Lawyers for Children America
November 2003
November 2003
The Child Advocate
Special Adolescent Issue
PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
FOR TEENS
In this special adolescent issue*
Programs and Services for Teens............................1
 Child and Family Services Agency Independent
Living Program: Center of Keys for Life
 Handbook, The Foster Care Team, Young
Women’s Project: “How to Deal with the
System”
 District of Columbia College Access Program,
DC-CAP
 Teen Mothers Take Charge (TMTC)
 DC Department of Health: Maternal and Child
Health Services
November Announcements.....................................6
 National Adoption Day
 Thanksgiving Food Drive for Families with
Neglect Cases
 LFCA Has Moved!
GAL Training Opportunities...................................7
*Kate Swisher, LFCA Legal Intern, prepared this
issue of The Child Advocate.
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The goal of the FCIA is to help former
foster children continue their education,
obtain employment, and attain the life skills
necessary to transition successfully out of the
system. To accomplish this, the FCIA
replaces the former Title IV-E Independent
Living Program, doubling the amount of
federal dollars available to assist states in
providing independent living services and
increases the states’ flexibility in spending
these dollars.
The FCIA sets the tone for courtroom
proceedings for all children who are aging
out, or on the brink of aging out, of the foster
Lawyers for Children America
November 2003
Child and Family Services Agency
Independent Living Program:
Center of Keys for Life
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The D.C. Child & Family Services
Agency Independent Living Program, Center
of Keys for Life, provides a wide range of
services to current and former foster youth
aged 15 to 21. Foster care youth between 15
and 21 years of age who are presently in care,
or were in care after their fifteenth birthday
are eligible for services from the Center.
Youth in care must be referred by their social
worker; however, youth who were in foster
care after their fifteenth birthday may refer
themselves by contacting the Center directly.
The services offered by the Center of
Keys for life include life skills training,
preparation for college and vocational
training, payment and support of vocational
training and college attendance, counseling,
housing locator assistance, specialized
training, socialization activities, and
individualized services.
 Stipends: Participants are offered a
financial reward of $25 for session
attendance. Stipends are awarded as
follows: attendance is taken at each
session; once a participant has
accumulated $200, a bank account is
opened on his or her behalf.
 Educational Assistance: The Center
helps youth with their educational needs,
whether the teen’s goal is completing high
school, trade school, or college. Tutoring,
payment of fees and expenses and general
assistance in applying to college (e.g.,
completion of FAFSA, studying for the
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SAT, locating and applying for
scholarships) are available.
Vocational Assistance: The Center will
assist youth in applying to vocational
schools, and pay reasonable costs,
including assistance with the costs of
transportation for training.
Counseling: Staff provide counseling on
issues related to health, vocation, human
sexuality, social behavior, education,
financial management, parenting,
household management, and other issues
of importance to youth.
Socialization Activities: Participants are
offered opportunities to attend concerts,
plays, out-of-town trips, and to attend
program-sponsored and other retreats.
Housing Assistance: Assistance in
understanding housing options, searching
for and locating housing, and completing
leases and agreements is offered as part of
the Center’s life skills training. However,
the Center cannot co-sign leases, pay rent
deposits or rent for youth remaining in
foster care.
Specialized Training/Individualized
Services: The Center offers a full range of
individualized services and specialized
training to youth as needed.
Services Upon Termination of Care:
Upon termination of care (i.e., at the age
of 18) or upon reaching 21 years of age
(the age at which youth in D.C. “age out”
of the foster care system), the Center
awards participants a $150 gift certificate
(e.g., to Target), to help get started living
independently.
Youth whose care has been terminated
before the age of 21 (i.e., at 18) are
eligible for housing aid under the Chafee
Act. The Center will assist these youth for
three months by paying the first month’s
deposit and three months of rent.
Under the Chafee Act, no services are
available to youth over the age of 21.
However, if a youth is involved in an
educational program which he or she
Lawyers for Children America
November 2003
began before the age of 21 and has not
completed the program upon termination
of care, the Center will assist the youth in
competing the educational program via
educational vouchers.
information on legal proceedings and the
roles of judges and GALs. “Social Workers”
helps teens know what to expect and how to
communicate with their social workers.
“Education and Growth Opportunities”
includes information on high school, college,
getting a job, getting a license, and more. The
Handbook also includes summaries of the
Group Home and Independent Living
Regulations so that teens know what their
rights are.
