Anti-resonance, inhibited coupling and mode transition in depressed core fibers

The depressed core fiber (DCF), consisting of a low-index solid core, a high-index cladding and air surrounding, is in effect a bridge between the conventional step-index fiber and the tube-type hollow-core fiber from the point of view of the index profile. In this paper the dispersion diagram of a DCF is obtained by solving the full-vector eigenvalue equations and analyzed using the theory of anti-resonant and the inhibited coupling mechanisms. While light propagation in tube-type hollow-core fibers is commonly described by the symmetric planar waveguide model, here we propose an asymmetric planar waveguide for the DCFs in an anti-resonant reflecting optical waveguide (ARROW) model. It is found that the anti-resonant core modes in the DCFs have real effective indices, compared to the anti-resonant core modes with complex effective indices in the tube-type hollow-core fibers. The anti-resonant core modes in the DCFs exhibit similar qualitative and quantitative behavior as the core modes in the conventional step-index fibers. The full-vector analytical results for the simple-structure DCFs can contribute to a better understanding of the anti-resonant and inhibited coupling guidance mechanisms in other complex inversed index fibers

Comparative analysis of state policies for former foster youth

This research is a comparative analysis of state policies aiding former foster youth in their transition into adulthood. This research looks at policies in the areas of housing, education, and employment. The objective of this research is to see what state policies are effective in aiding their former foster youth in their transition into adulthood. Effectiveness is evaluated by the National Youth in Transition Database data and Annie E. Casey Foundation data, looking specifically at rates of homelessness, rates of enrollment or attendance in school, and rates of part-time or full-time employment. Results found that the three states analyzed (Illinois, Virginia, and New York) all have fairly effective policies. Different states have different strong suits (Illinois has great homelessness prevention and Virginia exceeds the national standard under employment) but overall, they are all effective policies

Dreaming of Abolitionist Futures, Reconceptualizing Child Welfare: Keeping Kids Safe in the Age of Abolition

Drawing on the wisdom of prison abolitionists past and present, as well as evidence from interviews and analysis of Illinois’ Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) procedural documents, this work argues that Illinois’ DCFS and the child protection system more broadly are an extension of the carceral state. Both the criminal punishment system and the child protection system (henceforth referred to as the family regulation system) use a diffuse network of actors to surveil, regulate, and punish the behavior of queer subjects: impoverished people and people of color. The present-day family regulation system builds on a long history of family regulation that predates the founding of the U.S., as is seen in chattel slavery, the cultural genocide of Native Americans, neoliberal and anti-welfare policy regimes, and continues today at the U.S.-Mexico border and in the formalized family regulation system (child protective services). This work explores how to keep children safe in the age of abolition, focusing on non-carceral responses that center strong, accountable communities and divest from dependence on the state

The Further Downfalls of DCFS During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought nationwide trials and tribulations but in Illinois, it has brought further complications to an already struggling Department of Children and Family Services. In this article, Josie Finch discusses the consequences of isolation and economic issues on at-risk children in Illinois as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.https://scholarship.law.slu.edu/lawjournalonline/1049/thumbnail.jp

An Overview of Foster Care

If my life were to represent a novel, the beginning chapters would be filled with countless stories of people pouring into and investing in me to ensure that I have a successful future. As I have aged and started to appreciate all that has been done for me, I want to make sure the chapters that finish my novel are filled with stories of me giving back to others and my community. During my time at Ouachita Baptist University, I have been given incredible opportunities to serve those around me. One example would be through my internship at the Percy and Donna Malone Child Safety Center. I had the privilege to learn more about child abuse and what it looked like outside of a “textbook story.” I was able to pour into children coming from broken homes and invest in helping them find peace with their personal stories. I not only saw the damage abuse could have on a family, but I also saw the good that could come from centers directed towards helping a child heal and how the legal system helped provide justice in those specific cases. Because of my learning experiences in the last few years inside and outside the classroom, I have discovered within myself a strong desire to pursue law. While there is a substantial need for counselors and teachers to be integral parts of these families and children’s lives, there is a large need for compassionate lawyers as well. Even though the law was something I considered when I was younger, the real-life stories and cases I have witnessed in the last three years have only strengthened my desire to give back and help others like I have seen people do with me. As I am at the point where I have begun narrowing down what I want my focus to be within the field of law, I have felt a burning passion for helping children in the foster care system. After looking into more of the foster care information for the state of Arkansas, I realized there was so much information that people needed to hear. I think the widely held belief that helping with foster care can only be done by being a foster parent is something that needs to be reformed, as there are many ways to become involved and to help children. That is what ultimately led me to more research and becoming interested in foster care in its entirety

Examining Differences in Housing Voucher Law Application im Cool and DuPage Counties

This study examines the experiences of families with active involvement in open cases with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) within a Housing Advocacy Program (HAP) at La Casa Norte in Chicago, Illinois. Housing advocates in this program work with clients in the city of Chicago and suburban Cook County, as well as DuPage County. This program focuses on assessing the needs of families with open DCFS cases who are nearing completion of a mandated program, with housing that meets DCFS guidelines and requirements being one of the final steps towards case closure. HAP case managers educate clients on conducting housing searches, as well as how to properly communicate with landlords, identifying proper details to look for in rental units, and overall navigation of both the affordable housing and market rate rental landscape. Many clients present with compounding issues outside of being unstably housed, such as lack of employment and financial resources, prior criminal involvement, a history of surviving domestic violence, and physical or mental disability. These factors often complicate and present more pressing issues for case managers to address before housing can be approached. Further complicating matters when working with this population is not only the lack of affordable housing vouchers available for those in need, but the fact that applications of housing laws set by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are interpreted differently by Cook and DuPage counties. This study aims to identify if program participants in DuPage county experience higher levels of discrimination based on housing voucher status than participants in the city of Chicago and suburban Cook County, and what shared characteristics this population holds. This study looks at socio-economic factors as well as social factors in relation to outcomes for program participants in trying to understand their experience

An Overview of Foster Care

Foster Care is something that needs to be studied, especially as it has become such a popular topic in recent years. My thesis paper takes a look at the current foster care system on a national and state level, while also looking at the statistics behind children in the system. Through multiple programs in Arkansas, there are resources for foster families and even resources on how to get involved. There is Christian obligation to get plugged in and to serve