Information on State Disability Legislation Available

As part of the work of NCWD/Youth, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) maintains a website that highlights state-level legislation related to disabilities and employment. The legislation is divided into five areas: assistive technology, education, employment, Medicaid buy-in, and Olmstead/independent living. The website contains the summary and status of each bill listed, with a link to enacted bills. NCSL has just updated the website to include state legislation from the 2005 legislative sessions. To view the legislative activity, go to http://www.ncsl.org/programs/employ/disab-leg05.htm.

May is National Foster Care Month

This year's theme of Foster Care Month is Change a Lifetime: Share Your Heart, Open Your Home, Offer Your Help and will focus on how to get involved in the lives of young people in foster care.

The NCWD/Youth is developing materials around youth in foster care that will soon be posted on its website www.ncwd-youth.info. Of the more than 500,000 children in foster care, 30 to 40 percent are also in special education. However, this number does not capture all youth with disabilities in foster care, since many who experience mental and emotional forms of disabilities after reaching adolescence are not identified by the school system. One study estimated that between 20 and 60 percent of young children entering foster care have a developmental disability or delay. An estimated 10 percent of the general population have a developmental disability or delay.

Because the numbers are significant, and clearly show that youth with disabilities are over represented in the foster care population, NCWD/Youth is developing Guideposts for Success for youth in foster care. In highlighting specific experiences, supports, and services that are relevant to providing comprehensive transition services for all foster youth, including those with disabilities, these Guideposts build on the existing Guideposts for Success. The existing Guideposts can be found at http://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/guideposts/index.html.

In addition, the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL), the home of NCWD/Youth, is working with the Casey Family programs in the evaluation of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Foster Youth Demonstration Projects. In September 2004, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) awarded grants to five states to design and implement programs to improve self-sufficiency and educational and employment outcomes for youth exiting foster care. ETA’s solicitation required states to target the city or county with the largest number of foster care youth. Those areas with the largest foster care populations are Los Angeles , Chicago , Detroit , New York City, and Houston.

The purposes of the evaluation being conducted by IEL and its partners is to assess the effectiveness of the programs implemented by the five demonstration sites and to identify and capture effective practices for dissemination throughout the workforce development and child welfare systems. A report on the first year of implementation is posted on the IEL website at http://www.iel.org/programs/casey.html.

According to the report, some early observations and lessons from sites include:

• Previous experience with at-risk youth and in employment services is an important factor in program success.
• Frequent and structured opportunities for ongoing communication among lead agencies, community partners, and youth are critical to creating an effective program.
• To retain youth in the program, sites must immediately and consistently engage youth in activities that move them closer toward meeting their personal goals.
• Youth involvement as advisors and staff help to create a youth-friendly program and positive attitudes on the program and staff.
• An understanding of the community the program operates in is important to anticipating and resolving potential challenges and issues that may hinder a youth’s progress in the program, such as loss of housing, child care, or transportation.
• It is necessary to recognize the unique needs of current and former foster youth in designing a program that meets their complex needs.
• Garnering community involvement and employment partnerships now will help sustain the program in the future.

Further information on Foster Care Month can be found at http://www.fostercaremonth.org/Home.

First National Conference for Mentoring Youth with Disabilities

Partners for Youth with Disabilities will hold Aspire, Achieve, Empower: First National Conference for Mentoring Youth with Disabilities in Boston on September 13-15, 2006, sponsored in part by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy. This conference will bring together experts in the field, researchers, program providers, and others who have an interest in the inclusion of youth with disabilities in the mentoring movement.  For more information and to register for the conference, visit www.regonline.com/pyd.

Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students With Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Education has released the Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students With Disabilities, a collaborative effort of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), to assist states in raising the achievement of all students with disabilities.

The Tool Kit provides up-to-date guidance on designing and implementing high-quality assessments for students with disabilities. It also includes a set of technical assistance products that offer practical, research-based approaches to the challenges schools are facing in the areas of assessment, instruction, behavioral interventions and use of accommodations for students with disabilities. Materials in the Tool Kit can be found at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers. T he Web site will be updated with additional materials as they become available.