ACYF-IM-CB-97-08 9/30/97

ACF Administration for Children and Families	U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children, Youth and Families
	1. Log No.: ACYF-IM-CB-97-08	2. Issuance Date: 9/30/97
	3. Originating Office: Children's Bureau
	4. Key Word: Independent Living Initiatives

INFORMATION MEMORANDUM

TO: State Agencies Administering or Supervising the Administration of Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, State Independent Living Coordinators and Transitional Living Grantees

SUBJECT: A National Youth Development Initiative for Child Welfare Managers and Workers

LEGAL AND RELATED REFERENCE: Section 477 of the Social Security Act, and Title III, Part B of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act

PURPOSE: The purposes of this Information Memorandum (IM) are to: (1) inform States of Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) and Children's Bureau (CB) partnership with the Child Welfare League of America and the National Resource Center for Youth Development national initiative in Youth Development; and (2) announce the Transitional Living Independent Living National Conference "Pathways to Adulthood".

BACKGROUND: The Child Welfare League of America and the National Resource Center for Youth Development are organizations that provide a national network in order to share information, provide training and technical assistance, and develop other support mechanisms to assist child welfare professionals working with foster care and other at risk youth to make the transition from foster care to independent living. The objectives of the Child Welfare League of America and the National Resource Center for Youth Development are consistent with the Federal Independent Living legislation that assists States and localities in establishing and carrying out programs designed to assist eligible children who have attained the age of 16 in making the transition from foster care to independent living.

The Children's Bureau and the Family and Youth Services Bureau are working in partnership with the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) and the National Resource Center for Youth Development to provide on-site training to public child welfare agencies managers and workers. The Children's Bureau and Family and Youth Services Bureau recognize this project as a unique opportunity for collaboration and cooperation through a public and private sector partnership.

This national initiative is designed to provide public child welfare managers and workers training on youth development. The area of youth development offers a strategy for creating communities in which young people are valued and active contributors.

Local programs and communities must define the youth development approach to fit the local needs of its youth. There are however, three key philosophical components of a youth development approach:

Viewing young people and families as partners rather than as clients, and involving them in designing and delivering programs and services; and
Giving all youth access to both prevention and intervention services and programs that meet their developmental needs; and
Offering youth opportunities to develop relationships with caring, supportive adults.

INFORMATION: Staff from the Child Welfare League of America and the National Resource Center for Youth Development will contact each State to explore their interest in receiving the training, or if a State is interested they may contact Robin Nixon at (202) 942-0309, or James Walker or Peter Correia at (918) 585-2986. The cost of training will be funded by the Children's Bureau and the Child Welfare League of America.

The Family and Youth Services Bureau, the Children's Bureau, the National Resource Center for Youth Development, and the Child Welfare League of America are sponsoring a Transitional Living/Independent Living National Conference "Pathways to Adulthood" on April 29 - May 1, 1998 in Galveston, Texas. This three-day event is designed to bring together the foremost people in and committed to transitional and independent living services. We urge you to make a special effort to attend this important event.

For more information about the Transitional Living/Independent Living National Conference "Pathways to Adulthood" contact Susan Schelbar, Conference Coordinator at the University of Oklahoma College of Continuing Education, 202 W. 8th Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74119-1419, or by telephone at (918) 585-2986.

INQUIRIES TO:

Cynthia L. Walker
Children's Bureau, ACYF
(202) 205-8721
or
Pamela Johnson
Deputy Associate Commissioner
Family and Youth Services Bureau, ACYF
(202) 205-8086

/s/

James A. Harrell
Deputy Commissioner
Administration on Children Youth and Families

cc: Regional Administrators, ACF Regions I-X