ANAN OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

California Workforce Association California Workforce Association Youth ConferenceYouth Conference

February 2004February 2004

The Case for ChangeThe Case for Change

• 650,000 reported cases of child abuse/neglect each year

• 700,000 children in contact with CWS annually

• 91,000 children in foster care • 35% of foster children experience 3 or

more placements• Substance abuse factors into 80% of

child maltreatment cases• 7% of state’s children are African-

American but 30% of children in CWS

California’s ChallengeCalifornia’s Challenge

• California has 13% of nation’s child population 20% of nation’s foster care population

• No fundamental change in CWS system for 20 years

• Despite 32% funding increase for CWS, social worker caseloads too high to do the job

Responding to the ChallengeResponding to the Challenge

• CWS Stakeholders Group formed through legislation in July 2000

• Broad, inclusive group of 60 stakeholders• Charged with examining current CWS

system and making recommendations for improvements

CWS Reform LandscapeCWS Reform Landscape

• Stakeholders Group/CWS Redesign: 2000-2003

• California Child Welfare Outcomes and Accountability Act (AB636, C-CFSR): 2001

• Federal Performance Improvement Plan (PIP): 2003

What will Success look like?What will Success look like?

• Children are safer • Families are stronger• Youth are supported• Services are more responsive• Results are more fair and equitable• Children experience greater stability • Communities share responsibility for

child welfare • Families realize their potential

The new vision for The new vision for CWSCWS

A vision of every child living in a A vision of every child living in a

safe, stable, permanent home, safe, stable, permanent home,

nurtured by healthy families and nurtured by healthy families and

strong communitiesstrong communities

Key Outcome IndicatorsKey Outcome Indicators

• Fewer children are abused/neglected

• Fewer children in foster care

• Fewer children re-enter foster care

• Fewer multiple placements for children in foster care

• Reduced length of time to reunify children with parents or caretakers

• Reduced length of time to achieve adoption (less than 24 months)

• Increased levels of health/education support for children in foster care

CWS Redesign CWS Redesign ObjectivesObjectives

““Build Upon the Best – Reinvent the Rest”Build Upon the Best – Reinvent the Rest”

9 Objectives9 Objectives

Objective #1: Partner to prevent childObjective #1: Partner to prevent child abuse and neglect abuse and neglect

• Establish partnerships: State, county and community levels

• Develop local networks of resources and opportunities

• Use flexible funding strategies

Partners and SystemsPartners and Systems

• State interagency child welfare team • Public-private partnership: CDSS and

Foundation Consortium for California’s Children & Youth

• Foster youth & former foster youth• Counties and local communities• Champions for Children

Objective #2: Act early to preserve and Objective #2: Act early to preserve and strengthen families strengthen families

• New intake structure • Contract with public and private agencies

to share responsibility• Use standardized approach for safety

assessment• Promote more contact with families • Comprehensive assessment• Team decision-making; engage families• Provide continuum of services

Current Intake StructureCurrent Intake Structure

• Each year: 650,000 hotline calls 92% of calls receive no services 40% of calls are repeat referrals

• CWS funding and policies: can only intervene in most serious cases

• Need: early intervention/individualized response

New Intake StructureNew Intake Structure

• Fundamental change – at heart of Redesign

• Changes from “one size fits all” model of the past

• Customizes services/support for at-risk families

• Uses community-based, multidisciplinary teams

• Sets up 3 pathways for response

Pathways for ResponsePathways for Response

At intake (enhanced hotline):

1. Community response and follow-up (cases diverted from traditional CWS response)

2. CWS response (low to moderate level of risk)

3. CWS high-risk response (child is removed from home)

Objective #3: Broaden efforts to Objective #3: Broaden efforts to restore family capacity restore family capacity

• Inclusive, comprehensive case planning• Early, safe restoration of families• Sufficient legal advocacy• Use less adversarial approaches • Engage extended families as partners• Extend deadline for case plans from 30 to

60 days

Objective #4: Strengthen alternatives to Objective #4: Strengthen alternatives to rebuild permanent families for childrenrebuild permanent families for children

• Inclusive, flexible and comprehensive case planning

• Emphasize birth family connections• “Forever Families” for every child

Objective #5: Systematically prepare Objective #5: Systematically prepare youth for success in adulthoodyouth for success in adulthood

