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Information on Final Federal Review Report Released January 10, 2003

Welcome to the California Federal Child and Family Services Review website.

Following is our introduction to California's Child and Family Services Review:

Background of the federal Child and Family Services Review:

The federal Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has begun reviewing state child welfare service programs using performance-based outcomes. The Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) examines the delivery of child welfare services and the outcomes for children and families served by child protective services, foster care, adoption, and other related programs. The final federal review report was released on January 10, 2003. The primary elements of the review include:

  • Statewide data collection and analysis
  • Week-long, on-site review
  • State's self-assessment

Facts:

  • This marks the first time the federal government has reviewed state child welfare service programs using performance-based outcomes.
  • Just three of California's 58 counties were included in the on-site review.
  • The CFSR team examined a total of 49 cases in-depth.
  • Although California has been recognized by the federal government for its success in placing children in permanent homes, received the Adoption Excellence Award in 2001 and a $17m bonus for increasing foster care adoptions, California still falls short of passing the Federal Review.
  • None of the 27 other states reviewed have passed.

California Strengths:

As a result of the attention, dedication and hard work that counties’ staff have devoted, the federal report highlights some of the strengths of California’s child welfare system which are a product of these efforts:

  • Timeliness of initiating investigations in response to reports of maltreatment.
  • Providing services to families to prevent children’s removal from home.
  • Reducing risk of harm to children.
  • Placing children in close proximity to their parents or close relatives.
  • Placing siblings together in foster care.
  • Facilitating visitation between children in foster care and their parents and siblings.
  • Locating and assessing relatives as potential placement resources.
  • Supporting the parent-child relationships of children in foster care.
  • Conducting caseworker visits with children.
  • Meeting children’s needs for physical health services.

Key Issues:

California Supports Outcome-based Measurements
The State of California lauds the federal government for developing and implementing an outcome-focused review process. This will provide the opportunity to focus on outcomes rather than process and procedure. California looks forward to partnering with the federal government in its effort to make substantive improvements to programs that serve children and families.

Concerns About the Federal Review Focus
California is concerned that the federal review provides limited information on outcomes for children. Researchers nationwide support this concern. The California Health and Human Services Agency is working to broaden some of the indicators to ensure a more accurate picture of the state's child welfare system. For example, the evaluation of how long it takes to finalize an adoption does not factor in the state's progress in finding permanent homes for "hard to place" children.

California is Already Moving toward Outcome-Based Reviews
Consistent with AB 636 (Steinberg), California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Grantland Johnson is spearheading the state drive to develop a more comprehensive outcomes-based review system that will increase accountability in every county statewide beginning January 1, 2004. These new reviews will provide better information and real opportunity to critically assess strengths and areas for improvement.

California Accomplishments:

  • Since 1999, the foster care caseload has declined by 12 percent, reversing the trend of an increasing caseload in prior years. This decline is attributed to a decreasing number of children entering foster care and an increasing number of children leaving foster care to live with relative caregivers.
  • As a result of the state's Adoptions Initiative, the number of foster children placed in permanent adoptions increased by 35 percent between FY 1999 and 2002. Since January 2000, through California's Kin-GAP program more than 6,000 children left foster care to live with their relative caregivers.
  • Because of changes implemented by this Administration and in the counties, California has found permanent homes for more difficult-to-place foster children than ever before, and has moved more children into permanent adoption or into homes of family members than in previous years.
  • The California Legislature has passed and the Governor has signed into law 102 changes to improve the Child Welfare System.

Note: Several of the following links are to PDF files that are rather large. If you experience any difficutly in viewing or printing them, please visit the Tips for Using PDF Files web page for help with these files.