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Findings and Recommendations 5 findings
F1
Recruitment of licensed foster care parents is adding about 200 new parents per year. However, approximately the same number of foster parents are also leaving the system. A response to Finding 1 is required from the Board of Supervisors and requested from the Social Services Agency.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
The Social Services Agency should strive to improve the retention rate for foster care parents. Some suggestions to consider: · Continue to lobby the state to raise payments. · Work with the Board of Supervisors to obtain additional funding for pilot projects focused on retention (e.g., bonus payments for years of service). A response to Recommendation 1 is required from the Board of Supervisors and requested from the Social Services Agency.
F2
The Social Services Agency has been successful in expanding placement programs (Enhanced Placement Options) designed to keep children united with their extended families or maintained in the least restrictive family-like setting. A response to Finding 2 is required from the Board of Supervisors and requested from the Social Services Agency.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
The Shelter Care Master Plan should be revised to emphasize the placement of children in family-like settings rather than out-of-home placement. A response to Recommendation 2 is required from the Board of Supervisors and requested from the Social Services Agency.
F3
Based on current and future Social Services Agency plans, additional resources will continue to be dedicated towards advancing and expanding placement programs. A response to Finding 3 is required from the Board of Supervisors and requested from the Social Services Agency.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
The Social Services Agency should develop monitoring tools to evaluate whether the expanded placement program results in increased permanency of placement (increased adoptions and placement with relatives and foster parents). A response to Recommendation 3 is required from the Board of Supervisors and requested from the Social Services Agency.
F4
Until the second half of 1998, Orangewood Children’s Home was operating at or over capacity. This was the operating environment in which the 1998 Shelter Care Master Plan was approved by the Board of Supervisors. This plan focuses primarily on fixing the problem by constructing new buildings. A response to Finding 4 is required from the Board of Supervisors and requested from the Social Services Agency.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
The Social Services Agency should consider utilizing the planned Tustin (phase 2) Facility as a community multi-care center offering services such as parent counseling, day-care nursery, and respite-care for central/south Orange County. It is also recommended that any El Toro expansion (phases three and four) be eliminated from the five-year strategic plan. A response to Recommendation 4 is required from the Board of Supervisors and requested from the Social Services Agency.
F5
Overcrowding at Orangewood Children’s Home has not been an issue for the last year. In fact, the facility is now under-utilized. A response to Finding 5 is required from the Board of Supervisors and requested from the Social Services Agency. 11
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
The Social Services Agency should appoint a committee to develop other uses for Orangewood Children’s Home. Some suggestions to consider: · Use part of Orangewood Children’s Home as a 24-hour day-care nursery based on the successful 16-year-old Minneapolis Crisis Nursery Program. Orangewood Children’s Home is fortunate to have 300 active volunteers who could help develop and support this program. · Use part of Orangewood Children’s Home as an intensive pre-emancipation and Independent Living Program overnight-training facility for youths about to “age out” of the foster care system. A response to Recommendation 5 is required from the Board of Supervisors and requested from the Social Services Agency.
Commendations 3
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CM1The Department of Children and Family Services of the Social Services Agency for its success with the Enhanced Placement Options program. To the entire Social Services Agency for: · The Grand Jury Orientation Notebook. · The cooperation and responsiveness of the staff in the interviewing process.
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CM2The Juvenile Justice Commission for its dedication and commitment to improving the health and welfare of the children of Orange County. The Commission’s willingness to share background information and advice was extremely helpful in identifying key issues to be studied.
