an overview georgia program improvement plan - Department of ...

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Item 9, Adoption: Georgia’s Program Improvement Plan identified 27 action steps to be taken in an effort to achieve the goal of 19.1% of children being adopted in 24 months or less from their last foster care entry. For FFY 2004, quarter 4 the percentage was 19.67. Although this is the first time the rate has reached its goal level, there are other indicators related to length of time to achieve adoption finalization that look promising. We are also pleased to note that the number of finalized adoptions for SFY 2004 increased by 24% from the previous year and represents an all time high (1,246) for Georgia. The QCR rated this indicator as 65.69% compliant. There are two other measures the state was reviewing: Reduce time from TPR to registration of child’s life history from average (FFY 2000) of 10.17 months to six months by June 2004. The FFY 2004 average was 5.77 months. Reduce time from child’s adoptive placement to finalization from the average of 7.56 months to six months by June 2004. The FFY 2004 average was 4.42 months. We established the following goals to increase the percent of children adopted within 24 months of their last entry into care: 1. Reduce lengthy time period to file TPR (Termination of Parental Rights). 2. Reduce lengthy time periods to finalize adoptions. 3. Expedite movement of children from foster care to adoption finalization. 4. Determine if court delays are impacting length of time to achieve adoption. 5. Inform foster parents of service options available to them if they adopt. GOAL: REDUCE LENGTHY TIME PERIOD TO FILE TPR (Action Steps E-1 to E-8) According to the Trend Analysis Report for SFY 2003, in 71% of the cases reviewed, the agency filed timely to terminate parental rights or documented compelling reasons why TPR was not in the best interest of the child. The quarterly Qualitative Case Reviews have identified an area that continues to need improvement--delays in filing the petition to terminate rights. Other areas needing improvement are court hearings being continued and issues related to case managers (staff vacancies and changes/turnover.). The following strategies were developed and implemented to improve accountability and compliance with policies and procedures related to the filing of TPR: Safe Futures – A Plan for Program Improvement Georgia Department of Human Resources November, 2004 Quarter 8 – Table of Contents Page vi
Developed standards of measurement for county compliance in filing for TPR Incorporated developed standards into County Director’s Performance Management Plan Expanded utilization of the Case Plan Reporting System (CPRS) to assist counties in identifying cases appropriate for TPR and non-reunification Developed capacity within CPRS to produce an exception report when TPR and non-reunification are not filed timely Developed a referral packet for counties to use in order to properly prepare a legal referral when referring a case to the SAAG for TPR Developed a protocol for counties to report overdue petitions and court orders to DFCS Legal Services so these might be addressed with Law Department Law Department appointed six new SAAGs Provided new SAAG training and manuals on specialized legal issues and procedures associated with TPR; plan is in place to provide on-going training GOAL: REDUCE LENGTHY TIME PERIODS TO FINALIZE ADOPTIONS (Action Steps E-9 to E-16) The state has made gradual progress in reducing the time from 1 st TPR to finalized adoption. (FFY2000: 21.88 months; FFY2004: 20.16 months). Some of these action steps required statutory changes (one only became law 5/04). An enhancement was made in April 2004, which makes the adoption checklist on the CPRS more visible, easier to find, and user friendly. Although enhancements to CPRS system have been made, we have found that staff and judges under-utilize this feature. The following strategies have been developed and implemented to reduce the lengthy time period to finalize adoptions: Recommended change to Chapter 19-8 of the O.C.G.A. to allow state and agency Adoptions to be heard as soon as possible after the petition is filed (rather than the previous minimum 60 day waiting period). SB192 was passed and became effective July 1, 2003. We have already seen positive results as the time from filing of a petition to finalization has been reduced from an average in 2003 of 2.04 months to a current average of 1.63 months for FFY2004. Recommended change to section 15-11-103(d) of the O.C.G.A. to require post termination reviews every six months rather than annually. HB1322 was passed in the 2004 legislative session and signed by the governor on May 13, 2004. Developed a prototype of CPRS that includes specific elements of adoption policy and piloted in Dekalb County in order for the reviews to be provided to the judges at time of post termination review. Made changes to adoption policy regarding reducing the length of supervision for uncomplicated state adoptions. Changed Office of Adoption’s requirement regarding contracting a child’s life history to allow the request to a contractor be made at time of legal service referral instead of the child’s first free date. GOAL: TO EXPEDITE MOVEMENT OF CHILDREN FROM FOSTER CARE TO ADOPTION FINALIZATION (Action Steps E-17 to E-21) Safe Futures – A Plan for Program Improvement Georgia Department of Human Resources November, 2004 Quarter 8 – Table of Contents Page vii
Page 1 and 2: AN OVERVIEW GEORGIA PROGRAM IMPROVE
Page 3 and 4: Georgia: Georgia’s Program Improv
Page 5: The AFCARS data for this indicator
Page 9 and 10: These action steps were included as
Page 11 and 12: Used the results obtained from the
Page 13 and 14: Established more flexible hours and
Page 15 and 16: policy require that the case manage
Page 17 and 18: Training initiative for DFCS and DP
Page 19 and 20: 4. In addition to the information b
Page 21 and 22: Stakeholder Input in the Analysis o
Page 23 and 24: The stakeholder interviews held dur
Page 25 and 26: Work Plan Detail A -- Item 2, Repea
Page 27 and 28: What needs to be accomplished: Writ
Page 29 and 30: Neglect was determined to be the mo
Page 31 and 32: 1 st Quarter Federal Response: (PLE
Page 33 and 34: Safe Futures - A Plan for Program I
Page 35 and 36: ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Data from these co
Page 37 and 38: • 79% of respondents agreed commu
Page 39 and 40: Federal HIPAA requirements limit wh
Page 41 and 42: 6 th Quarter Report: Funding for th
Page 43 and 44: Work Plan Detail C -- Item 6, Stabi
Page 45 and 46: START COMPLETION RESPONSIBLE MEASUR
Page 47 and 48: 3 rd Quarter Report Georgia's Reply
Page 49 and 50: COSTAR children were selected from
Page 51 and 52: Quarter 4 # of Differences 31 134 1
Page 53 and 54: DATE DATE PERSON(S) BENCHMARKS July
Page 55 and 56: C16 ACTION STEPS: Analyze a sample
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October 2004 Purpose and Design The
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The researcher first analyzed chara
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Characteristic Percent Percent Perc
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• Mr. and Mrs. Marshall (pseudony
