Transcript The Next Phase of Child Welfare Reform in Illinois:

The Next Phase of Child Welfare Reform
in Illinois:
The Lifetime Approach
Major Reforms/New Direction
The Lifetime Approach
Lifetime Approach
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Embrace role as parent;
Anticipate and respond to developmental and
clinical needs;
Evaluate impact by:
 education, well-being and life skills of the
young adults who emerge; and
 success in sustaining foundation through
development of own strong families.
Goals of Lifetime Approach
Early identification of trauma.
 Strong correlation between trauma,
treatment plan and services.
 Improved well being outcomes.
 Sustainable life foundation.
 Strong adults building healthy families.
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Trauma Impact is Lifelong
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Trauma includes abuse and neglect, exposure
to violence, and removal home
Research concluded that,
 “The effects of trauma can be pervasive,
impacting school readiness and
performance, diminishing cognitive abilities
and leading to substance abuse, disabling
mental disorders and costly physical health
problems.”
Next Two Years Devoted to
Implementing
The Lifetime Approach
Major Reforms
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Integrated
Assessment
Child &Youth
Investment Teams
Trauma Treatment
Transitional &
Independent Living ReDesign
Foster Care Caseload
ReDesign
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Early Childhood
School Readiness
Initiative
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Intensive Stabilization
Services
Family Supported
Adolescent Care
Residential
Performance Unit
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Integrated Assessment
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Provides a comprehensive clinical
understanding of the child from the moment
he enters care.
A service plan directly related to identified
clinical assets.
Trauma Treatment
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Integrated Assessment will identify issues.
Existing contracts will be targeted to ensure
treatment over two years.
Recognition of impact of trauma will be
infused throughout service plan and
treatment systems.
School Readiness Initiative
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Birth to 6 is critical time for brain development
School readiness critical for longterm
educational outcomes & success
Children who start out behind often never
catch up
If we want to improve educational outcomes
for child-welfare involved children overall, we
need to start early
5 Dimensions of School Readiness
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Physical well-being – general health,
immunizations
Social and emotional development –
positive relationships, personal selfconfidence
Approaches toward learning
Language development
Cognition and general knowledge
National Education Goals Panel
To be ready for school, children must
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Be able to recognize letters and how they
relate to numbers and words, use simple
number concepts, and be able to
communicate with others
Be excited by learning, have confidence to
try new things, understand that school is
important
Understand other people’s feelings, get
along with others, be able to control their
emotions and behavior
National Research Council
“From Neurons to Neighborhoods”
“Remediating the effects of abuse and neglect
experienced during early childhood at later ages
requires much more intensive, long-term, and costly
treatment than early responses …
The best time to address these important issues
is during early childhood, and the children who
enter the child welfare system in the early years
are those most in need of this early response.”
-- Linda McCart and Charles Bruner
“Child Welfare and School Readiness Making the Link
for Vulnerable Children”
Child and Family Policy Center
How does the Lifetime Approach apply to our
youngest children?
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Strategy
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Strategy B
Getting kids ready to
start school with
quality ECE
Stability in ECE
placement
Bolster ability of
ECE to work with
children in child
welfare system and
to prevent child
abuse
School
Readiness
Initiative
Strengthening
Families
Illinois
IDCFS School Readiness Initiative
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Developmentally appropriate, traumainformed child welfare practice for children
birth to 5
Children 3 – 5 in quality early learning
program (Head Start, state Pre-K or other)
Partner to build quality in early childhood
programs so that they can meet the needs
of our kids (Strengthening Families Illinois)
Strategy A:
School Readiness Initiative
All children in the system ready for school
 Goal September 2006 – all 3-5 year olds
enrolled in quality preschool (center-based
early care and education programs)
 Help caseworkers and foster parents understand
the importance of quality ECE
 Working with early childhood community to
ensure that quality preschools can meet our
children’s needs
 Working internally to ensure educational
stability across placements and trauma-sensitive
transition planning
Supports for Enrolling Children
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Updated Policies – All wards turning 3 by
September 1 must be enrolled in preschool
for at least part of the day:
 Head Start
 State Pre-Kindergarten (ISBE / CPS)
 Strengthening Families pilot center
 Accredited child care center with
strong early learning program
Performance Contract language (07)
Supports for Enrolling Children
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Finding Programs
 Directory of local Head Start programs
(To come)
 List of Strengthening Families sites
 City of Chicago
www.earlychildhoodchicago.org -- PreK and Head Start programs
 Child Care Resource and Referral
Agencies
Supports for Enrolling Children
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Local Head Start Collaborative
Agreements
Training
Written Tools / Resources
Supports for Enrolling Children
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Local Head Start Collaborative
Agreements (with grantee agencies)
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Maximize participation of child-welfare
involved children and families with
Head Start programs
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Encourage collaboration between child
welfare staff and early education staff
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Support for caseworkers and
comprehensive services to families
Supports for Enrolling Children
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Training
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Workers in Regions / POS & DCFS
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Head Start Collaborative Agreement
Training
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Strengthening Families Pilot Sites
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Foundation Training
Supports for Enrolling Children
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Written Tools / Resources:
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Brochure for use with foster parents
“Our Kids Deserve A Fair Start:
Enroll them in a Quality Preschool
Today!” – in English and Spanish
10 Great Reasons to Partner with
Preschool Staff
Caseworker Guidance for Selecting
an Early Learning Program
Supports Enrolling Children
People Inside DCFS
 NIU Educational Advisors and Educational
Liaisons help to locate programs
 DCFS Early Childhood Specialists help with
special needs
People Outside DCFS
 Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies
(Action for Children dedicated staff position pilot)
 SFI pilot site hub coordinators
 Head Start grantee agency
Strategy B:
Strengthening Families Illinois
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Early childhood and child welfare systems
working together to prevent child abuse and
neglect by strengthening protective factors
7 States / RFP – National Model
DCFS Convener for Illinois
25 + partners
5 pilot sites involving 50 child care centers
Early Childhood & Child Welfare systems
working together
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Child care centers work with families to keep
children safe and healthy
Parental involvement (foster, biological, and
adoptive parents)
Child care centers better able to meet the needs
of children who have experienced trauma (and
promote social and emotional well-being of all
children)
Child welfare workers and child care center staff
intentionally work together to keep children safe
Protective Factors
Research says if these are present, children
are less vulnerable to child abuse and neglect
(CAN):
 Parental resilience
 Knowledge of parenting and child development
 Positive social connections
 Access to help in times of crisis
 Children’s social and emotional well-being
Pilot sites
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Local learning networks of 50 child care
centers in
 Chicago / North Lawndale
 Southern Cook County
 Peoria
 Kane County / Carpentersville
 Southern Illinois – 11 counties
 Evanston (To be added in FY 2007)
Additional Networks Forming
Partnership for Quality Child Care
(Chicago)
 Stephenson County / Freeport
 Rockford
 Rock Island / Quad Cities
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Lessons Learned
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Importance of
 Education frame and language
 Top-down / bottom-up buy-in and
responsibility within DCFS (staff team –
cross-departmental, middle-management)
 Engaging early childhood community
around their needs and interests
 Learning networks