Safe Futures A Plan for Program Improvement - Department of ...

4 th Quarter Federal Response: The State indicates that this step has been achieved. The State has completed activities to recruit and
train foster homes for sibling groups, but has there been an actual increase in homes available for siblings? The State's evaluation
method in the PIP is to 'Determine the number of foster parents who will accept sibling groups and establish a percentage of additional
homes needed.' Has this been done?
5th Quarter Report/Georgia's Reply to Federal Response: Yes, there has been an increase in the number of recruited homes that
commit to accepting sibling groups. Almost all newly recruited homes are willing to accept sibling groups. The State does not
consider the availability of a foster home willing to accept a sibling group in isolation. It should be noted that when siblings cannot be
placed together, it is most often not because a home willing to accept siblings was not available. Instead, the decision to place or not
place siblings together is also impacted by other issues, pertaining to their overall well-being and functioning, (such as their medical,
social-emotional (behavioral), educational needs, along with the proximity of an available foster home to their parents, etc.). The
psycho-social/sexual behavior of some children is so provocative that placing their siblings with them compromises their safety and
well-being.
Documenting the number of newly recruited homes willing to accept sibling groups is an on-going process. While Georgia directs
considerable attention to its foster home recruitment efforts, the percentage and types of homes needed statewide is very difficult to
accurately establish and track. This is partly due to the fact that children in need of care are a fluid population, meaning that it is
unpredictable how many children will come into care at a given time; how many of them are part of a sibling group; how many have
issues or circumstances requiring separate and/or specialized placements, etc. Georgia recognizes that as many children requiring
placements into approved foster homes with their siblings are entering care, still others are exiting care, returning to their birth
families, thus freeing up foster homes. Simultaneously, Georgia gives priority to placing children with their family members first,
which means that relative resources cannot be identified until the child/children come into care.
5 th Quarter DOCUMENTATION:
Foster Care and Adoption Services Recruitment Statistics -- Fulton and Appling County DFCS
BARRIERS TO ACHIEVEMENT:
2 nd Quarter Report: The primary barrier with this goal is identifying enough resources that are willing to take multiple children,
particularly, sibling groups. As many homes are lost due to becoming a permanent home for a child. Replenishing homes continues to
be an on-going challenge for the state.
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Safe Future – A Plan for Program Improvement
Georgia Department of Human Resources
March, 2004 Quarter 5 - Work Plan G Page 11