Minnesota Child Welfare Program Goals Safety Permanency Well-Being

Contents Background Goals defined 23 Outcomes + 1 Supplement Considerations/Activities Summary

Background 2001 – Administration of Children and Families (ACF) implemented Child and Family Service Review (CSFR)  Outcome based child welfare review process  Examines State CW systemic capacities  Examines case specific performance on 7 safety, permanency, and well-being outcomes and 23 associated performance items.  Very high standards = ongoing quality improvement

Safety Goals Defined Safety #1: Children are, first and foremost, protected from abuse and neglect. Safety #2: Children are safely maintained in their homes whenever possible and appropriate.

Safety #1: Item 1: Timeliness of Initiating investigations of reports of child maltreatment Defined: Agency initiated a response IAW state policy; face-to-face contact with alleged victim IAW state policy. Considerations:  Nature of the report  # of reports received by the agency (including screened out reports)  Initiated within required timeframes (Appendix A = timeframes)  Statute/rule supercedes SDM priority level assignment  Face-to-face early on in the assessment

Safety #1 Screening and Assessment Supplement Defined: Appropriateness of screening decisions and thoroughness of CP assessments Considerations:  Screening based on Intake Criteria & definitions in Minn. Statute  Thorough assessments that addressed all allegations; sufficient contact to assess safety & risk  Determination of maltreatment based on preponderance  Determination of risk based on assessment of risk  Face-to-face  SDM tools  Agency sent notices of determinations in a timely manner

Safety #1: Item #2: Repeat Maltreatment Defined: Determined maltreatment during period under review; if so, another determined maltreatment occurred within 6 months of that report Considerations:  Was there a least one cps assessment = maltreatment (Inv.) or a risk assessment of at least moderate and post-assessment services were provided (FA)  If yes to either, then did, was there one other report resulting in an investigation or family assessment to reduce risk  Involve same offender or same general circumstances

Safety #2: Item #3: Services to Family to Protect Child(ren) in Home and Prevent Removal Defined: Reasonable efforts to prevent removal of children from their homes; agency made diligent efforts to provide services, while at the same time ensuring safety Considerations:  Determined reports of maltreatment or risk of harm  Did agency provide services to prevent removal  What type of services  In-home services provided  Why were services not provided

Safety #2: Item #4: Risk of Harm to Child(ren) Defined: Agency made or was making diligent efforts to reduce the risk of harm to the children. Considerations:  Risk of harm = need for services or placement?  Nature of risk or harm?  Efforts to reduce or remove through specific intervention  Case decisions based on health and safety  Any reports of maltreatment requiring a response during the period being reviewed

Permanency Goals Defined Permanency #1: Children have permanency and stability in their living situations. Permanency #2: The continuity of family relationships and connections is preserved for children

Permanency #1: Item #5: Foster Care Re-entrites Defined: Child’s placement history; specifically discharge followed by return to foster care for same general reasons with 12 months Considerations:  Child in Foster Care  Re-enter foster care within 12 months of discharge from another placement  Re-entry due to same reasons  Note: “Trial Home Visits” = not a discharge

Permanency #1: Item #6: Stability of Foster Care Placement Defined: Placement is determined to be free from the risk of unplanned disruption, or a move not directly related to achieving permanency. Considerations:  Foster Care  Change in placement  # of changes  Reasons  Efforts to prevent unnecessary moves  Agency’s support of the current placement

Permanency #1: Item #7: Permanency Goal for Child Defined: Established an appropriate permanency goal for the child in a timely manner. Considerations:  Foster Care  Most recent permanency goal  Factors considered in permanency decision  Permanency hearings within required timeframes  Other more permanent goals considered/ruled out before LTFC  15 of the last 22 months; abandoned infant; parents committed felony requiring TPR under ASFA  Exception to TPR requirement – basis?

Permanency #1: Item #8: Reunification or Permanent TOC to Relative Defined: Permanency goal achieved within 12 months of child’s most recent entry into care (14 if voluntary). Considerations:  Permanency goal = reunification or TOC to a relative  Most recent permanency goal  In care for at least 12 months  If child is under 6, permanency hearing within six months  Permanency goal changed  Goal not achieved; what are the barriers  Goal not achieved: what steps is agency taking

Permanency #1: Item #9: Adoption Defined: Achieving a finalized adoption within 24 months of the child’s most recent entry into foster care; appropriate and timely efforts. Considerations:  Permanency goal = adoption  How long in foster care  Adoption finalized within 24 months  Less than 24 months; but steps in place to finalize  Child legally free for adoption  Efforts to identify an adoptive family

Permanency #1: Item #10: Permanency Goal of LTFC Defined: Achievement of a LTFC goal within 12 months (or 14 months on voluntary Considerations:  Permanency goal = LTFC  Factors considered in determining goal  Reasons goal selected  Goal achieved  Reasonable efforts to identify LT foster home; ensure appropriate services provided to the child  Planning for independence  Ongoing reviews

Permanency #2: Item #11: Proximity of Foster Care Placement Defined: Location of the child’s placement is close to the child’s parents or relatives. Considerations:  What is the proximity  Reason for child’s most recent placement setting  If at a distance, how related to child’s case plan/goals  Location supports or inhibits achieving case plan/goals  Impact of location on maintaining important family and community connections  Out of state placement = child seen within last 12 months

