A new national report advocates changes in federal policy that could aid Maine's effort to improve service to abused and neglected children and their families.

In a recent report issued by the Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care, it recommended greater flexibility in the use of federal funds. The report also advocates for more help to states so they can provide a broader range of services for children and families, including post-reunification and post-adoption service.

"The basic message of this report lines up with what we are working toward in Maine," said John R. Nicholas, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Human Services. "We want better services to keep families together whenever possible, and we want to find permanent homes sooner for those children who do come into foster care."

Maine is currently seeking a waiver to use federal money to support families and relatives who choose to be the legal guardian of a child currently in foster care. The Pew report is supportive of that approach. The report also recommends continuing federal support for foster care maintenance and adoption assistance and, in addition, making that support available to all children regardless of income.

Data collected by the Commission also focuses attention on the need to more rapidly create permanent homes for children in foster care. The experience of children in Maine's foster care system is similar to the national data profile. On average, children in foster care move three times and are in foster care more than three years.

"We are encouraged that the report calls for the same things we advocated in our public comments to the Pew Commission in July 2003," Nicholas added. "We believe that the focus on permanent homes for children and on giving states the financial flexibility to create that permanency is a good match with our reforms and our vision for kids in our care."

Maine is already seeing progress in its effort to reduce the foster care population. The Pew report includes data for all states for federal fiscal year 2001 when Maine had 3,226 children in care. Today, Maine has 2,913 children in care, a reduction of 313 in less than three years.

Maine achieved that reduction even as it continued to serve a high number of youth who have remained in foster care after age 18 to pursue an education or independent living goal. Maine currently has more than 125 older-youth in foster care attending college or other post-secondary education programs. According to the report, the actual number of older-youth served in Maine was higher than 35 other states.

The Pew Commission on Children and Foster Care began its work in May 2003 and includes broad bipartisan and stakeholder participation as a voice in the effort to reform child welfare. Its recommendations will be made to Congress, federal agencies, state courts, and communities as a framework for strengthening child welfare agencies and the courts as they seek to secure safe, permanent families for children in foster care or at risk of entering foster care.

Key components of the Commission's financing recommendations are:

• Preserving federal foster care maintenance and adoption assistance as an entitlement and expanding it to all children, regardless of their birth families' income and including Indian children and children in U.S. territories;
• Providing federal guardianship assistance to all children who leave foster care to live with a permanent legal guardian when a court has explicitly determined that neither reunification nor adoption are feasible permanence options;
• Helping states build a range of services from prevention, to treatment, to post-permanence by (1) creating a flexible, indexed Safe Children, Strong Families Grant from what is currently in Title IV-B and the administration and training components of Title IV-E; and (2) allowing states to "reinvest" federal and state foster care dollars into other child welfare services if they safely reduce their use of foster care;
• Encouraging innovation by expanding and simplifying the waiver process and providing incentives to states that (1) make and maintain improvements in their child welfare workforce and (2) increase all forms of safe permanence; and
• Strengthening the current Child and Family Services Review process to increase states' accountability for improving outcomes for children.

The Commission's court recommendations call for: · Adoption of court performance measures by every dependency court to ensure that they can track and analyze their caseloads, increase accountability for improved outcomes for children, and informed decisions about the allocation of court resources; · Incentives and requirements for effective collaboration between courts and child welfare agencies on behalf of children in foster care; · A strong voice for children and parents in court and effective representation by better trained attorneys and volunteer advocates; · Leadership from Chief Justices and other state court leaders in organizing their court systems to better serve children, providing training for judges, and promote more effective standards for dependency courts, judges and attorneys.

The Camp To Belong Maine planning committee, which consists of volunteers from around the state, has worked passionately and diligently to make Camp a reality for Maine brothers and sisters who have been separated in foster care or other out-of-home placement. At Camp these brothers and sisters can experience sibling bonding, emotional empowerment and fun while they make lifetime memories together.

In order to make camp a success, we are looking to community members from Maine as well as veteran CTB counselors to bond together to form a dynamic and supportive team that will work in the trenches together to support camp activities, and most importantly, support our campers, for the week of camp. We are looking for folks who are willing to "be totally unselfish, feel exhilaration, yearn to learn and understand the needs of the resilient kids who will be campers and who also understand and value the sibling relationship." You could be someone who fits that description.

If you fit the description above and are interested in becoming a camp counselor, please contact Heidi Krieger at 780-5868 or Amy Morin at 795-4685. The very first Camp To Belong Maine is being held August 14-19, 2004, at Camp Wigwam in Waterford, Maine. Two days of staff training will occur on August 12 and 13. Because these youth often have people coming and going from their lives, full-time participation is required of all counselors and staff during this time period.

AFFM now has Maine State Park passes available for foster families. To have your pass sent to you, contact AFFM at 800-833-9786 or E-mail connie@affm.net. In addition to your name and address, AFFM will need your foster parent license number.

April 26, 2004, AFFM was sad to learn of the death of Austin James Hoxie. Austin was the infant son of Amanda and Jacob Hoxie of Old Town. He is survived by his maternal grandparents, Lisa and Larry McGregor of Old Town and his paternal grandmother Bette Hoxie also of Old Town. Numerous aunts' ‘uncles' cousins and many special friends of his family also survive him. Those who wish to do so may contribute to his memory with donations to the American Diabetes Association:163 Lancaster St., Portland, Me 04101 or to a charity of choice.

In Austin's memory his grandmother Bette shares this special prayer.

Little Angels

When God calls little children to dwell with Him above,
We mortals sometimes question the wisdom of His love.
For no heartache compares with the death of one small child
Who does so much to make our world seem wonderful and mild.
Perhaps God tires of calling the aged to his fold
So He picks a rosebud before it can grow old.
God knows how much we need them, and so He takes but few
To make the land of Heaven more beautiful to view.
Believing this is difficult, still we must try.
The saddest word mankind knows will always be "Goodbye"
So when a little child departs,
we who are left behind must realize God loves children,
Angels are hard to find.

Author unknown

• As of July 1, 2003, the two Adoption Assistance rates correspond to Level A - $16.50 and Level B - $30.00 in the Levels of Care system.

• These rates went into effect for all families signing Adoption Assistance Agreements on or after July 1, 2003.

• Families that had signed Adoption Assistance Agreements prior to July 1, 2003 remained at their existing rate of Adoption Assistance (were grandfathered).

• The normal yearly review process remained in effect during the grandfathering period.

• Children receiving subsidy below $23.25 will receive $16.50 effective July 1, 2004.

• Children receiving subsidy over $23.25 will receive $30.00 effective July 1, 2004.

• There will continue to be a normal yearly review process in place.