The Handbook is currently in
preliminary release in draft form. The Foster
Care Team hopes to release a final copy later
this year. For more information or to obtain a
copy of the first draft of the Handbook, please
contact Danielle at LFCA. For more
information on the Young Women’s Project,
please visit:
http://www.youngwomensproject.org.
For more information, please contact:
Center for the Keys for Life
Child & Family Services Agency
400 6th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024
(202) 727-7500
Questions regarding educational assistance
should be directed to Karen Combs,
Education Resource Specialist, at
(202) 727-7511.
Other questions may be directed to Cecil
Hollingsworth, CFSA Supervisory Social
Worker and Program Director, at
(202) 727-7517.
District of Columbia College Access
Program, DC-CAP
Handbook, The Foster Care Team,
Young Women’s Project: “How to Deal
with the System”
The District of Columbia College
Access Program (DC-CAP), is a non-profit
organization funded by Washington-area
companies and foundations. DC-CAP
encourages and enables DC public high
school students to enter and graduate from
college. With corporate and foundation
support, DC-CAP provides assistance to those
students who might otherwise never have the
opportunity to attend and graduate from
college.
All DC public high school students are
eligible for DC-CAP assistance and support.
The program places onsite advisors
throughout the city's school system to provide
on-going counseling with regard to the
importance of higher education as well as
financial aid information.
DC-CAP will work with DC public
high school graduates for up to five years
after high school graduation to make sure they
are able to complete their college education.
Each year, DC-CAP College Retention
The Handbook was created by young
people for young people in the foster care
system to provide teens with information and
resources to help guide and support them
while in care. The Foster Care Team is part of
the Young Women’s Project, a multi-cultural
organization that builds and supports teen
women and girl leaders so that they can
improve their lives and transform their
communities.
The Handbook includes five main
sections. “How Did I Get Here” explains what
families and teens go through as they are
coming into care. “Options in the System”
explains the different kinds of care and living
arrangements. The “Group Homes” section
explains the rights of teens, the role of group
home staff, and the role of monitors.
“Understanding the Courts” provides
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Lawyers for Children America
November 2003
Advisors will assess the student's academic
progress and financial resources, then help
them plan (academically and financially) for
their next year of college.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.dccap.org.
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 347-8500
DC Department of Health: Maternal
and Child Health Services
Teen Mothers Take Charge (TMTC)
Teen Mothers Take Charge (TMTC),
is a program for low income and TANF
eligible teens (18 years of age or younger)
who are pregnant (with no other children) or
are first time mothers. TMTC is funded by the
DC Department of Health. The program
offers home visitation and in-house services,
career development training, life skills
training, mentoring, and tutoring.
TMTC enrollees can participate in the
program until their child’s second birthday if
they meet program requirements. TMTC
enrollees do not need parental consent unless
services are provided in a school setting.
However, enrollees must sign a consent form
to be admitted to the program.
For more information, or to enroll in
the program, call 1-800-MOM-BABY, or
contact one of the partner agencies:
The Maternal and Child Health
Administration (MCHA) plans, promotes, and
coordinates comprehensive health services in
the District of Columbia for women and their
families, including children, adolescents, and
those with special health care needs.
The DC Department of Health
Website provides information about services
offered by the Maternal and Child Health
Administration, the program's objective and
priorities, and provides contact information
for dental services, eye care, the Washington
Free Clinic, and other organizations and
services that help women and children:
http://www.dchealth.dc.gov/services/administ
ration_offices/mch/services.shtm.
Edward C. Mazique Parent Child Center
1719 13th St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 462-3375
DC Department of Employment
Services: Youth Services
Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care
2333 Ontario Rd., N.W.
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 483-8319
The Department of Employment
Services (DOES) has several youth programs
that assist District youth 14 thru 21 years of
age make a smooth transition from the skills
learned in the classroom into the workforce.
These programs are designed to develop the
necessary skills and attitudes that are required
in today's workforce in addition, to providing
meaningful work experience and career
exposure.
Shiloh-Family Life Center Foundation, Inc.
1510 9th St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 232-4288
Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan
Washington
1108 16th St., N.W.
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Lawyers for Children America
November 2003
The Passport-to-Work program
prepares District youth to successfully enter
the 21st Century labor market by providing
them with a continuum of innovative, yearround services. Passport-to-Work consists of
four primary components; the Summer
Program, which provides work experience
opportunities through the subsidized Summer
Youth Employment Program and its private
and federal sector initiatives; the Year Round
Program, which provides paid employability
training, academic enrichment activities, and
leadership development during the school
year; the Out-of-School Program, which
provides employability and occupational
skills training, GED preparation and Basic
Computer Skills training for young adults
who have either graduated from high school,
obtained a GED or is not attending any school
and has not received a high school diploma or
its equivalent; and the Youth Opportunity
Program, which provides subsidized
employment as well as vocational training to
youth who are no longer enrolled in school.
