HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 11191996 - C138 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IOC-04 _ Contra
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FROM: INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE o # s Costa
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DATE: November 4, 1996
SUBJECT: PLANNING DELAYS CHILDREN'S PERMANENT PLACEMENT
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION:
ACCEPT this report from the Internal Operations Committee regarding Report #9607
from the 1995-96 Grand Jury entitled "Planning Delays Children's Permanent
Placement."
BACKGROUND:
On June 6, 1996, the subject report was filed by the Grand Jury. On June 18; 1996,
the report was referred both to our Committee and the Family and Human Services
Committee. Our Committee was unable to hear the item on August 6, 1996,
because of the number of Grand Jury reports that had to be considered. The Family
and Human Services Committee heard the matter on August 12, 1996 and their
report was approved by the Board of Supervisors on August 13, 1996. On October
21, 1996, our Committee indicated that we wished to hear the matter on November
4, 1996.
On November 4, 1996, the Social Service Director,John Cullen,and Assistant Social
Service Director, Danna Fabella, responded to questions from our Committee
regarding various elements of the response to the Grand Jury report in order to
update our Committee on the current status of the activities which were of concern
to the Grand Jury.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S): 4_A67r:: M1QWnQ
ACTION OF BOARD ON_Nevengb.+.�96 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
ATTESTED November 19, 1996
Contact: IL TCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOAR F
cc: S ISORS AND COLIN ADMIN RATOR
County Administrator
Social Service Director
PUTY
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IOC-04
In regard to the CWS/CMS system, Mr. Cullen reported that all California counties
had their equipment installed this calendar year. It is in demonstration in Glenn
County and is going into demonstration in Santa Clara and Los Angeles counties.
The application system will be available to all counties starting in February or March
of 1997. It will take about six months before it is operational in all of the counties.
The office automation system for the CWS/CMS system is available and workers are
beginning to use it and practice with it.
In terms of training, all of the staff have been through the office automation piece of
the child welfare training. Last week, Training the Trainers started on the actual
application systems.
In regard to the professionally developed criteria for determining a child's eligibility
for permanent placement, Danna Fabella reported that the Department has work
groups, one of which is the Social Work-Attomey Committee. The County Counsel's
Office, Public Defender, private bar and the Department's staff serve on this
Committee. It reviews all of these documents. Six task groups are working on
various parts of the documents. These tasks have now been completed and it is
hoped that they can be implemented in January or February.
In regard to the training manual, Mr. Cullen noted that the training manual is being
developed as the training proceeds.
Mr. Cullen also outlined the various sources of State and Federal funding which
support*the child welfare programs and staff.
Mr. Cullen also reported that the permanency planning numbers have gone up over
the past year. In 1993-94, the Department freed 60 children for adoption. In 1994-
95, the Department freed 129 children for adoption. In 1995-96, the Department
freed 139 children for adoption. In terms of actual adoptive placements, 62 children
were placed in 1993-94, 110 were placed in 1994-95 and in 1995-96, 117 children
were placed for adoption.
Ken Hambrick from the Grand Jury noted their concern about the lack of deadlines
or where there are deadlines, they are allowed to slip too easily. In response, Ms.
Fabella noted that the Department is very close to its original deadlines. They were
originally set assuming nothing would come along to interfere with accomplishing the
tasks. Since then, there have been some interruptions, but the Department remains
pretty much on schedule.
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