|
|
 |
| |
CSSP has just launched PolicyForResults.org, a
web-based initiative to help policy makers govern more
effectively by
providing the up-to-the-minute, high quality research and evidence they
need to enact policies that measurably improve the lives of children
and families. Tough economic times call for policies that keep
all children healthy and on track to succeed in school, support families’ economic
success, and pay special attention to the most vulnerable young people
and families, such as those in contact with the child welfare and juvenile
justice systems. The website gives governors, state legislators,
agency administrators, and those who advise them clear examples of why a
certain policy direction is important for children and families (based
on evidence of effectiveness); what policies
are succeeding in other states; and how to
tailor policy to their own state’s conditions. PolicyforResults.org also
connects policymakers to “two-generation” approaches that
lift up children and their parents at the same time, with an emphasis
on policies that close gaps and achieve equitable outcomes for all families.
LaShawn A. v. Fenty
An Assessment of the District of Columbia’s Child
Welfare System (As of January 31, 2009).
(140
pgs, 1MB 5/09)
This monitoring report summarizes the status of the
District of Columbia in meeting the requirements of
LaShawn A. v. Fenty Amended
Implementation Plan. Using the last quantitative
benchmark from the 2003 Implementation Plan against
which to assess current progress, this report
measures the District’s progress as of January 31,
2009. The Monitor found that CFSA’s basic
operations have become more stable in the past six
months after CFSA experienced great instability and
reduced performance in 2008 following the tragic
deaths of the Jacks/Fogle children. CFSA performance
data in several key areas are once again headed in
the right direction, although there is still a
considerable gap in many areas between current
performance and court-ordered benchmarks and
outcomes. There are many areas of practice where the
District continues to fall far short of the
standards required in the LaShawn
Amended Implementation Plan (AIP). Additionally, as
is documented in this report, there are multiple
examples of inconsistent performance over time,
suggesting that long-term sustainability of progress
has not been achieved. The Quality Service Reviews (QSRs),
which assess the quality of case practice, continue
to show inconsistent results.
An Analysis of Progress in Meeting Select LaShawn A. v.
Fenty Amended Implementation Plan Requirements
and Practice and Systemic Challenges from Cases Reviewed
in 2008
(29
pgs, 772KB 5/09)
Under the LaShawn A. v. Fenty Modified Final Order and
Amended Implementation Plan (AIP), the Center for the
Study of Social Policy, as Court Monitor assess the
District’s progress on a range of system requirements
and outcomes for children and their families. For
several court-ordered requirements, the Monitor uses
verified information from Quality Service Reviews to
assess performance. This report briefly describes the
Quality Service Review process and methodology and its
role in practice improvement; presents findings on
meeting the LaShawn A. v. Fenty requirements based on
the verified data from the cases reviewed in 2008; and
presents some of the practice challenges found in cases
reviewed in 2008.
Progress of the New Jersey - Department of Children and
Families Period V Monitoring Report for Charlie and Nadine
H. v. Corzine
(119
pgs, 684KB 4/09)
The fifth monitoring report summarizes the progress
made by the state of New Jersey
in meeting the requirements of the Modified Settlement
Agreement (MSA). The MSA structures the State’s commitments
into two phases of work. Phase I (July 2006 -December 2008)
is primarily directed at establishing a strong
infrastructure within the Department of Children and
Families (DCF) to ensure children are healthy and safe;
children achieve permanency and stability; and resource and
service delivery systems meet children’s health, mental
health, educational, and developmental needs. The Monitor
found that, over the course of Phase I, DCF created the
necessary infrastructure to create lasting reform, added
important services to support children and families, and
there were beginning improvements in outcomes for children
and families who come into contact with the child welfare
system. This report provides more specific information on
DCF’s activities and progress made in the last six months of
Phase I (July - December 2008). The Monitor found that DCF
met the majority of requirements for this time period.
Subsequent monitoring reports will examine Phase II
requirements which measure safety, permanency, and
well-being outcomes for children.
A Guide to Opportunities to Assure Children are Healthy and
Prepared to Succeed in School for Making Connections
Communities and
A Guide to Entry Level Jobs and Training and Education
Opportunities for Making Connections Communities (34
pgs, 426KB 4/09) and (55 pgs, 529KB 4/09)
These guides are part of a series of resources being
developed by the Center for the Study of Social Policy for
communities participating in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s
Making Connections initiative. For the past decade, Making
Connections communities have been working to improve the
lives and prospects of families living in some of America’s
toughest neighborhoods by creating economic opportunities,
improving the quality of services and supports, and
strengthening social networks. Used wisely, the resources
provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
can contribute to and build on the work that Making
Connections and other communities are doing to achieve and
sustain more equitable results for families living in low
income neighborhoods.
Race Equity Review: Findings from a Qualitative Analysis of
Racial Disproportionality and Disparity for African
American Children and Families in Michigan’s Child Welfare
System
(66
pgs, 761KB 1/09) by the Center for the Study of Social Policy
In a bold step to examine racial disproportionality and
disparity, the state of Michigan’s Department of Human
Services initiated an intensive review of their policies,
procedures and case practice with a team of national
experts, local leaders, and stakeholders. This team, led by
the Center for the Study of Social Policy, designed and
implemented a qualitative Race Equity Review to examine the
research question: "How does it come about that, after
substantiation of child abuse or neglect, African American
children are more likely to be removed from their homes?"
The findings of the review and this report identify specific
policies and practices that directly negatively impact
African American children and families. In addition, there
are institutional features of Michigan’s child welfare
system that negatively impact all families, but have even
more severe consequences for African American families.
Broad themes identified include a lack of belief in the
ability of African American families and communities to care
for children; limited case and community advocacy for
African American families; the failure to build an
infrastructure of policy, practice and resources that
contributes to an environment which supports fair outcomes
for African American children and families, and the lack of
accountability for results. The report presents the Review
methodology, specific findings of institutional features
that contribute to racial disproportionality and disparity,
and recommendations for change.
Scale of Change:
Creating and Sustaining Collaborative Child Welfare Reform
across Cities and States
(66
pgs, 761KB 12/08) by Andrew White on behalf
of the Center for the Study of Social Policy
This report highlights the efforts made by three very
different public systems - California, Washington D.C. and
Iowa – each of which exemplifies the road to reform through
the guiding principles of strength-based, family centered
practice, community partnership, and parent engagement and
leadership. All three have resolutely surpassed the “pilot
stage” to touch thousands of families each year; have given
rise to meaningful policy and practice changes within public
agencies; as well as, embedded a stronger sense of
responsibility and accountability for the well-being of
children and families among multiple stakeholders. The case
studies recount the challenges faced in trying to infuse
collaborative values and practices within public child
welfare systems, while citing key factors that contributed
to sustainable, measurable positive results. Public agency
workers, community representatives, family advocates, and
families will also discover the successful journey of
leveraging public and private resources, engaging sometimes
unlikely partners, and productively confronting old
assumptions about the power of communities and parents for
the improvement of family outcomes.
Realizing President Obama’s Promise to Scale Up What Works
to Fight Urban Poverty

(9 pgs, 44KB 1/09)
Among the policy proposals in President Obama’s anti-poverty
portfolio are two that could succeed in transforming lives
and neighborhoods, and that present very different scale-up
challenges. In this paper, CSSP Senior Fellow Lisbeth B.
Schorr compares what it will take to expand the Nurse-Family
Partnership to reach all low-income first-time mothers with
nurse home visits, with what it will take to spread the
Harlem Children’s Zone, with its intricately woven tapestry
of services and supports, to twenty “Promise Neighborhoods.”
|
|
|