicolai, Branch Chief—CalWORKs and Child Care, natasha.nicolai@dss.ca.gov
California Department of Social Services, http://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/CalWORKsHomeVisitingInitiative
Kim Lewis, Advocate, klewis@hrdowden.com
Children Now, www.childrennow.org
- Fact Sheet: California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKS) Home Visiting Initiative
- Voluntary Evidence-Based Home Visiting in California
Two-Generations in Child Protection: A Dual Opportunity
Andi Lane Eastman, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, andrea.eastman@usc.edu
Children’s Data Network, University of Southern California, www.datanetwork.org
Family First Prevention Services Act
Angie Schwartz, Policy Director, a.schwartz@kids-alliance.org
Alliance for Children’s Rights, www.kids-alliance.org
Jessica Haspel, Senior Associate-Child Welfare Policy, jhaspel@childrennow.org
Children Now, www.childrennow.org
Sue Abrams, Policy Director, abramss@clcla.org
Children’s Law Center, www.clccal.org
- No handouts were provided.
Independent Living Program (ILP)
Zoe Larson, Ambassador, zoesacramentoyep@gmail.com
Jazzmyn Clark, Ambassador, clarkj@dcfs.lacounty.gov
Youth Engagement Project, www.cfpic.org/projects/yep
Employment
Sean Hughes, Consultant, sean@socialchangepartners.com
iFoster, www.ifoster.org
College Pathways
Debbie Raucher, Project Director, debbie@jbay.org
John Burton Advocates for Youth, www.jbay.org
Report: Older Youth Access to Foster Care
Ginni Bella Navarre, Managing Principal Analyst, ginni.bella@lao.ca.gov
Legislative Analyst’s Office, www.lao.ca.gov
Involuntary Exits from Transitional Housing Programs
Lauren Grayman, Assistant Director of Contra Costa and Solano Programs, lgrayman@firstplaceforyouth.org
First Place for Youth, www.firstplaceforyouth.org
VOICES: Comprehensive Supports and Services Center for Transition-Age Youth
Andres Cantera, Napa ILP Case Manager, andres@voicesyouthcenter.org
Amber Twitchell, Director, amber@onthemovebayarea.org
VOICES, www.voicesyouthcenter.org
- VOICES Overview
- VOICES Theory of Change
- Changing the Story: Recommendations to Improve Services for Transition Age Foster Youth in Sonoma County
Transitional Housing Programs
Jessica Durkee, Director, jdurkee@sidebysideyouth.org
Real Alternatives, www.sidebysideyouth.org/programs/real-alternatives/
TAY Units
Stephanie Sandmeier, Human Services-Program Planner-Extended Foster Care and ILP Programs, sandms@saccounty.net
Sacramento County Child Protective Services, http://www.dcfas.saccounty.net/CPS/Pages/Independent-Living-Program/SP-ILP-Extended-Foster-Care.aspx
- No handouts were provided
Extended Foster Care Reform
Angie Schwartz, Policy Director, a.schwartz@kids-alliance.org
Alliance for Children’s Rights, www.kids-alliance.org
- No handouts were provided
Transitional Housing Program-Plus (THP-Plus) Reform
Kathy Van Osten, Advocate, kvanosten@mvmstrategy.com
John Burton Advocates for Youth, www.jbaforyouth.org
- No handouts were provided
What Happens When the System Fails?
Kim Lewis, Advocate, klewis@hrdowden.com
California Coalition for Youth, www.calyouth.org
Caregiver Recommendations
Jenn Rexroad, Executive Director, jrexroad@cacaregivers.org
California Alliance of Caregivers, www.cacaregivers.org
- California Alliance of Caregivers Information Sheet
- 2019 California Statewide Caregiver Policy Agenda
- Parents and Caregivers for Wellness Information Sheet
Resources for Caregivers at the Time of Placement
Kristin Power, Senior Policy Associate, k.power@kids-alliance.org
Alliance for Children’s Rights, www.kids-alliance.org
Emergency Child Care Bridge for Children in Foster Care
Susanna Kniffen, Senior Director of Child Welfare Policy, skniffen@childrennow.org
Children Now, www.childrennow.org
Foster Parent Recruitment, Retention and Support (FPRRS) and the Family Urgent Response System (FURS)
Diana Boyer, Director of Policy for Child Welfare, dboyer@cwda.org
County Welfare Directors Association, www.cwda.org
- Continued Funding to Recruit, Retain and Support Resource Families Support Letter
- Child Welfare Services: Family Urgent Response System Support Letter
Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI)
Lucy Salcido Carter, Policy Advocate, lcarter@ylc.org
Youth Law Center, www.ylc.org
Alliance for Children’s Rights, www.kids-alliance.org
Kristin Power, Senior Policy Associate, k.power@kids-alliance.org
California Youth Connection, www.calyouthconn.org
Christina Parker, Policy Coordinator, christina@calyouthconn.org
Jordan Sosa, Policy Coordinator, jordan@calyouthconn.org
Children Now, www.childrennow.org
Susanna Kniffen, Senior Director of Child Welfare Policy, skniffen@childrennow.org
Children’s Law Center, www.clccal.org
Julie McCormick, Policy Associate, mccormickj@clcla.org
County Welfare Directors Assocation, www.cwda.org
Diana Boyer, Director of Policy for Child Welfare, dboyer@cwda.org
John Burton Advocates for Youth, www.jbaforyouth.org
Debbie Raucher, Project Director, debbie@jbay.org
- Legislative Proposal to Address Homelessness Among Current and Former Foster Youth
- Senator Jim Beall: SB 150 Improving Chafee Grant Administration
- Co-Author Request: SB XX (Beall) Improving Chafee Grant Administration
- Legislative Proposal to Reduce Homelessness Among College Students
National Center for Youth Law, www.youthlaw.org
Anna Johnson, Senior Policy Associate, ajohnson@youthlaw.org
Youth Law Center, www.ylc.org
Lucy Salcido Carter, Policy Advocate, lcarter@ylc.org
The State’s Responsibility for Children in Foster Care
Greg Rose, Children and Family Services Division, greg.rose@cdss.ca.gov
California Department of Social Services, www.cdss.ca.gov
County Child Welfare Systems
Loc Nguyen, Child Welfare Policy Consultant, lnguyen@cwda.org
County Welfare Directors Association, www.cwda.org
What Does the Data Tell Us?
Daniel Webster, Senior Research Specialist, dwebster@berkeley.edu
California Child Welfare Indicators Project, http://cssr.berkeley.edu/ucb_childwelfare/
Youth Perspective
Christina Parker, Policy Coordinator, christina@calyouthconn.org
Anthony Vizcarrondo, Member
California Youth Connection, www.calyouthconn.org
Lightening Round
Various Speakers Briefly Share their Role in the Child Welfare System
- No Handouts
Additional Materials Provided:
About Children Now
Children Now is a nonpartisan, multi-issue research, policy development and advocacy organization dedicated to promoting children’s health and education in California. The organization also leads The Children’s Movement of California, a network of more than 3,000 direct service, parent, civil rights, faith-based and community groups dedicated to improving children’s well-being. Learn more about us at www.childrennow.org.