Date: 09/22/2015
Final
Youth Panel: Bridging the Gap and CASA
SCHOOL SAFETY AND YOUTH IN CRISIS
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11:10 AM -- Youth Panel: Bridging the Gap and CASA
Senator Scheffel asked the panelists to introduce themselves. Tori Black introduced herself as a representative of Bridging the Gap. Jazper Vanegas introduced himself as a former foster youth. Sabrina Waite introduced herself as a youth involved with a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). Emily Gallagher, representing CASA, also introduced herself.
Ms. Black spoke about Bridging the Gap and how the organization helps youths leaving the foster care system. She spoke about the challenges those youths face. She discussed her experiences as a foster youth and how foster youths perform academically. She stated that only one-quarter of foster youths complete high school. She discussed the difficulties of entering the workforce and higher education without completing high school.
Ms. Waite spoke about her experiences with the court system and how CASA helped her. Ms. Gallagher spoke about the Legacy program with CASA and how teens can come to the Legacy program to learn life skills.
Senator Newell asked whether these youths feel safe in their schools. Mr. Vanegas said he prefers school to his foster home. He spoke about the challenges of establishing peer relationships, having no parents to rely on. He spoke about his experiences moving from Greeley to Colorado Springs and said that attending 13 different schools in 6 years took a toll, but stated that he still felt safer at school than at home. Ms. Waite spoke about her experiences in Colorado Springs and how students can be very negative. Ms. Black spoke about how she felt safe at the school she attended, but that foster children do not have the same support during a school safety crisis. For example, she said, during a school lockdown, there is no parent to pick these students up if they live at a group home. She spoke about how stigmatizing it is to be in foster care as a child or teenager and stated that foster youths cannot participate in normal childhood events like sleepovers, without the permission of a caseworker and judge. She said that many people find it difficult to discuss foster care.
Ms. Weinerman asked how to get better services for foster kids, while maintaining confidentiality. Ms. Black spoke about the importance of social status in high school, and how foster care impacts a student's social status. She spoke about how teachers, coaches, administrators, and counselors should handle foster kids to better maintain confidentiality, sensitivity, and continuity of relationships. Ms. O'Donnell asked what made students feel safe at school. Ms. Black responded that staying in her community helped her feel safe, as did the protection order against her parent and the SRO's presence at the school. Mr. Vanegas said that his feeling of safety stemmed from the distraction of school and not being reminded that he was living in a stranger's house. He discussed the awkwardness among peers who would want to discuss their home life. He spoke about his strategy of playing on teams to stay at school and avoid going home to a stranger's house. He described the importance of being accepted among his peers. Ms. Ganahl asked about changing schools and whether or not foster youths get warning. Mr. Vanegas replied that he was told, not asked, about changing schools. He said certain foster parents care more about payment, while others care more about children. He told the committee that he had run away once, and that his caseworker told him to get a general equivalency diploma even though he had a 3.4 grade-point average in school. He explained that he started out at Greeley West High School for his freshman year, attended three different high schools in Colorado Springs, and then moved back to Greeley, where he wanted to finish his senior year at Greeley West. He said that foster youths cannot have cell phones or Facebook accounts to keep up with their friends and that caseworkers do not consult youth on placement locations. Ms. Ganahl commented on Mr. Vanegas' testimony. Ms. Black spoke about the importance of area permanence, and how adding foster homes would help students stay in their local communities. She said that Colorado needs 4,000 more foster homes to give foster youth area permanence and that studies show every time a child moves, he or she loses six months of education. She explained that foster youth in Colorado move on average four times per school year. Representative Salazar commented that the foster system is one of the biggest perpetrators of youth in crisis. He discussed the idea of area permanence.
11:38 AM
Ms. Waite spoke about how group home staff and foster parents should have more training and education in how to support foster children. Mr. Vanegas said that not every child is perfect, and foster parents face challenges. He spoke about the desire of foster parents and caseworkers to put foster youth on medications when they act out and about the need to improve the foster care system. He said that multiple changes do lead kids to act out, especially because they are never consulted. He described his experiences getting in trouble for not taking medication after entering the foster system at age 7. He explained that he was put on medication when he got upset about losing his parents. Ms. Black spoke about the need for a societal shift and the need for more people to become foster parents. She explained that available beds are often in treatment centers when a child is kicked out of a foster home, and that treatment center beds are only available to kids that have a diagnosis. She said that these situations encourage caseworkers to get a diagnosis for each child, even if one is not needed, and spoke about foster youth being forced to take medications. She told the committee that she was prescribed seven medications as a foster youth, and that when she turned 18, Medicaid was cut off and all her medications, too. She spoke about the difficulties of navigating independence at age 18 as well as the mental health system. To make the foster system better, she suggested that the Department of Human Services needs to be held accountable, and that the civil liberties of foster youths need to be respected.
Senator Newell spoke about the presentation from the Office of Suicide Prevention, including protective factors such as feelings of connectedness. She said that did not seem possible for foster youths and asked if foster youths find each other. Mr. Vanegas said that during high school he did not seek out other foster youths, but after emancipation, he sought out his former foster siblings. He said that in high school, he just wanted to be a normal kid, but after emancipation, he wanted the support. He spoke about the challenges of being a regular kid when a foster youth cannot participate in many activities. Ms. Weinerman spoke about establishing peer mentors for youth currently in the foster system and asked if that would help. Ms. Black spoke about Los Angeles County, where former foster youths are placed on judicial staff to help guide youth who are over the age of 15 to create their own permanency plans. She spoke about her experiences with her guardian ad litem when she did not want to go back home to live with her father. She said that Colorado's system does not ask youth to determine what their permanency plans should look like. She spoke about the importance of mentors who have been through the journey before, and who can act as role models for foster youth.
11:52 AM
The committee recessed.