This model is actually becoming more common, with similar foundations created by such nationally prominent individuals as Warren Buffett and T. Boone Pickens. There are several reasons for establishing a foundation of this type, including:

The creator of the foundation may view the option of perpetuity as imposing a burden on the next generation with a responsibility they may not want; or does not wish to impose his/her priorities on subsequent directors.

In some cases, the creators of the foundation may concentrate resources on a specific issue within a certain time frame so they can see the results in their lifetimes and also instill a clearer “focus” into their grantmaking activities.

Jack and Ruth Eckerd created Eckerd Family Foundation in 1998 to support programs for specific groups of youth at risk. They were particularly interested in promoting systemic change that would last well beyond the Foundation’s lifetime, with programming ultimately being integrated into government or private budgets. We call this “leveraged philanthropy” as opposed to annual support, in that we invest, review data collected by grantees and, with the right outcomes, see that the positive change created will be continued thereafter by other sources. Helping to create this level of sustainability has always been one of the foundation’s goals.

We’ve received a number of inquiries from grantees and other not for profits interested in proposing ideas for final grant distributions beyond our last round of regular grants in 2012. Currently, our board is giving serious and thoughtful consideration as to how best to close the foundation and may invite proposals addressing that at the appropriate time. In the meantime, the foundation will continue to consider concept papers that are creative in their approach, but take into account the current priorities of the foundation and our timeline for closing.

Please read on for information on Connected by 25/Hillsborough County, a public/private partnership that meets our funding profile and supports youth who “age out” of foster care at 18. We’ll be sharing much more information on Connected by 25 later when we present our report to the community on the program’s success. In this issue we also give an update on our grant awards in 2010, which are also posted on our website.

Please let us know if you have comments or questions. As always, we thank you for your interest in the Eckerd Family Foundation.

Sincerely,
Joe Clark

Connected by 25: Bringing the community together to serve foster youth after 18

We have learned from our friend Carole Shauffer, executive director of Youth Law Center – an Eckerd Family Foundation grantee whom we profiled in our last newsletter for its work with foster care issues – that children need continued parenting until the age of 25.

That’s all children, not just those in foster care. This makes the issue of children “aging out” of foster care at the age of 18 particularly poignant. These are some of our most vulnerable children, yet their organized support programs have typically been terminated when they reached the age of 18.

It was this need for continued support that was the genesis of Connected by 25 (Cby25), a community initiative that engages youth, public/private partners and policy makers to improve outcomes for foster youth through investments in services and programs. The mission of Cby25 is to ensure that youth in foster care are educated, housed, banked, employed and connected to a support system by the age of 25 – through systemic change rather than a proliferation of programs requiring annual philanthropic funding.

Impetus for the development of the Cby25 model dates back to a study published in 2004 by the Foster Care Work Group, an affinity group of foundation leaders focused on facilitating healthy transitions to adulthood for youth in foster care. Based on recommendations included in that study, programs were launched in Florida, California and Indiana. Cby25 programs funded by the Eckerd Family Foundation now operate in Hillsborough and Brevard counties, with the Florida Cby25 Initiative providing technical assistance and consulting services. The Initiative also offers these services to other communities in the state of Florida that want assistance in programming for youth aging out of foster care.

To offer insight into Connected by 25 Hillsborough (www.cby25.org), we are presenting the thoughts of Sarah Hart, its program director, who describes Cby25 by saying, “Connected by 25 values what is genuinely right and sensible for kids. We aim to build on that core belief to promote system change and redefine how the system thinks about and cares for kids. This is a philosophy that emphasizes social proceeds and youth outcomes more than process and good intent.”

