ACCELERATED FAMILY REUNIFICATION (A-FRE) State Initiative Leads: Marcella Herrera (Region 6) Maria Galloway (Region 8)

WHAT IS ACCELERATED FAMILY REUNIFICATION INITIATIVE? An initiative developed in support of CPS Transformation to assist with the early case identification of which concerns may be addressed quickly to achieve family reunification at the accelerated pace of 45 days; All cases will be evaluated for A-FRE eligibility at 60 days from the date Temporary Managing Conservatorship was granted to DFPS.CPS Transformation

WHAT IS ACCELERATED FAMILY REUNIFICATION INITIATIVE? Cont’d Accelerated Family Reunification (A-FRE) Tools were developed as part of the initiative to aid case exploration and a ‘thinking outside the box’ approach to promptly identify supports and eliminate barriers preventing family reunification.

OBJECTIVES The Objectives of A-FRE are to: Return children home safely, at the earliest time possible Increase the rate of Family Reunification Reduce caseloads Increase CPS employee satisfaction as a result of successfully reunifying families Empower CVS staff to exercise creative thinking and problem solving skills in everyday casework

CASE SELECTION CRITERIA Child has been in Temporary Managing Conservatorship of DFPS for at least 60 days. This includes both TMC and PMC cases. Children of all ages are eligible Cases of which an absent parent has been identified Neglect cases (NSUP, PHNG, MDNG,RAPR) that meet the following criteria should be considered for A- FRE. This initiative does not include allegations of Abandonment (ABAN). AllegationCriteria Neglectful Supervision (NSUP)Safety issues have been addressed; parents have demonstrated protective capacity Physical Neglect (PHNG)Primary concerns have been resolved Refusal to Accept Parental Responsibility (RAPR) Primary concerns have been resolved; parent is willing and able to care for the child Medical Neglect (MDNG)Primary medical concerns have been resolved

A-FRE PROCEDURE 1. Supervisor evaluates all cases that have been in TMC at least 60 days to determine which meet initial A-FRE criteria. 2. Supervisor and caseworker meet with Program Director to staff all cases identified based on the initial criteria. 3. Program Director will decide which cases are ready for A-FRE using the Case Selection Guide and Judge’s Questions. Additional references are also provided. 4. For all A-FRE cases, caseworker will complete a risk assessment and develop a plan to return child(ren) home within 45 days from initial staffing with Program Director. 5. Program Director will be expected to staff with Regional CVS PD Lead any case that was rejected although met initial criteria for FRE pilot. RELATED CONTENT CPS Policy: Initiate the Reunification Process If the issues that placed the child at risk appear to be sufficiently resolved for the child to return home safely, the worker: considers transferring the child to a worker in regular, moderate, or intensive reunification, if appropriate (see 3500 Family Reunification Services (FRS) and subitems);3500 conducts a discharge planning meeting (see 3521 Discharge Planning Meeting and Home Visits and 6491, Services Preceding Discharge); initiates services to support the child and the family during the child's transition from living in substitute care to living at home; recommends that the court authorize the child to return; and updates the family service plan no later than 45 days after the child returns home. - OLD, NEW & UPCOMING Cases will be evaluated at 60 day mark

A-FRE RETURN HOME VISITATION PLAN Accelerated Return Home Visitation Plan Note: Suggested visitation plan below may be altered with PD approval to address safety concerns appropriately for each case to include sibling groups of varying ages. Child is <8 years old; a child with special needs Initial home visit must occur within 48 hours of placement. Weekly home visits for first month unless safety concerns noted, then staff with Supervisor and PD for further guidance. 3 home visits the 2nd month, 2 home visits the 3rd month, and monthly visits thereafter. Child is >9 years Initial home visit must occur within 48 hours of placement. Twice monthly visits in the home the first two months, unless safety concerns noted, then staff with Supervisor and PD. Monthly visits may occur thereafter. Youth is >15 Initial home visit must occur within 48 hours of placement. Monthly visits may occur thereafter, unless safety concerns noted, then staff with supervisor and PD. RELATED CONTENT- CPS Policy Maintaining Contact with Families When Children Are Returned Home Initial Visit-The reunification worker visits the child no later than 48 hours after the child returns home. Exception: If the child returns home on a Friday, a weekend, or a holiday, the worker must visit the home by the end of the first workday after the child's return. Monitoring-During the supervisory period when children are returned home, the child’s worker must visit the child and parents in the home at least monthly. The visits must be well-planned, and focused on issues pertinent to the reunification, case planning, and service delivery. The purpose is to ensure the safety, permanency, and well-being of the child. Staff follow the contact policy in 6311 Contact With the Child and its subitems, with the following adjustments for the reunification. Generally, when a child is first returned home, more frequent contact is needed. The amount and type of contacts depend on the child’s and family’s needs. Ordinarily, the frequency of contact decreases as the family and child adjust to their reunification

Challenges Cases are not identified properly Hard to measure – Relying on self-reports. New SDM Model Less Removals Cases are more serious

Successes All Regional CVS Administration have been trained. Should be fully implemented by January So far 70 children have been reunified through A-FRE