GEORGIA FOSTER CARE: IV-E WAIVERS AND THE FISCAL PICTURE November 25, 2013

The IV-E Waiver and Georgia Foster Care Financing  The IV-E Waiver Opportunity  Requirements  Timing  IV-E Waiver and Georgia  It’s possible, and has benefits  DFCS Out-of-Home Care financing  Loss of state funds of $50M  $70 million problem  Questionable sustainability  Loss of dollars leads to less contracting possibilities that support great outcomes 2

DFCS Foster Care Financing We’re in a financial thunderstorm, with a chance of hail. 3

Foster Care (aka Out of Home Care) Budgets 2008-Current Loss of state funds by year compared to the children in foster care There were 7,695 children under the age of 18 in foster care as of 10/31/2013; 414 over the age of 18 who had signed themselves back into care. As state funds decrease, IV-E funds decrease, and corresponding with the number of IV-E eligible children – approx. 41%. A drop in state funds, another loss in IV-E and the hole filled with TANF 4

Buying Outcomes with New Resources  How We Can Get the Outcomes We Expect  Reinvest the lost funding and leverage federal IV-E  Listen Well, Design Well, Make it Georgia-specific  Are there benefits to privatized systems?  Yes  Examples to learn from and apply to Georgia  IV-E waivers help, but are not required 5

How Can It Be Done?  Public/Private Partnership Group  Listening sessions and a system design workgroup  Outlines the Contracts Design and Accountability  Objective: Measure outcomes, not process and activities, and “buy well”  Fund the Plan  With a comprehensive plan developed, new investment is then needed. State and IV-E supports the plan, with TANF funds for early intervention and aftercare  When  New Contracts could go live July