Mockingbird Society

Navigation

• General

  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Glossary of Terms
  • Links
  • Photo Gallery
  • Wish List
  • Jobs

• Mockingbird Times

  • About
  • Current Issue (PDF)
  • How to get Published
  • Mockingbird Times Archives

• ASK-Y

  • About
  • Meeting Minutes
  • Sealing of Juvenile Records Bill

• Mockingbird Family Model

  • About
  • Executive Summary
  • First Evaluation from the University of Washington (April 2004)
  • Second Evaluation from the University of Washington (September 2004)
  • Third Evaluation from the University of Washington (January 2005)
  • Fourth Report from the University of Washington (January 2006)
  • Fifth Report from the University of Washington (January 2007)

• Mockingbird Society

  • Board of Directors
  • Executive Director
  • Join Mockingbird
  • Indirect Cost Policy
  • Mockingbird in the News
  • Program Information
  • Training Institute

2008 Advocacy Agenda

Increase and strengthen support services to children and youth in foster care:

1. Adequate Legal Representation for Adolescents in Foster Care: Increase safety, well being and permanency through a pilot project that provides an attorney for youth age 12 and older in dependency court
2. Increase access to HOPE beds and Responsible Living Skills beds: Make technical corrections to the HOPE Act. Passed in 1999 the HOPE Act brought forth two services not previously available to youth: Hope Centers (30 day emergency care) and Responsible Livings Skills Program (RLSP). (long term care for older adolescents). HOPE Centers are the only service within Washington’s Child Welfare System that youth (legally dependent or not) can self-refer to.

   Action:

   1. Remove criteria that a youth must have been in a HOPE bed prior to being accepted to an RLSP.
   2. Clarify eligibility language for Hope Centers to include youth who are at risk of homelessness

SAFE AND SECURE HOUSING

Reduce homelessness among youth aging out of foster care:

3. Increase the Housing Trust Fund: Increase the Housing Trust Fund to 200 million dollars per biennium
4. Increase the THOR Program: Increase funding to the Transitional Housing, Operating and Rent Program (THOR) to 10 million per biennium and expand eligibility to include youth and young adults including those with no experience in foster care.