FOSTER CARE

2. FOSTER CARE Shasta County Health and Human Services Marta McKenzie, RD, MPH, Director ShastaCounty Superior Court The Honorable MollyBigelow, Dependency Judge

3. Objectives of Presentation • Role of childwelfare system • Role of the Dependency Court • Child welfaredemographics • Cost(s) of childmaltreatment

4. Adverse ChildhoodExperiences (ACEs) • Adverse Childhood Experiences are strong predictors of later health risks and disease • Injuries, heart disease, cancer, suicide, smoking, drug use, numerous sexual partners, psychotropic medications • ACEs include: • Abuse: Physical, sexual, emotional • Family risks: Substance abuse, divorce, mental illness, domestic violence, incarcerated parent • Neglect: Emotional, physical

5. Population-Attributable Risk Due to ACE for Rating Health as Fair or Poor

6. Population-AttributableRisk Due to ACE for Current Smoking

7. Population-Attributable Risk Due to ACE for Having an STD

8. Population-Attributable Risk Due to ACE for Chronic Bronchitis/Emphysema

9. Population-Attributable Risk Due to ACE for Having over 50 Sexual Partners

10. Population-Attributable Risk Due to ACE for Depression

11. Population-Attributable Risk Due to ACE for Ever Having Used Illicit Drugs

12. Population-Attributable Risk Due to ACE for Alcoholism

13. Population-Attributable Risk Due to ACE for Reporting Having Attempted Suicide

14. Child Welfare Roles • Investigate reports of suspected abuse and determine if children can remain home safely • Arrange for foster care when removal from home is necessary • Provide intensive case management to abused and neglected children, their families and alternative caregivers • Work toward reunifying families when they are safe and stable • Find permanent homes when reunification is not possible • Advise, report to and follow directions of Dependency Court

15. Child Abuse Statistics • At any given time, 700-800 children are receiving services from Shasta County’s child welfare system Our child abuse reporting line is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 225-5144 3,438 children were referred for abuse and neglect in Fiscal Year 2009-10 815 required further involvement with the child welfare system

16. Child Abuse Statistics:

17. Protective Custody Child can’t safely remain at home Law enforcement officer removes child from home (temporary custody) Emergency medical or psychiatric services are provided Alternatives for care: other parent, relative, receiving home Intensive investigation within 48 hours to decide whether to continue custody

18. Intensive Case Management • Services for children: • Mental health screening and treatment • Psychotropic medication management • Health care – immediate and ongoing needs • Education plan • Foster family support

19. Mandates and Timelines • 12 months from the date a child 3 or older was removed • 6 months from the date a child under 3 was removed • Concurrent permanency planning ensures that children aren’t in temporary placement longer than necessary if it is determined that they cannot go home Get children into stable homes – ideally their own – as quickly as safely possible Limited amount of time to offer reunification services

20. Child Abuse Statistics:

21. 2006-2008

22. Child Abuse Statistics: 311 Shasta County children entered foster care in 2008 338 in 2009 363 in 2010

23. Shasta’s Child Welfare Placement

24. Juvenile Dependency Court Role of the Court Ensure that children are safe from abuse and neglect.

25. Goals of Dependency Safety & Protection Children who are, or at risk of: abuse, neglect or exploitation Preservation of family If it can be done safely and in a timely manner. Permanency Either return home to parents; or Adoption, Guardianship or LTFC

26. Filing of a Petition Alleging Physical Abuse Neglect Emotional abuse Sexual abuse Severe physical abuse Causing the death of another child Abandonment Cruelty Abuse of Sibling

27. Presenting problems: Domestic Violence – 40% Substance Abuse – 85%

28. Presenting problems: Mental Health of Parents – 18% General Neglect – 35%

29. Presenting problems: Emotional Abuse – 13% Physical Abuse – 14%

30. Presenting problems: Severe Neglect – 5% Sexual Abuse – 9%

31. Placement of Children In the home of the parents. Custody of the State.

32. Jurisdiction and Disposition Jurisdiction: Hearing on the allegations in the petition. Disposition: Can the children remain safely in the home?

33. Reunification Children Under 3 6 months Children over 3 12 months

34. Family Reunification Fails

35. What we know? Children do better at home. Children need family/permanence. Removal has long term consequences. Child safety requires financial resources.

36. So, where are we?

37. Shasta’s Child Welfare Population

38. Shasta’s Child Welfare Population

39. Shasta County Adoptions In December 2010, there were 924 adoptions assistance payments made

40. Shasta County’s Child Welfare Budget • FY 09-10 expenditures: $32.3 million, 140 staff ~ $8.9 million in foster care placement ~ $10.5 million in adoption assistance (about $880,000 for adoptions staff and services) ~ $12.9 million in child welfare staff and services • Does not include court costs, medical or mental health care, or ‘lifetime costs’ associated with maltreatment (ACE)

41. Shasta County’s Child Welfare Budget * Group home rates increased by 32 percent in February 2010 (retroactive to Dec. 2009) ** Rate litigationpending A Oftensupplementedbaseduponneeds of child • Placement costs • Foster care • Foster care/kinship careA: $446-$627/mo. • Foster Family Agency: $1,430-$1,679/mo.** • Group home: $6,757-$8,835/mo.* • Adoption • $446-$627/mo. A • Average Cost ~ $800/mo.

42. What’s Needed: System More intensive assessment of familyneedsatoutset of case Rigorous use of child welfare practice tools to ensurewell-informed and consistent decisionmaking (SDM, SOS, FTM, familyfinding) More foster parents willing to mentor & support parents to reunify Residentialdrugtreatmentwithchildren Dependencydrug court Continuedimplementation of Safe Care®

43. What’s Needed: Prevention Community-wide Triple P implementation and more community support for familieswithyoungchildren More college-going and career planning Continuedeasyaccess and payment for birth control More family-to-family connections for self help, respite and parenting support

44. A Perspective from Casey Family Programs Lisa Tange, LCSW Deputy Director San Diego Field Office

45. Casey Family Programs • Founded in 1966 • Jim Casey - United Parcel Service • Nation’s largest operating foundation focused entirely on foster care and improving the child welfare system

46. Work includes: • Direct Service • Strategic Consulting • Public Policy

47. 2020 Vision • Champions for change through: • Safe reduction • Reinvestment • Well-being and self-sufficiency

48. Why the URGENCY? • Young adults who experienced foster care as children are just as likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder as U.S. veterans of the Vietnam and Iraq wars. • 50% of foster youth have chronic medical problems

49. Why the URGENCY? • 65% of Alumni (adults formerly in foster care) experienced seven or more school changes (K-12) • Only 3% - 11% of Alumni complete a bachelor’s degree (compared to 25% - 28% of the general population)

50. Why the URGENCY? • One in four young adults who were in foster care experience homelessness after aging out of care. • More than 270,000 inmates in America’s prisons were once children in foster care.