HD12 - Evaluation of Children's Residential Services Delivered Through the Comprehensive Services Act


Executive Summary:
House Joint Resolution 60 (2006) directed JLARC staff to evaluate the quality and cost of children's residential services delivered through the Comprehensive Services Act.

JLARC staff found that Virginia's regulatory environment does not appear to adequately protect the health and safety of children. Further, CSA children appear to experience mixed outcomes after receiving residential care, indicating that these costly services may not be consistently effective. While many providers already exceed minimum requirements, strengthening licensing standards and enforcement efforts could help ensure that all residential facilities provide a level of care sufficient to promote child safety and positive outcomes.

This report also identifies strategies that could be used to better control the cost of residential services and allow more children to be served in their homes and communities. Addressing gaps in the availability of community-based and foster care services could reduce program costs by decreasing the frequency of residential placements for children who can safely and effectively be served in the community. In addition, improving access to reliable information about the rates charged and services provided by residential facilities could enhance market efficiency and control rates without formal mechanisms such as rate setting. Greater resources and guidance could also help local CSA programs maximize resources and address children’s problems in the most cost-effective manner.