MALDI: Action Research Project

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MALDI Action Research Project

• Strength for the Journey
• A Closer look at the Recruitment Process for
  Families of Color
• Stephanie Willis, MSW
• Program Supervisor
• Connecticut Department of Children and Families
• Office of Foster Care Services
• December 1-3, 2008

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Mission

•  

The mission of the Department of Children and
Families is to protect children, improve child
and family well-being and support and preserve
families. These efforts are accomplished by
respecting and working within individual cultures
and communities in Connecticut, and in
partnership with others.
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Mandates of the Department

• Prevention
• Juvenile Justice
• Child Protection
• Behavioral Health

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About Connecticut Department of Children and
Families

• Connecticut has over 4,000 staff and serves over
  35,000 children annually.
• It has an annual budget of almost
• 1 billion.
• Our Bureau of Child Welfare has over 2,400
  employee with 14 area offices located throughout
  the state.

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Office of Foster Care Services

• Vision of OFCS
• No child without a permanent family and home.
• Well trained and motivated professionals
• Promote and support new and expanding
  initiatives.
• Community-based child welfare partnerships.

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Mission of OFCS

• The mission of OFCS is for the development and
  implementation of a comprehensive, effective and
  sustainable plan that provides for the diligent
  recruitment, training, support and retention of
  adoptive and foster families that will reflect
  the ethnic and racial diversity of children in
  care for whom permanent family resources are
  needed.

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Children in care

• Demographics of children and youth in
  Connecticuts child welfare system.

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Research Question
Would restructuring the current recruitment
process result in an increased number of foster
and adoptive homes for children of color?
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Rationale

• To identify which recruitment initiatives work
  best
• To increase the number of licensed homes for
  children of color

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Current Process

• Multiple staff conducted
• Open houses in the community
• Foster care inquiries
• Pre-screens
• Pre-licensing Training
• Home Assessment/License
• On-going Support

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Pilot Strategy

• Use the same staff member to
• Conduct open house event
• Conduct background check
• Facilitate pre-licensing training
• Complete the home assessment

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Pilot Strategy

• Data Collection
• Develop an inquiry log
• Develop contact procedures

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Pilot Summary Actions

• One staff member conducted
• Multiple open house events
• Over a 3 month period
• Engaged a total of 28 potential resources
  families

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Data Findings
TRAINING INQUIRIES
3
2
23
5
(5) TRAINED
(28) TOTAL INQUIRIES
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Data Findings
INQUIRIES THAT DID NOT MAKE IT TO TRAINING (23)
3
2
23
5
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Emerging Themes

• Background checks are just one part of the
  problem
• Private agencies offer better perks
• Private/medically complex programs offer more
  perks
• There is a significant need to explore why
  families opt out

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Struggles

• Identifying staff to participate
• Training staff on a new area of function
• Training staff on data entry

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Challenges

• Changes in work location
• Changes in management support
• Changes in access to ongoing data collection

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Next Steps

• Adjust pilot strategy
• Revisit services by one/same staff model
• Continue to use the inquiry log
• Offer support to families prior to pre-licensing
  training
• Train staff on how to engage families
• Track specific data as to why families opt out

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Reflections

• Data collection is paramount
• Analyzing the data is necessary when developing
  strategies
• Stability is necessary when implementing a new
  initiative
• Management support is key

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Reflections

• As a new manger, the MALDI experience has helped
  to guide my work.