Significant progress has already been made locally in the five outcome areas established for the program:

Advocating and supporting educational attainment: Hart believes the biggest “wins” achieved by Connected by 25 Hillsborough fall within this area. Recognizing the high dropout rates within the foster child population, Connected by 25 reviewed the data and asked young people why the dropout rates were so high. One cause they identified was that foster home placements were often changed several times during a school year, leaving the school of origin without a consistent point of contact. Through the efforts of Cby25, a dedicated guidance counselor was placed in Hillsborough County high schools and middle schools. These counselors are the point persons for each foster youth’s education, much as a parent would be for a child, tracking and monitoring foster youth education progress and coordinating resources such as tutoring and transportation. The high school guidance counselor position, originally supported by Cby25, is now funded by the Hillsborough County School District, thereby achieving the goal of creating systemic change. Other educational achievements include:

Connections with Education: An onsite educational program specific to youth in foster care/aged out of foster care ages 16-23 is now offered in partnership with the Hillsborough County School District.

Credit Recovery and Florida Virtual School programs assist youth in obtaining a standard high school diploma.

Adult Basic Education (GED Preparation)

GED – High School Equivalency

Facilitating and creating access to workforce development and entrepreneurship opportunities: Hart has been focusing on developing partnerships to create access to the workforce for youth in foster care. One successful example has been the Hillsborough County School District’s Executive Internship Program, an eight-week program that now gives first priority to youth in Connected by 25.

Providing financial literacy education and encouraging savings and asset development: In conjunction with the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, Hillsborough Connected by 25 offers the Opportunity Passport™ Program that provides eight hours of financial literacy training and matches participants’ savings until age 23. Since its inception, 179 foster care youth in Hillsborough County have opened an Opportunity Passport savings/IDA account. A total of $30,870 in matched savings has been utilized by the youth who have participated in the Opportunity Passport Program.

Developing safe and affordable housing options: Section 8, or the Housing Choice Voucher Program, is a federal housing program that provides housing assistance to low-income renters and homeowners. This assistance comes in the form of rental subsidies that limit the monthly rent payment of the assistance recipient. In the past, youth aging out of foster care had to pay market rent instead of being able to access affordable housing programs. Full time students were excluded from the Section 8 housing waiver, even though youth aging out of foster care are required to attend school full time to continue to receive stipends and services through the Department of Children and Families. Through advocacy efforts of Cby25, Youth SHINE and other groups, foster youth who age out and are completing their high school education or attending post-secondary vocational/educational programs are now eligible for the waiver and other Florida housing support programs.

Supporting permanent connections: Youth ages 16 to 17 who had been in the foster care system for years were often forced to choose between a “home” with supportive adults and receiving Medicaid insurance and a tuition waiver if they aged out of care at age 18. Through Florida’s Subsidized Independent Living program, foster youth under the age of 18 can have a say in deciding with whom they will live, such as a coach or a friend’s parent, even though these may not be licensed foster care providers. Through the advocacy of Cby25, each youth in foster care ages 16 and 17 must be evaluated for placement in Subsidized Independent Living as a way to connect them to supportive adults and the community in which they will live. These connections are important for all young people, but are critical to youth in foster care who must leave their placement on their 18th birthday.

One of the most gratifying results of the Foundation’s involvement with Cby25 has been the expansion of its impact into areas that had not been anticipated when the program was initiated. One such activity is the Hillsborough Cross System Court Project. In 2006, Cby25 led an effort to address the outcomes of youth who are involved with both the foster care system and the juvenile justice system (approximately 30 percent of the youth served).

In collaboration with the 13th Judicial Circuit Court, the Hillsborough County School District, Guardian ad Litem and the Department of Juvenile Justice, Cby25 developed a pilot project funded by Eckerd Family Foundation. Cby25 provided technical assistance and grant funds to establish a court liaison position within the 13th Judicial Circuit Court to work with the Office of Attorney General, The Clerk of the Circuit Court, Department of Juvenile Justice and the Child Welfare Agency to ensure that all of these “cross system” youth and other foster care youth ages 16 to 18 would appear before one judge.

