DHR-DFCS Statewide Community Forum
Atlanta, Georgia
December 19, 2006
Today’s Objectives
Share what we heard from you in 13 regional forums across the state
Talk about how we are going to respond to what we heard
Get your comments on next steps
Purpose of Community Forums
To respond to Georgia Senate Resolution 1270 requiring DFCS to seek community input.
To seek stakeholder input as required by the federal Child and Family Services Review process.
To present information to stakeholders on agency mission,vision, values, goals, challenges and outcomes.
To seek stakeholder input for continuous quality improvement.
The Community Forums
November 2006 13 forums – 1 in every region (2 in Metro Atlanta) More than 300 stakeholders
Legislators, judges, attorneys, law enforcement, service providers, CASA and other child advocates, school officials, foster parents
DFCS Staff State, region and county
Additional Input Still Coming In
Online stakeholder survey More than 1,500 responses to date
Caregiver (foster, adoptive, relative) survey More than 2,000 responses to date
Biological parent survey Recently mailed
Regional Forum Components
Presentation: DFCS challenges, such as caseloads and staff
turnover DFCS federal performance indicators Current strategies/initiatives, including
diversion and re-vamping our independent living program
Regional Forum Components
Group Discussion: Reducing child abuse and neglect Preventing out-of-home placements Preserving families Supporting adoptions Transitioning teens to independence Stabilizing foster care
What We Heard About Safety
Keeping children safe is a community responsibility – not just DFCS’ responsibility
More community education is needed to better: Recognize and report abuse Understand DFCS mission, role, available
services/resources More networking and multi-disciplinary teams are desired Minimize the number of caseworkers in a single case Recruit, screen, train and match appropriate and committed
adults with children
What We Heard About Permanency
Preserving Families Encourage relative caregivers but ensure safety More family team meetings More visitation More resources and supports for families so they
can keep children in the home Appropriate mental health and substance services,
especially in rural areas
What We Heard About Permanency
Stabilizing Placements Increase awareness of the reasons foster parents are needed Prepare and train foster parents for realities Share child information up front; match child to family Provide services and supports for families caring for teens,
challenging and special needs children Ensure adequate resources and supports for foster children
and families
What We Heard About Permanency
Transitioning Teens in Foster Care to Independence “Normalize” teen years
Driving, extracurricular activities, prom, etc. Develop mentors, especially male Address poor high school graduation rate
Collaborate with DOE, technical colleges, university system Educate relatives and foster homes about resources Bolster independent living program and resources
More coordinators, apartments Teen employment
Collaborate with DOL, business
What We Heard About Permanency
Adoption Increase awareness, recruitment Address negative perceptions about children in state
custody Provide services and supports for challenging and special
needs children Prepare and train adoptive parents for realities Reduce barriers and length of legal process Ensure adequate resources and supports for adoptive
children and families
What We Heard About Well-Being
Building Parental Capacity Help parents who are overwhelmed, stressed Need more prevention services and supports earlier,
for families with children ages 0-3 Need child abuse and neglect (CAN) education and
training at all levels of community Parents Community service providers/agency partners Other community partners (churches, businesses, etc)
What We Heard About Well-Being
Building Parental Capacity (continued)
Assess family and bring in partners at beginning Ensure adequate resources throughout state
Education, physical and mental health, substance abuse Change public perception of DFCS and agency/caseworker
culture Replace the adversarial “taking kids” perception with the “helping
families” perception. Educate other agencies and community on DFCS
mission/role DFCS is used as a tool Not threatening
Overall Themes That Emerged Across All Topics and Regions
You told us that in order to make gains on the outcomes of well being, safety and permanency, we need to work with you on: Communication Collaboration Targeting Resources
Communication means:
More… public relations,
awareness,
reporting,
information-sharing,
and building of relationships with people who care and want to be involved
Collaboration means:
More…
networking,
interdisciplinary meetings,
joint staffing,
partnering with local collaboratives, and
eliminating adversarial relationships –
culture change
Targeting Resources means:
Train, compensate and retain staff Reduce caseloads Ensure there are adequate services and supports
for children and families, especially in rural areas
Monitor performance, outcomes
Our Reaction
It’s agreed: DFCS Cannot Do it Alone Protecting children and supporting families is a shared responsibility
DFCS Must
Continue to educate the public and share information about Child Abuse and Neglect
Together We Must
Define our respective roles and responsibilities and cultivate solid working relationships with other people who care about
families and want to be involved.
Steps Already Underway
Staff turnover has decreased from 42 percent in 2004 to 26-30 percent to date, closer to the national average of 22 percent
Average caseloads have decreased from 26 in June 2004 to 17 currently
Steps Already Underway
Foster Parent Recruitment – EMBRACE Place children in the best choice – not only choice
An opportunity to privatize the recruitment, training, support and retention of foster parents
Pilot operating in five counties recruiting foster parents Expand EMBRACE to partner with community
stakeholders and civic leaders statewide Goal is to have 700 new foster parents in FY 2008
Steps Already Underway
Jobs For Youth Expansion of TeenWork to make sure every 16
and 17 year old has the opportunity to have a summer job.
Redesigning the Independent Living Program Focused on key youth development indicators Continuous improvement sessions with ILP staff
Steps Already Underway
Community Partnerships for Protecting Children (CPPC) Individualized Course Action, Family Team Meetings Develop local networks of services and supports that
involve natural/informal and formal resources and address both prevention and intervention
Shared decision-making process
Family Connection Partnership Present in all 159 counties
Steps Already Underway
Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) Provides resources for family support, family
preservation, time-limited reunification services and adoption promotion
More Input Is Needed
We need to get more specific about how we will address:
CommunicationCollaboration
Targeted Resources
In which ways do we need to take on these objectives?With whom should we work to achieve these goals?How does current efforts focused on these objectives need to
be changed?
DHR-DFCS Statewide Community Forum
Atlanta, Georgia
December 19, 2006