LA County Board

16. Setting Youth Up for Success: Adulthood, Money Management, Personal\nRights, and Education\nRecommendation as submitted by Supervisors Solis and Hahn: Instruct the\nDirector of Children and Family Services and the Los Angeles County\nOmbudsperson for Youth in Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Programs\n(STRTPs), in collaboration with the Executive Director of the Youth\nCommission, LGBTQ+ Commission, Director of Youth Development,\ncommunity-based youth providers, and youth with lived experience, where\nappropriate, to:\nReview and create an implementation plan to address and resolve the\nfindings and areas of concerns listed in the July 1, through December\n31, 2023 Semi-Annual Report, focusing at minimum on the following:\nAs it relates to the Personal Rights:\nTrain Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)\nstaff on changes to the Foster Youth Bill of Rights (FYBOR);\nProvide DCFS guidance and training on how to engage\nyouth in developmentally appropriate conversations about\nFYBOR;\nProvide all foster youth a copy of the FYBOR, multiple times\na year, including reviewing and ensuring the FYBORS is\navailable in the threshold languages; and\nEngage with impacted youth, former STRTP youth, Youth\nCommission, Department of Youth Development, and other\nrelevant groups to create a better process in which\ngrievances about staff and living conditions can be\nreported, documented, and investigated, with no retaliation\nor harassment, as well as including an early warning system\nfor staff who have multiple misconduct allegations and\ndiscipline for staff who engage in retaliation or harassment\nof youth for using grievance process;\nAs it relates to Adulthood and Money Management:\nPartner with SCE Union and other financial institutions,\nexpand to ensure that all youth have the information and\nability to open their own bank accounts without the need for\nan adult, as well as provide information and education on\nfinancial literacy; and\nWork with the Independent Living Program, to ensure\nfunding process is accessible, transparent, and free of\nunnecessary bureaucratic obstacles and hurdles that delay\nor restrict a youth’s access to Independent Living Program\nfundings, and information is accessible and available to the\npublic;\nAs it relates to Education:\nEnsure processes and protocols are in place to make sure:\nYouth can attend their School of Origin (SOO),\nespecially during the Best Interest Determination\nprocess and that the youth is informed throughout the\nprocess;\nTo have the Office of Child Protection’s Education\nCoordinating Council to continue working with the\nLos Angeles County Office of Education and the\nimpacted schools to ensure they are consulted in a\ntimely and frequent manner to create a timeline, plan,\nand process for the youth to be able to attend their\nSOO; and\nYouth are aware and informed of their education\nrights throughout the process, including in an\nage-appropriate and language inclusive manner;\nEnsure that all youth have a current and active Education\nRights Holder (ERH) in collaboration with the youth’s\nChildren’s Social Worker (CSW) and attorney; and\nIn collaboration with the Executive Director of the Office of\nChild Protection, create a transportation plan, including\naccessing available transportation programs, such as\nMetro’s GoPass program, Assembly Bill 130 funds, and\nother relevant and appropriate funding sources;\nAs it relates to Family and Social Connections:\nIn discussions related to Directive No. 1 (iii) (3) in the\nmotion, ensure transportation accessibility for visits,\nincluding with family and others;\nAddress barriers to visitation plans including distance\nbetween placement and location of family members or\nnon-relative extended family members; schedule conflicts\nbetween the youth and family member or friend; and\nextended waits for CSWs approval for the youth to visit\ncertain people;\nEnsure that Child and Family Team meetings are taking\nplace consistently and with correct supports; and\nAs it relates to Other Requests:\nAddress requests for assistance retrieving personal\nbelongings from prior placements; status of their placement\nchange; request to change their CSW, issues with other\nresidents, among others; and\nInstruct the Director of Children and Family Services, with support from the\nOmbudsperson for Youth in Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Programs\n(STRTPs), to report back to the Board in writing in 120 days, in response to\nDirective No. 1 in the motion, and report back to the Board quarterly with\nupdates until completion or further notice; and to the extent that there have been\nattempts to resolve the Ombudsperson’s findings listed in Directive No. 1 of the\nmotion, and in the June 12, 2024 Semi-Annual Report, include in the report\nback, the ways in which they are being addressed and identify the gaps that led\nto the findings by the Ombudsperson. (24-3200)\nOmbudsperson for Youth Semi-Annual Report