Mission: Protect the Vulnerable, Promote Strong and Economically Self- Sufficient Families, and Advance Personal and Family Recovery and Resiliency.

Charlie Crist, GovernorCharlie Crist, GovernorGeorge Sheldon, SecretaryGeorge Sheldon, Secretary

ICPC in the Electronic Age ICPC in the Electronic Age

NNew Strategies for Changing Timesew Strategies for Changing Times2009 Meeting for Agencies and Courts2009 Meeting for Agencies and Courts

American Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association Alexandria, Virginia August 3, 2009Alexandria, Virginia August 3, 2009

H. Stephen Pennypacker, Esq.ICPC Compact Administrator

State of FloridaStephen_Pennypacker@dcf.state.fl.us

2

Now - ICPC Frustrations

• Length of time to complete homestudies• Lack of information on status of homestudy

request• No uniformity in requirements between states• No forum for challenging homestudy denials • ICPC is the four letter word of dependency

3

4

5

6

Electronic ICPC

• Judge Hammond identified the possibility and the need for an electronic system in his report in June, 2008

• State of Florida began development of electronic ICPC in spring of 2008 – now complete and operating (except for desired enhancements)

• Paperless system within the state, one file stored in centralized data base

7

The Old Way to Process ICPC Requests

DRAFT

ICPC UNIT & CBC LIAISONDCF FAMILY SAFETY PROGRAM OFFICE

NEEDS

NEED MET

48 H

RS

SENDING STATE ICPC AGENCY

Needs Timely & Permanent Placement

that Ensures Safety

Initiates ICPC Process

NO

Completes ICPC Packet Sends completed packet to DCF FSPO

Reviews Completed Packet for Requirements (using checklist)

Packet Meets Requirements?

Enters case into Interstate Compact System

Scans packet into electronic recordSends to CBC Liaison via email

Approved?

Completes Home Study process &Recommends placement

Receives Completed packet w/transmittal

Assigns case to worker

Reviews Completed Home Study to Ensure State/Federal Guidelines Are Met;

Coordinates Permanent Placement/Places Child

Case closed/Receives Timely & Permanent Placement that Ensures Safety

1. INITIATES

2. COMPLETES &

SENDS

3. REVIEWS

4. DETERMINES

2 B

USI

NES

S D

AYS

48 H

OU

RS

FLORIDA -RECEIVING STATE

NO

NO

Notifies FSPO of Placement

Concur?

Requests Concurrence to Close the CaseFrom the Receiving State

Sends Notification to Sending State that case is assigned

Sends notification of placement to CBC

Initiates services and supervision

Sends DCF FSPO quarterly progress reports on child’s

placement

Sends progress report to sending state

Complete?

6 M

ON

THS

YES

CHILD/FAMILY/JUDGE

21. DETERMINES

19.REQUESTS

17. SENDS

16. INITIATES

15. SENDS

14. NOTIFIES

13. COORDINATES

11. DETERMINES

10. DETERMINES

8. COMPLETES &

RECOMMENDS

9. REVIEWS

7. RECEIVES & INITIATES

6. SCANS & SENDS

5. ENTERS

Interstate Compact for Placement of Children (Macro Process) – Florida Receiving Child from Sending State

YES

NO

18. SENDS

Recommends case closure (based on progress reports)

Sends completed Home Study with Placement Recommendation to Sending State12. SENDS &

RECOMMENDS

20.RECOMMENDS

YES

YES

Actual # Days from Receipt of Request to

Sending to Lead Agency

P

% Cases Closed with Concurrence

Q

# of Days to Complete Home Study

P

# of Days to Send Home Study to Sending

State

P

2 W

EEK

S

8

The Old Way (con’t.)

9

The New Way

10

Electronic Processing in Florida

11

Interstate Compact System Database

12

Getting in the Web Portal

13

The ICS

14

Add a pending case

15

16

ICS Homestudy Page

17

Florida ICPC Process Electronic Imaging Project Nearly

Complete – How it Works

• Court enters Order of Compliance requiring ICPC homestudy to be sent

• Order of Compliance e-mailed to ICPC Central Office in Tallahassee

• Case opened in electronic system

• CBC scans and uploads all 100A’s, transmittal letter, financial/medical plan, social summary of child, other court orders, and documents in support of ICPC request

• ICPC central office sees “pending doc” listed by state

• ICPC central office specialist reviews packet, if complete “attached” to file and sent out to receiving state

18

Uploading a Document

19

Uploading (con’t.)

20

Upload a Document

21

Finding a pending document

22

Finding a Pending Document

23

Transmittal Memo

24

25

26

27

Electronic Processing in Florida

The New Way - Outgoing Day 1 - Court enters Order of Compliance – attorney for state uploads order to state central office - Central office opens file in Interstate Compact SystemDesk 1 - Local creates packet and scans, uploads to ICS system, appears as a pending documentDesk 2 - Lead agency reviews and uploads to ICS system in Tallahassee (1 – 2 days)Desk 3 – Tallahassee reviews, prints, mails to receiving state (2 – 3 days)Desk 4 – Receiving state reviews, sends to local (2 – 3 days)Desk 5 – Local does homestudy, mails to state capital (14 – 60 days)Desk 6 – state capital reviews, sends to other state capital (2 – 3 days)Desk 7 - state capital receives, scans, uploads into ICS (2 – 3 days), transmittal automatically

generatedDesk 8 – lead agency sends to local (2 -3 days)

Total time (with states that do not process electronically) 26 – 77 days

Total time (ideal): for states that also process electronically (Oregon, Texas, Ohio, Vermont, Alaska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Idaho, Washington, D.C. ) can be as little as two weeks – no paper, no mail, no overnight delivery

For private adoptions with approved homestudy as part of packet – verbal approval can be given in less than 24 hours

28

Automatic E-mails

• When transmittal saved• When homestudy completed date filled in• When Order of Compliance rendered date

filled in• Batch e-mails at night: 25 days from date homestudy sent down

to local 55 days from date homestudy sent down

to local

29

30

Same day delivery!

