California Foster Care Legislation News!

Just a five hour plane ride away, the state of California makes legislative strides for youth in foster care.

"Building on his commitment to youth in foster care, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed legislation to ensure that youth in foster care aging out of the system are as equipped as possible to access resources and services, including financial aid, career services and other benefits." To read more, click here .

If you think these bills could apply to foster youth in New Jersey, ADVOCATE for them here.

The White House Conference on Children!

The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) is in the process of submitting a proposal for a White House conference and would like to get feedback from the community to determine the focus for it. To find out more information, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=eLGSF2u7w437waYuRXCINg_3d_3d and fill out the survey! Get involved!

Orphan Foundation of America Scholarship!

So the application process is closed right now, but I just wanted to put out a notice to all of you who are graduating from high school to check out the Orphan Foundation of America (OFA)Scholarship at http://orphan.org/index.php?id=30 . OFA awards scholarships up to $10,000 dollars, so its worth applying to. Visit the website for more details.

Stand Up 4 Youth on The Move!

Foster Care Youth Speakout! Our neighbors in New York are sponsoring a youth speak out in Buffalo, NY. A "Speak Out" is "a forum for foster care youth to voice their feelings, thoughts, concerns, and issues about being in foster care to a listeners panel of agency executives, local district commissioners, and officials representing the legal system and government." Their speakout will be held

Saturday, October 25, 2008
at Buckham Campus School
Buffalo State College
1300 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY

From 9 am to 3:30 pm.

To register or find out more info, follow this link to print out forms and fax back by September 25, 2008

FYI: For-Youth Information! Scholarship Program

The 2008-2009 New Jersey Foster Care Scholarship is available online. Please click on the link below to get your scholarship application. For additional information, please call Foster and Adoptive Family Services at 1-800-222-0047.

http://www.fafsonline.org/Scholarship.html

Another Resource....USE it! :)

Our neighbors in NY made a video I think you should watch--and use!

Youth in Progress, the New York Statewide YAB created a training video with Hunter College called "Dispelling the Negative Stereotypes of Foster Care Youth." Its a great video, a little over 12 minutes, and you can watch it at http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/yip/yip_video.wmv
More resources to use :)

Your on FACEBOOK? So are we!!!

We're on Facebook. Wont you add us as your friend :) Search on Facebook "New Jersey Youth Advisory Board" and add us. We'll add you back, and you can post when your meetings are on the website and get updates from the YAB blog and Facebook! More to come....;)

Big Ups! Daniel Memorial Workshop Presenters- Union YAB

Big Ups! is a way to recognize and congratulate Youth Advisory Boards that have accomplished great things in their work. This Months Big Up! goes to the Union YAB, which is presenting at the Daniel Memorial/National Independent Living Association Conference "Growing Pains 2008." Their workshop is titled "Learning about Relationships and Making the Right Decisions in Ones Life" described as


"In this presentation you can expect to learn about relationships and how they affect one's
life. In this presentation the youth will teach the staff on how they should be treated. The youth will explain to the staff the importance of them knowing and understanding their boundary
issues. Staff will learn how to deal with confidentiality issues as well as crisis management issues for example. The youth will also focus on how the decisions they make for themselves can affect the rest of their lives and the relationships around them. Presented by:

Howard Wingard, Coordinator, Jessica
Williams, MAC/YAB President, Famitta
Durham, MAC/YAB Secretary and Marion
Simmons, MAC/YAB Vice President - Elizabeth, NJ"

To learn more, visit http://www.danielkids.org/Sites/web/images/conferences/GP08_invitation.pdf



CONGRATS! YAY! WOOOHOOOO!

August Website Spotlight: Transitions for Youth

The Transitions for Youth Website www.transitionsforyouth.org from the Rutgers School of Social work is a tremendous resource for youth transitioning from foster care in the state. This website will explain the different programs Transitions for Youth offers, what different services are available for youth transitioning out of care, links and resources available to aid in transitioning related issues, and pages for youth in care, alumni, and service providers. Here's a resource---use it! :)