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CM3The Orange County Rescue Mission for making available the report: Critical Issues Regarding the Orange County Social Services Agency Children and Family Services, December 15, 1998. The background information, conclusions, and recommendations in this report identified a number of important issues in the foster care system. 13 BIBLIOGRAPHY INTERVIEWS AND TOURS July 9, 1999. Interview with 1998–99 Orange County Grand Jury Juvenile Services Committee. July 29, 1999. Interview with Orange County Social Services Agency, Children and Family Services. July 29, 1999. Interview with Orange County Juvenile Justice Commission. August 5, 1999. Interview with Orangewood Children’s Foundation. August 12, 1999. Interview with Children and Family Services and Economic and Community Partnerships (Social Services Agency). August 12, 1999. Toured the new Youth and Family Resource Center in Santa Ana. August 17, 1999. Toured the Orangewood Children’s Home. August 18, 1999. Toured Juvenile Hall. August 18, 1999. Visited the Juvenile Justice Commission. August 24, 1999. Visited Olive Crest group home headquarters. September 7, 1999. Interview with Orangewood Children’s Home staff. September 14, 1999. Visited with Family Solutions Group Home. September 23, 1999. Interview with Orange County Strategic and Intergovernmental Affairs. September 23, 1999. Interview with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). September 28, 1999. Toured the Shelter for the Homeless. September 28, 1999. Visited the Social Services Agency Department of Children and Family Services in Anaheim. September 30, 1999. Interview and tour of Orangewood Children’s Home. September 1999–February 2000. Attended Juvenile Justice Commission meetings. October 1999–February 2000. Attended Group Home Forum. October 5, 1999. Visited the House of Hope Rescue Mission. 14 October 19, 1999. Toured the Canyon Acres Group Home. October 19, 1999. Interview with the Social Services Agency. October 19, 1999. Interview with the Orangewood Children’s Foundation. October 26, 1999. Interview with the Child Abuse Registry. November 4, 1999. Toured the San Diego County Emergency Shelter. November 8, 1999. Interview with the Social Services Agency. November 19, 1999. Attended CAST open house. December 6, 1999. Interview with the Social Services Agency. January 6, 2000. Toured CAST Facility. January 20, 2000. Toured Salvation Army, Central Warehouse. January 20, 2000. Visited Foster Care Store in Anaheim. January 25, 2000. Interview with the Social Services Agency. February 2, 2000. Interview with the Social Services Agency. BOOKS AND REPORTS 8% Solution, Orange County Probation Department Collaborative Approach to Prevent Chronic Juvenile Crime. County of Orange Strategic Financial Workbook, October 20, 1999, Sections I, II, and Strategic Priority 97-23. Department of Social Services, State of California, Foster Care Group Home and Foster Family Agency Final Rate Notification Listing for (FY) 1998–99. Sacramento, August 1999. Grand Jury Orange County, 1989–90 Final Report, Orangewood Children’s Home. Grand Jury Orange County, 1997–98 Final Report, Mental Health Services for Children. Grand Jury Orange County, 1997–98 Final Report, Protective Services. Grand Jury Orange County, 1998–99 Final Report, Care of Children in Group Homes. Grand Jury Orange County, 1998–99 Final Report, Foster Care Support Services. Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery information. Juvenile Justice Commission of Orange County meeting reports January–November 1999. 15 Juvenile Justice Commission of Orange County, Annual Report, 1997. Juvenile Justice Commission of Orange County, Annual Report, 1998. Little Hoover Report, Now In Our Hands: Caring for California’s Abused and Neglected Children. Little Hoover Commission, Sacramento, August 1999. McGeady, Mary Rose, Please Help Me God, Covenant House, 1997. Olive Crest Homes and Services for Abused Children. Orange County Rescue Mission information packet. Orange County Rescue Mission, Critical Issues—Shelter Care Master Plan 1998, Orange County Rescue Mission, December 15, 1998. Orange County Social Services Agency Children and Family Services Catalogue of Services. Orangewood Children’s Foundation, Fifth Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County 1999, prepared by the Orangewood Children’s Foundation Orangewood Children’s Home Fact Sheet 1997–98. Orangewood Children’s Home Operational Manual, various dates. Orangewood Children’s Home, Our Mission and History; Our Program and Housing, Shelter for the Homeless. Social Services Agency 1999 Business Plan, January 1999. Social Services Grand Jury Orientation Workbook, 1999. These are the Kids Next Door. , Orangewood Children’s Home. INTERNET AB1197 http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_1151-1200/ab_1197_bill_19990921_status.html AB1454 http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_1451-1500/ab_1454_bill_19990917_status.html FBI Uniform Crime Reports http://www.fbi.gov/ucr.htm SB1501 http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/97-98/bill/sen/sb_1501-1550/sb_1501_bill_status.html The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-89), Title IV-D, Section 453 of the Social Security Act as amended, 45 CFR 303.21, and 45 CFR 303.70. 16 APPENDIX A CHILD WELFARE SERVICES PROCESS MAP Report of Child Abuse and or Neglect CAST Emergency Response - Family Maintenance CAR Non-Court Case Closed DEPENDENCY PETITION Detention Hearing Jurisdictional Hearing Dismiss Dispositional Hearing Family Maintenance Family Reunification (Foster Care) Review Hearing Review Hearing Case Closed Reunify Child/Family Permanency Planning Hearing Adoption Guardianship Long-Term Foster Care 17
No Responses Found 1
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
Orange County
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