Mishi Dodson

 The Foster Care Review Board is established by Arizona statute to review at least every six months the case of each child in foster care. The purpose of these reviews is to determine and advise the juvenile court of the adequacy of efforts and progress toward placement of the child in a permanent home; to encourage and facilitate the return of each dependent child to his/her family whenever possible; to promote and encourage stability in the child's placement; to assist in informing parents and others of their rights and responsibilities regarding a dependent child in foster care; and through the State Board, to make recommendations to the Supreme Court, the Governor, and the legislature regarding foster care.

 Our focal population are the children and their families in Maricopa County. ◦ Arizona Foster Care Review Board as a whole serves the entire state of Arizona.  Demographics (in Maricopa County): ◦ Angelo American32.6% ◦ Latino American27.7% ◦ African American12.7% ◦ Native American4.8% ◦ Asian/Pacific Islander0.5% ◦ Other 21.7%

 Each board is required by law to give each case an independent review to make sure the four keys areas are being addressed: ◦ Safety ◦ Case Plan Compliance ◦ Progress toward mitigating the need for foster care ◦ An appropriate target date for returning to parents, adoption, or legal guardianship

 Program Specialists are required to have a MSW or higher.  Administrative Assistants don’t have any social work requirements. ◦ 12 Program Specialists ◦ 5 Administrative Assistants ◦ 2 Supervisors ◦ 1 Director ◦ 2 Interns

Director Program Specialists Admin. Assistants Interns Volunteers Supervisors

 The FCRB is a non-profit organization and receives its funding through the state  Board Members are all volunteers that are appointed to three year terms

 Zero tolerance policy on sexual or any other harassment  Duty to report ◦ Couldn’t find anything called “whistle-blowers” but in the policies given to us at beginning of time with FCRB, EVERYONE has the duty to report misconduct. ◦ Confidentiality is in place, unless the identity of reporter is needed.

 Strict non-discrimination policies stating that there is a zero tolerance for any discrimination toward anyone.  The FCRB is accessible to persons with disabilities with the ramp and elevators so walking up the stairs is not an issue.

 Overall, very fun loving group of people who are there because they are there to help people and for nothing else.  Very accepting of anyone who has the same purpose of helping others.

 FCRB collects data from a few sources: ◦ CPS ◦ Court Minutes ◦ Statements from Interested Parties  Case Managers  Parents/Relatives  Attorneys  CASAs  Everything is kept under locked doors and also to enter into the FCRB, you need an ID to unlock the doors.

 Quality of progress made, rather than quantity  Board Members have a booklet of findings that the members work from based on the information presented to them ◦ Needs being met:  Education  Medical/Dental  Appropriate Placement  Case Plan Goals

 The FCRB is in place for the child and the family until permanency is reached, (returned home, adoption, or aging out.)  The FCRB is the open communication line between the courts, CPS and the families. ◦ Anything the families or interested parties want to be said for the case, we are the sound board for them.

 One way change has been enacted at my agency is that I brought the situation of the file room to our supervisors attention and the following week, the file room was reorganized.  Due to the amount of kids coming into foster care, the FCRB has to continue creating more boards to handle more cases.

 I would change the age that the youth are allowed to enter into the independent living training while in foster care. ◦ Current age is 17 ½ ◦ I would change to at least 16, but ideal age would be 14 or 15 so the youth have at least part of the life training that children who are not in foster care have.