They Are All Children*

The Orangewood Children's Home can continue to deliver the services necessary for the WIC §300 children while utilizing no more than one half of its property. SSA Response: Disagrees partially with the finding. OCH is constructed in such a way that it would not be feasible to split it in half. If it were split in half, the children at OCH could potentially lose access to the gymnasium, school, and/or open field. × OCH is a multi-service campus offering services that enhance the care of children at OCH, as well as, support alternate placement options. In addition to emergency shelter care services, the following are provided at and through OCH and each occupies designated space at OCH: > First Step Assessment Center: Offers assessment services to support placement diversion efforts. > Placement Coordination Services: Three Diversion units and one Placement unit are co-located at OCH providing placement coordination services. Medi-Cal and AFDC-FC Eligibility Determination: Onsite Eligibility Technician Workers ensure Medi-Cal and AFDC-FC funding for children diverted and admitted to OCH. Medical Unit: In partnership with OC Health Care Agency Juvenile Health Services, an onsite medical clinic is staffed by nurses and a pediatrician. > Court Evaluation Guidance Unit: In partnership with OC Health Care Agency Children and Youth Services, behavioral health services are provided onsite by therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists. > Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services: In partnership with OC Health Care Agency Children and Youth Services, prevention and early intervention alcohol and drug abuse services are provided onsite. > Law Enforcement Services: In partnership with the OC Sheriff Department, onsite Special Sheriff Officers provide security and law enforcement services. > Early Childhood System of Care Services: In partnership with OC Health Care Agency Public Health Nursing, early child development prevention and intervention services are provided onsite. Library Services: In partnership with OC Public Libraries, library and reading enrichment services are provided onsite. Educational Services: In partnership with OC Department of Education, an onsite school provides kindergarten through grade 12 instruction and support services. The Orangewood Children's Home operation could reduce staff services that are no

longer necessary by virtue of the decrease in population and the soon-to-open Tustin Family Campus. SSA Response: Disagrees partially with the finding. SSA has reduced both the direct care and medical staff at OCH over the last year by 42 positions. SSA continues to evaluate its staffing. Additional changes in staffing that are identified will be included in the FY 09-10 Budget. As of January 26, 2009 the number of staff at OCH was 238 and of the 238 staff, 192 were direct care staff. The 46 non-direct service positions include but are not limited to, office technicians, laundry workers, food services workers, cooks, and facilities maintenance workers. OCH is mandated by Assembly Bill 1197 and Title 22, Section 6, Chapter 5, Paragraph 84265.5 to have a 24 hour, 7 days a week staff-to-child ratio of 1:3 for children ages 2 days to 6 years. OCH's Program Statement with Community Care Licensing (CCL) specifies a staff-to-child ratio for children 7 to 19 years of 1:6 during school hours and 1:4 during non-school hours. In addition, children who are severally emotionally disturbed are required to have a staff-to-child ratio of 1:2. It is important to note that of the 192 direct care staff, not all are present at OCH at the same time. OCH is a 24-hour emergency shelter facility, therefore, staff work in three shifts and must be ready to accommodate any number of high-risk and high-needs children at any given time. The Tustin Family Campus is not an emergency shelter, and therefore, has no impact on the population at OCH.

The easterly portion of Orangewood Children's Home property could house the new facilities for the Probation Department's Welfare Institution Code section 600 population. SSA Response: Agrees with the finding. The easterly portion of the OCH property could house a new facility for Probation, if funds were available to build a new facility. However, this would mean taking the field and play area from the children that reside at OCH. Probation Response: Agrees with the finding. The location is feasible for future consideration; however, state construction funds are not currently available for a remodel of that magnitude. Given the current budget climate, serious consideration of this option is years into the future.

The Probation Department has an immediate need for expanded facilities for Juvenile Hall, the Youth Leadership Academy, and the Youth Guidance Center. Probation Response: Agrees with the finding. Probation has an immediate and long-term need for both secure beds and treatment beds.

The Probation Department programs such as regular schooling, counseling and job training have been shown to be effective. Probation Response: Agrees with the finding. Probation effectively collaborates with the Orange County Department of Education for schooling of wards, and utilizes state of the art counseling and therapeutic programming to re-socialize delinquent youth.

Additional facilities will allow the Probation Department more capability to deliver services. Probation Response: Agrees with the finding. There is a significant number of minors who have received Court ordered commitments but are housed at Juvenile Hall due to a shortage of treatment beds. This situation has existed for over a decade. Additional facilities would allow the provision of improved programming and re-entry services to this population.

A reduction in the facilities and excess staffing of the Orangewood Children's Home will save substantial dollars without compromising its care for abused, abandoned, and neglected children. SSA Response: Disagrees partially with the finding. A reduction in the facilities and staffing of OCH could save substantial dollars. SSA reduced the staffing at OCH over the last year by 42 positions with a savings of $2,182,463. SSA continues to review staffing levels as part of the FY 09-10 Budget development process. SSA is required to follow the staff-to-child ratios set by California Department of Social Services in order to retain its license. This includes a 24/7, 1:3, staff-to-child ratio for children under the age of six. A reduction in facilities could affect the care of the population that OCH serves. It could mean giving up medical services, the play area for the children, and possibly the school.

The new Tustin Family Center can accommodate service reductions at Orangewood Children's Home caused by the lot splitting. SSA Response: Disagrees wholly with the finding. OCH is an emergency shelter that provides short-term, temporary care for children who have been removed from their caretakers by police officers or child protective services workers and placed into protective custody. The Tustin Family Campus is not an emergency shelter, but is designed to provide strength-based, multi-treatment, residential and day-treatment services in a "homelike" setting. These services will be provided by non-profit contractors. The program components at the Tustin Family Campus will be: Sibling groups under the age of 6 receiving transitional treatment intervention services for a period of no longer than 90 days Youth ages 11 to 17 who require intensive treatment - length of stay will be • determined on a case-by-case basis Young adults that have transitioned out of the foster care system receiving temporary transitional housing and independent living skills services · Mothers who will reside with their young children while participating in SSA's Dependency Drug Court program. Response to Recommendations: R.1, R.2, and R.3