Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 5, 1 Mei 2011 — OUR keiki, OUR kuleana [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OUR keiki, OUR kuleana

r Although the numbers have improved, 1 I Hawaiians remain the majority 01 children in foster care in the state By IVlelissa Nloniz \

ay is National Foster Care Month and m^^ m^^ serves as an opportunity to spread awarem^^^m^^k ness about the half-million children who m ^Ēm are in the foster care system nationwide. m ^^^®The campaign highlights the urgent needs of these children and encourages everyone to get involved. The safety and well-being of our keiki is a responsibility that requires the commitment of many caring individuals that extend beyond the family unit. This philosophy has been the focus of a statewide effort to help children and families in foster care and is highlighted in the state's Program hnprovement Plan, whieh was drafted following Hawai'i's federal Child and Family Services Review, or CFSR, in 2003. As a result of the CFSR, whieh is the single most important federal review of a state's child welfare system, the Hawai'i Department of Human Services Child Welfare Services Branch adopted a list of priorities to enhanee outcomes for children and families.

Following another CFSR review in 2009, a second Hawai'i Program hnprovement Plan was drafted in Ianuary 201 1. "All the states have to go through federal reviews and in the recent review Hawai'i was one of the first states to pass the national standards," says Lynne Kazama, Assistant Program Administrator of Hawai 'i's DHS Child Welfare Services Branch. "In our recent review we did extremely well, especially in reaching out to organizations and collaborations with the Native Hawaiian community, whieh is so hnportant because when we started in 2003 the reviews showed that 53 percent of youth in care were Native Hawahans." Native Hawahans still make up the majority of foster youth in the state. However, last year's statistics reveal that the number of Native Hawaiians in foster care decreased to 46 percent. That number is hard hitting, considering Native Hawaiians make up about 25 percent of Hawai'i's population. The decrease in numbers of Native Hawahan children in foster care

ias gone down along with the overall average, whieh shows hat since 2003 the number of chhdren in Hawai'i's foster care ;ystem has decreased to 1,300 from 3,000. And according to he DHS 2010 annual report, more than 50 percent of chhdren eaving the system are reunited with theh birth parents or irhnary caregivers. "I think the collaboration was a big strength that we leveloped and has been a big reason why we've been able to lecrease the numbers," says Kazama. "We can't do it alone." Child Welfare Services (CWS) has also reached out to fonn īew working relationships with organizations that share its irimary nhssion, whieh is to protect Hawai'i's keiki. :0STERING PARTNERSHIPS Family Programs Hawai'i (FPH) is one of thesepartnerships. 7PH is nonprofit social service agency that provides statewide ;ervices to ahnost 4,000 ehikhen and fanhhes involved in the :hhd welfare system, specificahy foster care. "Through our various programs we provide prevention ;ervices to keep chhdren from having to be in foster care, we provide support services for ehikhen and fanhhes who are already involved in the foster care system and we also have services for youth who are hansitioning out of foster care," says Linda Santos, President and CEO of Fanhly Programs Hawai'i. One of its newest programs is Ho'omalu O Na Kamali'i, a receiving home for ehikhen entering the child welfare system. Opened in Apiil 2009 on the Leeward Coast of O'ahu, the goal of Ho'omalu is to keep children safe and keep siblings together while they wait to be reunited with theh parents or ean be transitioned with a fanhly member or foster home. "We selected the Wai'anae area because that area has the highest number of children being placed in foster care," says Santos. "Often the way the system works, different homes take kids on an emergency basis and one of the things that's hard is if they're spUt up from theh siblings. So the point of Ho'omalu is to keep fanhlies together. And we give preference to children on the Wai'anae Coast because another problem when you remove kids from theh home is they lose theh school and friends. It's very traumatic, so we're trying to reduce that trauma." MAINTAINING CULTURAL C0NNECTI0NS DHS has also built a strong relationship with Partners in Development Foundation (PIDF), a Native Hawahan community-based organization dedicated to helping trengthen fanhlies and connnunities.

In August 2004, a federal grant from the Adnhnishation for Native Americans was awarded to Partners In Development Foundation in partnership with DHS to encourage statewide recruitment of Native Hawaiian resource caregivers. This initiative started as a response to the high number of Native Hawaiian chhdren in foster care. In 2010, a total of 307 out of 586 - or 52.4 percent - of Native Hawaiian children who were in foster care were placed with Native Hawaiian resource families. "One of the most hnportant things in these programs is to have foster children cared for by theh own ethnic group because of lifestyles and familiar living envhomnents," says OHA Trustee Oswald Stender. "And it is working." In 2006, PIDF's program Hui Ho'omalu became the state's general hcense provider for resource caregivers. Hui Ho 'malu recruits, hains and assesses fanhlies to become certified resource caregivers to provide foster care. "We definitely have a need for resource caregivers. We especially