Permanency #2: Item #12: Placement with siblings Defined: Siblings placed in together or separated because needs only met in separate placements. Considerations:  Placed with all siblings; one or more siblings; apart  Efforts by the agency to place together  Reasons for not placing together  Clear evidence that separation is needed to meet children’s needs  Efforts to reunify siblings in care after needs have been met apart

Permanency #2: Item 13: Visiting with Parents and Siblings in Foster Care Defined: Agency is making diligent efforts to facilitate visitation among parents and their children, and between siblings in foster care & frequency is sufficient to meet the children’s needs Considerations:  Typical patterns of visitation between child and mother; & father  Typical patterns of visitation between child and sibling placed apart  Forms of contact;  Reasons for restrictions or prohibitions on visits  Services to encourage more frequent visiting

Permanency #2: Item #14 Preserving Connections Defined: Agency is making diligent efforts to preserve the child’s primary connections while in foster care. Considerations:  What are the primary connections of the child to: neighborhood, community, faith, family, and friends.  What are the unique characteristics of the family & child: language, religion, values, beliefs, traditions, background, etc.  Are the connections being preserved  How does the FC provider support the child’s connections  Did the agency comply with Tribal Authorities

Permanency #2: Item #15: Relative Placement Defined: Agency made diligent efforts to locate and assess relative – maternal & paternal – as potential resources. Considerations:  Child placed with relatives?  Both maternal and paternal relatives identified and considered  Agency timely in identifying and evaluating relatives  Non-custodial parent considered as a placement resource before relatives?  Reason relatives not considered  Reason relatives not used for placement

Permanency #2: Item 16: Relationship of Child in Care with Parents Defined: Agency made diligent efforts to promote and/or maintain the bond between the child and both parents through visitation and provision of services. Considerations:  Evidence of strong emotionally supportive relationship between child and mother; between child and father  Agency made efforts to promote or maintain bond with mother; with father  Factors affecting child/parent relationship  Agency’s efforts to support parental participation in activities with the child; involvement in decision-making  What is the quality of visits between child and parents

Well-Being Goals Defined Well-Being #1: Families have enhanced capacity to provide for their children’s needs Well-Being #2: Children receive appropriate services to meet their educational needs Well-Being #3: Child receive adequate services to meet their physical and mental health needs

Well-Being #1: Item #17: Needs and Services of Child, Parents, and Foster Parents Defined: Agency has adequately assessed needs of child, parents, & foster parents; provided services to meet those needs. Considerations:  Needs of child(ren), mother, father, foster parents adequately assessed & identified  What assessment process or tool was used; adequate in covering relevant areas  Were underlying needs associated with obvious needs identified  Needs addressed through services; for child, parent, foster parents  Worker available to foster parent

Well-Being #1: Item #18: Child and Family Involvement in Case Planning Defined: Agency involved child and parents in the case planning process; child and parents actively involved and consideration given to their input. Considerations:  Did the agency actively involve child, mother, & father in case planning process  Is there a current case plan (including a ILS plan for 16+)  Was child and parent input considered  What was child and parent involvement in identifying needs & services  Efforts made to locate and involve absent parents  Parents notified of changes in placement, plans, visitation

Well-Being #1: Item #19: Worker Visits with Child Defined: Worker contact with child is sufficient to ensure adequate monitoring of the child’s safety and well-being. Considerations:  Typical visitation between worker and child  Visits focus on issues pertinent to case planning, services, goal attainment  What is the child’s needs for visits  What are the factors affecting frequency of visits  Reasons for infrequent visitation

Well-Being #1: Item #20: Worker Visits with Parent(s) Defined: Worker maintained sufficient face-to-face contact with mothers and fathers, to attain the children’s permanency goal & ensure safety & well-being. Considerations:  Typical pattern between worker and mother; and father.  What were parent’s needs for contact with worker  Frequency of visits with parents consistent with needs of the child  Location of visits  Reasons for infrequent visits  Did visits focus on pertinent issues: case plans, goals, visitation

Well-Being #2: Item #21: Educational Needs of the Child Defined: The child’s educational needs were assessed and appropriate services were provided to meet those needs. Considerations:  If in foster care, was the child enrolled in multiple schools because of placement  What were the identified educational needs of the child  What services were provided to meet those needs  What testing/evaluation were performed to identify needs  School records included in the file  Attention to educational needs in case plan  Educational records provided to foster parents

Well-Being #3: Item #22: Physical Health of the Child Defined: Physical health needs of the child have been appropriately assessed; services designed to meet those needs have been or are being provided. Considerations:  If the child is/was in Foster Care; was initial health screening provided within 30 days of entry – or did agency assure health exam within 12 months before entry.  Preventive health/dental care needs addressed  Immunizations up to date  Did child receive Tx for health/dental needs  Agency’s tracking method for medical needs/services  Health records provided to foster parents

Well-Being #3: Item #23: Mental Health of the Child Defined: Agency has appropriately assessed the child’s mental health needs and services designed to meet those needs have been or are being provided. Considerations:  If the child is/was in foster care: was an initial formal health screening or assessment provided upon most recent entry  CMH screening tool completed  Agency addressed children’s mental health needs  How needs assessed  What are the child’s current mental health needs  Has the agency addressed mental health needs through Tx  Services appropriate for identified needs

Summary Ongoing examination of the child welfare system Improve service delivery 23 Outcomes + 1 Supplement Enhance outcomes for children and their families