For more information regarding any of
the Department of Employment Services'
Youth Programs and their eligibility
requirements, please contact:
the following programs:
DC Department of Employment Services
Office of Youth Programs
625 H Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 698-3991
http://www.does.dc.gov
Peggy Howard Gatewood
St. Ann's Infant and Maternity Home
4901 Eastern Avenue
Hyattsville, MD 20782
(301) 559-5500
http://www.saint-anns.com
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Teen Mother-Baby Program:
Residential care for 21 pregnant
adolescents and young mothers and their
babies. Extensive services include an
accredited high school, medical care,
parenting classes, life skills training, day
care, individual and family counseling,
and social and cultural activities.
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|Day Care Center: Affordable,
developmental day care for 85 infants and
preschool children in the community and
in residence, aimed particularly at lowincome, single parent families, working
families and families in crisis.
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Faith House (A separate entity
administered by St. Ann's): Transitional
apartment housing for eight young
mothers (18-25 years old) and their
children. Residents work toward
economic self-sufficiency and stable
family life with the help of job placement,
day care, parenting classes, and other
support.
For more information, please contact:
Saint Ann’s Infant and Maternity
Home
In addition to its Residential
Children’s Program, which offers emergency
placement and short-term residential care for
50 infants and young children, ages two days
through twelve years, who have been abused,
neglected, or abandoned, Saint Ann’s offers
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Lawyers for Children America
November 2003
NOVEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS
National Adoption Day
On Saturday, November 22, 2003, the District of Columbia will celebrate National Adoption Day, a
national event, consisting of activities in several major cities across the country. The goal of National
Adoption Day is to bring together volunteer lawyers, foster care professionals, child advocates, and local
judges on one special day to expedite the adoption process and give children in foster care the permanent,
loving families they deserve. National Adoption Day celebrates the adoption of abused and neglected children
and the formation of loving families in which these children can thrive.
The Superior Court of the District of Columbia and the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency will
host a day full of activities to honor the new families created by adoption during 2003. Children and their new
families will participate in many planned activities designed to enhance their new bond and to convey the
benefits of adopting a loving and deserving child.
This year's keynote speaker will Antwone Fisher, screenwriter and subject of the stirring film,
"Antwone Fisher." Mr. Fisher will speak to the children about his own experiences growing up in foster care.
There will be a ceremony which will include the signing of actual adoptions in open court and remarks by
elected officials. In addition, the children will be given gifts and participate, along with their new families, in
a wonderful reception with entertainment for the children such as games, face painting, and other fun
activities.
For more information, please contact LFCA or Sharon Knight, Program Manager, Child & Family
Services Agency, at (202) 727-3655, ext. 4550; sknight@cfsa-dc.org.
Thanksgiving Food Drive
The D.C. Superior Court is having its annual Thanksgiving Food
Drive. Please refer needy clients/caretakers to Keely or Danielle by
November 10th. The following information is needed: client/caretaker's
name, address, telephone number, and number of people in the family. The
baskets must be picked up by the client, his or her designee, or the volunteer
attorney by 2:00 p.m. on the delivery day or the basket will be given to
another client. Additional information will be available soon.
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Lawyers for Children America
November 2003
Lawyers for Children America Has Moved!!!!
Our new address is:
Lawyers for Children America
Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Suite 100
Washington, DC 20006
Please change your records accordingly!
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Family Court Interdisciplinary Training
November 7, 2003
The theme of the Family Court second annual Multidisciplinary Training Institute will be “The
Family Court, D.C. Agencies, and Communities: Partners in Education.” There is going to a be a
great panel titled “Transition to Adulthood,” which will explore how professionals and others can
assist young people as they transition out of the child welfare, delinquency, and education systems
and into adulthood. The panel will address the role of adult-serving agencies, such as the Mental
Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Administration and the Department of Mental Health in
the process. Volunteers interested in attending this panel should contact Keely at (202) 419-2603.
For more information about anything in this newsletter, please contact:
Keely Magyar
202-419-2603
kmagyar@lawyersfca.org
Danielle Chappell
202-419-2604
danielle.chappell@lawyersfca.org
Lawyers for Children America
2099 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Suite 100
Washington, DC 20006
See our new website at: www.lawyersforchildrenamerica.org
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