keeping families together & safe: the child protection-housing connection

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Keeping Families Together & Safe: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing The Child Protection-Housing Connection Connection Caren Kaplan, ACSW Roxana Torrico, MSW Child Welfare League of America Child Welfare League of America February 26, 2007 “A house is a home, when it shelters the body and comforts the soul.” - Phillip Moffitt (1986)

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Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection. Caren Kaplan, ACSW Roxana Torrico, MSW Child Welfare League of America February 26, 2007 “A house is a home, when it shelters the body and comforts the soul.” - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Keeping Families Together & Safe:Keeping Families Together & Safe:The Child Protection-Housing The Child Protection-Housing

ConnectionConnection

Caren Kaplan, ACSWRoxana Torrico, MSW

Child Welfare League of AmericaChild Welfare League of AmericaFebruary 26, 2007

“A house is a home, when it shelters the body and comforts the soul.”

-Phillip Moffitt (1986)

Page 2: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Correlation Between Child Welfare & Correlation Between Child Welfare & HomelessnessHomelessness

Children from homes with housing problems are most likely to be in foster care than children without housing problems (46% vs. 27%).

30% of children in foster care could be reunited with their parents if safe, stable & affordable housing were available.

It has been found that reunification rates for families in foster care are approx 50% lower for families who experienced a homeless episode in the 12 months prior to a child being placed in foster care.

Page 3: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Correlation Between Child Welfare & Correlation Between Child Welfare & Homelessness continued….Homelessness continued…. Homeless parents who report foster care hx are 2x

more likely to have their own children placed in foster care.

3 in 10 of the nation’s homeless adults report foster care history.

Lack of housing contributes to health, education social problems for homeless children.

Homeless children lose about 4 to 6 months of education every time they move.

Homeless children experience anxiety, depression and an inability to maintain friendships.

Page 4: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

What else are families facing?

High Housing Costs According to the National Low

Income Housing Coalition’s most recent, Out of Reach publication, there is no where in the country where a full-time minimum wage worker can EVEN afford a one-bedroom at the Fair Market Rent.

Page 5: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Do you know how Do you know how much the Housing much the Housing

Wage is in your Wage is in your State???State???

Page 6: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

States Ranked Based on 2-Bedroom Housing Wage

Most Expensive (Top 5) District of Columbia $24.73 Hawaii $23.53 California $22.86 Massachusetts $22.65 New Jersey $21.21

Least Expensive (Bottom 5) Alabama $10.55 Arkansas $10.40 North Dakota $10.33 West Virginia $10.10 Puerto Rico $8.83

Page 7: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Cost BenefitCost Benefit According to research in the Child Welfare, Special

Issue on Housing and Homelessness:

The average annual cost of keeping an average child welfare size (2.7 children) family in foster care =$47,608**

The average cost of providing permanent housing with support services for 1 year = $13,412.

Nationally, Housing with supportive services=$16,923,478; Foster Care with Services=$53,286,333

SAVINGS could be:$36,362,854 annually!!

** This includes room, board and supportive services

Page 8: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Keeping Families Together & Safe (KFTS) Initiative

CWLA seeks to increase the # of families who are able to stay together by developing and implementing an education and training initiative for child protection workers and housing professionals.

Objectives: 1) Increase understanding of one another's roles,

responsibilities, and resources, and of the respective agencies and systems in which they perform their work.

2) Provide a foundation for both formal and informal linkages and partnerships across these two service systems.

3) Improve both systems' capacity to assess and identify the housing needs of families who come to the attention of the child protection agency.

4) Develop both systems' capacity to address the housing needs of families who come to the attention of the child protection agency, whenever resources are available.

Page 9: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

CWLA’s Keeping Families Together and Safe (KFTS) Initiative continued..

The Cross – Systems TrainingTarget Audience Child welfare front-line workers and

supervisors— this includes child protection and family service workers (family preservation and family support services)

Homeless services workers and supervisors who provide direct services to homeless and precariously housed through housing assistance, shelter, & support services.

Page 10: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

CWLA’s Keeping Families Together and Safe (KFTS) Initiative

The ProjectPhase I funded by Freddie Mac Foundation Development of Primer on Child Protection –

Housing Connection Development of Curriculum for Cross Training

of Front-Line Workers Pilot Test Curriculum in Prince Georges

County, evaluated and revised based on evaluation findings

Page 11: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

CWLA’s Keeping Families Together and Safe (KFTS) Initiative continued..

The ProjectPhase II funded by Freddie Mac & Daniels Fund Conducted and evaluated 2 additional pilots

of curriculum (Phoenix & Chicago) Refined and finalized Workers curriculum Developed Supervisors curriculum (draft) Developed Administrators Guide (draft) Conducted and evaluated an integrated field

test using all 3 project components (conducted in DC)

Page 12: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Evaluation Methodology

Pilots conducted: Phoenix (3.8.06) & Chicago (4.4.06)

Pre-Test/Post-Test Exit Questionnaire

Page 13: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Summary: Phoenix

Participants demonstrated an increase in factual knowledge.

Participants felt that they had a better knowledge of: – How a case moves through the housing system, – How to collaborate effectively, – The role of workers in other systems, – Ways in which they can collaborate, and– The mission and values of the other system.

Majority of open-ended responses were positive Qualitative data suggest that participants gained a

better understanding of the other system and were provided with valuable networking opportunities and resources.

Page 14: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Summary: Chicago Participants demonstrated an increase in factual

knowledge. Participants felt that they had increased their:

– Knowledge of how a case moves through the CPS system,– knowledge of how a case moves through the housing system, – resources available for case planning,– knowledge on collaborating effectively,– skills needed to collaborate effectively, – knowledge of the role of workers in other systems, and– awareness of ways in which they can collaborate.

Majority of open-ended responses were positive. Qualitative data suggest that participants gained a

better understanding of the other system and were provided with valuable networking and collaboration opportunities.

Page 15: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Conclusions from Pilots

Both sites evidenced statistically-significant positive gains in several areas after completion of the curriculum. – Knowledge of the curriculum.– Attitudes.– Self reported understanding and

willingness to collaborate.– Self-reported understanding of other

system.

Page 16: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Conclusions from Pilots

A majority of indicators showed positive change, but not to a statistically significant level.

None of the indicators showed negative change to a statistically significant level.– Very few showed any negative movement,

and those that did show negative movement did not reach statistical significance.

Page 17: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Conclusions from Pilots

The evaluation suggests that worker curriculum is effective in attaining several of intended competencies.

Remaining competencies were either not measured by evaluation or had inconclusive results (no statistical significance).

Page 18: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Summary: District of Columbia

Supervisors Increase in # of positive responses

between pre- and post- test [strongly disagree, disagree, agree, strongly agree]

Increase in intensity of positive responses [agree and strongly agree]

Increase in knowledge of organizational structure of other system and how a case moves through other system

Page 19: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Summary: District of Columbia

Supervisors Only decrease was possession of

“knowledge I need to support & mentor my workers as they collaborate with workers in other system.

Two possible explanations –1. With increased awareness of collaboration

complexities, there is increased understanding that there is much more to learn.

2. Without formal endorsement of administrator, the provision of support to workers is more challenging.

Page 20: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Views, Experiences and Comments Shared by KFTS Participants

“We need to know what warrants a CPS investigation. I have called CPS several times on a family in our shelter and they never come out to investigate.” -Shelter Worker

“I need to know the process for getting a family into housing – how do they get Section 8? What is the eligibility criteria?” -CPS Worker

“I would just like CPS to follow up and respect my concerns. A timely response would be appreciated.” -Shelter Worker

“What are the shelter discharge policies? I have had families kicked out and I never understood why.”

-CPS Worker

Page 21: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Where to Find the KFTS Frontline Curriculum

http://www.cwla.org/programs/childprotection/childprotectionhousing.htm

Page 22: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Building a Partnership/Collaboration

Identifying Potential Partners - - A Tiered Approach Getting Started: Administrators/Management of Child Welfare Agency Housing Authority Local Shelters and Housing Transitional Programs Establishing a Foundation: Supervisors and Frontline Staff of Child Welfare Agency Housing Authority Local Shelters and Housing Transitional Programs AND Family/Consumer representatives Implementing the Partnership Staff of Child Welfare Agency Housing Authority Local Shelters and Housing Transitional Programs Mental Health providers Faith-based service providers Private, non-profit child serving agencies that provide related services AND Family/Consumer representatives **(Source, KFTS Admininstrators Guide)

Page 23: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Benefits of Partnerships & Benefits of Partnerships & CollaborationsCollaborations

Cross System Dialogue

More Effective Communication

Improved Services for Families

Decreased Homelessness for Families

Page 24: Keeping Families Together & Safe: The Child Protection-Housing Connection

Contact Information

Roxana Torrico202-639-4908 [email protected]

Caren [email protected]

CWLA 440 First St., NW, 3rd FloorWashington, DC 20001http://www.cwla.org