31

Same Day Approval!

• From: Caryl Jefferson• To: Stephen Pennypacker• Subject: private adoption approval• Date: 06/17/2009 03:15 PM• FYI, I sent a private adoption request to OR ICPC today @ 1:58 pm and• received an email approving placement @ 2:57 pm. I am thinking that is• pretty darn good.• Caryl Jefferson, Government Consultant 1• Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children• Family Safety Program• Florida Department of Children & Families• (850) 414-7780 SC 994-7780 Office• (850) 487-4337 Fax• *FL ICPC case assignments are now according to states:• Kevin Askew: MT, WY, NE, OH, KS, OK, TX, AR, LA, MS• Angie Stackhouse: CA, NV, UT, AZ, CO, NM, AL, HA, VI• Caryl Jefferson: WA, OR, ID, ND, SD, MN, WI, MI, IA, IL, IN, MO• Sandy Erickson: ME, VT, NH, MA, RI, CT, DE, MD, DC, PA• Lena Moye: NY, NJ, AL• Laura Kirksey: GA• Shirley Hodge: KY, TN, NC, SC, WV, VA

32

Money Saved

Costs expended not using electronic system Postage Fed Ex, DHL, UPS Paper Envelopes Toner Man (woman) hours copying, stapling, stuffing in

envelopes Staples, clips, rubber bands

33

6

First-Class Mail – Single-Piece

Letters: 44¢ (+2¢)

Flats: 88¢ (+5¢)

Parcels: $1.22 (+5¢)

Postcards: 28¢ (+1¢)

Unchanged: Additional ounce

Nonmachinable surcharge

New Mailing Services Prices – May 11, 2009

First-Class Mail — Single-Piece

Beginning May 11, the price for a First-Class Mail stamp is 44¢. We introduced the Forever Stamp in 2007 to provide household and small business customers a way to smoothly transition to new prices. The good news is customers can continue to use the Forever Stamps they previously purchased, as they are good indefinitely for the First-Class Mail 1-ounce letter price, no matter how much postage goes up. Other price changes are a 5¢ increase in the first-ounce price for flats and parcels and 1¢ for postcards. Flats are now priced at the value of two stamps: 44¢ + 44¢ = 88¢.The additional-ounce price and nonmachinable surcharge remain at 17¢ and 20¢.

34

Postal Costs Currently Incurred

State of Florida (incoming and outgoing) Incoming Outgoing 3-17-09 Priority Overnight Fed Ex (2) $ 54.42 Postage mail $ 53.74 (est.) Standard Overnight Fed Ex (3) 68.25 Priority Fed Ex (4) 108.84 UPS Next Day Air ( 2- letter size) 41.10 Postage marked mail 67.31 3-16-09 Priority Overnight Fed Ex (1) 27.21 Postage for mail 65.28 (est.) Postage marked mail 169.63 Priority Fed Ex (5) 136.05 3-17-09 Priority Overnight Fed Ex (3) 81.63 Priority Fed Ex (2) 54.42 UPS Next Day Air 20.55 Postage mail 107.73 (est.) Postage marked mail 15.38 TOTAL (3 days) 545.48 526.06 Average/day 181.82 175.35 x 240 work days ANNUAL $ 43,368.39 $ 42,084.00

CURRENT COMBINED ANNUAL COST OF MAIL $ 88,452.39

35

Program benefits

• Accountability - access to file by court, attorneys, and case managers motivates ICPC central office to keep current, motivates locals to do work timely• Transparency - making file available to critical stakeholders illuminates process and identifies current barrier in specific case

36

Program benefits

• Fewer calls from courts asking for update on status of a case – court can be given access to system and look at file before calling

• Ability to respond quickly to inquiries from other state ICPC offices - file is “on your

desk” at all times

37

Looking Ahead

38

A National Electronic ICPC Data Base - Imagine

All ICPC homestudy request packets, transmittals, etc., sent electronically

Central tracking systemNo lost filesCurrent status of request

available without telephone call, e-mail, or subpoena

Adoption approvals the same day packet received

What else can you think of?

39

National Electronic ICPC

• Web based system behind secure firewall for security

• SACWIS compatible

• Read only access for critical stakeholders (ICPC central offices, courts, case managers, Department attorneys, Guardian ad Litem)

• Centralized data collection

40

National Electronic ICPC

• First design meeting/webinar held last Friday, July 31, 2009

• Eleven states participating in work group (including Georgia)

• First step is to create electronic imaging exchange website – one to two months

• Add critical date templates, document storage

41

"I look forward to the day where we can place a child out of state as easily and safely as it is to place them down the street." Stacey Blume, Esq., 4-30-09

42

43

We are all in this together!

44

• Questions?

H. Stephen Pennypacker, Esq.ICPC Compact AdministratorPresident, Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of

ChildrenStephen_pennypacker@dcf.state.fl.us(850) 922-0743