2. 1 G-FORCE MEETING Division of Family & Children Services September 25, 2009

3. 2 AGENDA COMPASS Applications Food Stamp Accuracy Information Child Welfare Trends: SFY2004 – SFY2009 Permanency Composite 2: Timeliness of Adoptions

4. COMPASS Applications by Month (Statewide) For September 1-21, a Total of 9,405 COMPASS Applications Have Been Received

5. Total COMPASS Applications by Region (November 2008 to August 2008)

6. COMPASS Applications by Region (July 2009) State Total for July 2009—12,914

7. COMPASS Applications by Region (August 2009) State Total for August 2009—14,866

8. COMPASS Applications by Region (July and August 2009)

9. 8 FOOD STAMP ACCURACY #1: Delaware (.66%) #2: Florida (.77%) #3: South Dakota (1.16%) #4: Wisconsin (1.40%) #5: Nebraska (1.46%) #6: Georgia (1.47%) #7: Ohio (1.88%) Note: Denial error rate is 4.00% for April 2009, down from 4.27% in March 2009. Our goal is to be in the top 7 in the positive error category and in the top 4 in the negative (denials) category !

10. 9 FOOD STAMP ACCURACY RATE TREND FROM OCTOBER 2008 – APRIL 2009

11. QUALITY CONTROL ERROR RATES FFY 2009 October 2008 – April 2009

12. 11

13. 12 Top Ten Error Reasons By Dollar Value Wages and Salaries - 4 cases-client - $599 Household Composition - 3 cases -2 agency -1 client- $442 Other earned Income - 1 case-client - $322 RSDI Benefits-3 cases - 2 agency-1 client- $257 Unemployment Compensation -1 case-client - $176 Dependent Care Deduction - 1 case-agency - $146 Medical Deductions - 1 case-agency - $122 Shelter Deductions - 2 cases - 1 agency-1 client - $121 Student Status - 1 case-agency - $93 SSI Benefits - 3 cases - 2 agency-1 client - $86

14. 13 Top 10 Error CategoriesDollar Amount of Errors Wages and Salaries$ 599 Household Composition$ 442 Other Earned Income$ 322 RSDI Benefits$ 257 Unemployment Compensation $ 176 Dependent Care Deduction$ 146 Medical Deductions$ 122 Shelter Deductions$ 121 Student Status$ 93 SSI Benefits$ 86

15. 14

16. 15 Top 5 QC Invalid Error Elements- All Agency Verification-5 cases Application-5 cases Combined Net Income-2 cases Wages and Salaries-1 case Citizenship-1 case

17. 16 PERFORMANCE TRENDS SFY2004 – SFY2009 Timely Investigations Rate of Substantiation Safety Resources Recurrence of Maltreatment Foster Care Re-entry Data Source: IDS & SHINES

18. 17 TIMELINESS OF COMPLETING INVESTIGATIONS SFY2004 - SFY2009 Ninety-six percent of investigations were completed within established timeframe in SFY2009; a 20% increase from SFY2004.

19. 18 FAMILY SUPPORT CASES THAT BECAME CPS INVESTIGATIONS SFY2004 – SFY2009 Note: 3.7% of the 40,865 families who received family support services in SFY 2009 were re-referred to DFCS for a CPS investigation. As the number of families receiving family support services increase, the number referred back to CPS are decreasing. National Standard = 5.40% or below

20. 19 PERCENT OF FAMILY SUPPORT CASES THAT BECAME SUBSTANTIATED CPS INVESTIGATION SFY2004 – SFY2009 Note: The percent of family support cases that became substantiated CPS investigations continued to decline in SFY 2009. National Standard = 5.40% or below

21. 20 COMPARISON OF UNSUBSTANTIATED & SUBSTANTIATED INVESTIGATIONS SFY2004 – SFY2009 Unsubstantiated investigations decreased from 62% to 45% while substantiated investigations increased from 38% to 55%.

22. 21 NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN SAFETY RESOURCES & AVERAGE NUMBER OF MONTHS IN SAFETY RESOURCES SFY2006 – SFY2009 Both the number of children in safety resources and the number of months they remain in safety resources decreased from SFY 2008 to SFY 2009.

23. 22 NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN DFCS LEGAL CUSTODY & FOSTER CARE RE-ENTRY RATES SFY2004 – SFY2009 As the number of children in foster care decreases, the percentage of children re-entering foster care has significantly decreased also. The foster care re-entry rate decreased by almost 50% from SFY 2007 to SFY 2009.

24. 23 FOSTER CARE ENTRIES & EXITS SFY2004 – SFY2009 More children continue to exit foster care than enter foster care; the ratio between the top continues to widen.

25. 24

26. 25 While investigation trend has changed during past year, number of cases in Family Preservation has maintained a fairly steady decline since October 2008.

27. 26

28. 27 Timeliness Elements Child-related factors Entry into care Permanency Hearings Initiation of TPR Proceedings Legally Free AFCARS reporting periods Permanency clock is ticking!

29. 28 ADOPTION & SAFE FAMILIES ACT (ASFA) OF 1997 National legislation which has been embedded in Georgia state statutes. Two Overarching Goals: Change the experience of children who are entering the child welfare system. Move children to permanency.

