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Foster Youth Rights Handbook

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Foster Youth Rights Handbook Foster Youth Rights Handbook From Youth For Youth Introduction current and former foster youth about their Handbook Purpose & History experiences in foster care. To help you understand the terminology, we have highlighted key terms Hello, in bold. These words appear in the “Glossary/ Definitions” section at the end of the book. As you enter foster care, you might wonder whether you’ve done something wrong, why While this handbook might not answer every single you’re not at home and, above all, what foster question you have about foster care, we hope it care is. You might be feeling a lot of confusing will be one of your main resources as you navigate emotions, and maybe nothing makes sense right the system. We also hope you keep this book for now. Through no fault of your own, you have been future reference, even if you think you don’t need it removed from your home, possibly because your right now. safety and well-being were in danger. This doesn’t As a member of the OYAB team that created this mean that the person who was caring for you handbook, I’ve worked tirelessly to update it. But was a bad person. But it does mean that you have you should know that I alone didn’t make this some adjustments to make and information to book. It is a collection of input from foster youth learn. This handbook was designed to help you do across Ohio, because their voices matter most. just that. On behalf of OYAB, I want to remind you of three In 2009, a team of young adults from across the important facts: You are important, you are loved, state who have experienced foster care gathered to and you have a voice that nobody can take away. make a foster youth rights handbook. That group is known as the Ohio Youth Advisory Board (OYAB), and this is the newest edition of that handbook. It helps inform young adults in the foster care system about their rights and responsibilities, and teaches them how to talk to someone if those rights are violated. Most importantly, this handbook lets you know that there are people who care about you and are fighting for your success. This new edition of the Foster Youth Rights Handbook has information about the foster care system, your rights and responsibilities, and your caseworker’s and caregiver’s responsibilities. Alex McFarland It contains sections on protecting your rights, Former OYAB President leaving foster care, frequently asked questions, Former Connecting the Dots Program Coordinator, finding other resources and more. Throughout Ohio Department of Job and Family Services the book, you will find personal stories from Page iii Table of Contents Foster Care Overview | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 Your Rights and Responsibilities | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 Spirituality and Religion | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 Privacy | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 Your Case Plan, Your Life | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 Support and Guidance | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 7 You Deserve Protection | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 Staying Safe | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 Mental and Physical Health | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 Basic Needs | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 Personal Items | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |12 Living Environment | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |13 Education | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |14 Communicating with Others | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |15 Be Responsible | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |16 What is Advocacy? | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |17 Preparing to Live on Your Own | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |18 Education after Foster Care | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |20 Frequently Asked Questions | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |21 Resources for Youth | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |24 Glossary/Definitions | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |26 Personal Resources | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |30 Notes | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |31 Youth Signature Page | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |35 Page v Foster Care Overview isn’t possible, you will be placed with a FOSTER Ohio’s Child Welfare System PARENT or in a RESIDENTIAL OR GROUP HOME. You will live in your substitute care setting until The OHIO DEPARTMENT OF JOB AND FAMILY you can safely return to your home. When your SERVICES (ODJFS) supervises the state’s child caseworker is deciding which placement is right welfare system, and county PUBLIC CHILDREN for you, he or she should consider how close SERVICES AGENCIES (PCSAs) administer it. the placement is to your home and school, the County agencies receive and investigate child caregiver’s ability to provide for you, and which welfare reports. If they determine that ABUSE, setting is the least restrictive for you. NEGLECT or DEPENDENCY has occurred, a Sometimes a placement doesn’t work out. This can CASEWORKER will work with the youth and his happen for a variety of reasons. There may be issues or her family to identify needed services and to with your caregiver or your behavior. You may need develop a CASE PLAN to reduce the risk of future a different level of care or a less restrictive setting, issues. such as with a relative. If you are removed from Many times, the youth and his or her BIOLOGICAL your own home on an emergency basis, a court FAMILY will receive services while the youth still hearing will take place within 72 hours to determine is living at home and/or involved with the juvenile whether you should be in the custody of the county, court. However, sometimes a youth may need to a relative or if you should return home. be removed from the home due to safety concerns. In most situations, the goal is to address these concerns so the youth can live at home again. This is known as REUNIFICATION. Your Future From the time you enter care, you may wonder when you will be allowed to go home. This is hard What Happens When You Are to say. You can return home only if your family Placed in Custody? members complete their case plan goals. If they are unable to complete these goals and you cannot return to your parents’ or a relative’s home, you and If you were removed from your home, a the PCSA will work together to find a family that can caseworker at your county’s PCSA will put you in a provide a forever home through ADOPTION. If you SUBSTITUTE CARE SETTING, or placement. The are 16 or older, you may choose not to be adopted. person who takes care of you in your placement is In that case, you would be placed into a permanent your SUBSTITUTE CAREGIVER. The caseworker living arrangement until you reach adulthood, at will first try to find a placement among your which point you will AGE OUT of the FOSTER relatives or people your family trusts. This is called CARE system.
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