1. Expedited Family Reunification Project
Arizona Child Welfare Demonstration Project

2. Overview of Project Description of Project Project Outcomes
Program Components

3. Description of Project
Arizona’s project is designed to expedite reunification of children who are placed in out-of-home care through intensive in-home and aftercare services.

4. Description of Project
Target population are children who are:
in out-of-home placement for no more than 9 months;
in congregate care or licensed foster care settings;
for whom reunification is a case goal; and
for whom the juvenile court concurs with a case plan of expedited reunification

5. Description of Project
Located in Maricopa County Child Protective Services offices
Implementation in two phases
Phase 1 began in April 2006
Phase 2 began in January 2008

6. Project Outcomes
Reduce children’s length of stay in congregate and licensed foster care settings.
Decrease the likelihood of re-entry into out-of-home care.
Prevent the recurrence of child abuse and neglect.
Improve family-well being and functioning.

7. Program Components Child and Family Teams
Home Based Strategies and Interventions
Flexible Funding
Role of the child protection services worker and
waiver service provider

8. Child and Family Teams Provides strength based framework for
reunification
Team includes everyone involved in the
case
The team is responsible for all
assessment, planning, intervention
and aftercare phases of the reunification
process

9. Home Based Strategies and Interventions
Array of services provided based on
needs identified
Minimum of 6 hours per week of
face-to-face contact with clients
Intensive visitation between parent (s)
and children
One provider for all services, monitoring
and coordination

10. Flex Funding Flex funds are used to address needs such as:
Specialized services
Housing/Utilities assistance
Transportation
Job related expenses

11. Role of Workers Provider staff (Expedited Reunification Team)
Provider of all services to family
Lead in facilitating CFTs
Coordination of all services

12. Role of Workers CPS Worker Retains legal responsibility
Provide oversight of planning process
Not make independent decisions
Work with the Expedited Reunification Team

13. Evaluation Design

14. Phase I: April 2006 – July 2007

15. Primary Caregiver Characteristics
94% mothers
85% Caucasian
24% Hispanic or Latina/o
9% African American
2% American Indian
33.8 years of age (avg)
16 to 69 years of age (range)

16. Target Child Characteristics
55% males  45% females
86% Caucasian
28% Hispanic or Latina/o
13% African American
2% American Indian
7.2 years of age (avg)
1 to 17 years of age (range)

17. Safety Related Outcomes
Is there a reduction in the recurrence of child abuse and neglect?

18. Permanency Related Outcomes
Is the time in out-of-home placement reduced?

19. Reentry Into Out-of-Home Placement
Is there a reduction in subsequent out-of-home placements?

20. Child and Family Well-Being
Is there an increase in overall family well-being and functioning?

21. Summary and Accomplishments
Full implementation of project within nine months of waiver approval
Over 100 children from 88 eligible cases received waiver services
A higher percentage of waiver cases (43%) reunified than comparison cases (17%) for new cases July 1, 2006 and after
Improvements in selected child and family domains for existing waiver families

22. Lessons Learned
Develop strategies to better integrate waiver and substance abuse services
Explore strategies for continual training on waiver services and procedures
Develop increased management system support
Develop quality measures on key waiver service components
Provide monthly reports to implementation team on process, outcome, and cost indicators

23. For additional information:
Flora Sotomayor
IV-E Waiver Project Director
Division of Children, Youth & Families
Arizona Department of Economic Security
1789 W. Jefferson
Phoenix, AZ 85007
(602)