Outstate UPDATE: CLC's work in Greater Minnesota
On May 10, CLC held another training in Duluth, Minnesota. The training was attended by both local attorneys interested in volunteering and professionals who work with at-risk youth. The half-day training was hosted by Legal Aid Service of North Eastern Minnesota and covered topics like permanency for foster youth, child trauma and mental health, and the Indian Child Welfare Act.
Upcoming EVENTS
Third Annual Spring Wine Tasting – May 30, 2013
This year’s Wine Tasting will be held on Thursday, May 30th at Summit Manor (275 Summit Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102) from 6:30-8:30 pm. The event will feature six Spanish themed wines donated by Solo Vino, in St. Paul. General admission tickets are $25 each or 10 tickets for $200. To purchase tickets, please go to: http://bit.ly/clcspringtasting. For more information please contact Heather Wolfgram at 651-644-4438 or hwolfgram@clcmn.org. THIS EVENT WILL SELL OUT. GET YOUR TICKETS EARLY!
Representing Youth in Foster Care TRAINING - June 19, 2013
WE NEED YOU TO VOLUNTEER! TRAIN TO BE A CLC PRO BONO ATTORNEY. CLC's next training will be held on Wednesday, June 19, 2013 from 8:30 AM-12:30 PM, at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. (800 LaSalle Avenue, 2800 LaSalle Plaza, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2015). TO REGISTER please complete the attached form and return to CLC with your payment: CLC Training Brochure 6.19.13 Attorney's applying to become volunteer attorneys for CLC should also complete the VOLUNTEER ATTORNEY APPLICATION and either mail it to CLC or bring the completed paperwork with them to the RYFC training. (3.75 CLE credits applied for).
FREE Education Advocacy TRAINING: Promising Practices in Education Advocacy - June 24, 2013
Please Join CLC and the Youth Law Summit on June 24, 2013 from Noon to 1PM, at Faegre Baker Daniels in Minneapolis for this free one hour CLE training session. To register, please contact Megan Malik: Megan.Malik@FaegreBD.com or 612-766-7202.
Volunteer CORNER
CLC to Recognize our 2013 Graduates!
We have some rather remarkable news. As you know, foster youth can now stay in foster care up until age 21. CLC has 22 clients enrolled in the 18-21 extended foster care program who are turning 21 in 2013 and will permanently age out of the foster care system. We are thrilled to report that these 22 clients are beating the odds! 100% (22/22) of them have graduated from high school, 77% (17/21) are continuing their education in college or specialized training, and 95% (21/22) are currently employed! In comparison to national statistics on children who age out of foster care, that is incredible! Nationwide, only 46% of youth in foster care graduate from high school by the time they exit care (Click for source), only 10% go on to post-secondary education (Click for source), and only 51% of foster youth are employed when they age out of foster care.
In addition to recognizing the incredible accomplishments of our clients who are turning 21, CLC would like to celebrate the accomplishments of all of our foster youth clients in 2013. If you are a CLC volunteer attorney, and your client is graduating from high school, college, or another type of job training program, we would like to recognize your client's accomplishments in our July 2013 Newsletter and on our CLC website. To recognize your client, please e-mail CLC Social Worker Weida Allen: wallen@clcmn.org, and include the name of your client and their accomplishment. Please be sure to check with you client for permission to publish their name.
Practice POINT: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is a broad term that covers the continuum of physical, mental, and behavioral deficits observed among individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (pFAS), Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND), and Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD) are conditions within the FASD “umbrella.” Some children with FASD have both physical and neurological abnormalities and others have severe cognitive and behavioral deficiencies without physical signs of disorder. According to the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, prenatal alcohol exposure may impact up to 70% of children in foster care. Many children are not properly diagnosed and instead are either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. A proper diagnosis is essential to provide a child with the most appropriate care. It is important for attorneys to have a basic understanding of FASD to advocate appropriately for clients with FASD. Read MORE.
Update to the Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Application Process for Foster Youth
Volunteer attorneys with clients looking at post-secondary education should review the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ Education and Training Voucher (ETV) website for information about changes to the application process. Beginning with the July 1, 2013 application deadline, applications will be completed online. In addition to the July 1 and January 1 deadlines, there are now a set of flexible deadlines, with awards contingent on the availability of funds. For more information about changes to the ETV program, visit http://mn.gov/dhs/, then click on People We Serve, Children and Families, Services, Adolescent Services, Education and Training Vouchers.
Exciting NEW legislation!The Family Reunification Act of 2013
On May 1, 2013, Governor Dayton signed into law the Family Reunification Act of 2013. This new law permits the reestablishment of the parent and child legal relationship for certain children who are under the guardianship of the Commissioner of Human Services. The law is exciting for those children who have remained in foster care for significant periods of time without being adopted and wish to return to the care of their biological parents as well as for those parents who have been able to correct the problems that led to their initial termination of parental rights.
The new law has several qualifiers. Specifically, it provides that only the county attorney may file a petition for reunification. Minn. Stat. §260C.329, subd. 3 (anticipated 2013). Thus, terminated parents, children and guardian ad litems are unable to request reunification under the new law. Read MORE.
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