Placement Stability. During this report period, DHS continued to implement and expand upon a number of strategies to improve placement stability outcomes for children in DHS custody. These strategies have focused primarily on stabilizing children in their first placements, including increasing the number of children who are placed in kinship homes as their first placement; improving supports and services to ▇▇▇▇▇▇ parents; and conducting ongoing reviews to understand where DHS needs to focus its efforts to improve placement stability. The department has expanded its efforts to improve how these new practices are being implemented throughout the state, with new guidance, and better collaboration among key, lead staff. During this period, DHS grew its efforts to support stable placements for children and reported improved outcomes in all four placement stability metrics. As a result of these efforts, the Co-Neutrals find that DHS made substantial and sustained progress toward the placement stability Target Outcomes. The Co-Neutrals and DHS agreed to use the federal Adoption and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Care Reporting System (AFCARS) files and definitions for placement moves to measure children’s placement stability. This report reviews performance data for the period October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018 for Metrics 4.1 a, b and c and Metric 4.2.
Appears in 2 contracts
Sources: Compromise and Settlement Agreement, Compromise and Settlement Agreement