|
Caregiver News Fall 2004
|
|
Every Child Needs an Advocate Jim Koppel, Director, Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota While the election may be over, the real work has just begun. The Minnesota legislature convenes in two months to decide what to include in our state’s budget for the next two years. Will children’s health care, childcare, education and safety be considered as important issues? I encourage you to become an advocate for children and make a difference in the decisions we make here in Minnesota. There is so much to gain or lose and we can’t afford to stand by and watch. Getting involved means you may need to make a phone call or two, write a letter or even visit with your legislator. It also means that our elected officials will be aware of the needs and challenges that our children face. Here are a few tips to get you started and make your efforts most effective: Ø Write your State Representative and your State Senator. Introduce yourself and tell them what your concerns are. Do it now before the session starts and when they have time to read and respond. If you are not sure, call 1-800-637-3550 to find out who are your Representative and Senator. Send that letter to the Governor as well just to let him know that you are concerned about children’s issues. Ø Know your facts! There are an estimated 70,00 uninsured children in Minnesota and health care costs have made health care harder to afford for all families with children. Over $80 million was cut from childcare subsidies last year and our child welfare system lost almost $40 million as a result of consolidation of programs. Ø Follow up your letter with a visit to their office at the Capitol or with another letter early next year. Continue to educate your elected officials about the challenges that children face. This continued communication is important and will hopefully lead to a respectful and thoughtful relationship between you and your House and Senate member. Children need your help. Not only as caregivers but as advocates for better public policies that will ensure a better future. Get involved, get educated and then take action. It will make a difference in your life and in the lives of children. MKCA Works Collaboratively One of the goals of MKCA is to build partnerships and work with organizations that share similar values, goals, and missions. In doing so, we are able to build stronger and more viable programs for grandparents and relatives raising children. MKCA and its host agencies hosted eight regional community forums across the state this past year for relative caregivers and professionals. These one-day workshops, co- sponsored by AARP Minnesota, covered legal, financial and mental health issues. As one grandparent said of the workshop, “...this helped put my mind at ease about some problems.”
The Minnesota Child Welfare Training System (MCWTS) and MKCA presented its second annual virtual presence communication (VPC) training for kinship caregivers and professionals, via TV links to 12 sites across the state. Priscilla Gibson, Ph.D., U of M, School of Social Work, spoke on relationships in kinship families. Financial issues were addressed by Ila Schneibel, former DHS Economic Support Mgr. Sharon Olson shared her kinship story. MKCA and the MCWTS look forward to this annual event in 2005.
FASD~A lifetime disability Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects may include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications. Some children with FASD have specific facial features and tend to be smaller in height and weight. They often have brain injury that is permanent. This means both the child's thought process and behavior may be very different than a child who was not exposed to alcohol before birth. The brain damage is the most challenging part of this disability. Brain injuries resulting from FASD can cause attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities, and problems with daily living skills. When families have exhausted every intervention and nothing seems to work, FASD should be considered. Although the only way to prevent FASD is to not drink alcohol during pregnancy, secondary disabilities can be prevented in children who are affected by providing early intervention services. Secondary disabilities include mental health problems, disruptive school experience, trouble with the law, confinement, inappropriate sexual behavior, alcohol/drug problems, dependent living and employment problems. There are strategies in working with children living with FASD. Families can make a difference in the lives of children affected. To learn more about FASD, strategies and programs and services contact the Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (MOFAS) at 651-917-2370 or go to www.mofas.org The mission of MOFAS is to eliminate birth defects caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy and improve the quality of life for those individuals and families affected. MOFAS works collaboratively within communities to provide resources and support for families living with FASD. WE strive to buil partnerships and improve services for families.
Message from the Executive Director With 2004 drawing to a close, MKCA wishes to acknowledge and thank our funders whose generous contributions make it possible for MKCA to serve kinship families across Minnesota. Kinship or relative caregiving is a rapidly growing social trend in which relatives, usually grandparents, are raising children when the parents are unable or unwilling to parent. These can be private family arrangements (informal kinship care), or may involve formal child protection placements (formal kinship care). The vast majority of kinship caregiving arrangements (85 percent) fall into the informal category. Although children are living in informal kinship care for many of the same reasons that children enter the formal system, their caregivers do not receive the same training, financial assistance, or support services as foster parents. MKCA’s programs are focused on minimizing the differences between the resources that are available to foster care families and to informal kinship caregivers. Minimally, informal kinship caregivers should be provided with basic information on issues they will encounter as caregivers. Through MKCA’s statewide network of contracted agencies, kinship caregivers are provided with information about legal custody options, financial assistance, and supportive services to assist them in their caregiving role. At this time, we acknowledge our partners who financially contributed to MKCA’s program needs. Funding from the Minnesota Board on Aging, AARP Minnesota, and the McKnight and Park Nicollet Foundations supported appropriate services that addressed the complex needs of kinship caregivers. To ensure that MKCA will continue to grow as a long-term provider of service to kinship caregivers, MKCA developed a strategic plan with funding from The St. Paul Foundation. A subsequent grant through the Otto Bremer Foundation will allow MKCA to implement and evaluate its new plan. Society benefits greatly from the contributions of kinship caregivers. On behalf of families served by MKCA, I wish to thank our partners for their support of kinship caregivers as they perform their role as surrogate parents.Education Rights of Children The Education Law Advocacy Project of Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, Inc. (SMRLS) provides free legal representation and advice on education-related issues to low-income persons living within the SMRLS service area. This includes financially eligible persons living in Ramsey, Dakota, Washington, and other counties in southern Minnesota. SMRLS’ intake number is 651‑222‑4731. Callers will be screened for project eligibility. Below are very brief responses to some questions frequently asked by caregivers. The responses are not legal advice. If you need advice or representation on a school issue, please contact SMRLS (if you live within the service area) or other advocacy organization. 1. If my child is having problems in school, who is responsible for the evaluation/diagnosis? The school district is responsible for identifying and evaluating a child with a suspected disability affecting learning to determine (a) the educational needs of the child and (b) whether the child qualifies for special education and related services. A caregiver can also request an evaluation (preferably in writing). A school district cannot give a medical diagnosis, e.g., a diagnosis of ADHD. 2. What is the responsibility of the school district in meeting a child’s special needs? The school district is responsible for providing a free appropriate public education to every child who is eligible for special education services. This means providing the child with individualized instruction based on the child’s educational needs. 3. What is an Individual Education Plan (IEP), and can a kinship caregiver without legal custody participate in the planning and review of the IEP? An IEP is a written plan which describes the special education and related services necessary for the child to get an appropriate education. The IEP states (a) the annual goals for the student; (b) the skills the child should learn; (c) the accommodations or modifications needed by the child; and (d) special education resources the school district will provide the student. The IEP must be developed at a meeting of a team of people. The IEP team must include the parent(s). However, the definition of a parent for special education purposes includes a person “acting in the place of a parent” with whom the child lives. Thus, a kinship caregiver without legal custody has the same rights as a parent to participate in the planning and review of the IEP if the child is living with the caregiver. 4. What can be done if services are denied?
When services are denied, the school
district is responsible for informing the
caregiver of her due process rights by
giving her a copy of the procedural
safeguards notice. The caregiver should ask
for a copy if not provided by the school
district. The notice describes different
ways of contesting a denial of special
education services. These include mediation,
complaint with the Minnesota Department of
Education, and due process hearing.
Lilian Ejebe, Supervising Attorney
|