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3 rd Quarter Report Georgia's Reply
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 1 st and 2 nd Quar
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8 th Quarter DOCUMENTATION: (1) Soc
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5 th Quarter DOCUMENTATION: PIP Res
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D6 ACTION STEPS: START DATE Mar. 20
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Georgia Juvenile Court Judges) is a
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addition, 70 court-hearing observat
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(2) Key Performance Indicators and
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DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED 3 RD Quarter
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adoptive families, there was an inc
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8 th Quarter Report: Achieved 5 th
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6 th Quarter Federal Response: E4:
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5 th Quarter DCOUMENTATION: Reporti
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statewide. Both panel and court rev
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child, because the worker was not a
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Question 1. Are you seeing the adop
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6 th Quarter Federal Response: 6 th
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for the barrier identified. These r
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eports. The AFCARS reporting and ma
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8 th Quarter Report: Prior to the b
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BARRIERS TO ACHIEVEMENT: E27 ACTION
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Work Plan Detail F -- Item 10, Perm
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Safe Futures - A Plan for Program I
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DOCUMENTATION: Please see attachmen
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together. Relative Care Subsidy (RC
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START DATE COMPLETION DATE RESPONSI
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continue to assess our data sources
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Length of time as a foster parent #
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Table 4 Disruptions and use of resp
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2. More respite care providers 3. E
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Work Plan Detail H -- Item 13, Visi
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Please refer to the following attac
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(See attached copy of Memorandum fr
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July 2002 ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Dec. 200
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A pilot is being conducted in Dekal
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5 th Quarter Report: At least 100 c
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2004. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 1 st Quarter
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8 th Quarter Report: Partially Achi
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state office on the number of asses
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the Division. The review should be
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The report referred to in the Bench
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of that evaluation has been dissemi
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 1 st and 2nd Quart
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understanding of this content on a
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Course Module Content of question A
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4 th Quarter Report: A survey asses
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April 2002 Aug. 2002 5th Quarter: P
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equested an extension to July 2004
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where the cases are no longer activ
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7 th Quarter Report: In response to
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7 th Quarter DOCUMENTATION: (Same a
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Safe Future - A Plan for Program Im
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Safe Futures - A Plan for Program I
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Work Plan Detail N -- Item 22, Phys
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Held within 30 - 60 days of a child
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS: enhancements of th
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6 th Quarter Report: The introducti
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Placement/Best Placement Providers
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this benchmark with county supervis
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BARRIERS TO ACHIEVEMENT: N7 ACTION
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eports were discontinued. The Georg
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to initiate the reviews. 5th Quarte
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March 2004 QCR 16 county offices (t
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A cumulative Qualitative Case Revie
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5 th Quarter Report: Since, the QCR
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6 th Quarter Report: A review of th
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There has been a steady increase in
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1 st Quarter Report: The Case Plan
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To date CPRS reports that 10,274 ca
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2 nd Quarter Report: Accomplishing
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5 th Quarter Report: HIPPA issues h
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Goal: Case managers have the capaci
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8 th Quarter Report: Achieved. The
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esources as well as increased capac
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Review instruments address document
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A comprehensive effort to clean up
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Work Plan Detail Q -- Items 35-37,
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Funding and Resource Allocation to
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1 st Quarter Response: In May of 20
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conduct of the Comprehensive Child
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Seventy-five new workers were train
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Work Plan Detail R -- Item 42, The
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