What Does Economics Tell Us about Early Childhood Policy? By the Rand Corporation. Research Brief. (Rand, Santa Monica, California) 2008 5 p.
["An increasing chorus of Fortune 500 CEOs, Federal Reserve Bank analysts, Nobel Prize-winning economists, and other business and economic leaders have led the call to increase public "investments" in early childhood. This call is driven by research findings that increasingly emphasize the importance of laying a strong foundation in early childhood and that show that a range of early interventions can successfully put children on the path toward positive development, preventing poor outcomes in adulthood. These findings-along with increasing recognition in the public-health and social-service sectors that providing program services in early childhood has benefits over treatment later in life-have contributed to the evolution of economists' support for early childhood investments. To help decision makers in the public and private sectors, service providers, and the public more generally, RAND researchers drew on their decades-long expertise in applying economics to early childhood issues to demonstrate how two economic concepts-human capital theory and monetary payoffs-contribute to a unifying framework that provides evidence-based guidance for early childhood policy. These concepts are summarized in this research brief."]
Full text at: http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/2008/RAND_RB9352.pdf
Friday, June 13, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
No Workshops on June 27, 2008
Please note that the 3rd scheduled set of workshops for the Fresno Birth to Six Initiative planned for Friday June 27th, has been canceled.
Please keep an eye out for updates to follow.
Please keep an eye out for updates to follow.
June 6, 2008 Work Group Notes
GROUP 1 – IMPROVED COORDINATION
Agenda -
Introduction/Recap
Refine Issues
-Assessment
-Agency Changes
-Underused Resources
-Barriers/Solutions
Next Steps
Blog Address – http://www.fresnobirthto6.blogspot.com/
A. Assessment
1. Medical
2. Children’s Advocacy Center - expansion in future
3. First 5/DCFS new position to facilitate screenings – should address this
4. Stuart Foundation educational liaison
5. Ensure continuity of medical care
6. Individualized development plan
B. How should department be organized to meet unique developmental needs.
1. Options
a. All have basic knowledge
b. Dedicated “baby” unit knows a lot
c. Hybrid with key people with knowledge who can be consulted
2. Department looking at specialized group that would stay with kids
a. But all staff need training
C. Available but Under-used Resources
1. Head Start – Foster kids not automatically referred
a. Head Start only half day – a few full day
b. Hard for foster parents with many different appointments
c. Consolidate services
d. Put foster kids at top of list
2. Subsidized child care
a. Designated contact person to help foster parent/DCFS with apps.
b. Should this be part of individual service plan?
c. In addition to individual service plan, need a comprehensive plan for family because changes to kid’s plan can affect siblings or other kids in foster home.
D. Needed Resources
1. Occupational therapy/speech therapy
2. Minimal OT in Central Valley
3. Sensory integration – funding problem
4. CSU Fresno family treatment center offers play therapy and other programs may be underutilized
5. Speech clinic at CSUF
6. Funding questions – EPSTD/Medi-Cal
7. Where are services/how to pay for them?
a. No private providers take Medi-Cal
8. Backlog at IMH because all kids 0-5 are being referred
E. Barriers
1. Specialty clinic
2. Need training for medical providers
3. UCSF – Dr. Scofeld, Children’s Hospital
4. Continuity of medical care providers
a. Difficult for foster parents to find MDs who take Medi-Cal
b. Foster kids go to M.D. that they pick so if placement changes, M.D. changes
c. 10% cut to reimbursements in Medi-Cal.
5. Fresno First 5 to do resource guide like Kern County – on web?
6. People need to request developmental wheels/checklist from Mamie, myee@ylc.org
7. Transportation to medical appointments problem for foster parents
a. CBS to research if this is a service covered by Medi-Cal (ask Alice)
F. Resource
1. DCFS to hire retired foster parent who has experience with medical fragile kids to mentor/work with current foster parents with medically fragile kids.
GROUP 2 – TEAMWORK AGENDA
Agenda -
Introductions and review
Finish last month - MH/CW
Refine key issues
-Foster parent/Bio parent teaming
-Techniques to improve relationships
-Challenges and solutions
-Improving agency teamwork
-Courts/attorneys
Next steps
A. Issues in Mental Health/Child Welfare teamwork
1. Communications gap
2. May be working at cross purposes - Example, clinician focused on reunification but DCFS moving to terminate
3. Suggestions – involve Mental Health in case plan meetings/FR panels before any big decisions made, esp. before going to court
4. Solicit clinician input before making big decisions
5. Social worker may not know who the clinician is and/or vice versa.
6. No forum for sharing info.
7. Mental Health needs training on how Child Welfare legal framework works. Role clarification.
B. Foster Parent-Bio Parent Team
1. Should this be an expectation?
2. Foster parents getting different messages from different FFAs
3. Need ongoing support because it’s not enough to just say it at training.
4. One stop resource center for bio parents – they need a “life coach” but is asking too much to make foster parent do it.
5. Help foster parent/bio parent relationship – foster parent felt she was helping behind the scenes
6. Parent Partners – parents who have successfully reunified as role model/mentor to bio parents in the system
7. Foster parent can be “parent coach” but not the “life coach”
8. Kin caregivers not getting support
9. Have foster parent know what resources to point a bio parent to
10. Expectation of on-going relationship between foster parent and bio parent
a. Counseling/support for foster parent post reunification over loss
C. Foster Parents/Court/Attorneys
1. Foster parents don’t always know they have a right to go to court or write a letter to judge with facts.
2. LAPP handbook on role of FP in court process
3. Some foster parents are taught that long term foster care is okay and shouldn’t adopt (especially kin)
4. Public health nurses
5. Role of social workers – training issues
GROUP THREE – TRAINING AND SUPPORT
Agenda -
Intros/Recap
Review Key Issues
Current trainings and needs
-Courts/CASA/Attorneys
-Law Enforcement
-Foster Parents
-Social Workers
Next Steps
A. Who needs training?
1. Admin
2. Managers/CWs
3. Foster parents and Kin caregivers
4. Court/CASA/Attorneys
5. Law enforcement
6. Mental health
7. Medical personnel
B. Foster Parent Training – Core Elements
1. Pool resources of all the training agencies to focus on this population of kids.
2. Continuum of training – not just classroom
3. Before & ongoing
4. Sue Shaw surveys foster parents each year on what they need
5. Foster parents need training as issues arise
6. Problem – State licensing only counts training hours with teachers
7. Technology to assist foster parents
a. Videos, e-learning
b. Chat rooms for foster parents, etc., post questions to others
8. Foster Parent mentor to work with new foster parents with babies/toddlers
9. Identify/assess what subject areas should be in person versus video, frequency needs.
10. There should be a special certification for infant/toddler care.
11. Ongoing in service
12. Need training on the special needs of kids in care (ex. Drug exposed, trauma exposed, abused)
13. DCFS needs to work on subsets of special populations of kids
14. Training on how to work with bio parents
15. Training on how to discipline trauma exposed youth
C. Social Worker Training
1. Basic developmental information for all social workers
a. Transfer learning from class to practice
2. Bring back specialized unit
3. Role of team in working with bio parent
4. Considerations in removing very young children from home (wallet care from Detroit)
5. How much inter-disciplinary training?
6. Includes foster parents in case staffing.
7. Training much track with policy change
8. Cumulative affect of trauma of job on social workers – compassion fatigue
9. Debriefing between supervisor and social worker
Agenda -
Introduction/Recap
Refine Issues
-Assessment
-Agency Changes
-Underused Resources
-Barriers/Solutions
Next Steps
Blog Address – http://www.fresnobirthto6.blogspot.com/
A. Assessment
1. Medical
2. Children’s Advocacy Center - expansion in future
3. First 5/DCFS new position to facilitate screenings – should address this
4. Stuart Foundation educational liaison
5. Ensure continuity of medical care
6. Individualized development plan
B. How should department be organized to meet unique developmental needs.
1. Options
a. All have basic knowledge
b. Dedicated “baby” unit knows a lot
c. Hybrid with key people with knowledge who can be consulted
2. Department looking at specialized group that would stay with kids
a. But all staff need training
C. Available but Under-used Resources
1. Head Start – Foster kids not automatically referred
a. Head Start only half day – a few full day
b. Hard for foster parents with many different appointments
c. Consolidate services
d. Put foster kids at top of list
2. Subsidized child care
a. Designated contact person to help foster parent/DCFS with apps.
b. Should this be part of individual service plan?
c. In addition to individual service plan, need a comprehensive plan for family because changes to kid’s plan can affect siblings or other kids in foster home.
D. Needed Resources
1. Occupational therapy/speech therapy
2. Minimal OT in Central Valley
3. Sensory integration – funding problem
4. CSU Fresno family treatment center offers play therapy and other programs may be underutilized
5. Speech clinic at CSUF
6. Funding questions – EPSTD/Medi-Cal
7. Where are services/how to pay for them?
a. No private providers take Medi-Cal
8. Backlog at IMH because all kids 0-5 are being referred
E. Barriers
1. Specialty clinic
2. Need training for medical providers
3. UCSF – Dr. Scofeld, Children’s Hospital
4. Continuity of medical care providers
a. Difficult for foster parents to find MDs who take Medi-Cal
b. Foster kids go to M.D. that they pick so if placement changes, M.D. changes
c. 10% cut to reimbursements in Medi-Cal.
5. Fresno First 5 to do resource guide like Kern County – on web?
6. People need to request developmental wheels/checklist from Mamie, myee@ylc.org
7. Transportation to medical appointments problem for foster parents
a. CBS to research if this is a service covered by Medi-Cal (ask Alice)
F. Resource
1. DCFS to hire retired foster parent who has experience with medical fragile kids to mentor/work with current foster parents with medically fragile kids.
GROUP 2 – TEAMWORK AGENDA
Agenda -
Introductions and review
Finish last month - MH/CW
Refine key issues
-Foster parent/Bio parent teaming
-Techniques to improve relationships
-Challenges and solutions
-Improving agency teamwork
-Courts/attorneys
Next steps
A. Issues in Mental Health/Child Welfare teamwork
1. Communications gap
2. May be working at cross purposes - Example, clinician focused on reunification but DCFS moving to terminate
3. Suggestions – involve Mental Health in case plan meetings/FR panels before any big decisions made, esp. before going to court
4. Solicit clinician input before making big decisions
5. Social worker may not know who the clinician is and/or vice versa.
6. No forum for sharing info.
7. Mental Health needs training on how Child Welfare legal framework works. Role clarification.
B. Foster Parent-Bio Parent Team
1. Should this be an expectation?
2. Foster parents getting different messages from different FFAs
3. Need ongoing support because it’s not enough to just say it at training.
4. One stop resource center for bio parents – they need a “life coach” but is asking too much to make foster parent do it.
5. Help foster parent/bio parent relationship – foster parent felt she was helping behind the scenes
6. Parent Partners – parents who have successfully reunified as role model/mentor to bio parents in the system
7. Foster parent can be “parent coach” but not the “life coach”
8. Kin caregivers not getting support
9. Have foster parent know what resources to point a bio parent to
10. Expectation of on-going relationship between foster parent and bio parent
a. Counseling/support for foster parent post reunification over loss
C. Foster Parents/Court/Attorneys
1. Foster parents don’t always know they have a right to go to court or write a letter to judge with facts.
2. LAPP handbook on role of FP in court process
3. Some foster parents are taught that long term foster care is okay and shouldn’t adopt (especially kin)
4. Public health nurses
5. Role of social workers – training issues
GROUP THREE – TRAINING AND SUPPORT
Agenda -
Intros/Recap
Review Key Issues
Current trainings and needs
-Courts/CASA/Attorneys
-Law Enforcement
-Foster Parents
-Social Workers
Next Steps
A. Who needs training?
1. Admin
2. Managers/CWs
3. Foster parents and Kin caregivers
4. Court/CASA/Attorneys
5. Law enforcement
6. Mental health
7. Medical personnel
B. Foster Parent Training – Core Elements
1. Pool resources of all the training agencies to focus on this population of kids.
2. Continuum of training – not just classroom
3. Before & ongoing
4. Sue Shaw surveys foster parents each year on what they need
5. Foster parents need training as issues arise
6. Problem – State licensing only counts training hours with teachers
7. Technology to assist foster parents
a. Videos, e-learning
b. Chat rooms for foster parents, etc., post questions to others
8. Foster Parent mentor to work with new foster parents with babies/toddlers
9. Identify/assess what subject areas should be in person versus video, frequency needs.
10. There should be a special certification for infant/toddler care.
11. Ongoing in service
12. Need training on the special needs of kids in care (ex. Drug exposed, trauma exposed, abused)
13. DCFS needs to work on subsets of special populations of kids
14. Training on how to work with bio parents
15. Training on how to discipline trauma exposed youth
C. Social Worker Training
1. Basic developmental information for all social workers
a. Transfer learning from class to practice
2. Bring back specialized unit
3. Role of team in working with bio parent
4. Considerations in removing very young children from home (wallet care from Detroit)
5. How much inter-disciplinary training?
6. Includes foster parents in case staffing.
7. Training much track with policy change
8. Cumulative affect of trauma of job on social workers – compassion fatigue
9. Debriefing between supervisor and social worker
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Dates, Locations and Times for Work Groups
June 6, 2008 Work Groups will meet at the Woodward Park Regional Library, 944 E. Perrin Avenue.
Work Group 1 - 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Work Group 2 - 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Work Group 3 - 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
June 27, 2008 Work Groups will meet at the Fresno Unified Civic Center, 1833 E. Street.
Work Group 1 - 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Work Group 2 - 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Work Group 3 - 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Work Group 1 - 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Work Group 2 - 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Work Group 3 - 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
June 27, 2008 Work Groups will meet at the Fresno Unified Civic Center, 1833 E. Street.
Work Group 1 - 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Work Group 2 - 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Work Group 3 - 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
April 25, 2008 Work Group 3 Notes
Current Training and Needs
Concrete needs assessment for training
Training at different levels
- administration
- individuals
- foster parents
- biological parent
Mentoring programs for social workers, foster parents
Need link between department, foster parents, association and service providers (website) that is maintained and updated
Courts
- “baby courts” – IMH
- Training for judges, others on how decision making affects kids
Foster Parents
Therapeutic foster homes – interventions (Delaware training)
E.P.U. training matrix
Training for foster parents based on the needs of kids they’re caring for
Interagency support
- inform foster parents about resource in community
Specific training on how behaviors of abused/neglected kids are different from other kids
FFA v. county foster homes –all trainings must cover these issues
- same type of training
- same opportunity for training
Infant/toddler training and certification for foster parents
In-home services/training delivery
Teen foster youth with babies – training of foster parents of teens on how to care for baby together. SB 500 – targeted.
Social Workers
Basic information for young staff
- developmental information – pre-service
- baseline knowledge of normal stages for assessment
- how to remove kids
Training that is related to changes in how work is done
On-site technical assistance, follow-up on training so that it becomes applied to actual practice
Relevant, hands-on
Embedded as part of policy change
Infant-toddler treatment team – weekly inter-departmental meeting – staffing a couple of cases per week
Incorporate perspective of clients
Include foster parent trainers in case worker training
Foster parent trainings are open but not many social workers ever come
Specialized units for more in depth training
- liaison like R.C. liaison
- other specialists – early intervention
Turnover of social worker staff is an obstacle
Everyone needs basic understanding of development despite turnover
Embed training in supervision
- tools
- reflective supervision
- mentoring, one on one
Focus on kid as a child, not case
Social workers need a nurturing environment in order to nurture children and families
Side Issues
Needs more CASAs
Shortage of mental health services
Problem: as kid improves, s/he is moved out of specialized home
Concrete needs assessment for training
Training at different levels
- administration
- individuals
- foster parents
- biological parent
Mentoring programs for social workers, foster parents
Need link between department, foster parents, association and service providers (website) that is maintained and updated
Courts
- “baby courts” – IMH
- Training for judges, others on how decision making affects kids
Foster Parents
Therapeutic foster homes – interventions (Delaware training)
E.P.U. training matrix
Training for foster parents based on the needs of kids they’re caring for
Interagency support
- inform foster parents about resource in community
Specific training on how behaviors of abused/neglected kids are different from other kids
FFA v. county foster homes –all trainings must cover these issues
- same type of training
- same opportunity for training
Infant/toddler training and certification for foster parents
In-home services/training delivery
Teen foster youth with babies – training of foster parents of teens on how to care for baby together. SB 500 – targeted.
Social Workers
Basic information for young staff
- developmental information – pre-service
- baseline knowledge of normal stages for assessment
- how to remove kids
Training that is related to changes in how work is done
On-site technical assistance, follow-up on training so that it becomes applied to actual practice
Relevant, hands-on
Embedded as part of policy change
Infant-toddler treatment team – weekly inter-departmental meeting – staffing a couple of cases per week
Incorporate perspective of clients
Include foster parent trainers in case worker training
Foster parent trainings are open but not many social workers ever come
Specialized units for more in depth training
- liaison like R.C. liaison
- other specialists – early intervention
Turnover of social worker staff is an obstacle
Everyone needs basic understanding of development despite turnover
Embed training in supervision
- tools
- reflective supervision
- mentoring, one on one
Focus on kid as a child, not case
Social workers need a nurturing environment in order to nurture children and families
Side Issues
Needs more CASAs
Shortage of mental health services
Problem: as kid improves, s/he is moved out of specialized home
April 25, 2008 Work Group 2 Notes
Improving Foster Parent/Bio Parent Teaming
Informal icebreakers between foster and birth parents focused on child
- not required, should be?
PRIDE training – “new school” foster parents
Team meetings: now only occur when there’s a crisis
Have a foster parent more as a mentor to bio parent?
Should expect on-going relationship after reunification between foster parent and biological parent
Tell Foster parents at orientation training that they are expected to have these relationships
Line social worker role in promoting these relationships for the benefit of the child
County has foster parent resource social workers
Screening of foster parents up front about their expectations and department goals
Lifebooks, photos, mementos to ease transition
County sponsored social events for birth parents and foster parents
Mentoring of bio parent – start off with social worker there the first few times to allay concerns
Birth parents who have gone through experience serve as mentor to birth parents currently in system – parent partners
Get bio parents involved in medical appointments, hands on training in how to care for kid (especially with special needs)
Foster parent recruitment/expectations
- word of mouth
- specific child focused
Require participation in other events – Head Start,
Sibling relationships
Relationship between foster parents who have siblings placed among them
Some FFAs will not allow sibling visits in their foster homes
Challenges
Foster parents (especially who want to adopt kid) may not want bio parent relationship
Lack of uniform foster parent training on these bonding issues
No training/education support on how to handle conflict/tension in bio parent- foster parent relationship for good of child
Visits between bio parent and kid
- foster parents not always comfortable supervising
- Relatives more amenable to do this
Case Worker- Foster Parent Relationship and Others
Foster Parents don’t hear from social workers
FFA social worker can serve as the intermediary
FFA practices not consistent
Public Health Nurses need to be part of team with foster parent and social workers
Caseworker caseloads too high to properly do all of these things
Law enforcement – role?
- training in trauma of removal
Court/Attorneys
· not getting information from social workers, foster parents bio parents most foster parents don’t come
· Foster parents don’t know they can submit information to court
· Parents don’t get a copy of the court report before court and get in and are shocked to read report
· Have team meeting to go over report prior to court hearing
Training
More training for foster parents on early childhood development and traumatized children
DCFS social worker training to get line workers change mentality/attitude
Recruit birth parents to be part of foster parent training program
Learn about special discipline techniques for traumatized youth
Parking lot issue
Shelter “tea party”
FOR NEXT TIME… - Mental Health and Child Welfare – Start May agenda
April 25, 2008 Work Group 1 Notes
Assessment
Need comprehensive development screening of kids – ongoing
- Timing of assessment
Assessment is piecemeal and discombobulated – need a continuum of care/services and plan for future follow-up and assessment incorporating medical services
Decision tree or flow chart as child develops
Something like an IEP
SMART model of care
U.C. Davis clinic
Basic Programming through CASE
Can’t have this at just one location/resource site?
Talk to service providers about siting issues
CCFMG/UCSF Medical Clinic
Child Care
Public Health nurses link through child care
More child care and head start available for foster parents
Coordinating with foster parent’s day care
Head Start
- some sites have waiting lists
- some sites have no kids for open slots
- only half day
Child Care
- centralized eligibility list
Department
Social Workers – not enough knowledge on development of kids
Get caught between court and F.H.
Hard to get hold of social workers
Timely responses from social workers
Dedicated unit and workers focused on this population?
Caseloads at CPS level
Once kid starts getting services, no follow-through to make sure foster parents are taking kids and reports going to department and court
Foster Parents
Create more qualified or specialized foster parents
- Rates
Needs
Help foster parents with enrollment in child care services
Foster parents don’t know what resources are out there
Resource Guide
- County First 5 did one – Fresno to do
- 211 database linked to First 5 website
Wallet cards/wheels on development changes/levels
· Transportation problems
- driver and doctor appointments
Resources/Available
· No waiting list now at Regional Center
Resources/Development
Healthy steps program could be expanded/accessed
Warm-line
Resources - Need
Lack of occupational therapy, speech development
Lack of knowledge on child development among providers
Speech/hearing – kid must have significant delay – over 3 is through S.D.
Not enough CASAs for kids 0-5. Now recruiting
Backlog at infant mental health
MDs not trained in treatment A/N kids – special clinic at C.H.?
- Continuity of care
- Experience
- Transportation to doctor
Children’s hospital not taking Blue Cross Medi-Cal
-- eligibility unit could fix this
CCFMG/UCSF Medical Clinic
Trainings (for training group)
Educating decision makers about infant/mental health
CVRC/DCFS questionnaire and training on at-risk 0-3
Need comprehensive development screening of kids – ongoing
- Timing of assessment
Assessment is piecemeal and discombobulated – need a continuum of care/services and plan for future follow-up and assessment incorporating medical services
Decision tree or flow chart as child develops
Something like an IEP
SMART model of care
U.C. Davis clinic
Basic Programming through CASE
Can’t have this at just one location/resource site?
Talk to service providers about siting issues
CCFMG/UCSF Medical Clinic
Child Care
Public Health nurses link through child care
More child care and head start available for foster parents
Coordinating with foster parent’s day care
Head Start
- some sites have waiting lists
- some sites have no kids for open slots
- only half day
Child Care
- centralized eligibility list
Department
Social Workers – not enough knowledge on development of kids
Get caught between court and F.H.
Hard to get hold of social workers
Timely responses from social workers
Dedicated unit and workers focused on this population?
Caseloads at CPS level
Once kid starts getting services, no follow-through to make sure foster parents are taking kids and reports going to department and court
Foster Parents
Create more qualified or specialized foster parents
- Rates
Needs
Help foster parents with enrollment in child care services
Foster parents don’t know what resources are out there
Resource Guide
- County First 5 did one – Fresno to do
- 211 database linked to First 5 website
Wallet cards/wheels on development changes/levels
· Transportation problems
- driver and doctor appointments
Resources/Available
· No waiting list now at Regional Center
Resources/Development
Healthy steps program could be expanded/accessed
Warm-line
Resources - Need
Lack of occupational therapy, speech development
Lack of knowledge on child development among providers
Speech/hearing – kid must have significant delay – over 3 is through S.D.
Not enough CASAs for kids 0-5. Now recruiting
Backlog at infant mental health
MDs not trained in treatment A/N kids – special clinic at C.H.?
- Continuity of care
- Experience
- Transportation to doctor
Children’s hospital not taking Blue Cross Medi-Cal
-- eligibility unit could fix this
CCFMG/UCSF Medical Clinic
Trainings (for training group)
Educating decision makers about infant/mental health
CVRC/DCFS questionnaire and training on at-risk 0-3
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