Presentation To House Human Services Committee

March 10, 2009

Jane Burstain, Ph.D., Senior Policy Analyst F. Scott McCown, Executive Director

Unless otherwise noted, all data in this presentation is from DFPS databooks

Overview Of Presentation

• What have you gotten for your money?

• What challenges remain?

• What opportunities exist?

Investigations Have Improved

Percentage Of Completed Investigations Designated "Unable To Complete"

22.71%

19.67%

21.87%

17.45%

14.39%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Fiscal Year

More Children Remain At Home . . .

Percentage Of New Cases Opened With In Home Services

65.46%66.15%

66.99%

70.96%

75.72%

60%

62%

64%

66%

68%

70%

72%

74%

76%

78%

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Fiscal Year

. . . Safely

Number Of Removals From In-Home Cases

3928

50165331

29312698

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Fis

cal

Yea

r

Relative Placements Have Increased . . .

Percentage Of Kids In DFPS Custody With A Relative

18.47%

22.13%

25.92%

28.54%29.50%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Fiscal Years

. . . And Are More Stable

Percentage Of Relative Placements Disrupted

42.00%

33.00%

26.00%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

2006 2007 2008

Fiscal Years

Source: Data provided by DFPS – 2008 is an estimate

Foster Care Has Decreased

Percentage Of Kids In DFPS Custody In Foster Care

68.63%

64.57%

62.18%

58.69%57.94%

52%

54%

56%

58%

60%

62%

64%

66%

68%

70%

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Fiscal Year

More Children Are Adopted

Number of Children Adopted

2512

31733376

4023

4517

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Fiscal Year

Caseworker Attitudes Have Improved

• Surveys of caseworkers indicate that they are more satisfied with their job, their workloads and available resources in 2008 compared to 2005

• DFPS scores on the Survey of Excellence improved in every dimension in 2008 compared to 2006

Annual reports of caseworker surveys authored by Dr. Maria Scannapieco and Dr. Kelli Connell-Carrick

But Challenges Remain –Service System For Families Stretched

Monthly Average Number of Families Receiving In Home Services

7886

10242

11384

12408 12759

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Fiscal Year

But Challenges Remain –Service System For Families Stretched

• FBSS caseloads have not declined

• FBSS voluntary turnover increasing

• Not able to meet federal standards for visiting children or parents

But Challenges Remain –Children In PMC Without TPR

Improving But Still HighProportion Of Children In PMC Without Full TPR

36.71%35.58% 35.14%

32.63%30.56%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Fiscal year

But Challenges Remain –Young Children In PMC Without TPR

Children In PMC Without Full TPR In Jan 2009

172

401

607

840

2197

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

0-2 3-5 6-9 10-13 14-17

Age Groups

Source: DFPS data

But Challenges Remain – More Children Aging Out

Number of Emancipating Youth

950

10841189

1366 14111468

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Fiscal Year

But Challenges Remain- Dealing With The Gates Decision

Dispositions Of Completed Investigations(Gates Decided July 82, 2008; DFPS Memo Aug 22, 2008)

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

Sep-0

4

Jan-

05

May

-05

Sep-0

5

Jan-

06

May

-06

Sep-0

6

Jan-

07

May

-07

Sep-0

7

Jan-

08

May

-08

Sep-0

8

Jan-

09

Ruled Out

Confirmed

No Finding

Source: CPPP analysis of DFPS data

But Challenges Remain- Dealing With The Gates Decision

Percentage Of Cases Opened For Services That Involved Removals(July 28, 2008 Gates Decided; August 22, 2008 DFPS Memo Re: Gates)

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Sep-0

4

Nov-04

Jan-

05

Mar

-05

May

-05

Jul-0

5

Sep-0

5

Nov-05

Jan-

06

Mar

-06

May

-06

Jul-0

6

Sep-0

6

Nov-06

Jan-

07

Mar

-07

May

-07

Jul-0

7

Sep-0

7

Nov-07

Jan-

08

Mar

-08

May

-08

Jul-0

8

Sep-0

8

Nov-08

Jan-

09

Source: CPPP analysis of DFPS data

But Challenges Remain – Turnover Better But Still High

Overall Turnover

2% 3% 5% 4% 4%

4% 5%

11%7% 5%

21%

31%

30%

33%

29%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Fiscal Years

Tu

rno

ver

Rat

e Left

Promotion

Fired

Death/Retire

Source: Data provided by DFPS – 2008 is an estimate

But Challenges Remain – Other

• Financial support for relative caregivers

• Foster care rate increases

Opportunities • Legislative

– Continue to look for permanent alternatives for children in PMC without TPR – HB 884 (Naishtat)

– Ease transition for children who age out – HB 704 and 705 (Rose)– Job opportunities at state agencies for children who age out – HB

1043 (Orr)• Information

– Study how children end up in PMC without TPR– Study impact of Gates – Collect data to support an informed implementation of a relative

PMC subsidy• Financial

– $53 million in freed general revenue from CPS federal stimulus funds

– Fostering Connections To Success And Increasing Adoptions Act• Provisions to help children who age out

Resources

• CPPP written testimony on CPS budget: http://cppp.org/files/4/20102011CPSbudget.pdf

• CPPP policy page on Fostering Connections Act: http://cppp.org/files/4/newfostercare.pdf

• CPPP policy page on CPS workforce issues: http://cppp.org/files/4/364%20DFPS%20workforce.pdf

• CPPP policy page on CPS funding: http://cppp.org/files/4/Jan%2009%20update.pdf

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