Toward a DCFS Protective Timeline for Strengthening Families

Protective Factors Quality Child Welfare Services Practice strategies for: Reunification Permanency Child protection with intact families Etc. ? To Be Determined ? Family Supportive Child Welfare Services Prevention of child abuse & neglect Promotion of well-being, safety, & permanency, Social and Emotional Competence of Children Concrete Supports in Times of Need Knowledge of Parenting & Child Development Parental Resilience Social Connections Healthy Parent- Child Relationship

Strategic Goals for Strengthening Families 1.Embed the Protective Factors in all child welfare practices and initiatives 2.Ensure children 3–5 in child welfare system are enrolled in quality early care and education 3.Ensure collaboration at the community level among early childhood programs and agencies 4.Advance developmentally appropriate and trauma- informed child welfare practice 5.Work with public and private agencies to embed Protective Factors in child- and family-serving systems.

Common Framework: Protective Timeline Strengthening Families Integrated Assessment DCFS / POS Case Planning with Family Achieving Permanency Strengthening Families Early Learning Community Approaches Safety Planning Serving Intact Families Comprehensive Front-End Assessment Concurrent Planning Early Permanency Trauma-Informed Practice Ensuring Child Safety Ensuring Permanency Older Wards Aging Out Community Follow-Up Child Protective Services

Levers for making the Protective Factors paradigm shift Tools, assessments, checklists Provider database Training Performance contracting quality assurance tools Performance evaluation Case reviews Service planning Courts Communications Funding streams Policies

TANF Receivables Collected Children’s Accounts Appropriation TOS Table Age Rate Table TOS Table Misc. Categorical Grants Tables FCS TANF/EA System Receivables Recognized TFEDS TANF/EA Output Title XIX Medicaid DHS FCS Output File Payroll Adjustments DCFS RMS POS RMS SACWIS Provider Billings Title IV-B II ETV Chafee Title IV-B I CCDF Waiver Savings Title XX MARS CYCIS

Title IV-E 45.0% $568,900,217 $285,175,740 Title XIX 4.0% $50,968,505 $0 $25,484,232 TANF/EA 17.1% $215,679,922 $68,800,000 $146,879,922 Title XX 1.3% $16,402,802 $0 $16,402,802 Title IV-B I 1.2% $15,124,977 $11,343,733 Title IV-B II 1.7% $20,981,000 $15,735,750 SSI 1.2% $15,632,363 $2,632,363 $13,000,000 Chafee 4.7% $59,180,966 $5,015,701 ETV 0.2% $2,924,154 $1,719,931 CCDF 1.8% $22,407,670 $0 Misc. Grants 0.3% $4,042,226 $3,746,089 Unclaimed 21.5% $272,214,280 TEXT KEY Amount Applied (Federal, State, MOE) Federal Reimbursement to DCFS Federal Reimbursement to GRF DCFS Expenditures not applied to any Federal Program

Goal 1: Embed protective factors across all child welfare practice and initiatives In assessment tools like: Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) Parental Readiness for Permanency and Reunification Worksheet Through training …

Common Language

“We Know You Love Your Kids … ” Protective FactorCommon Language Parental ResilienceBe strong and flexible Social ConnectionsParents need friends Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development Being a great parent is part natural and part learned Concrete Support in Times of Need We all need help sometimes Social and Emotional Competence of Children Parents need to help their children communicate Healthy Parent-Child Relationship Give your children the love and respect they need

Goal 1: Why embed the Protective Factors across all DCFS domains? DCFS should not be in the business of raising children, it should be in the business of strengthening families.

Goal 2: Ensure that children 3–5 years of age in the child welfare system are enrolled in early care and education settings—mandatory for wards, voluntary for intact and post-adoption families

Goal 2: What has been done to enroll DCFS kids in early childhood education? Rule 314 and POS contracts have been changed to require enrollment in early learning, and training, materials, and research are taking place to ensure implementation and follow-up.

Goal 3: Ensure collaboration at the community level among Head Starts, Pre-Ks, childcare centers, families and caseworkers

Goal 3: What has been done to ensure collaboration at the community level? School Minder – Rotational intake Statewide provider database Collaborative agreements with Head Start grantee agencies SFI Learning Networks statewide where DCFS caseworkers and ECE providers plan services for wards together Early childhood / child welfare liaisons: 7 new staff positions Partnership with child welfare agencies that also run child care centers

Goal 4: Advance developmentally appropriate and trauma- informed child welfare practice

Goal 4: What has been done to advance developmentally appropriate & trauma- informed child welfare practice? Integrated Assessment (plans to extend to intact family cases); Trauma curriculum training for caseworkers and caregivers; Trauma treatment with developmentally appropriate, evidence- based clinical interventions; Moving trauma- based treatment approaches to all children in traditional or relative foster care

Goal 5: Work with public and private agencies to embed Protective Factors in child- and family-serving systems.

Goal 5: Objectives, FY Create incentives for SFI training / capacity building: ECE center licensing requirement 2.Create plan for engaging cities 3.Embed Strengthening Families ideas and practices in Preschool for All (DCFS representation on all committees & co-chair Special Populations Committee) 4.Collaborative work with ISBE and DHS

“Primary responsibility for the development and well-being of children lies within the family, and all segments of society must support families as they rear their children.” --Family Resource Coalition, 1996