RD380 - Annual Report on the Implementation and Financing of the Child and Family Services Review Program Improvement Plan


Executive Summary:
The Child and Family Services Review, authorized by 1994 amendments to the Social Security Act, provides a unique opportunity for the federal government and state child welfare agencies to work as a team in assessing the state’s capacity to promote positive outcomes for children and families involved in the child welfare system. The review covers child protective services, foster care, adoption, family preservation and support, and independent living.

The review examines seven outcomes related to child safety, permanency, and well-being. In addition, there are seven systemic factors that determine the extent that states are functioning at a level that promotes achievement of the outcomes for children and families. Although Virginia met some of the federal standards, the report identified ten outcomes and systemic factors that must be addressed. Based on the Child and Family Services Review, the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) developed a system-wide Program Improvement Plan (PIP) to address areas that were found to need improvement. The PIP addresses each outcome and systemic factor in these areas and includes action strategies to improve them.

The VDSS staff members, with input from the Child Welfare Advisory Committee (previously known as the Statewide Stakeholders Committee) and staff of local departments of social services, developed the PIP. The VDSS was committed to having a system-wide PIP that represented the viewpoints and priorities of VDSS and local service providers. The first version of the PIP was submitted to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) on July 21, 2004. Comments from federal representatives were received and a revised PIP was submitted on November 17, 2004. ACF approved the PIP effective February 1, 2005.

The VDSS was aware that additional resources at the local level would be needed to implement the provisions of the PIP. To determine the cost of implementing the PIP, a committee made up of representatives of the League of Social Services Executives’ Administrative Committee and Child and Family Committee, and VDSS was established in July 2004. Each strategy in the PIP was reviewed to determine if additional staff or money would be needed to implement the strategy. VDSS submitted a budget proposal requesting new general fund dollars to help cover the cost of implementing the PIP. Effective July 1, 2005, VDSS was appropriated $3,604,908 from the general fund and $1,046,341 from nongeneral funds to enhance the provision of child welfare services pursuant to the PIP.

A group of representatives from the League of Social Services Executives and VDSS met to establish the funding formula for allocating the appropriated funds. The group decided that the appropriated funds would be allocated to local departments of social service to either provide direct services or purchase services for children and families involved with the child welfare system. A local department’s allocation would be determined by the local department’s percentage of the statewide ongoing Child Protective Services and Foster Care caseload. The least amount any local department would receive was $5,000. The local departments were required to provide a 20 percent match. Prior to receiving the funds, a local department had to submit a plan indicating how they would improve their baseline in one of the six outcomes that have been established by the federal government. Each local department was asked to establish improvement targets for December 2005 and December 2006. If the December 2005 target was met, the local department received the same PIP allocation in state fiscal year (SFY) 2006 that it received in SFY 2005. All local departments met their December 2005 targets and received their PIP allocations for SFY 2006. If the December 2006 target is met, the PIP allocation will become part of the local department’s base allocation. As of November 15, 2006, all but one local department met their December 2006 targets. It is anticipated that this local department will met its target by December 31, 2006.

The VDSS made a commitment to local departments of social services directors that a revised PIP would be submitted to ACF if all of the funds needed to implement the original PIP were not appropriated. On May 19, 2005, a revised PIP was submitted. In this PIP, modifications were made to the six items that would require additional funds to implement. On October 20, 2005, the revised PIP was approved by ACF.

The VDSS is required to submit quarterly reports to ACF on the progress that has been made to implement the strategies in the PIP. In March 2006, after Virginia had been implementing the PIP for a year, representatives from ACF met with VDSS staff members to determine the status of the goals and benchmarks that had been established. As a result of this meeting, some changes were made to the PIP and a revised version was submitted to ACF on April 6, 2006. ACF approved the revised PIP on May 25, 2006.

It appears that Virginia will be able to implement all of the benchmarks that are in the revised PIP. Several of the goals have already been met and it appears that there is only one goal that VDSS might not be able to meet. The goal that might not be met is: “Increase the percentage of children who reunify with their family within 12 months of entering foster care from 70.7 percent to 73.12 percent by January 2007.” In order to ensure the safety of the child, judges often require a trial home visit of up to six months prior to returning legal custody to the family. Currently the goal is not considered achieved until legal custody has been returned to the family. Several other states are having a similar problem in meeting this goal. In the reviews that are starting in federal fiscal year 2007, this goal will be considered achieved once a child is home on a trial visit for one month, even though legal custody has not been returned to the family. Virginia will have until March 30, 2008, to meet the goal. If Virginia is able to successfully implement all of the benchmarks and goals except for this one, the Commonwealth will have to pay back only the portion of the fiscal penalty related to the goal.

The Child and Family Services Review provides an opportunity for states to examine their outcomes and systems and to identify needed improvements. The VDSS considers the program improvement phase of the review as the cornerstone of our continual progress toward quality services and positive outcomes for children and families. Working with our local partners, VDSS has developed a system-wide PIP that should improve the services that are offered to the children and families involved in the child welfare system.