These Court hearings are individualized to the teen and review the foster care placement history, current status in the Juvenile Justice system, educational services, employment training and life skills training being provided through various sources. An additional goal of the Project is to ensure that all foster care teens have a voice in court by having a Guardian ad Litem attorney assigned to represent their interests in court.

In 2008, Cby25 partnered again with the 13th Judicial Circuit Court, providing funds to expand the Cross System Project to include teens in foster care who have mental health issues. This seeks to reduce the number of foster care youth with mental health issues who might otherwise end up in the criminal justice system.

Despite these achievements, Hart is sometimes apprehensive about the future. “Knowing that our program will be around as long as the youth need it is a constant concern. We need firm financial and general support from the Community Based Care agency, the school district, the court, Hillsborough County government, the City of Tampa and members of the community to keep the projects going,” she says.

Conversely, the future of programs that have become embedded in other systems can be worrisome as well. “The challenge is finding the balance, hoping that a program will continue to be faithful to the model even after it becomes a part of a larger system. So, although we know we need to embed the program, we can’t predict what will happen in the future.”

According to Hart, Connected by 25 functions as a kind of laboratory, in that its model is to get programs up and running, track the data to prove or disprove the concept and, if successful, get the systems, such as the child welfare agency or the school system, to assume responsibility for it; at which time Connected by 25 will move on to the next project.

From the point of view of Eckerd Family Foundation, we believe it is that willingness to attack a documented need, listen to those most affected by it, identify and try creative solutions, track the data resulting from program operations and then hand the program to an established group that has made Connected by 25 such a good match for the foundation. We also hope it will serve as a model for prospective grantees, allowing us to maintain the focus on systemic change that was so important to Jack and Ruth Eckerd when they created the foundation.


