DHR-DFCS Statewide Community Forum Atlanta, Georgia December 19, 2006

Todays Objectives Share what we heard from you in 13 regional forums across the state Talk about how we are going to respond to what we heard Get your comments on next steps

Purpose of Community Forums To respond to Georgia Senate Resolution 1270 requiring DFCS to seek community input. To seek stakeholder input as required by the federal Child and Family Services Review process. To present information to stakeholders on agency mission,vision, values, goals, challenges and outcomes. To seek stakeholder input for continuous quality improvement.

The Community Forums November forums – 1 in every region (2 in Metro Atlanta) More than 300 stakeholders Legislators, judges, attorneys, law enforcement, service providers, CASA and other child advocates, school officials, foster parents DFCS Staff State, region and county

Additional Input Still Coming In Online stakeholder survey More than 1,500 responses to date Caregiver (foster, adoptive, relative) survey More than 2,000 responses to date Biological parent survey Recently mailed

Regional Forum Components Presentation: DFCS challenges, such as caseloads and staff turnover DFCS federal performance indicators Current strategies/initiatives, including diversion and re-vamping our independent living program

Regional Forum Components Group Discussion: Reducing child abuse and neglect Preventing out-of-home placements Preserving families Supporting adoptions Transitioning teens to independence Stabilizing foster care

What We Heard About Safety Keeping children safe is a community responsibility – not just DFCS responsibility More community education is needed to better: Recognize and report abuse Understand DFCS mission, role, available services/resources More networking and multi-disciplinary teams are desired Minimize the number of caseworkers in a single case Recruit, screen, train and match appropriate and committed adults with children

What We Heard About Permanency Preserving Families Encourage relative caregivers but ensure safety More family team meetings More visitation More resources and supports for families so they can keep children in the home Appropriate mental health and substance services, especially in rural areas

What We Heard About Permanency Stabilizing Placements Increase awareness of the reasons foster parents are needed Prepare and train foster parents for realities Share child information up front; match child to family Provide services and supports for families caring for teens, challenging and special needs children Ensure adequate resources and supports for foster children and families

What We Heard About Permanency Transitioning Teens in Foster Care to Independence Normalize teen years Driving, extracurricular activities, prom, etc. Develop mentors, especially male Address poor high school graduation rate Collaborate with DOE, technical colleges, university system Educate relatives and foster homes about resources Bolster independent living program and resources More coordinators, apartments Teen employment Collaborate with DOL, business

What We Heard About Permanency Adoption Increase awareness, recruitment Address negative perceptions about children in state custody Provide services and supports for challenging and special needs children Prepare and train adoptive parents for realities Reduce barriers and length of legal process Ensure adequate resources and supports for adoptive children and families

What We Heard About Well-Being Building Parental Capacity Help parents who are overwhelmed, stressed Need more prevention services and supports earlier, for families with children ages 0-3 Need child abuse and neglect (CAN) education and training at all levels of community Parents Community service providers/agency partners Other community partners (churches, businesses, etc)

What We Heard About Well-Being Building Parental Capacity (continued) Assess family and bring in partners at beginning Ensure adequate resources throughout state Education, physical and mental health, substance abuse Change public perception of DFCS and agency/caseworker culture Replace the adversarial taking kids perception with the helping families perception. Educate other agencies and community on DFCS mission/role DFCS is used as a tool Not threatening

Overall Themes That Emerged Across All Topics and Regions You told us that in order to make gains on the outcomes of well being, safety and permanency, we need to work with you on: Communication Collaboration Targeting Resources

Communication means: More… public relations, awareness, reporting, information-sharing, and building of relationships with people who care and want to be involved

Collaboration means: More… networking, interdisciplinary meetings, joint staffing, partnering with local collaboratives, and eliminating adversarial relationships – culture change

Targeting Resources means: Train, compensate and retain staff Reduce caseloads Ensure there are adequate services and supports for children and families, especially in rural areas Monitor performance, outcomes

Our Reaction Its agreed: DFCS Cannot Do it Alone Protecting children and supporting families is a shared responsibility DFCS Must Continue to educate the public and share information about Child Abuse and Neglect Together We Must Define our respective roles and responsibilities and cultivate solid working relationships with other people who care about families and want to be involved.

Steps Already Underway Staff turnover has decreased from 42 percent in 2004 to percent to date, closer to the national average of 22 percent Average caseloads have decreased from 26 in June 2004 to 17 currently

Steps Already Underway Foster Parent Recruitment – EMBRACE Place children in the best choice – not only choice An opportunity to privatize the recruitment, training, support and retention of foster parents Pilot operating in five counties recruiting foster parents Expand EMBRACE to partner with community stakeholders and civic leaders statewide Goal is to have 700 new foster parents in FY 2008

Steps Already Underway Jobs For Youth Expansion of TeenWork to make sure every 16 and 17 year old has the opportunity to have a summer job. Redesigning the Independent Living Program Focused on key youth development indicators Continuous improvement sessions with ILP staff

Steps Already Underway Community Partnerships for Protecting Children (CPPC) Individualized Course Action, Family Team Meetings Develop local networks of services and supports that involve natural/informal and formal resources and address both prevention and intervention Shared decision-making process Family Connection Partnership Present in all 159 counties

Steps Already Underway Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) Provides resources for family support, family preservation, time-limited reunification services and adoption promotion

More Input Is Needed We need to get more specific about how we will address: Communication Collaboration Targeted Resources In which ways do we need to take on these objectives? With whom should we work to achieve these goals? How does current efforts focused on these objectives need to be changed?

DHR-DFCS Statewide Community Forum Atlanta, Georgia December 19, 2006