have a need for fanhlies who ean take teens and large sibling groups," says Stephanie Helbush, Statewide General License Recmitment and Training Coordinator for Hui Ho'omalu. "And because of the high percentage of Native Hawahan children in foster care, we have a team of recruiters who specifically recruit Native Hawaiian families. Fonnerly known as Kōkua 'Ohana, this program is under Hui Ho'omalu now and we have recruiters that cover all islands. Such efforts has resulted in a 5 percent increase since 2005 of Native Hawaiian fanhlies who are licensed as resource caregivers. Native Hawaiians Luella and lohn Muaina, parents of five biological chhdren ages 13, 22, 28, 30 and 33, became foster caregivers - otherwise known as resource caregivers - seven years ago. "I always wanted to do something like this to give back to the community, so we got into it because there was a need, and we got on board as an emergency home for a brother and sister. They were 5 and 7," says Luella, a Kahuku graduate. The siblings hved with lohn, Luella and their daughter MorganMelissa, who was 6 years old at the time, for about a year with the knowledge that they were in transition and would return to their parents. "Unfortunately what happened is their parents lost parental rights," says lohn. "The two of them asked if they could stay with us. So we decided to adopt them and it's enriched all of our children's lives and has helped us too." The Muainas welcomed another foster child three years ago. And soon after they were asked if they would consider taking her sister, whieh they happily agreed to. The girls are now 12 and 14. "I don't think we are unique," says lohn. "I think other families ean do this. It ean be a real blessing to a family. It's frightening at first and ean be challenging, but the rewards outweigh the challenges." lohn and Luella, who reside in Lā'ie, also have seven grandchildren, with another on the way in lune. They say having a big family was what they both always wanted. And they couldn't be happier about their decision to foster and adopt. "What we have learned through this is that we ean change people's lives by things that we do," adds lohn. "And it's been beneficial for all of us, not just the kids that we foster." The requirements for resource caregivers include: the desire and ability to accept a foster child into your home based on the reunification plan made by the state; space in your home for an additional child and ineome to cover usual household expenses; and passing both a criminal and child abuse and neglect background eheek. Resource caregivers are asked to support and partner with the birth parents to support reunification or relative placement if at all possible. This keeps keiki with their 'ohana and maintains the important family and cultural connections. "What we're trying to do is build up a pool of families, so when they are placing a child they have a few families to choose from to find the

most ideal situation," adds Helbush. "We're always looking for stable, nurturing families. However, we do have a higher need for resource caregivers in West Hawai'i and Kaua'i." In addition to the many successful partnerships the state's DHS Differential Response System has been instrumental in decreasing the number of children in foster care. "When a report of child abuse or neglect comes in, we use the Differential Response System, whieh assesses the level of safety and risk for the child," says Kazama. "It's one of our new programs that has been very successful. It has standardized the process and is a primary reason we've had a 56 percent drop of children coming into foster care since 2005." The Differential Response System helps Child Welfare Services staff to find the most appropriate response to families' needs when reports are made to CWS of child abuse and neglect, whieh are the two most eommon reasons Hawai'i's children are placed in foster care. SEE GHILDREN ON PAGE 24

John and Luella Muaina wilh their biological daughter, 1 3-year-old Morgan-Melissa, on left, and two adopted children who are sister and brother, Shawnee, 1 2 and Joshua, 1 4. The family has also taken two more foster children into their care, sisters age 1 2 and 1 4. - Photo: John De Mello s

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For example, faced with a low-risk family situation, DHS will work with the family and provide counseling or programs rather than just taking the child away. "Through the (Differential Response System) there's a lot of assessment done to figure out what the family needs and what they want," says Santos. "People love theirchildren. Evenpeople who abuse their children love their children, but they have problems, so that's how the families are helped." In the past few years, CWS has continued its efforts to work with families to keep keiki out of foster care. It attributes its success to communitybased services to strengthen famihes. "We are about trying to sustain children safely in their homes and if we can't prevent removal then the priority is to find a placement with a relative," says Kazama, of Child Welfare Services. "If we can't find a relative at the point of removal, we will continue to search." KŪPUNA BILL The importance of placement with a relative was set into state law through the so-called kūpuna hill, whieh was passed three years ago. The law states that if DHS removes a child from his or her parents or guardians then DHS is required to notify everyone in the family within 30 days of the child's removal and to prioritize relative placements. "The kūpuna hill was a hill that I got OHA to

