Kenny A vs State

1
Kenny A vs State

• Principles
• Georgias Child Welfare System must actively
  promote the opportunity for children to grow up
  with in a family.
• Family contacts should be maintained if non
  destructive.
• Foster Care should be temporary.
• The State is the primarily responsible for foster
  care and private providers should be strictly
  monitored.
• All children should receive the best of care.
• Children should be in the least restrictive, most
  family like setting as possible. Non family-like
  settings should be avoided.
• Foster children should get the services they need
  for stable placements.
• The Commissioner of DHR is the person in charge
  of child welfare.

2
Kenny A vs State

• A Presentation
• by
• The Georgia Association of Homes and Services for
  Children
• July 13, 2005
• Summary and Analysis

3
Planning

• Child will have an CCFA within 24 hours after the
  72 hour hearing.
• A Family Team Meeting will be held in 3-9 days.
• Within 25 days of placement, a Multidisciplinary
  Team will evaluate recommendations from FTM
• Within 30 days, a case plan will be delievered to
  Juvenile Court Judge.
• Permanency Reports will be made after 13 months
  in care.
• After 18 months in care, child will be assigned a
  Specialized Case Manager.

4
Placement

• DFCS will conduct a needs assessment for Fulton
  and Dekalb Counties.
• Secured through a RFP Process
• Expert to evaluation what services are needed.

5
Reimbursement Rates

• Effective July 1, 2005 all foster parents (public
  and private) will be reimbursed at the following
  rates
• Ages 0-6 13.78
• Ages 7-12 15.50
• Ages 13 or older 17.75

6
Reimbursement Rate Taskforce

• Establishment of a Taskforce to establish a rate
  structure to establish meaurable outcomes for
  foster children.
• To make recommendations about Level of Care
  (revisions or replacement).
• Consider various pilots in the State.
• Move toward Performance Based Contracting.
• Members James L. Kunz, Howard A. Peters III and
  Becky Butler.
• Recommendations in 120 days of signing.

7
Most Appropriate Placements

• Assessments in 30 days or less.
• Counties will have placement process in place.
• Placed according to assessed needs.
• Within 50 miles of their home.
• No child in an emergency or temporary placement
  for more than 30 days.
• Siblings placed together when possible.
• No child in a foster home with more than 3 foster
  children or 6 children total.

8
Fairness Hearing

• The deadline for submitting written comments on
  and objections to the proposed settlement
  agreement is Thursday, September 1, 2005. Parties
  and other interested persons or groups may write
  to the Court at the following address
• Luther P. Thomas, Clerk
• United States District Court for the Northern
  District of Georgia
• Richard B. Russell Federal Building and
  Courthouse
• 75 Spring Street SW
• Atlanta, GA 30303
• Persons who wish to speak at the fairness hearing
  must file their request with the Clerk of the
  Court by September 9, 2005 and indicate briefly
  whether they wish to provide a comment or an
  objection, and briefly state the nature of the
  comment or objection.

9
Group Care Restrictions

• Capacity is measured by total number of children
  on a campus.
• No child under six.
• No child age 6 to 12 without written approval of
  State Social Services Director.
• No child age 6 12 on a campus with more than 12
  children.
• Clothing needs is responsibility of DHR.

10
Health Screenings

• Physical Health
• Denatl health
• Mental Health
• EPSDT/Georgia Health Check Program

11
Single SACWIS

• Fully implemented with a plan by December 31,
  2005.

12
Caseloads

• In one year
• CPS case manager 12 cases
• Ongoing Case manager 17 cases
• Placement case manager 15 cases
• Adoption case manager 16 cases
• Case Manager Supervisor 5 case managers

13
Supervision of Contract Agencies

• No corporal punishment allowed.
• Agencies required to report data every 6 months.
• Yearly licensing reviews.
• Review of 5 of agencies foster homes or 10 homes
  whatever is greater.

14
Child Placing Agencies

• All foster parents have same standards.

15
Outcome Measures

• 95 of CPS investigations commensed in 24 hours.
• 95 of CPS investigations completed in 30 days.
• 99 of CPS investigations will have face to face
  with victim.
• No more than 8.6 of foster children will reenter
  care.
• No more than .57 of foster children will be a
  victim of abuse.
• 98 of foster homes will be non corporal
  punishment.

16
Outcome Measures

• 95 of foster children will have diligent search
  for relatives
• Permanency by adoption, reunification, kinship
  care or permanent guardianship
• No more than 5 adoption disruptions.
• 80 placed with siblings
• 95 have less than 2 moves.
• 90 placed within 50 miles of home.

17
More Measures

• Graduation rates increased.
• 98 of foster homes approved fully.

18
Accountability

• Accountability Agents
• James T. Dimas
• Sarah Morrison

19
Fairness Hearing

• Dates for Kenny A v. Perdue comment period and
  fairness hearing
• The fairness hearing for Wednesday, September 21,
  2005 at 130pm. At the fairness hearing Judge
  Shoob will determine whether the proposed
  settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate,
  according to the Federal Rules of Civil
  Procedure, and if it is, the final Consent Decree
  can be approved. Judge Shoobs courtroom is on
  the 17 th floor of the Richard B. Russell Federal
  Building located at 70 Spring St. SW 30303.

20
Settlement Briefingby B.J. Walker and Ira
Lustbader

• Sponsored by Voices for Georgias Children
• Georgia PBS 14th Street, Atlanta
• July 26 at 1000 a.m.
• RSVP Parker Lee
• [phone] or
• gvadmin_at_georgiavoices.org