Pennsylvania Permanency Barriers Project Anne Marie Lancour Heidi Redlich Epstein Mimi Laver Andrea Khoury David Kelly Elizabeth Thornton Jeffrey Adolph Honorable Stephen Rideout (ret.) Scott Trowbridge American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law

History of the Project 1989 – Termination Barriers Project began with funding from the New York State Department of Social Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 1991— NYS Office of Children and Family Services continued to fund the Termination Barriers Project for the next 13 years. 2004 – The project was successfully completed in 20 small, medium, and large counties throughout NYS.  2004 – Pennsylvania contracts with ABA for largest Permanency Barriers Project to date. 2004 – KY and WY contract with the ABA for the Permanency Barriers Project 2005 – ABA wins Adoption Excellence Award for work on the NY Permanency Barriers Project

Goal: Reduce children’s stay in foster care Approach Locally developed action plans Small steps that add up Permanency planning focus Key Components Permanency Planning Specialist Advisory Board ABA Project Director

Project Tasks The project undertakes five major tasks: Identifying and analyzing delays; Interactively developing recommendations and implementing reforms; Establishing written protocols, procedures, and providing multidisciplinary training; Monitoring reforms and changes; and Sharing project results throughout the state.

Reform Efforts Early identification of children’s needs Refining court procedures in permanency planning areas Legal analysis and technical assistance Training the child welfare agency and legal staff Sharing information with other counties and states

Problems Causing Delays Missing or unidentified parents Relatives entering case late Increase in adolescent population Lack of training on permanency planning issues Lack of written procedures Late starts in offering services Inadequate concurrent planning Difficulty in obtaining evaluations and/or expert testimony Delays in court procedures

Current PA Project Counties Armstrong Beaver Centre Lehigh Montgomery Westmoreland

Past PA Project Counties Berks Blair Cumberland Huntingdon Lancaster Lackawanna Luzerne Lycoming McKean Mifflin Northampton Northumberland Philadelphia Venango Warren York

Average Time Saved in 20 Counties New York Results New York Results Average Time Saved in 20 Counties 15 months Total Money Saved $15,272,000

Pennsylvania Results County Avg. Time Saved Money Saved Luzerne 22 months $660,000 Cumberland 7 months $621,600 Northumberland 5 months $240,000 Berks $420,000 Mifflin $222,000 Lancaster $386,400 Huntingdon $234,000 Northampton 15 months $468,000 York 12 months $446,400 Venango 10 months $ 60,000 Blair 4 months $552,000 Lycoming 9 months $788,400 McKean $ 60,000 Philadelphia $2,070,000 Warren 2.4 months $ 109,440 Totals 9 months avg $7,338,240

Project Achievements: Blair County The Barriers to Permanency Project has permitted Blair County to develop a Family Treatment Drug Court. The Project Director in Blair County has facilitated the county’s participation in the upcoming National Drug Court Institute Training to develop a family treatment court model. A family treatment drug court will provide coordinate services, track progress, and encourage accountability for substance abusing families.

Project Achievements: Northampton County Northampton County successfully utilized the Barriers to Permanency Project to improve collaboration and communication between the Agency and the Court. The Agency and the Juvenile Court developed an Interim Court Directive/Permanency Plan which is prepared at the conclusion of every permanency hearing and distributed to families before they leave court. The Interim Directive outlines expectations of both the family and the agency and eliminates delays in service referrals.

Project Achievements: Lackawanna County Lackawanna County successfully utilized the Project to introduce a new court procedure to increase accountability and expedite permanency. The Agency and the Juvenile Court created an informal Dependency Compliance Conference which documents and tracks compliance by both the agency and family. DCC hearings track both success and failure and permits an immediate response when a family starts to struggle. More frequent and meaningful reviews of family progress promotes concurrent planning.

Project Achievements: York County York County has used the Project to draft a 90-day multidisciplinary case conference process which will be implemented within the next year. The 90-day case conference seeks to promote permanency, engage families, frontload services, and encourage cross-system collaboration. The case conference will be used in every new case 90 days after removal from the home to evaluate progress, review service referrals, and prepare for the first permanency hearing. York has now piloted the new 90 day procedure and it has been very successful to date.

Questions/Contact Information Anne Marie Lancour ABA Center on Children and the Law 740 15th Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 (202)662-1756 (phone) (202)662-1755 (fax) lancoura@staff.abanet.org www.abanet.org/child