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2. What kind of experience do you have in incorporating parents, youth and employers into <br />your programs? <br />Due to the nature of the population we serve, we generally do not have access to our <br />client's parents. Foster youth are removed from their parents or custodians due to abuse <br />or neglect and are under the supervision and care of the Orange County Social Services <br />Agency. Many of the clients we serve reside in group homes, foster homes or with <br />relatives. <br />Orangewood Children's Foundation (OCF) is diligent about engaging potential <br />employers, our clients and their caregivers, which may include biological parents. We <br />include them on our ILP newsletter mailing lists, publish program services in the Team <br />Talk quarterly publication from the County of Orange to foster parents and invite <br />caregivers to participate with our youth at ILP workshops and special events. OCF also <br />provides independent living skills assignments on our website, which are available to <br />clients and caregivers. Caregivers are encouraged to work with youth on these <br />assignments and some assignments require interaction with employers or potential <br />employers. <br />Some examples of our experience engaging youth, parents and employers are as follows: <br />Through the OCF Community Programs last year we served approximately 10,800 <br />duplicated children and their families at 14 Family Resource Centers in Orange County <br />per year. The Independent Living Program Specialists provided case management to <br />approximately 166 youth last year. In their interactions with their clients, they often <br />engaged foster parents, social workers, relative caregivers, biological parents, group <br />home staff and employers for client success. Independent Living Specialists also <br />engaged youth after hours and on weekends. Potential employers are often integrated <br />through the Independent Living Program (II,P) as we invited them to present at <br />workshops (workshops take place during the evenings and on weekends to make it easier <br />for client participation), participate at Independent City, and post job opportunities in the <br />Orangewood Resource Center (ORC). <br />OCF staff also participated in many community meetings such as the monthly Orange <br />County Mentoring Partnership meetings, DOVIA Volunteer Management Organization <br />meetings, Children's Services Coordination Committee (CSCC), CSCC Emancipation <br />Subcommittee, Foster Youth Services Task Force, Volunteer Coordinator Roundtable, <br />Vital Link meetings, social worker and foster parent trainings, Family to Family <br />meetings, Educational Summit, TAY Conference, Statewide ILP Breakthrough Series <br />Collaborative, etc. <br />When needed, the Foster Youth Liaison Project Peer Mentors will engage parents (if <br />available), foster parents, relative caregivers, group home staff, social workers and <br />employers to help the participants. Peer Mentors will also engage and empower the <br />participants by meeting with them regularly, assessing needs and helping them focus on <br />individual tasks for program success. <br />3. Describe how staff will receive training and ongoing staff development to increase staff <br />capacity and expertise in the field of youth development and employment. <br />In partnership with the Santa Ana WIB, OCF provided services to 12 foster youth in <br />Program Year 2006/2007, 19 foster youth during Program Year 2007/2008, 17 foster <br />OCF/Foster Youth Liaison Project PY 10/11 17 <br />EXHIBIT A