The Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services has released a much anticipated Information Memorandum
detailing plans for state child welfare waiver demonstration projects
in the coming years. State child welfare agencies are now considering
applying for these demonstration projects. For FY 2012 demonstrations,
proposals are due July 9.
The priority areas for the waiver demonstrations are to:
- produce positive well-being outcomes for children, youth and their families;
- enhance the social and emotional well-being of children and youth;
- yield more than modest improvements in the lives of children and families; and/or
- leverage
the involvement of other resources and partners to make improvements
concurrently through child welfare and related program areas.
The
waiver demonstration projects are designed to allow more flexible use
of federal funds in order to test new approaches to service delivery and
financing structures, in an effort to improve outcomes for children and
families involved in the child welfare system. These demonstration
projects involve the waiver of certain requirements of titles IV-E, the
section of the Social Security Act that govern the foster care, adoption
assistance and optional kinship guardianship assistance programs. They
do not however provide additional funding to carry out new services.
The
guiding principle of the waiver process is that there is a growing body
of evidence suggesting that there are promising and effective
approaches to improve outcomes for children and families in which abuse
and/or neglect has taken place or is likely to take place. However, such
approaches are utilized too rarely by many child welfare agencies. The
goal of the waivers is to facilitate innovation and experimentation in
child welfare programs through the demonstrations and to improve
outcomes for children. ACF is encouraging states to consider whether
funding flexibility and improvements in the service strategies for
children both at risk of foster care placement and those already placed
outside the home could lead to better outcomes for children.
The
IM also describes how the public can be involved in the development of
strong demonstration projects. CWLA private provider members can play an
important role in developing high quality proposals and are encouraged
to be involved in the application process. We will be hosting a webinar
on this topic with Bryan Samuels, Commissioner of the Administration for
Children, Youth, and Families on May 29th. For more information
regarding this webinar including registration details please contact us
at govaffairs@cwla.org .
Jan Smith and I were at a meeting about these waivers in WA State last week. We understand they are only releasing these waivers for 22 (or 23) states and Jan asked why they could not extend to ALL states? I am hoping the do extend these waivers o ALL states, but I am not sure what they are doing now.
ReplyDeleteWa State has hired a consulting group from Boston to work on these waivers here. They said that we HAVE to abide by the the criteria named above. Also the Richard Wexlar of the NCCPR is aware and fought for these waivers as well. (http://www.nccpr.org
One of the "glitches" is that the ACS is REQUIRING that whatever programs that states submit are PROGRAMS THAT HAVE ALREADY WORKED IN THE PAST. I suspect there are few of those since they have been too busy slobbering all over the money they make by taking kids at the drop of a dime.
From what I heard in that meeting the Suits are well aware that keeping kids in the home with services works better. However they are "concerned" that the more success they have, the less money they will get as the old requirements say that, "The more kids you take, the more money you make and if you return these kids home you will lose any present and future funding ..." So they want to write their proposals in a way that does not reduce funding. I am not sure what they will come up with and it would be good to think about that.
Since they have been concentrating on taking kids rather than keeping families together, there are not many of those programs around I know of. I believe Richard has written about a few of these programs that have worked better, one of which is HomeStead in WA State in Thurston County, another in FL and another in NYC.
It would be interesting to hear what the families involved in those programs have to say and if they worked better or not. Also if you want your state to be involved, start pushing your legislators, especially those who are in their state House Children's Committee and your state DHS Suits to apply. Do *not* let them off the hook, keep at it!
PeeEss: The US House's reps control these things on the Ways and Means committee and I do know Michelle Bachman is on on that committee as is Jim McDermott ~ two political opposites and I am not sure where either are on this issue. I am not sure who that committee or subcommittee chairperson , but it will be a Republican as they are the majority.
Cat in Seattle