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Birth to Six Initiative: Improving Outcomes for Foster Children in their First Five Years

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2.07.2011

Outcomes

Outputs

Inputs

Long term

49+ months

Medium

25-48 months

Short term

12-24 months

Activities

Resources

COLLABORATION:

Convening of an Implementation Team of agency staff and stakeholders to build support and monitor progress for activities

Staff with expertise and leadership to implement the program at the local level.

• Child welfare agency

• First Five Commission

• Foster parents

• Kin providers

• Foster Family Agencies

• CASA

• Court

• Education

• Mental Health

• Public Health

• Community members

• Head Start

• Jail & prison personnel

• Child Abuse Prevention Council

• Probation

• Evaluation team

• Staff development and training partners

• Tribal partners

Assessment:

Selection and administration of a validated Screening and Child Development Questionnaire

Enhanced Assessments:

90% of children aged 0-6 in foster care will receive the enhanced assessment at designated points

Training:

90% of staff and

Designated partners will receive training in assessment, visitation, and the referral protocol and process for children 0-6

Referrals & Follow-up:

90% of children in foster care age 0-6 will receive appropriate referrals and services for their health, dental, education and mental health needs

Best Practice Visitation:

90% of children aged 0-6 in foster care will receive best practice visitation with appropriate family members/care providers

Increase in timely child and family permanency for children under 6:

Increase in reunification within 12 mos; Increase in adoptions within 24 mos; Increase in guardianships within 24 mos.

Developmental Needs Met:

All children who are placed in the foster care system at anytime during their first five years will have an improvement in their development needs being met.

Referral and Follow Up:

A referral protocol and process for health, education and mental health needs will be developed

Decrease in Re-entry:

Decrease of foster care re-entry after reunification for children entering care aged 0-6.

Fewer Children in Foster Care:

There will be a decrease in the number/rate of children in Foster Care

Training and Coaching:

Development and delivery of training curriculum focusing on special needs of children age 0-6; Coaching/TOL tools for supervisors to use

Decrease in Placement Moves:

Increased placement stability for children entering care before age 6.

Decrease in Length of Stay:

Decrease in the number/rate of children who spend the majority of their life in long-term Foster Care

Visitation:

Development and implementation of a best practice visitation model, with relevant policies and procedures

EVALUATION:

Development and implementation of an evaluation plan that assesses both implementation/process and outcomes.

Increase in Child Health and Well-Being:

Health; Dental; Education; Mental Health; Healthy and Secure Long-Term Attachments

Assumptions

Children who are placed in the foster care system at anytime during their "first five" years, have unique social, emotional, and developmental needs. All systems serving this age group should collaborate to form a partnership to look at and serve each child holistically. The “best practices” in this initiative are designed to make measureable improvements in the lives of young children, although there may not be a significant amount of evidence to this effect at this time. There will be a one-year preparation period before full implementation.

External Factors

The specific county will determine which activities and which participants will implement the Birth - 6 initiative. The program implementation will play a role in determining the specific outcomes that will be evaluated.

Funding

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