• Inclusive, flexible and comprehensive case planning

• Strong and enduring ties for every youth• Community network of services and

supports• “Guaranteed preparation package” for

every youth at age 18

Comprehensive Youth Transition PlanComprehensive Youth Transition Plan

YOUTHCommunityConnections

SupportiveRelationship

Employment

Education

Housing

Physical &Mental Health

IdentityFormation

Life Skills

Guaranteed Youth Preparation PackageGuaranteed Youth Preparation Package

• A healthy sense of cultural and personal identity• A close, positive and lasting relationship with at

least one adult• Other supportive relationships and community

connections• Access to physical and mental health services• High school diploma, equivalency certificate, or

GED• Income sufficient to meet basic needs• A safe and stable living situation

Youth-Led Team ApproachYouth-Led Team Approach

• Engages youth in decision making for their future

• Youth invites several positive adults to assist in transition planning

• Creates a power-sharing dynamic • Infuses youth development principles

into case planning

SYSTEMS IMPROVEMENT OBJECTIVESSYSTEMS IMPROVEMENT OBJECTIVES

Objective #6: Affect change through excellence in Objective #6: Affect change through excellence in workforce workforce

Objective #7: Strengthen interagency Objective #7: Strengthen interagency partnerships at the state and local levels partnerships at the state and local levels

Objective #8: Expand and restructure child Objective #8: Expand and restructure child welfare financing welfare financing

Objective #9: Achieve better outcomes through Objective #9: Achieve better outcomes through accountabilityaccountability

ImplementationImplementation

• In October 2003, CDSS selected 11 counties for “Cohort 1” Redesign implementation.

• The “Cohort 1” counties are developing and implementing all key principles and elements of the CWS Redesign, including a standardized approach to safety and a differential response system.

California Child Welfare Outcomes and California Child Welfare Outcomes and Accountability System (AB 636)Accountability System (AB 636)

• A new outcomes-based review system – California Children and Family Services Review (C-CFSR)

• State develops county-based performance targets based on set of indicators

• Quarterly reports – continuous measurement and feedback

• Parallels federal CFSR outcomes, but expands on indicators

• Measures progress and impact of Redesign

Promoting Promoting Permanence Permanence for Foster Youth for Foster Youth (AB 408)(AB 408)

• Ensure that all children in foster care retain and/or establish relationships with important individuals in their lives;

• Ensure that no youth leaves the foster system without a lifelong connection to a committed, caring adult;

• Implement new requirements on the court, the social workers and attorneys to assure permanence and stability for foster youth;

• Assure that children 10 years of age or older receive notice of and have the right to attend their court proceedings.

Ensuring Educational Rights and Stability Ensuring Educational Rights and Stability for Foster Youth (AB 490)for Foster Youth (AB 490)

Educators, county placing agencies, care providers, advocates, and the juvenile courts shall work together to:

• maintain stable school placements;

• ensure that each pupil is placed in the least restrictive educational programs;

• ensure foster youth access to the academic resources, services, and extracurricular and enrichment activities that are available to all pupils

ALL YOUTH – ONE SYSTEM ALL YOUTH – ONE SYSTEM FRAMEWORKFRAMEWORK

…AND FOSTER YOUTH …AND FOSTER YOUTH

ALL YOUTH – ONE SYSTEM FRAMEWORKALL YOUTH – ONE SYSTEM FRAMEWORK…And Foster Youth…And Foster Youth

• Academic Excellence May attend many schools May lack educational support and

motivation Impact of childhood trauma Possible undiagnosed learning

disabilities

ALL YOUTH – ONE SYSTEM FRAMEWORKALL YOUTH – ONE SYSTEM FRAMEWORK …And Foster Youth …And Foster Youth

• CAREER PREPARATION Lack of basic skills – phone;

transportation Hands-on experiences limited by

system Greatest predictor of future success is

a job during high school

ALL YOUTH – ONE SYSTEM FRAMEWORKALL YOUTH – ONE SYSTEM FRAMEWORK …And Foster Youth …And Foster Youth

• YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT

May lack decision-making skills Lack of positive role models Independent Living Skills programming

is often classroom-based

ALL YOUTH – ONE SYSTEM FRAMEWORKALL YOUTH – ONE SYSTEM FRAMEWORK …And Foster Youth …And Foster Youth

• COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH

Child Welfare and Workforce Systems must partner to create a truly comprehensive system for foster youth