COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Human Services Agency

DATE:

December 29, 2003

BOARD MEETING DATE:

January 27, 2004

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Maureen Borland, Director, Human Services Agency

Stuart Oppenheim, Director, Children and Family Services

SUBJECT:

Child Welfare Services Redesign Implementation Plan Part 1

Recommendation

Adopt a Resolution authorizing approval of the County of San Mateo Child Welfare Services (CWS) Redesign Implementation Plan, Part 1.

Background

The Governor's Office and California Legislature established the Child Welfare Services Stakeholders Group in 2000. Convened by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), the CWS Stakeholders Group was charged to (1) examine the current reality of child welfare services in California, (2) build on effective child welfare practices inside the state and elsewhere and (3) recommend comprehensive, integrated system changes to improve outcomes for children and families. This three year effort culminated in a report that presents a long-term strategic plan to bring the new vision of child welfare services to counties. The plan contains an integrated set of policy shifts; practice improvements; alignment of partners, systems and communities; and new accountability structures to make certain the promise of a safe and stable home is realized for all children. The plan is being implemented by the state Office of Redesign Implementation. The Human Services Agency Director was a member of the Statewide Stakeholders Group, and she and the Northern Regional Director provided technical assistance and support to the planning efforts that resulted in the final implementation recommendations.

In July 2003, the County of San Mateo Human Services Agency, Children and Family Services Division, was awarded funding by CDSS to launch a community-wide planning effort to begin addressing the policy mandates contained in the state strategic plan. A culmination of that effort was the submission to CDSS of a comprehensive Readiness Matrix that outlined our county's strengths in areas that would be critical to the implementation of Redesign at the local level. CDSS reviewed that Matrix in the context of a number of factors, such as community partnerships, engagement in state-level planning activities, and innovative fiscal practices, in order to determine whether San Mateo County should be in the vanguard of implementation of the Redesign. In October, 2003, based on their assessment of the Readiness Matrix and evaluation of the other factors, CDSS identified 5 counties to join a first cohort for implementation of the Redesign and San Mateo County was selected as a member of that cohort. Since that time two other counties, in addition to a consortium of four small counties, have joined that cohort to work with us and CDSS to create the environment in which to best bring to fruition the principles embedded in the Redesign strategic plan.

Discussion

Counties participating in Cohort 1 will phase-in implementation of the CWS Redesign over a four and half year period and will incorporate the nine key objectives of the CWS Redesign outlined in the state strategic plan into local plans that must be submitted to the state Office of Redesign Implementation. An Advanced Planning Workgroup, consisting of Cohort 1 Counties and CDSS staff from the state Office of Redesign Implementation, have agreed to organize implementation planning activities in to two distinct time periods.

The first period, January 1, 2004 through June 30, 2004 will address activities reflected in Part I of County Plan Guidelines prepared by the state. The Part 1 Plan is due to CDSS, Office of Redesign Implementation no later than December 29, 2003, and is attached hereto for review, approval and adoption.

The second period, July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2008 will address activities reflected in Part II of the County Plan Guidelines prepared by the state and will provide a format for Counties to describe a more detailed description of County activities. The Part II Plan will be due to CDSS, Office of Redesign Implementation no later than June 1, 2004, and will be submitted for Board review, approval and adoption at that time.

We believe that this phased implementation of the Redesign will build upon the efforts of Child Welfare Reform that we initiated in adopting the Family to Family program three years ago, which in turn built upon the Human Service Agency's strategic initiatives to promote integrated, community based prevention and early intervention efforts throughout San Mateo County.

Vision Alignment

The CWS Redesign Implementation Plan Part 1 keeps the commitment of: Ensure basic health and safety for all and goal number 6: Children grow up healthy in safe and supportive homes and neighborhoods. The plan contributes to this commitment and goal as state mandated CWS Redesign is intended to counter the trend of child abuse reports that have grown increasingly complex and have challenged the current systems' capacity to respond effectively. The goal of the CWS redesign is to create systems that will achieve federal and state mandated outcomes for child safety, permanency and child/family well-being.

Fiscal Impact

The county has received an allocation of $300,000 to fund activities related to the planning period of January 1 to June 30, 2004. This allocation, which does not require a county match, will be sufficient to accomplish the planning activities we are required to perform under Part I of the County Plan Guidelines.

For FY 2004-05, we are scheduled to receive an allocation of $600,000 for implementation activities. For FYs 2005-08, we are scheduled to receive each year an allocation of $650,000. As with our Part I planning allocation, these funds will not require a county match.

The full cost impact of CWS redesign implementation cannot be calculated prior to the completion of our Part I planning phase. However, we have already indicated to CDSS that any implementation of our CWS redesign plan, either fully or in part, will be dependent upon the availability of sufficient federal and state funding.