draft and introduce," says Trustee Stender, who has been an advocate to help children in foster care. "The hill was passed in one single session because of the overwhehning support from the DHS, many organizations who were involved in foster care and of course the tūtūs who eame to testify." 'Ohana Conferencing is another program offered through Epie 'Ohana that specializes in facilitating meetings with parents, extended family and a social worker to make the best decisions for the future of the child. Through the meeting, the family and social worker ean make decisions about a service plan to support parents to address safety concerns in the home. Qr, if the child is out of the home, they ean identify family placement options, a visitation plan for parents and sibhngs and steps to reunification and case closure. Community efforts also extend to events such as the Statewide 'Aha, whieh partners Native Hawaiian communities across Hawai'i to increase awareness regarding Child Welfare Service's efforts and discuss ways to support children and famihes by increasing cohaboration between the community and CWS. Last October, DHS and Casey Fanhly Programs sponsored the second Statewide 'Aha, whieh took plaee in Mākaha. The theme for the event, "I Ho 'oulu Ka Noho Kaiāulu me ke Aloha - Growing communities with Aloha," speaks to supporting the work being done by famhies and communities to work together to strengthen our Hawaiian famhies,

to prevent child abuse, prevent entry into foster care, and to strengthen the fanhly unit so it ean be preserved. "It remains unclear as far as targeted reasons why the Native Hawaiian children in foster care is so high, but through programs such as the Statewide 'Aha we are working with partners to look at those reasons, so it's a work in progress," says Kazama. "Even though we still have a way to go, the doors have been opened with the nhssion to help the Native Hawahan fanhhes and chhdren. The partnerships have been wonderful." PR0GRAMS FQR TEENS AGING QUT QF THE SYSTEM Proposed bills in the state Legislature would also have addressed how to better help youth who transition out of the foster care system at age 18. Although the bills appeared to be dead as of this writing, efforts continue to help better prepare foster youth for adulthood. "We are continuing to work on legislation to improve the process of foster care children aging out of the system," says Trustee Stender. Currentfy various services and programs to help youth better transition into adulthood are offered through CWS, Family Programs Hawai'i, Epie 'Ohana, Hale Kipa and others. Epie 'Ohana offers the E Makua Ana Youth Circle that serves to help youth generate options and resources to support their goals and infonned

MO'OLELO NUI v www.oha.org/kwo | kwo@OHA.org C0VER ST0RY f NATIVE HAWAIIAN » NEWS | FEATURES | EVENTS

Shawnee and Morgan-Melissa wilh their mom, Luella Muaina. - Photo: John De Mello

Lynne Kazama of the state Department of Human Services Child Welfare Services Branch attributes a 56 percentdrop in the number of children entering foster care since 2005 primarily to CWS's use of the Differential Response System, whieh helps staff better respond to reports of child abuse and neglect. - Photo: LisaAsato

Stephanie Helbush of Hui Ho'omalu, a recruiting and training program for caregivers of foster children, says Hui Ho'omalu has a team dedicated to recruiting Native Hawaiian families because of the high percentage of Hawaiian children in the state's foster system. There is a particular demand for caregivers who ean take teens and large sibling groups. - Photo: LisaAsato

decision-making. Family Programs Hawai'i's program known as eXcel targets foster youth interested in attending college or vocational training. Support is provided in the applieahon process, completing hnaneial aid and scholarship applieahon, and continues throughout their studies. An expansion in benefits for youth formerly in foster care with DHS is offered through the Higher Education Board Allowanee Expansion. The allowanee helps meet living expenses for youth attending accredited academic or vocational institutions of higher learning. "We have many agencies that provide them with independent living skills and things to prepare them. We have many mentoring programs and several youth entities that also reaches out to connect with the teens," adds Kazama. In 2009, the City and County of Honolulu received 100 Section 8 vouchers worth approximately $1,068,000 from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department

to increase housing opportunities for fonner foster youth. "For the last 10 years spearheaded by federal legislation, the needs for youth in transition have been prioritized," says Santos, of Family Programs Hawai'i. "There is independent living money, higher education money, heahh care." "We're always continuing to see what else we ean do," adds Kazama. "It is challenging because at 18 they are adults, so the infonnation and resources we give them becomes their ehoiee. And because they are technically an adult we have no authority. So forcing jurisdiction on them, I don't believe that is the answer. Preparing them as best as we ean I think that's where our efforts have been. And we do offer a lot of services to help transition them into college or the workplace and also provide heahh care." With more to be done, the strides that have been made in Hawai'i's foster care system have been positive. And h has only been possible through the caring efforts made by everyday

people in our community. National Foster Care Month encourages everyone to reach out and make a lasting difference in a child's life. No matter how mueh time you have to give, you ean help create pennanent, lifelong connections. All children deserve a safe, happy life, and our keiki in foster care especially need nurturing adults because their own families are in crisis and unable to care for them. "I think we're headed in the right direction in our tools, our partnerships and collaborations," adds Kazama. "We'll continue to do all we ean to keep reducing the number of ehikken in foster care, while keeping their safety top priority." ■ Meīissa Moniz is a Contributing Writer for Ka Wai Ola A former Associate Editor at MidWeek, she has chosen a new career path as a full-time mom to spend more quaīity time with her husband and two young daughters.