wexwimpy
June 30th 04, 09:19 PM
Foster care report shows improvement, room for improvement
By DEBORAH CIRCELLI
Staff Writer
Last update: 30 June 2004
DAYTONA BEACH -- The local foster care agency has moved from "crisis
mode" two years ago to a system with more caseworkers, more foster
homes and better supervision of more than 1,000 area children, a
report released Tuesday concludes.
But problems remain, including poor monitoring of the health care
needs of children and not enough oversight of how the agency's money
is spent.
The 82-page report released by the state Department of Children &
Families on Tuesday shows improvement in many areas since a report in
November 2002 threatened to end the state's contract with Community
Based Care of Volusia-Flagler Counties.
The number of foster homes has increased, more children are being seen
every month by case managers and the average number of cases per
worker has dropped from more than 40 cases to 29.
More employees are staying around, too, improving continuity and
reporting in cases. The turnover rate is now 31 percent, compared to
64 percent two years ago, and about 95 percent of reports are getting
to the courts on time compared to about 61 percent previously.
The improved performance by the agency has been one factor in helping
to reduce the number of children in the child-welfare system. Those
children in foster care and those monitored at home or with relatives
have dropped from a high of about 2,050 to 1,750.
Betsy Lewis, acting DCF district administrator, said the drop is due
to several factors, including fewer children being removed from their
homes, caseworkers closing more cases by returning children to their
parents or through adoptions.
But some of the same problems local DCF workers found in a November
2002 report still exist at Community Based Care:
· Delays in foster home licensing and caseworker certification;
· Failure in some cases to provide proper health screenings and health
services.
· Lack of oversight in reviewing contracts and invoices of
subcontractors. An independent annual audit is also six months
overdue.
· Poor documentation on children's cases in a statewide network, a
situation that could lead to a loss of federal funds.
· Reports not moving quickly enough from caseworkers to DCF attorneys.
Even so, Lewis said at a press conference Tuesday she is pleased
overall and attributed some of the problems to growing pains of
transitioning to a private agency.
"We knew we couldn't just turn the key and it would be done. It's a
long process," Lewis said.
Community Based Care has 30 days to submit a plan on how it will make
improvements. The agency signed a five-year contract with DCF in
December 2001 and took over full operations of foster care in May
2002.
Ray Smith, president of Community Based Care, who came to the agency a
month after the 2002 report, said "substantial improvements" have been
made and he expects to see even more.
When he came on board, he said, "Everybody was operating in a crisis
mode. It was difficult," Smith said. "Now it is much more stabilized."
Part of the problem, Smith and Lewis said, is that Volusia and Flagler
counties receive less money per child than many other counties in the
state.
That should improve next year with the overall contract for the agency
expecting to increase from $19 million to $20 million, including
$400,000 to address the inequity in per-child funding.
Smith hopes to lower his 67 case managers' work loads to about 20
cases in the next year by adding 10 more case managers and three
supervisors. The organization also is working to ensure case managers
are getting all their certification in the time required.
He said more than 50 percent are fully certified. Part of the issue,
he said, is they are too busy with high caseloads.
More focus will also be given to children by starting monthly team
meetings that will include everyone involved in the child's case:
parents, relatives, foster parents, attorneys, caseworkers and various
agencies.
"Everyone will be on the same page of what needs to happen with the
child," Smith said.
A director of quality assurance person will soon be hired to improve
operations. The agency also just hired a second person to review
subcontractor contracts.
The report found in some cases subcontracting agencies are paying
bills without any review from Community Based Care. Some contract
files contained little to no invoice information and some invoices
were not signed by anyone or dated.
Lewis said there was no fraud found, but "we're worried because
documentation seems to be inadequate."
Smith said the agency has a lot of procedures in place to ensure it is
not paying for a service it did not receive. But the agency will look
at making changes.
Ray Salazar, chairman of the Community Alliance local advisory board,
said he still wants to form a subgroup of the alliance to look more
carefully at Community Based Care.
"I give them credit for all the good things they have done," Salazar
said. "But there's no question we are definitely looking forward to
more improvements."
What's Next
· Within 30 days, Community Based Care will submit a plan to correct
problems cited in the state report.
· Ten new case managers will be hired and three new supervisors to
help lower caseloads of workers to 23 by the end of June 2005.
· A new family team approach will soon be phased in with monthly
meetings with everyone involved in the case from parents to foster
parents.
· More services will be offered to relatives caring for children in
the system and to parents once a child is returned to the home to keep
them from being removed again.
· A team is working toward getting Community Based Care nationally
accredited by June 30, 2005.
· Five-year-contract between the state Department of Children &
Families and Community Based Care ends June 30, 2006, and will be up
for renewal.
SOURCE: Community Based Care
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Flagler/03FlaglerEAST04063004.htm
Defend your civil liberties! Get information at http://www.aclu.org, become a member at http://www.aclu.org/join and get active at http://www.aclu.org/action.
