I, Ohio 0 0 INITIATIVE CHILDREN SERVICES TRANSFORMATION CHILDREN SERVICES TRANSFORMATION February 2020 MI KE DEWINE 0N HU STED . OF OHIO 5 .GovenuonorOHm Table of Contents A Message from Children Services Transformation Director................................................................... 3 Executive Summary...................................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction - Office of Children Services Transformation....................................................................... 5 Children Services Transformation Advisory Council ............................................................................... 7 Statewide Foster Care Forums.................................................................................................................... 8 Seven Core Action Areas.............................................................................................................................10 Conclusion....................................................................................................................................................13 Appendix - Foster Care Forum Regional Data...........................................................................................14 Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report 2 A Message From Children Services Transformation Director Kristi Burre Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, loving home, whether that is with a biological, kinship, foster, or adoptive family. Unfortunately, on any given day in Ohio, more than 16,000 children are in the custody of a children services agency. This is a 30% increase since 2011. Tragically, almost 10% of child victims experience a repeat incident of child maltreatment within one year. As a state, it is crucial that we do better for Ohio’s most vulnerable children. Now is the time to work together to prevent trauma and provide better outcomes for our kids. To improve outcomes for Ohio’s children, Governor Mike DeWine established the Children Services Transformation Advisory Council on November 4, 2019. The advisory council is a multi-disciplinary group of subject matter experts and individuals with lived experience in the foster care system, including foster youth and biological, kinship, foster, and adoptive families. To better understand the challenges facing Ohio’s child welfare system, the advisory committee held ten foster care forums across Ohio, where they heard from nearly 500 Ohioans on their experiences with Ohio’s foster care system. This report summarizes the advisory council’s initial findings and paves the way for the council’s final recommendations, which will be published by summer 2020. As Director of the Office of Children Services Transformation within the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and co-chair of the Children Services Transformation Advisory Council, I thank the council members for their dedication to Ohio’s children and families. Their expertise – both lived and learned – has been invaluable throughout this process. On behalf of the council, I also wish to thank all the current and past foster youth, primary parents, adoptive parents, kinship caregivers, foster caregivers, county agencies, private organizations, elected officials, and other constituents who attended and provided testimony at the council’s foster care forums. We are grateful for your courageous testimonies and solutions for change. Kristi Burre Director Office of Children Services Transformation Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report 3 Executive Summary As the father of eight and grandfather of 24, family is at the core of everything Governor Mike DeWine does. From his time as Greene County Prosecutor, his first year as Ohio Governor, and every office he has held in between, Governor DeWine has spent his career advocating for children and families. Immediately upon taking office, he created the Governor’s Office of Children’s Initiatives and tasked it with coordinating and aligning the state’s children’s programming, advancing policy and innovation within the state’s children’s programs, and providing supportive services for Ohio’s most in-need children and families. By executive order, Governor DeWine also elevated foster care priorities in Ohio. To achieve this, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Director Kimberly Hall created the Office of Children Services Transformation. The purpose of the Office of Children Services Transformation is to strengthen and reform the children services system. The office’s priorities include enhancing state-county relationships, developing and sustaining best practices, and emphasizing the rights of children. Governor DeWine and the General Assembly made historic investments in Ohio’s child welfare system through the state’s operating budget (H.B. 166), with an additional $220 million in funding over the biennium. To maximize those investments, Governor DeWine announced the formation of the Children Services Transformation Advisory Council in November 2019 and tasked it with conducting a top-down review of the state’s child welfare system and developing recommendations to improve the experiences of children and families. The council immediately scheduled 10 regional community foster care forums across the state to hear the stories, challenges, and suggestions of those who have experienced the children services system firsthand. Local organizations, county agencies, and individuals were encouraged to participate, either by testifying in person or submitting written testimony. Over a two-month period, the council heard from hundreds of Ohio citizens. Their powerful testimonies will form the foundation of the council’s work, as it develops recommendations to submit to Governor DeWine by the summer of 2020. “There have been times when I felt that my safety and the safety of the other children in my home was threatened.” – Micheale Cates, Foster Parent Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report 4 Introduction - Office of Children Services Transformation Jan. 2019 July 2019 June-Sept. 2019 Nov. 4, 2019 Feb. 2-May 20, 2020 End of May 2020 Gov. DeWine Inaugurated SFY 20-21 Budget Signed Listening Sessions Held Advisory Council Formed Council Meetings Held Recommendations Issued Ohio is one of nine states with state-supervised, countyadministered children services systems. The 88 county public children services agencies (PCSAs) provide direct services to children and families. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services monitors and guides county agencies with children’s safety, permanency, and wellbeing as the paramount concerns. To lead the Office of Children Services Transformation, Director Hall appointed Kristi Burre, who has nearly 20 years of experience working in children services in Ohio, including as a caseworker, supervisor, administrator, trainer, and director. By the end of state fiscal year 2019, Burre had assembled a nimble policy team dedicated to strengthening Ohio’s child protection system. To better understand system strengths, barriers, and opportunities for growth and change, the team immediately undertook an Ohio Listening Tour and Constituent Engagement Initiative. Ohio Listening Tour: private agencies, and other state agencies. The goal of the listening tour was to provide opportunities for learning, communication, and relationship-building. Constituent Engagement: Along with the Ohio Listening Tour, the Office of Children Services Transformation engaged local communities, stakeholders, and those with lived experience. The importance of listening and providing a safe space for others to share their concerns and contribute recommendations has been at the forefront of the office’s strategic outreach and engagement efforts. “The poor decisions that I have seen made over the years have not had much to do with the need for more money, but for training, follow through, accountability and a need for respect regarding the very difficult work of our good foster parents.” – Barb Gustavson, Mental Health Case Management, Foster From June to September 2019, the Office of Children Services Transformation began a concerted effort to connect with local public children services agencies, Parent, CASA, Artemis Center Advocate for Victims of DV Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report 5 “The system is so overwhelmed that it seems that the children are only numbers and have been dehumanized by the system. Please help these kids, they need better.” – Barbara Kurtz, Foster Parent This darling little boy grew up in chaos, has suffered 8 years of sexual, emotional and physical abuse, and, of course, he was neglected medically and educationally. He is being condemned to go back to the place of abuse and neglect. He does not have the power to stand up for himself. He does not have a choice re: placement. The system is severely broken.” – Patricia M Wolf, Foster Parent Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report 6 Children Services Transformation Advisory Council Governor DeWine established the Children Services Transformation Advisory Council by Executive Order 2019-27D. Governor DeWine appointed the 25 council members to serve as special advisors to the Office of Children Services Transformation and to evaluate and recommend needed foster care reforms; strengthen children services practices; and prioritize the safety, permanency, and well-being of Ohio’s children and families. • Create a statewide practice model that provides a consistent framework for developing goals, strategies, and action steps for all planning and performance improvement efforts. • Develop strategies and recommendations to strengthen all areas of the system, to include the following key priorities: kinship care, foster care, adoption, practice, workforce, and prevention. The Children Services Transformation Advisory Council is made up of individuals with lived experience in the foster care system, including former foster youth, biological parents, kinship caregivers, foster parents, and adoptive parents. Advisory Council members also represent the private sector, state government, the judiciary, non-profits, and other organizations committed to Ohio’s children services system. • Review data, trends, policies, challenges, and system improvement opportunities that will inform advocacy and decision-making to strengthen the entire continuum of care for children, families, and caregivers involved with the children services system. Members have committed to: • Advise the Office of Children Services Transformation and other Ohio Department of Job and Family Services officials on statewide issues related to children and families who are involved with the child protection and foster care system. In May 2020, the council plans to present its final recommendations to Governor DeWine. “I’m only fifteen years old, and I’ve seen and been exposed to more harmful actions in my life than most of you will ever go through, especially with people who are supposed to be looking out for my wellbeing. I lived in 14 homes before the age of five with my biological mom, and that was before I was in foster care.” • Promote a shared state and county vision for agency purpose and practice. Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report – Foster Youth 7 Statewide Foster Care Forums As part of its mission to elevate foster care priorities in Ohio, in fulfillment of Governor DeWine’s Executive Order 2019-04D, the offices of Children Services Transformation and Children’s Initiatives hosted 10 Community Foster Care Forums across the state. These regional forums enabled those who have been touched by the children services system to share their stories, including both successes and difficulties, in order to shed more light on local challenges. Over 400 people provided in-person public and written testimony. Forums were held in the following cities: • Athens • Columbus • Bowling Green • Lebanon • Canton • Medina • Cincinnati • Pataskala • Cleveland • Wapakoneta Foster Care Forum Locations – Northwest Region – Northern Region – Western Region – Central Region – Northeast Region – Southwest Region – Southeast Region Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report 8 Feedback from the Community Foster Care Forums and other outreach efforts confirmed the importance of ensuring a future in which all Ohio children have a safe and healthy place to live, with adults who love and support them. Many spoke of the importance of a sense of family, identity, support, connected communities, and shared responsibility. Many also spoke of the importance of enhanced partnerships and collaboration among children services workers, behavioral health providers, health care providers, education leaders, and other social service organizations that work with children, youth, and families. These convictions are shared by both the Children Services Transformation Team and Advisory Council and will be used to inform strategies identifying how Ohio can better support the well-being of children, youth, and families. Children deserve safe families and communities that prioritize their best interests and family of origin. Children and families should have access to a standard level of care regardless of where they live. Children should be raised in family-based settings and have a family to call their own before becoming an adult. Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report 9 Seven Core Action Areas1 System Involvement Prevention Workforce Issues As Frederick Douglass once said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men,” and that is why Governor DeWine has made prevention a priority. Preventing children from becoming involved in the children services system can have a positive lifelong impact. Many presenters expressed the need for the following: When children and families who are involved with the children services system have positive outcomes, that often is due to the strong commitment of a dedicated children services workforce. For many organizations, building a healthy and stable workforce has become a challenge. Many presenters expressed the need for the following: • The development of prevention strategies informed by child development and brain science. • The recruitment, hiring, training, support, and retention of committed, high-performing staff. • The elevation of prenatal-to-3 prevention and early intervention efforts. • Reduced caseload size to prevent caseworker burnout, high turnover, poor communication, poor collaboration, low morale, and compassion fatigue. • The creation of a multi-system youth service model that recognizes the need to have shared accountability with other child-serving systems in Ohio. 1 This section provides highlights of the core action areas. It is not an exhaustive illustration of the testimony received. Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report 10 • The creation of a standardized onboarding program. • Suitable compensation for staff, possibly including incentives for high performers. • The reduction of organizational red tape. • The creation of state-level support for county training, technical assistance, and guidance • Legal assistance, including a streamlined process for kinship caregivers to obtain legal custody. • Financial assistance, especially when kinship caregivers commit to the legal guardianship of children in their care. • Medical and food assistance. • Kin-specific training opportunities available regardless of custody status. • Statutorily required family finding. Casework Practice The testimony of many at the forums noted inconsistencies in values, beliefs, and practices statewide. Many presenters expressed the need for the following: • Transparency and accountability, with numerous attendees calling for a statewide ombudsman. • Specific practices to be developed, enhanced, and/or eliminated. • More consistent decision-making at the screening level. • Transparency and accountability, including more communication between kinship caregivers and county agencies and more opportunities for kinship caregivers to be heard and informed. “The kids in foster care need to be advocated for. Yes, the system is there to remove them from an unsafe environment, however, the focus only appears to be on remedying the home situation, rather than providing children with the best possible care, resources (especially for mental health) and stability with the least amount of trauma.” – Jennifer Veillette, Foster Parent & Research Education Specialist at Cleveland Clinic • Urgency and efficiency in the permanency process. • The elimination of Planned Permanent Living Arrangements for children in county agency custody. Foster Care • A formalized statewide child fatality review. When a decision is made for a county agency to take custody of a child, foster care should be a temporary resource. Along with the trauma children experience when they are removed, research shows that most children in foster care have experienced ongoing or complex trauma, which has significant, often lifelong, negative effects on brain development, relationshipbuilding, and physical and mental health. The forums were an opportunity to hear from those who have experienced the foster care system, and their feedback was profound. “The boys we had for 3 years were bonded in our home. A great aunt came forward after 3 years of foster care and agreed to care for them. Because she is family she was able to have the children placed with her even though she had refused to take them in the beginning of their foster journey and had had very little contact with them.” – Rebecca Dresbach, Foster Mom and Registered Nurse Kinship Care In Ohio, more than 16,000 children are in the custody of a children services agency. Approximately 27% of those children are in the home of a kinship caregiver. Research shows that children who live with kin have improved academic and life outcomes. Kinship arrangements minimize trauma, improve child well-being, improve behavioral and mental health outcomes, and promote sibling ties. As agencies increasingly depend on kinship care as a permanency option for children, many expressed the need for more support for kinship families. The following needs were noted: • Foster Youth Testimony • Youth rights should be formalized. • Youth have the right to be safe in any placement. • All youth should have access to independent living education and resources. • All youth should be provided with housing resources if they age out of care. • Normalcy standards should be strengthened. • More services and support should be offered. • Foster youth recognition and appreciation should be elevated. Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report 11 • Foster Parent Testimony • Foster parent rights should be formalized. • Foster parents need services and support. • The training and licensure process needs to be streamlined. • More diligent recruitment and retention need to be conducted. • Foster caregiver recognition and appreciation should be elevated. In addition, many expressed the need for the following: • Prioritizing the strong bonds children have with their foster caregivers when making placement decisions. • Giving kinship caregivers preference in placement decisions. • Not giving kinship caregivers preference in placement decisions. Justice System Ohio’s courts and children services agencies work collaboratively to make decisions associated with foster care. Many of the presenters had strong feelings about this process. The following recommendations were suggested: • Guardians ad Litem • Require transparency and accountability due to lack of engagement with families. • Court Hearings • Adhere to all timelines and ensure accountability if timelines are missed. • Require consistency related to interpretations of law. • Expand the use of Court-Appointed Special Advocates. • Adhering to reunification timelines. • More urgent and timely permanency goals. • Concurrent placement planning for every child. Adoption More than 3,000 Ohio children in foster care are waiting to be adopted, including more than 1,200 teenagers. Attendees suggested the following recommendations for improving adoption from foster care: “My adopted son has a sibling that entered care last year. Due to an unfortunate series of events, we were not notified that our son had a new sibling or that the sibling had entered foster care. We were contacted by the county when the sibling had been in care for 6 months and asked if we would like to adopt the sibling. Keeping siblings together is very important to us and we had made it very clear that we would be willing to adopt future siblings. We are now in a legal battle to adopt our son’s brother as the current foster parents are fighting to adopt the child as well.” – Rebecca Milewski, Foster/Adoptive Parent • Expand child-centered adoption recruitment efforts. • Strengthen the adoption subsidy negotiation process. • Expand access to adoption education and resources. • Streamline the foster-care-to-adoption process. • Establish a foster care and adoption registry in Ohio. “We’ve had a lot of ups and downs, a lot of wins and a lot of losses. Over the two years we’ve been foster parents, we’ve had teenagers, including the young woman I mentored, sibling groups, and emergency placements through holidays. Every child we’ve brought in our home was treated like they belonged, like our home was their home.” – Samantha Habusta, Foster Parent Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report 12 Conclusion Long-term system transformation efforts are important on the local, state, and federal levels. Ohio’s ongoing improvement efforts also include the following: • Family First Prevention Services Act implementation planning. • Tiered treatment foster care model development. • Statewide foster and adoptive parent recruitment efforts. • Strengthened continuum of care. These efforts and the work of the Advisory Council will continue to promote outcomes that: • Enhance children’s lives. • Support those caring for children. • Help caseworkers do their jobs efficiently and safely. This report is intended to provide a broad synopsis of initial feedback received through the outreach and engagement efforts of the Office of Children Services Transformation, the Office of Children’s Initiatives, and the Children Services Transformation Advisory Council. Next, from February through May, the Advisory Council will have working sessions and conduct outreach to primary parents for additional feedback. The council will then develop and issue recommendations to the Governor. With compassion, empathy, and urgency, we can make a difference in the lives of Ohio’s children and families. “I emancipated from foster care after turning 18 after being kicked out of my foster home shortly after my birthday. My experience both during and after foster care nearly set me up for failure. In Ohio we have different rules and policies sometimes based on each county. While in care I was made to feel like I was different rather than getting a chance at normalcy.” – Jeremy Collier, Foster Alumnus • Help communities support families and children. • Prevent child abuse and neglect. Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report 13 Appendix Foster Care Forum REGIONAL DATA Southeast Region (ATHENS) Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report 14 Western Region (AUGLAIZE) Central Region (LICKING) Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report 15 Northwest Region (WOOD) Northern Region (MEDINA) Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report 16 Southwest Region (WARREN) Northeast Region (STARK) Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report 17 Central Region (COLUMBUS) Southwest Region (CINCINNATI) Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report 18 Northern Region (CLEVELAND) Office of Children Services Transformation Initial Findings Report 19 .u .C Oth INITIATIVE CHILDREN SERVICES TRANSFORMATION OFFICE OF CHILDREN SERVICES TRANSFORMATION Initial Findings Report February 2020 JON HUSTED .. GOVERNOR OF OHIO LT. GOVERNOR OF OHIO