A message from the President of Eckerd Family Foundation: Fall 2010 We’ve all heard of the “law of unintended consequences.” We experienced this recently after the St. Petersburg Times wrote a story describing the next steps for Eckerd Family Foundation. It became clear from the response to that article that it was timely to clarify our “identity” and to comment on our purpose and goals as a “spend down” foundation preparing to sunset. In fact, this is how Eckerd Family Foundation was conceived, unlike Eckerd Youth Alternatives, which is a distinct, separate entity that operates programs for youth and other activities and is not affiliated with or supported by the Eckerd Family Foundation. The spend-down model calls for a foundation to operate only for a limited period, after which time its assets are fully deployed or committed. In our case, we will make our last regular round of grants in 2012 and the Foundation will close no later than June 2014. This model is actually becoming more common, with similar foundations created by such nationally prominent individuals as Warren Buffett and T. Boone Pickens. There are several reasons for establishing a foundation of this type, including: The creator of the foundation may view the option of perpetuity as imposing a burden on the next generation with a responsibility they may not want; or does not wish to impose his/her priorities on subsequent directors. In some cases, the creators of the foundation may concentrate resources on a specific issue within a certain time frame so they can see the results in their lifetimes and also instill a clearer “focus” into their grantmaking activities. Jack and Ruth Eckerd created Eckerd Family Foundation in 1998 to support programs for specific groups of youth at risk. They were particularly interested in promoting systemic change that would last well beyond the Foundation’s lifetime, with programming ultimately being integrated into government or private budgets. We call this “leveraged philanthropy” as opposed to annual support, in that we invest, review data collected by grantees and, with the right outcomes, see that the positive change created will be continued thereafter by other sources. Helping to create this level of sustainability has always been one of the foundation’s goals. We’ve received a number of inquiries from grantees and other not for profits interested in proposing ideas for final grant distributions beyond our last round of regular grants in 2012. Currently, our board is giving serious and thoughtful consideration as to how best to close the foundation and may invite proposals addressing that at the appropriate time. In the meantime, the foundation will continue to consider concept papers that are creative in their approach, but take into account the current priorities of the foundation and our timeline for closing. Please read on for information on Connected by 25/Hillsborough County, a public/private partnership that meets our funding profile and supports youth who “age out” of foster care at 18. We’ll be sharing much more information on Connected by 25 later when we present our report to the community on the program’s success. In this issue we also give an update on our grant awards in 2010, which are also posted on our website. Please let us know if you have comments or questions. As always, we thank you for your interest in the Eckerd Family Foundation. Sincerely, Joe Clark Connected by 25: Bringing the community together to serve foster youth after 18 We have learned from our friend Carole Shauffer, executive director of Youth Law Center – an Eckerd Family Foundation grantee whom we profiled in our last newsletter for its work with foster care issues – that children need continued parenting until the age of 25. That’s all children, not just those in foster care. This makes the issue of children “aging out” of foster care at the age of 18 particularly poignant. These are some of our most vulnerable children, yet their organized support programs have typically been terminated when they reached the age of 18. It was this need for continued support that was the genesis of Connected by 25 (Cby25), a community initiative that engages youth, public/private partners and policy makers to improve outcomes for foster youth through investments in services and programs. The mission of Cby25 is to ensure that youth in foster care are educated, housed, banked, employed and connected to a support system by the age of 25 – through systemic change rather than a proliferation of programs requiring annual philanthropic funding. Impetus for the development of the Cby25 model dates back to a study published in 2004 by the Foster Care Work Group, an affinity group of foundation leaders focused on facilitating healthy transitions to adulthood for youth in foster care. Based on recommendations included in that study, programs were launched in Florida, California and Indiana. Cby25 programs funded by the Eckerd Family Foundation now operate in Hillsborough and Brevard counties, with the Florida Cby25 Initiative providing technical assistance and consulting services. The Initiative also offers these services to other communities in the state of Florida that want assistance in programming for youth aging out of foster care. To offer insight into Connected by 25 Hillsborough (www.cby25.org), we are presenting the thoughts of Sarah Hart, its program director, who describes Cby25 by saying, “Connected by 25 values what is genuinely right and sensible for kids. We aim to build on that core belief to promote system change and redefine how the system thinks about and cares for kids. This is a philosophy that emphasizes social proceeds and youth outcomes more than process and good intent.” Significant progress has already been made locally in the five outcome areas established for the program: Advocating and supporting educational attainment: Hart believes the biggest “wins” achieved by Connected by 25 Hillsborough fall within this area. Recognizing the high dropout rates within the foster child population, Connected by 25 reviewed the data and asked young people why the dropout rates were so high. One cause they identified was that foster home placements were often changed several times during a school year, leaving the school of origin without a consistent point of contact. Through the efforts of Cby25, a dedicated guidance counselor was placed in Hillsborough County high schools and middle schools. These counselors are the point persons for each foster youth’s education, much as a parent would be for a child, tracking and monitoring foster youth education progress and coordinating resources such as tutoring and transportation. The high school guidance counselor position, originally supported by Cby25, is now funded by the Hillsborough County