1. Children Services Committee Meeting
Lisa Tucker Cauley, DHHS/DSS
Deputy Director Child Welfare
Teresa Strom, DHHS/DSS
Section Chief County Operations
October, 9th 2019

2. PIP Update [webinar title]
NC Division of Social Services & UNC School of Social Work
[webinar date]
PIP Update

3. Goal 1: Improve outcomes for child safety, permanency and well-being
Strategy 1: Strengthen and clarify child welfare policies and practices
Strategy 2: Enhance the training system to support application of revised child welfare policies and practices
Strategy 3: Strengthen the capacity of county DSS’s through supervisor academy
Strategy 4: Implement a technical assistance model
Strategy 5: County-level family engagement committees & state-level family advisory council

4. Goal 2: Improve the outcomes through statewide quality assurance system
Strategy 1: Operationalize state quality assurance system through use of federal On Site Review Instrument (OSRI)

5. Goal 3: Improve the permanency outcomes through collaboration with the judicial system
Strategy 1: Plan with judicial system to address permanency issues through the identification of shared outcomes
Strategy 2: Provide targeted engagement with county DSS & court jurisdictions that are not achieving expected outcomes.
Strategy 3: Implement Guardianship Assistance Program

6. Goal 4: Strengthen cross-system service provision
Strategy 1: Establish agreements between county DSS & LME/MCOs
Strategy 2: Strengthen recruitment of foster & adoptive parents
Strategy 3: Strengthen stakeholder understanding of federal plans

7. Goal 5: Enhance the statewide data quality, collection and dissemination of information
Strategy 1: Pilot a statewide information system – NC FAST Child Welfare System

8. Performance Goals CFSR Item Item Description Baseline Goal
Most Recent Status
Item 1
Timeliness of initiations
71.7%
76.7%
78.18%
Item 2
Children in the home & prevent removal or re-entry into foster care
61.7%
66.4%
79.41%
Item 3
Risk & safety assessment and management
58.7%
62.2%
61.11%
Item 4
Stability of foster care placement
66.1%
70.6%
79.37%
Item 5
Permanency goal for child
50.0%
54.7%
52.38%
Item 6
Achievement of permanency goal
43.5%
48.3%
30.16%
Item 12
Needs & services of child, parents, & foster parents
45.0%
48.5%
52.78%
Item 13
Child & family involvement in case planning
48.6%
52.2%
65.35%
Item 14
Caseworker visits with child
62.4%
65.8%
72.22%
Item 15
Caseworker visits with parents
43.0%
46.7%
49.41%

9. Child and Family Services Plan
Plan completed and sent to ACF posted …
5 Commitments: Safety, Permanency, Well-being, Continuous Quality Assurance, and Workforce
Diligent Recruitment and Retention Plan
Disaster Plan
Health Care Oversight Plan
Chafee Plan

10. Next Steps Core Team planning session Oct. 24th
(NCDSS Leadership and Children’s Services Tri-Chairs)
Develop process to recruit workgroups and guidelines for workgroup expectations
Develop Communication Strategy and messaging for change
Finalization of a timeline/cross walk of all elements of the plan as well as other initiatives, including integration of FFPSA

11. Federal IV-E Review
Will be in May or June
Period under review will be April 1, 2019 thru September 30, 2019
More information to come in near future about additional requirements for verification of foster care payments

12. Program Monitoring
Routine cycle includes a Program Development Plan every six months and Program Evaluation at 18 months.
PDPs now include targeted record review to gauge progress.
Plan to remain on 6 month schedule
Cycle for the next six months includes a Program Development Plan Review only unless a county requests a Program Evaluation as we are revising this process
On site 1 day

13. Permanency Leadership Summit Partnership For Permanency: Working Together, Family Forever November 20, 2019 | Raleigh, NC
To provide resources and ignite momentum for all 100 counties and 41 judicial districts to improve permanency outcomes for children in foster care, through:
Mobilizing partnerships between Child Welfare, Judicial, Private Agency and Community Stakeholders to expedite permanency.
Building awareness of national and local strategies that positively impact permanency.
Emphasizing North Carolina’s vision for healthy children and families by creating connections between DHHS Priorities, Early Childhood Action Plan (ECAP), Child and Family Services Plan (CFSP) and Opioid Action Plan.
Attendees: DSS Directors, Juvenile Court Judges, AOC leadership, Guardian ad Litem Administrators, leadership from private agencies, North Carolina Legislators and other stakeholders.
Summit hosted by: North Carolina Division of Social Services, in partnership with the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts.
What will the summit offer:
Plenary sessions from national experts exploring how partnerships between child welfare and the judicial system can positively impact permanency.
Showcasing promising permanency practices and outcomes occurring in North Carolina through breakout sessions.
Small Group discussions that will use stakeholder feedback to shape North Carolina’s Permanency Workgroup roadmap (Child and Family Services Plan – CFSP).