Common use of Shelter Use Clause in Contracts

Shelter Use. The CSA requires that DHS establish performance targets related to shelters (CSA Sec. 2.10). In the Pinnacle Plan, DHS committed that it would “ensure all children are cared for in family-like settings” and “stop its use of temporary placement in shelters for all children under 13 years of age.” In addition, DHS made specific commitments to children of different age groups related to shelters including: • By December 31, 2012, all children under two years of age will be placed in family-like settings; • By June 30, 2013, all children under six years of age will be placed in family-like settings; • By June 30, 2014, all children under 13 years of age will be placed in family-like settings; and • By June 30, 2014, children ages 13 years of age and older may be placed in a shelter, only if a family-like setting is unavailable to meet their needs. In the Metrics Plan, the number of “child-nights” spent in shelters was chosen as the metric to assess Oklahoma’s progress in eliminating shelter use. One “child-night” is defined as “one child in a shelter at midnight.” The total number of child-nights is calculated by summing the number of children in shelters at midnight for each night of the reporting period. The Metrics Plan identified the baselines and targets for each of the above metrics except for children age 13 and older. The Co-Neutrals and DHS finalized a target for shelter placements and nights for children age 13 and older using a dual variable metric: the first variable is based on a percentage reduction in the total number of child-nights and the second variable is based on the rule established in the Pinnacle Plan Section 1.17, which states that, “By June 30, 2014, children ages 13 years of age and older may be placed in a shelter, only if a family-like setting is unavailable to meet their needs. Children shall not be placed in a shelter more than one time within a 12-month period and for no more than 30 days in any 12-month period. Exceptions must be rare and must be approved by the deputy director for the respective region, documented in the child’s case file, reported to the division director no later than the following business day, and reported to the OKDHS Director and the Co- Neutrals monthly.” This metric assumes that there will continue to be a need to place older children in congregate settings but the target ultimately focuses on reducing child-nights in a shelter for children ages 13 and older by more than 50% and ensuring Pinnacle Plan Section 1.17 is followed to limit the number of times and length of stay a child experiences in a shelter, when a family-like or other setting that best meets a child’s needs is not available.

