1 DHS Board Meeting Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program Overview Mark Washington Division of Family and Children Services August 18, 2010

2 Program Overview Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program (PSSF)  Provides federal grant funding for direct services, training and technical assistance to help build state and community capacity to meet the needs of children and families.  Targets four types of families touched by the child welfare system: Families at-risk and in need of support Families in crisis where efforts are being made to preserve the family through intensive services Families where a child has been placed in foster care and the best interest of the child is to be reunified Families in need of adoption or post permanency services.

3 Program Objectives In alignment with the DFCS mission of achieving safe and thriving children living in forever families sooner: Safety  Prevent abuse and neglect through supportive family services.  Prevent the unnecessary separation of children from their families through intensive preservation services. Permanency  Minimize the length of time children remain in foster care through safe and expedient reunification.  Promote permanent placements and support life-long family connections for children and youth through adoption promotion and post permanency support services..

4 Statewide Provider Network Geographic Accessibility  PSSF supports an array of direct services through a private provider network  Serves children and families across the continuum of Child Protective Services, Foster Care and Adoptions in all 159 counties.  The following services are accessible in various regions across Georgia: Family Support Family Preservation Family Reunification Adoption Promotion  Additional Post Adoption Services are available statewide

5 Program Achievements Ongoing data collection and outcome evaluation have shown: Families Served  18,273 families were served in fiscal year  10,834 families and 19,199 children have been served in the current federal fiscal year (through July 31, 2010) Improved Outcomes for Families  Family Support - 80% of families served had no substantiated incident of maltreatment  Family Preservation - 94% of families served had no repeat substantiated maltreatment  Time Limited Reunification - 87% of children served were discharged from care to a permanent, loving family Average months in care prior to reunification: 13 months Foster Care re-entry rate of children served: 2.1%

6 Questions?