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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 2:53 am
Time: 2:53 am
Results for child welfare (georgia)
1 results foundAuthor: Applied Research Services, Inc. Title: The Georgia Cold Case Project Summary: The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 had three goals: prevent unnecessary foster care placements; reunify children with parents whenever possible; and bring about the expeditious adoption of children unable to return home. The aim was to produce positive outcomes for both children and families. Compliance with federal requirements is assessed by the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) conducted by the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Georgia’s first CFSR in 2001 indicated the state was not performing in conformity with federal requirements, thus it was required to develop a Program Improvement Plan (PIP) to address each area of concern and given two years to implement the plan. By 2006 the Children’s Bureau determined that Georgia failed to complete all PIP requirements successfully and assessed a $4.3 million penalty, with additional penalties each year until compliance. Despite areas of positive performance, Georgia failed its second CFSR which indicated a difficulty with establishing permanency in a timely manner for children with extended stays in foster care (referred to herein as “cold cases”). In response, the Supreme Court of Georgia Committee on Justice for Children dedicated Court Improvement Project funds to develop a method for improving permanency outcomes for long term foster care “cold cases.” This project is timely as Georgia strives to improve performance in this area and anticipates successful successful completion of the PIP by August 2010. Working in full partnership and support with the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) and the Georgia Office of the Child Advocate, the Committee implemented the Georgia Cold Case Project in 2009. The Georgia Cold Case Project (June 2010) describes the process of defining and identifying “cold” cases, the development of a program protocol, the analyses of 214 cold cases, and feedback from anonymous surveys of case managers and attorneys. Fifteen policy recommendations are presented to help Georgia better respond to the permanency needs of children in foster care. The study found that the typical cold case child was 14 years old and had been in care for six years (ranging from less than one year to 16 years). The vast majority (85%) had some type of identified disability. Nearly two thirds of the children (64%) lived in an institution or group home; one third lived in a family setting (foster family, foster relative, or pre-adoptive home). The group averaged nine placements per child; 25% of the children had a dozen or more placements. For 90% of the children there was more than one reason for DFCS involvement in their lives. Parental substance abuse was the most frequently observed primary reason, followed by child neglect. One third of the children (36%) had previously been removed from their home. One in three children came from a single female-headed home. While one in three was part of a sibling group that could be placed together, only 25 kids in our sample were in a placement with a sibling. The abuses suffered by the children of this study were overwhelming. They often involved the drug addiction or mental illness of parents. Nearly one in three (29%) children had been a victim of sexual assault, primarily by parents and family members. The negative effects of sexual abuse permeate into adulthood as traumatic sexualization can lead to hypersexual or sexual avoidance behaviors. The feelings of intense guilt can manifest as substance abuse, self-mutilation and suicidal gestures. Details: Atlanta, GA: Applied Research Services, Inc., 2010. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 26, 2011 at: http://w2.georgiacourts.org/cj4c/files/The%20Georgia%20Cold%20Case%20Project_2010(1).pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://w2.georgiacourts.org/cj4c/files/The%20Georgia%20Cold%20Case%20Project_2010(1).pdf Shelf Number: 122485 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild Welfare (Georgia)Foster Care |