Shelter Use. In the last Commentary, the Co-Neutrals noted concerns in response to a significant increase in total shelter nights for children six to twelve years of age and youth 13 and older and urged the department to develop and implement new strategies. During this report period, DHS made considerable efforts to develop new strategies focused on preventing children from entering a shelter and reversing the increase in shelter nights reported last period for the two oldest age groups. For this six-month report period (January through June 2020), DHS reported an overall reduction (all age groups combined) since last period in the total number of children who experienced a shelter stay, decreasing from 388 to 341. The CSA requires largest reduction was reported for children ages six to twelve, for whom DHS reported the lowest number of shelter nights and lowest number of children who experienced a shelter stay since the beginning of this reform effort. For this report period, the Co-Neutrals find that DHS establish performance targets related made good faith efforts to shelters (CSA Secachieve substantial and sustained progress toward the Target Outcomes for each of the five shelter measures. 2.10). In the Pinnacle Plan, DHS committed that it would to “ensure all children are cared for in family-like settings” and to “stop its use of temporary placement in shelters for all children under 13 years of age.” In addition, DHS made specific commitments to children of different age groups related to shelters including: • By December 31, 2012, all children under two years of age will be placed in family-like settings; • By June 30, 2013, all children under six years of age will be placed in family-like settings; • By June 30, 2014, all children under 13 years of age will be placed in family-like settings; and • By June 30, 2014, children ages 13 years of age and older may be placed in a shelter, only if a family-like setting is unavailable to meet their needs. In the Metrics Plan, the Co-Neutrals selected the number of “child-nights” spent in shelters was chosen as the metric measure to assess Oklahoma’s progress in eliminating and reducing shelter use. One “child-night” is defined as “one child in a shelter at midnight.” The total number of child-nights is calculated by summing the number of children in shelters at midnight for each night of the reporting period. The Metrics Pinnacle Plan identified includes an exception for shelter placement if the baselines and targets for each child is part of the above metrics except for children age 13 and oldera sibling set of four or more being placed together. The Co-Neutrals have also allowed for the exception to place a minor parent with their child if necessary to keep the parent and child together (note that the child must, in fact, be placed with their minor parent).25 However, while the Co-Neutrals approved these exceptions, they are not automatic. For each child or youth in need of placement, DHS finalized a target for shelter placements and nights for children age 13 and older using a dual variable metric: has As the first variable is based on a percentage reduction Co-Neutrals reported to DHS in the total number of child-nights and the second variable is based on the rule established in the Pinnacle Plan Section 1.17, which states thatSeptember 2019, “By the data and information recently provided to us as of June 30, 20142019, children ages 13 years confirms that the vast majority of age and older may be placed in a shelter, only if a family-like setting is unavailable to meet their needs. Children shall not be placed in a shelter more than one time within a 12-month period and for no more than 30 days in any 12-month period. Exceptions must be rare and must be approved by the deputy director 205 cases assigned among 105 supervisors on that date was for the respective region, documented purpose of managing workloads in the child’s case file, reported units where caseworker capacity to the division director no later than the following business day, and reported to the OKDHS Director and the Co- Neutrals monthlymanage these cases was insufficient.” This metric assumes In conclusion, the Co-Neutrals have determined that there will continue DHS did not make good faith efforts to be a need to place older children achieve substantial and sustained progress toward the Target Outcome during the previous period ending December 31, 2019. However, the sharp decline in congregate settings but the target ultimately focuses on reducing child-nights in a shelter for children ages 13 and older by more than 50% and ensuring Pinnacle Plan Section 1.17 is followed to limit the number of times supervisors with cases and length new case assignments in the current report period (ending June 30, 2020) reflects proactive, focused management. Those efforts contributed substantially to the performance improvement described above for the reporting period through June 30, 2020. This change over the course of stay a child experiences in a shelter, when a familyone period (January-like or other setting that best meets a child’s needs June 2020) is not availablean important example of the positive impact the current DHS leadership team is having on the Target Outcomes.

Shelter Use. The CSA requires that DHS establish performance targets related to shelters (CSA Sec. 2.10). In the Pinnacle Plan, DHS committed that it would “ensure all children are cared for in family-like settings” and “stop its use of temporary placement in shelters for all children under 13 years of age.” In addition, DHS made specific commitments to children of different age groups related to shelters including: •  By December 31, 2012, all children under two years of age will be placed in family-like settings; •  By June 30, 2013, all children under six years of age will be placed in family-like settings; •  By June 30, 2014, all children under 13 years of age will be placed in family-like settings; and •  By June 30, 2014, children ages 13 years of age and older may be placed in a shelter, only if a family-like setting is unavailable to meet their needs. In the Metrics Plan, the number of “child-nights” spent in shelters was chosen as the metric to assess Oklahoma’s progress in eliminating shelter use. One “child-night” is defined as “one child in a shelter at midnight.” The total number of child-nights is calculated by summing the number of children in shelters at midnight for each night of the reporting period. The Metrics Plan identified the baselines and targets for each of the above metrics except for children age 13 and older. The Co-Neutrals and DHS finalized a target for shelter placements and nights for children age 13 and older using a dual variable metric: the first variable is based on a percentage reduction in the total number of child-nights and the second variable is based on the rule established in the Pinnacle Plan Section 1.17, which states that, “By June 30, 2014, children ages 13 years of age and older may be placed in a shelter, only if a family-like setting is unavailable to meet their needs. Children shall not be placed in a shelter more than one time within a 12-month period and for no more than 30 days in any 12-month period. Exceptions must be rare and must be approved by the deputy director for the respective region, documented in the child’s case file, reported to the division director no later than the following business day, and reported to the OKDHS Director and the Co- Neutrals monthly.” This metric assumes that there will continue to be a need to place older children in congregate settings but the target ultimately focuses on reducing child-nights in a shelter for children ages 13 and older by more than 50% and ensuring Pinnacle Plan Section 1.17 is followed to limit the number of times and length of stay a child experiences in a shelter, when a family-like or other setting that best meets a child’s needs is not available.