30. 29 ASFA PHILSOPHIES The safety of children is the paramount concern that must guide all child welfare services. Foster care is a temporary setting and not a place for children to grow up. Permanency planning efforts should begin as soon as a child enters the child welfare system. The child welfare system must focus on results and accountability. Innovative approaches are needed to achieve the goals of safety, permanency and well-being.

31. 30 Introduced Shorter Time Limits For Making Decisions About Permanent Placements Permanency hearings to be held no later than 12 months after entering foster care. States must initiate termination of parental rights proceedings after the child has been in foster care 15 of the previous 22 months, except if not in the best interest of the child, or if the child is in the care of a relative.

32. 31 EVALUATING PERMANENCY Permanency Indicators Reunification (Composite 1) National Standard: 122.6 Adoption (Composite 2) National Standard: 106.4 Long Term Care (Composite 3) National Standard: 121.7 Placement Stability (Composite 4) National Standard: 101.5

33. FOCUS ON PERMANENCY COMPOSITE 2: TIMELINESS OF ADOPTION

34. 33 Georgia Georgia ranked 21 out of 47 states on this composite. GEORGIA’S PERFORMANCE ON PERMANENCY COMPOSITE 2: TIMELINESS OF ADOPTION National Standard106.4 Negotiated Improvement Goal106.0779 FFY 2007B/2008A105.2 FFY 2008AB103.2 FFY 2008B/2009A99.3 CURRENT PERFORMANCE State #1 State #47 #21

35. 34 Composites Components Measures Indicators Performance indicators are made up of composites, components & measures. A Composite reflects components and measures. Components are the general factors that contribute to the composite score. Measures provide the actual data for the analysis. INDICATORS, COMPOSITES, COMPONENTS & MEASURES

36. 35 Composite 2: Timeliness of Adoptions has 3 Components. Permanency

37. 36 Timeliness of Adoptions (Composite 2) Timeliness of adoptions of children exiting foster care. (Component A) Progress toward Adoption of children who have been in care for 17 Months or longer. (Component B) Timeliness of adoptions of children who are legally free for adoption. (Component C)

38. 37 Timeliness of Adoption For Children Exiting Foster Care (Component A) Measure 1: Of children exiting to adoption, what percent exited in less than 24 months of their current Removal date? Measure 2: Of children exiting to Adoption, what was the median Number of months in foster care?

39. 38 MEASURE 1: PERCENT OF CHILDREN EXITING TO ADOPTION IN LESS THAN 24 MONTHS BY REGION 75 th Percentile: 36.3% State=26.9% 26.9% of children in Georgia who left care for adoption were in care for less than 24 months. In order to meet the federal 75 th percentile, we must increase this to 36.3%.

40. 39 MEASURE 2: MEDIAN NUMBER OF MONTHS IN CARE FOR CHILDREN WHO EXITED TO ADOPTION BY REGION 75 th Percentile: 27.3 or less State=33.2 Children in Georgia who left foster care for adoption were in care for a median of 33.2 months. In order to meet the 75 th percentile, we must reduce the median length of stay to 27.3 months or less.

41. 40 PROGRESS TOWARD ADOPTION FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN IN CARE FOR 17 MONTHS OR LONGER. (Component B) Measure 1: Of children in care for 17 Months or longer at the start of the Reporting year, what percent exited To adoption by the end of the year? Measure 2: Of the children in care for 17 Months or longer and not legally free for Adoption at the start of the reporting year, what percent became legally free Within 6 months of the start of the year?

42. 41 MEASURE 1: PERCENT OF CHILDREN EXITING TO ADOPTION WHO WERE IN CARE FOR 17 MONTHS OR MORE BY REGION State=26% 75 th Percentile: 22.7% 26% of children in Georgia who had been in care for 17 months or more, left foster care for adoption by the end of the year; exceeding the established 75 th percentile of 22.7%.

43. 42 MEASURE 2: PERCENT OF CHILDREN WHO WERE IN CARE FOR 17 MONTHS OR MORE WHO BECAME LEGALLY FREE WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF THE START OF THE YEAR BY REGION 7.8% of children in Georgia who had been in care for 17 months or more, became legally free for adoption at the beginning of the year; in order to reach 75 th percentile, we must increase this to at least 10.9%.. State=7.8% 75 th Percentile: 10.9%

44. 43 Timeliness of adoption for children who are legally free for adoption. (Component C) Measure: Of children who were legally free for adoption in the previous year, What percent were adopted in less than 12 months of becoming legally free?

45. 44 PERCENT OF CHILDREN WHO WERE ADOPTED LESS THAN 12 MONTHS AFTER BECOMING LEGALLY FREE BY REGION 51% of children in Georgia were adopted less than 12 months after becoming legally free for adoption, just below the 75 th percentile of 53.7% 75 th Percentile: 53.7% State=51%

46. 45 AVERAGE NUMBER OF MONTHS FROM DATE OF LAST TPR TO FINALIZED ADOPTION In SFY 2008, only Regions 1, 5, 9, 14 and 16 finalized adoptions in less than 12 months on average after child became legally free for adoption. Statewide, 2008 = 13.7; 2009 = 13.5 months.

47. 46 Next G-Force Meeting October 22, 2009