By DEBORAH CIRCELLI
Staff Writer
Last update: 30 June 2004
DAYTONA BEACH -- The local foster care agency has moved from "crisis
mode" two years ago to a system with more caseworkers, more foster
homes and better supervision of more than 1,000 area children, a
report released Tuesday concludes.
But problems remain, including poor monitoring of the health care
needs of children and not enough oversight of how the agency's money
is spent.
The 82-page report released by the state Department of Children &
Families on Tuesday shows improvement in many areas since a report in
November 2002 threatened to end the state's contract with Community
Based Care of Volusia-Flagler Counties.
The number of foster homes has increased, more children are being seen
every month by case managers and the average number of cases per
worker has dropped from more than 40 cases to 29.
More employees are staying around, too, improving continuity and
reporting in cases. The turnover rate is now 31 percent, compared to
64 percent two years ago, and about 95 percent of reports are getting
to the courts on time compared to about 61 percent previously.
The improved performance by the agency has been one factor in helping
to reduce the number of children in the child-welfare system. Those
children in foster care and those monitored at home or with relatives
have dropped from a high of about 2,050 to 1,750.
Betsy Lewis, acting DCF district administrator, said the drop is due
to several factors, including fewer children being removed from their
homes, caseworkers closing more cases by returning children to their
parents or through adoptions.
But some of the same problems local DCF workers found in a November
2002 report still exist at Community Based Care:
· Delays in foster home licensing and caseworker certification;
· Failure in some cases to provide proper health screenings and health
services.
· Lack of oversight in reviewing contracts and invoices of
subcontractors. An independent annual audit is also six months
overdue.
· Poor documentation on children's cases in a statewide network, a
situation that could lead to a loss of federal funds.
· Reports not moving quickly enough from caseworkers to DCF attorneys.
Even so, Lewis said at a press conference Tuesday she is pleased
overall and attributed some of the problems to growing pains of
transitioning to a private agency.
"We knew we couldn't just turn the key and it would be done. It's a
long process," Lewis said.
Community Based Care has 30 days to submit a plan on how it will make
improvements. The agency signed a five-year contract with DCF in
December 2001 and took over full operations of foster care in May
2002.
Ray Smith, president of Community Based Care, who came to the agency a
month after the 2002 report, said "substantial improvements" have been
made and he expects to see even more.
When he came on board, he said, "Everybody was operating in a crisis
mode. It was difficult," Smith said. "Now it is much more stabilized."
Part of the problem, Smith and Lewis said, is that Volusia and Flagler
counties receive less money per child than many other counties in the
state.
That should improve next year with the overall contract for the agency
expecting to increase from $19 million to $20 million, including
$400,000 to address the inequity in per-child funding.
Smith hopes to lower his 67 case managers' work loads to about 20
cases in the next year by adding 10 more case managers and three
supervisors. The organization also is working to ensure case managers
are getting all their certification in the time required.
He said more than 50 percent are fully certified. Part of the issue,
he said, is they are too busy with high caseloads.
More focus will also be given to children by starting monthly team
meetings that will include everyone involved in the child's case:
parents, relatives, foster parents, attorneys, caseworkers and various
agencies.
"Everyone will be on the same page of what needs to happen with the
child," Smith said.
A director of quality assurance person will soon be hired to improve
operations. The agency also just hired a second person to review
subcontractor contracts.
The report found in some cases subcontracting agencies are paying
bills without any review from Community Based Care. Some contract
files contained little to no invoice information and some invoices
were not signed by anyone or dated.
Lewis said there was no fraud found, but "we're worried because
documentation seems to be inadequate."
Smith said the agency has a lot of procedures in place to ensure it is
not paying for a service it did not receive. But the agency will look
at making changes.
Ray Salazar, chairman of the Community Alliance local advisory board,
said he still wants to form a subgroup of the alliance to look more
carefully at Community Based Care.
"I give them credit for all the good things they have done," Salazar
said. "But there's no question we are definitely looking forward to
more improvements."
What's Next
· Within 30 days, Community Based Care will submit a plan to correct
problems cited in the state report.
· Ten new case managers will be hired and three new supervisors to
help lower caseloads of workers to 23 by the end of June 2005.
· A new family team approach will soon be phased in with monthly
meetings with everyone involved in the case from parents to foster
parents.
· More services will be offered to relatives caring for children in
the system and to parents once a child is returned to the home to keep
them from being removed again.
· A team is working toward getting Community Based Care nationally
accredited by June 30, 2005.
· Five-year-contract between the state Department of Children &
Families and Community Based Care ends June 30, 2006, and will be up
for renewal.
SOURCE: Community Based Care
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Flagler/03FlaglerEAST04063004.htm
Defend your civil liberties! Get information at http://www.aclu.org, become a member at http://www.aclu.org/join and get active at http://www.aclu.org/action.