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

Goal Achieved.
A report was completed in January 2003 and is posted on the CIP website:
http://www.state.ga.us/courts/supreme/cpp/
4 th Quarter Federal Response: Noted as achieved but State did not respond to RO's question about what they will do about the
barriers identified in the CIP report. The goal for this and subsequent steps is: 'Determine if court delays are impacting length of time
to achieve adoption.'
5 th Quarter Report: At this time, the CIP does not have definitive knowledge of whether court delays alone are impacting length of
time to achieve adoption. There are of course courts that do cause delays, but there are also delays because of appeals, delays in
getting orders done, delays in attorneys and caseworkers filing paperwork and high caseloads. The CIP staff will continue to strive to
find specific performance measures to discover what causes delays for children whose permanency goal is adoption.
6 th Quarter Report: We have begun some collection of information that will help identify cases in which delays are occurring after
filing of TPR. Refer to E-6 and to the Monthly Termination Legal Progress Report. If we determine from these reports that there are
delays between filing of petition and hearing/disposition date, we will begin conducting interviews with the judges and court staff to
determine causes of the delays and court’s perception of the problem. These interviews will begin in May 2004.
In addition we have been successful in the passage of statute changes that will impact the court’s involvement with adoption
timeliness. HB 1322, passed in the 2004 legislative session, requires a judicial review every six months after TPR to review the
agency’s progress in adoption planning for a child. Prior to the passage of this bill, the court review was on an annual basis. (Refer to
E-10). In the 2003 legislative session, we were successful in the passage of a bill which allows an agency adoption hearing be
conducted immediately after filing the adoption petition. Prior to the passage of that law it was required that the hearing had to be
held at least 60 days after the filing of the petitions. (Refer to E-9).
6 th Quarter Federal Response: E22: see comments on E6 and E10
7 th Quarter Report: In reviewing ACF response, we don’t understand the reference to E-10 in this action step. E-10 refers to the review of
cases after TPR to determine progress in the agency placing the child for adoption.
Further clarity is needed in order to address the relationship between E-10 and E-22.
The measurable benchmark in this action step is to identify barriers and needs and to complete a report of findings and recommendations.
The report has been completed and referenced in 4 th quarter report that provided the web site for the report. We are attaching a copy of the
report. On Page 7 of the report there is key information in terms of findings and recommendations. Below each finding are recommendations
Safe Futures – A Plan for Program Improvement
Georgia Department of Human Resources
November, 2004 Quarter 8 - Work Plan E Page 15