Implementing Fully Every Tool in the Child Welfare Toolbox - PowerPoint Presentation

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Implementing Fully Every Tool in the Child Welfare Toolbox

Chuck JohnsonPresident and CEONational Council For AdoptionSlide2

Thank You!Slide3

About NCFA

MissionPassionately committed to the belief that every child deserves to thrive in a nurturing, permanent family, NCFA’s mission is to meet the diverse needs of children, birthparents, adopted individuals, adoptive families, and all those touched by adoption through global advocacy, education, research, legislative action, and collaboration.Slide4

Verdict is in:

Children need a permanent and stable connection to a caregiver to develop normally - and this is best achieved in a permanent and legally-recognized family.Slide5

The “Serve and Return” Process – it’s this give and take between the child and the caregiver that helps the brain learn to function properly. Slide6

Science Proves the Damage

Children without families experience toxic stress which often leads to permanent damage.Scientific studies prove that children’s brains don’t develop properly without consistent parental care and connection. Children who cannot bond with a parental figure during the first years of life experience toxic stress which often leads to profound, permanent damage.Slide7

Science Proves the Damage

A picture of the neurological impact on a child’s brain from institutionalizationReduced brain activity

Reduced IQ

Smaller brain

Mental health problems

Inability to attach

Difficulty earning a living

SOME RECOVERY POSSIBLE

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCESlide8

Child Welfare Continuum Slide9

Recommendation #1:

Review and remove unnecessary delays to the process with the stated goal of achieving permanency for the child sooner than is happening presently.Slide10
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Four Larger Goals of AFSA

To promote the safety of children first and foremostTo decrease the time it takes to achieve permanency for childrenTo promote adoption and other permanency optionsTo enhance state capacity and accountability for both safety and permanency http://www.naswdc.org/practice/children/cws1003.pdf Slide12

Major Specific Provisions of AFSA

Extended categories of services to include time-limited reunification services and adoption promotion and support servicesAdded ''safety of the child'' to every step of the case plan and review processAccelerated permanent placement:Required States to initiate court proceedings to free a child for adoption once that child had been waiting in foster care for at least 15 of the most recent 22 months, unless there was an exceptionAllowed children to be freed for adoption more quickly in extreme casesPromoted adoptions:Rewarded States that increased adoptions with incentive fundsRequired States to use reasonable efforts to move eligible foster care children towards permanent placementsPromoted adoptions of all special needs children and ensured health coverage for adopted special needs children

Prohibited States from delaying/denying placements of children based on the geographic location of the prospective adoptive familiesRequired States to document and report child-specific adoption effortsSlide13

Major Specific Provisions of AFSA

Increased accountability:Required HHS to establish new outcome measures to monitor and improve State performanceRequired States to document child-specific efforts to move children into adoptive homesClarified ''reasonable efforts'':Emphasized children's health and safetyRequired States to specify situations when services to prevent foster placement and reunification of families are not requiredRequired shorter time limits for making decisions about permanent placements:Required permanency hearings to be held no later than 12 months after entering foster careRequired States to initiate termination of parental rights proceedings after the child has been in foster care 15 of the previous 22 months, except if not in the best interest of the child, or if the child is in the care

of a relativeSlide14

Major Specific Provisions of AFSA

States have the option not to pursue termination of parental rights (TPR) when any of these three conditions apply:A compelling reason can be demonstrated regarding why it would not be in the best interest of the child to terminate parental rightsA relative is caring for the childReasonable efforts are not required to reunify families when:The child is an abandoned infantThe parent has subjected the child to “aggravated circumstances” such as torture, chronic abuse, sexual abuse, or abandonmentThe parent has committed, or assisted in the committing of, the murder or voluntary manslaughter of one of the parent’s other childrenThe parent has committed a felony assault resulting in serious injury to the child or another child of the parentThe parent had his or her parental rights involuntarily terminated to another child

The state has determined that another reason exists that justifies not using reasonable efforts to reunify the family, with the child’s health and safety as the paramount concern Slide15

State IncentivesThe Adoption Incentives program provides federal bonus funds to state child welfare agencies that increase adoptions of children who are in need of new permanent families. States earn Adoption Incentive funds in four ways. For an increase in the (1) number of children adopted out of foster care overall, (2) number of children adopted at age 9 or older, (3) number of children adopted with special needs and who are under the age of 9, (4) rate at which children are adopted from foster care.

http://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43025.pdf (page 5)Slide16
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Recommendation #2

Consider national child welfare legislation that promotes and rewards timely decision-making.Slide18

Recommendation #3 Incorporate Concurrent Planning into the

existing child welfare process.Slide19

Concurrent Planning…

is an approach that seeks to eliminate delays in achieving permanency for children outside of parental care by identifying and working toward two desirable goals at the same time.Slide20

In ConclusionIncorporate Every Tool in the Child Welfare Toolbox to Achieve Permanency by:

Reviewing and removing unnecessary delays to the process with the stated goal of achieving permanency for the child sooner than is happening presently.Considering national child welfare legislation that promotes and rewards timely decision-making.Incorporating Concurrent Planning into the existing child welfare decision-making process.