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Children in Foster Care for Long Periods of Time

Purpose of Today’s Virtual Meeting

1.1.Discuss CFSR/PIPDiscuss CFSR/PIP

2.2.Discuss the 6 statewide data Discuss the 6 statewide data measures used to assess the statemeasures used to assess the state

3.3.What measures did GA meet the What measures did GA meet the federal targets and where do we need federal targets and where do we need

to improve?to improve?

4.4.Focus today on Permanency Focus today on Permanency Composite #3, Children in Foster Care Composite #3, Children in Foster Care

for Long Periods of Timefor Long Periods of Time22

Children In Foster Care for Long Periods of Time

The CFSRThe CFSRIn 1994 the federal government instituted the In 1994 the federal government instituted the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR). This Child and Family Services Review (CFSR). This

review targets outcomes for children and review targets outcomes for children and families served by the child welfare system as families served by the child welfare system as well as the systemic factors that directly effect well as the systemic factors that directly effect

the State’s capacity to deliver services.the State’s capacity to deliver services.

The PIP The PIP The Program Improvement Plan created by The Program Improvement Plan created by

each state to measure progress toward each state to measure progress toward improvement.improvement.

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Georgia’s Report Card

.

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Safety Outcome 1: Children are, first and foremost, protected from abuse and neglect.

Range  Median

Standard

FFY2004

FFY2005

Repeat Maltreatment: Of all children who were victims of a substantiated or indicated maltreatment allegation during the first 6 months of the year shown, what percent were not victims of another substantiated or indicated maltreatment allegation within a 6-month period

86.0 – 98.0 93.3 94.6 or

higher

92.5 93.0

Maltreatment by Foster Parent or Staff: Of all children served in foster care in the year shown, what percent were not victims of a substantiated or indicated maltreatment by a foster parent or facility staff member?

98.59 – 99.90

99.52 99.68 or

higher

98.96 99.19

Permanency Composite 1:  Timeliness and Permanency of Reunification

50 – 150 113.7 122.6 or

higher

132.3 129.1

Permanency Composite 2:  Timeliness of Adoptions

50 – 150 95.3 106.4 or

higher

89.9 93.3

Permanency Composite 3:  Achieving permanency for children in foster care for long periods of time

50 – 150 112.7 121.7 or

higher

117.3 119.0

Permanency Composite 4:  Placement Stability

50 – 150 93.3 101.5 or

higher

110.8 107.4

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• Permanency Composite 3: Achieving permanency for children in foster care for long periods of time

• How is this measure captured?

• This measure is trying to help the state figure out how many kids are in foster care drift. Highest weight given to children how enter foster care at an early age, stay over 3 years and then age out.

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Measure C3.1: Of all children who were in foster care for 24 months or longer on the first day of FY 2004, what percent were discharged to a permanent home prior to their 18th birthday and by the end of the fiscal year? A child is considered discharged to a permanent home if the discharge reason is adoption, guardianship, reunification, or live with relative.

Measure C3.2: Of all children who were discharged from foster care in FY 2004, and who were legally free for adoption at the time of discharge (i.e., there was a parental rights termination date reported to AFCARS for both mother and father), what percent were discharged to a permanent home prior to their 18th birthday? A child is considered discharged to a permanent home if the discharge reason is adoption, guardianship, reunification, or live with relative.

Measure C3.3: Of all children who either (1) were, prior to their 18th birthday, discharged from foster care in FY 2004 with a discharge reason of emancipation, or (2) reached their 18th birthday in FY 2004 while in foster care, what percent were in foster care for 3 years or longer.

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•Lets review the counties closest to the federal target on this measure and those furthest away

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Chatham County Court ReviewChatham County Court Review14 Files Read14 Files Read

• From 2004-2007From 2004-2007

• 85 Children were either discharged to 85 Children were either discharged to emancipation or transferred to another emancipation or transferred to another agencyagency

• 6 were discharged to runaway6 were discharged to runaway

• 19 had TPRs on both parents19 had TPRs on both parents

• Over 30 were under the age of 10 when Over 30 were under the age of 10 when they entered foster carethey entered foster care

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Chatham County Court ReviewChatham County Court Review14 File Read14 File Read

Strengths:Strengths:

-Timely court hearings -Timely court hearings

-Case plans-Case plans

-All court orders present-All court orders present

NI-Compelling reason documentation,

-2nd reasonable efforts evidence finding, --

-Relative searches, particularly fathers. N-more emphasis on permanency hearings, on ILP services

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Troup County Court ReviewTroup County Court Review10 Files Read10 Files Read

• From 2004-2007From 2004-2007

• Very few with permanency goal of APPLAVery few with permanency goal of APPLA

• Many had the permanency goal of reunificationMany had the permanency goal of reunification

• None aged out with TPRs on both parentsNone aged out with TPRs on both parents

• However, do have long stays in foster care. As However, do have long stays in foster care. As of Sept 30, 2008-62 children have been in foster of Sept 30, 2008-62 children have been in foster care over 2 years, 9 have the goal of long term care over 2 years, 9 have the goal of long term foster care and 1 just aged out with TPR on both foster care and 1 just aged out with TPR on both parents having spent 8.6 years in foster careparents having spent 8.6 years in foster care

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Troup County Court ReviewTroup County Court Review

Strengths:Strengths:

-Timely court hearings -Timely court hearings

-Case plans-Case plans

-Birth certificates!-Birth certificates!

-Early representation-Early representation

-Great CASA reports-Great CASA reports

-Mixed on the relative -Mixed on the relative

Search, but good on FathersSearch, but good on Fathers

NI-Compelling reason documentation,

-2nd reasonable efforts evidence finding

-Court orders need more specificity

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Carroll County Court ReviewCarroll County Court Review9 Files Read9 Files Read

• From 2004-2007From 2004-2007

• 50 Children were either discharged to 50 Children were either discharged to emancipation or transferred to another emancipation or transferred to another agencyagency

• 5 were discharged to runaway5 were discharged to runaway

• 8 had TPRs on both parents8 had TPRs on both parents

• Over 18 were under the age of 10 when Over 18 were under the age of 10 when they entered foster carethey entered foster care

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Carroll County Court ReviewCarroll County Court Review

Strengths:Strengths:

-Timely court hearings -Timely court hearings

-RE checklists-RE checklists

-early case plans poor,-early case plans poor,

but improved in time but improved in time

NI-Need Relative Search documentation

-Compelling reason documentation,

-2nd reasonable efforts evidence finding

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Lesson LearnedLesson Learned

• Where do we go from here?Where do we go from here?

• What could the state do to improve What could the state do to improve on this measure and more?on this measure and more?

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