School District, thereby achieving the goal of creating systemic change. Other educational achievements include: Connections with Education: An onsite educational program specific to youth in foster care/aged out of foster care ages 16-23 is now offered in partnership with the Hillsborough County School District. Credit Recovery and Florida Virtual School programs assist youth in obtaining a standard high school diploma. Adult Basic Education (GED Preparation) GED – High School Equivalency Facilitating and creating access to workforce development and entrepreneurship opportunities: Hart has been focusing on developing partnerships to create access to the workforce for youth in foster care. One successful example has been the Hillsborough County School District’s Executive Internship Program, an eight-week program that now gives first priority to youth in Connected by 25. Providing financial literacy education and encouraging savings and asset development: In conjunction with the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, Hillsborough Connected by 25 offers the Opportunity Passport™ Program that provides eight hours of financial literacy training and matches participants’ savings until age 23. Since its inception, 179 foster care youth in Hillsborough County have opened an Opportunity Passport savings/IDA account. A total of $30,870 in matched savings has been utilized by the youth who have participated in the Opportunity Passport Program. Developing safe and affordable housing options: Section 8, or the Housing Choice Voucher Program, is a federal housing program that provides housing assistance to low-income renters and homeowners. This assistance comes in the form of rental subsidies that limit the monthly rent payment of the assistance recipient. In the past, youth aging out of foster care had to pay market rent instead of being able to access affordable housing programs. Full time students were excluded from the Section 8 housing waiver, even though youth aging out of foster care are required to attend school full time to continue to receive stipends and services through the Department of Children and Families. Through advocacy efforts of Cby25, Youth SHINE and other groups, foster youth who age out and are completing their high school education or attending post-secondary vocational/educational programs are now eligible for the waiver and other Florida housing support programs. Supporting permanent connections: Youth ages 16 to 17 who had been in the foster care system for years were often forced to choose between a “home” with supportive adults and receiving Medicaid insurance and a tuition waiver if they aged out of care at age 18. Through Florida’s Subsidized Independent Living program, foster youth under the age of 18 can have a say in deciding with whom they will live, such as a coach or a friend’s parent, even though these may not be licensed foster care providers. Through the advocacy of Cby25, each youth in foster care ages 16 and 17 must be evaluated for placement in Subsidized Independent Living as a way to connect them to supportive adults and the community in which they will live. These connections are important for all young people, but are critical to youth in foster care who must leave their placement on their 18th birthday. One of the most gratifying results of the Foundation’s involvement with Cby25 has been the expansion of its impact into areas that had not been anticipated when the program was initiated. One such activity is the Hillsborough Cross System Court Project. In 2006, Cby25 led an effort to address the outcomes of youth who are involved with both the foster care system and the juvenile justice system (approximately 30 percent of the youth served). In collaboration with the 13th Judicial Circuit Court, the Hillsborough County School District, Guardian ad Litem and the Department of Juvenile Justice, Cby25 developed a pilot project funded by Eckerd Family Foundation. Cby25 provided technical assistance and grant funds to establish a court liaison position within the 13th Judicial Circuit Court to work with the Office of Attorney General, The Clerk of the Circuit Court, Department of Juvenile Justice and the Child Welfare Agency to ensure that all of these “cross system” youth and other foster care youth ages 16 to 18 would appear before one judge. These Court hearings are individualized to the teen and review the foster care placement history, current status in the Juvenile Justice system, educational services, employment training and life skills training being provided through various sources. An additional goal of the Project is to ensure that all foster care teens have a voice in court by having a Guardian ad Litem attorney assigned to represent their interests in court. In 2008, Cby25 partnered again with the 13th Judicial Circuit Court, providing funds to expand the Cross System Project to include teens in foster care who have mental health issues. This seeks to reduce the number of foster care youth with mental health issues who might otherwise end up in the criminal justice system. Despite these achievements, Hart is sometimes apprehensive about the future. “Knowing that our program will be around as long as the youth need it is a constant concern. We need firm financial and general support from the Community Based Care agency, the school district, the court, Hillsborough County government, the City of Tampa and members of the community to keep the projects going,” she says. Conversely, the future of programs that have become embedded in other systems can be worrisome as well. “The challenge is finding the balance, hoping that a program will continue to be faithful to the model even after it becomes a part of a larger system. So, although we know we need to embed the program, we can’t predict what will happen in the future.” According to Hart, Connected by 25 functions as a kind of laboratory, in that its model is to get programs up and running, track the data to prove or disprove the concept and, if successful, get the systems, such as the child welfare agency or the school system, to assume responsibility for it; at which time Connected by 25 will move on to the next project. From the point of view of Eckerd Family Foundation, we believe it is that willingness to attack a documented need, listen to those most affected by it, identify and try creative solutions, track the data resulting from program operations and then hand the program to an established group that has made Connected by 25 such a good match for the foundation. We also hope it will serve as a model for prospective grantees, allowing us to maintain the focus on systemic change that was so important to Jack and Ruth Eckerd when they created the foundation.
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