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Officials credit Family First and cross-agency reforms for lower foster care caseloads
Summary
Commissioner Trimble attributed a multiyear decline in foster care to Family First prevention policies and a Lean Six Sigma initiative improving collaboration with behavioral health providers and Family Court; CPS and FAR counts were also reported for March.
Lacey Trimble reported child welfare figures for March: six Raise the Age arrests, 204 Child Protective Services traditional responses, 152 Family Assessment Responses (FAR), and 121 foster care cases. She told the committee that most children remain in their homes when FAR is used.
In response to a question from Michael Amo, Trimble credited the decline in foster care placements to the Family First legislation emphasizing prevention and to a long-running Lean Six Sigma project that improved communication among the Department of Social Services, Department of Mental Health, Family Court and behavioral health providers. She said those changes include monthly behavioral health reporting to child welfare units and better alignment of treatment goals with Family Court requirements.
