Transformative Edge of Reform
Long-Term Support Efforts on the Transformative Edge of Reform
States and counties have also attempted to imagine a new way of offering out-of-home care for children and youth by pushing beyond the current regulatory and funding barriers that plague the system. These efforts have brought the system to the edge of transformation but have not been implemented to scale or in a way that has transformed the system.
Examples of Long-Term Support Efforts on the Transformative Edge of Reform
Title IV-E Child Welfare Demonstrations projects ran from 1994-2006 and 2011-2019 and allowed states to submit waivers to the federal government to allow for more flexible use of Title IV-E of the Social Security Act (the largest federal pot of money for child welfare services). Under the waiver program, states were able to test prevention efforts that included subsidizing kinship care, providing specialized treatment services, and using funding flexibly to offer more robust services that met the needs of children, youth, and families. These waivers gave states flexibility to test new ways to address the needs of families and focus on keeping families intact. It led to the creation and passage of the Families First legislation, though this legislation has proven to be more reformist in nature as outlined in the reform section.
Direct financial assistance and/or rental subsidy and optional supportive services to youth’s kinship networks to offer permanent housing options. Several communities are implementing this strategy through the homeless response system, outside of the child welfare system, through the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) and others with the assistance of Point Source Youth.