DPSS News Sept Oct 2020

NON-PROFIT PARTNER EQUIPS FOSTER CHILDREN FOR SUCCESS

ONLINE SERVICES ENCOURAGED AS COUNTY REOPENS

R iverside County has reopened public buildings that were closed in July due to the coronavirus, however DPSS clients are being encouraged to continue accessing their benefits and services online whenever possible. Since the pandemic struck in March Online applications for CalFresh, Medi-Cal and CalWORKS have more than doubled. “New and returning customers can access their benefits conveniently and safely online,” said Allison Gonzalez, assistant director of DPSS Sel f Sufficiency. “These benefits are vital to our communities. With unemployment so high, families and individuals are struggling. The needs are great.” Other DPSS locations will continue modified in- person hours, too. In-Home Supportive Services is offering appointments at select locations in the county. Customers can walk into the Day Street Public Authority Office between 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on weekday or visit the DPSS website to schedule appointments Moreno Valley or other locations. Children’s Services locations will remain open to clients with appointments. Customers with urgent needs for food, cash and medical benefits and without phone or internet access can still visit Self-Sufficiency lobbies between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Customers can contact their local office if an appointment is needed. Customers and employees will be screened for COVID-like symptoms before entering any DPSS facility. Face coverings are required while inside and they will be made available to customers who need them. Of fice hou r s f o r DPSS l oca t i ons a r e a t RivCoDPSS.org. The 5-stage phased DPSS reopening plan can be found on SharePoint by clicking here.

F oster youth who need electronic devices for online learning are plugging in to new laptops and cellphones through a collaboration between Children’s Services and iFoster, a national nonprofit that serves foster youth in all 50 states. Since March, iFoster has provided about 450 laptops and nearly 600 cell phones to Riverside County youth in foster care. Equipping them with technology is part of the organization’s mission to ensure kids in foster care have access to life- changing resources. More than 4,000 Riverside County foster children are enrolled in K-12 classrooms. “Kids in our care need these devices for their academic success and for their emotional wellbeing,” said Cristal Ramirez, a social worker who has requested laptops for several of the youth in her caseload. Guardians and foster youth themselves may apply to the program for devices. “The extended isolation we are experiencing is extremely difficult for all kids—and especially youth in foster care. Many of our kids are unable to visit their biological families right now. This connectivity is essential," Ramirez said. The Truckee-based iFoster began giving free laptops to foster youth across California about seven years ago. In 2017, the organization conducted a survey that found only 5% of rural foster youth and 21% of those in urban settings had access to computers or internet. “The goal is to get laptops and internet access to all our kids in the state,” said Reid Cox, cofounder of iFoster. According to latest data from the California Department of Education, there are close to 50,000 foster students in K-12 schools across the state. Recently iFoster added a two-year pilot program for mobile phones with unlimited data and hotspots. Both programs ramped up quickly when schools across California, including those in Riverside County, were forced to close last spring to curtail spread of the coronavirus. Social workers, guardians and foster youth are eligible to apply for a free laptop or smartphone by calling 855-936-7837 or emailing support@ifoster.org Please visit ifoster.org for more information.

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RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES