DATE: December 11, 2018
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Joe Martinez, Chair, Foster Care Standards and Oversight Committee
SUBJECT: Foster Care Standards and Oversights Committee 2017-18 Annual Report
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Accept the 2017-2018 Fresno County Foster Care Standards and Oversight Committee annual report and planned actions for 2018-2019.
REPORT
The Fresno County Foster Care Standards and Oversight Committee (FCFCSOC) was created by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors in 2001, as explained in its bylaws, “To exercise oversight and review of systems and services which affect children focusing on, but not limited to, the foster care system. To that end, the FCFCSOC shall do the following: A. Advise and make recommendations for continuous and lasting system improvements, and B. Provide a forum for community input related to the FCFCSOC purpose. Additionally, the FCFCSOC…shall participate in lawfully constituted multi-disciplinary review teams that review cases involving child abuse or neglect and participate in Department of Children and Family Services internal review committees.”
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There are no viable alternative actions.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action at this time.
DISCUSSION:
Over the past few years the work of the FCFCSOC has moved away from its stated purpose and instead consisted of regular subcommittee meetings which served as valuable interagency/organization communication forums, but are no longer driven by an overarching, clear direction from the full FCFCSOC. Subcommittees are: 1. Children’s Mental Health, 2. Education, 3. Recruitment, Development, Support and Public Relations, 4. Continuum of Care Reform.
This year’s FCFCSOC annual report has a different format than years past. Typically, a collection of subcommittee reports are submitted, along with a list of informational presentations held throughout the year for the full FCFCSOC. As in years past, the four subcommittee reports are presented here as attachments. However, because the full FCFCSOS has spent the past year identifying issues and processes that require review and examination, the synthesized results of that work are presented here as a list of priority issues and processes by which to address them. The goal is to present recommendations for foster care system improvement to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.
In the coming year the FCFCSOC plans to create a concise strategic work plan to move forward in its intended work. Foremost in that effort is finalizing a list of issues of concern submitted by FCFCSOC members drawn from their collective professional and personal experiences, and collected from County staff during FCFCSOC meetings and related meetings.
Among top-priority issues that will be addressed in the coming year are:
1. Re-establishing mechanisms to allow information to reach the FCFCSOC from clients and stakeholders in the foster care system. Examples include foster children, foster families, biological families, social workers with the County and in foster family agencies, legal counsel for children and families, and judges. No such mechanisms exist at present.
2. Re-establishing mechanisms and procedures to engage in review of foster care cases as necessary to perform oversight of the foster care system, as authorized by Standing Order No. 03-01.
3. Re-establishing regular communication with appointing Fresno County Supervisors to confirm expectations and report progress in FCFCSOC’s work.
4. Engaging in in-depth review of causes of high social worker turnover and the impacts it has throughout the foster care system, with the goal of lowering turnover rates.
Processes accomplish these goals:
1. Finalizing and prioritizing the issues list.
2. Restructuring subcommittees to support the review of issues to allow the FCFCSOC to make recommendations to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.
3. Re-establishing involvement with the FCFCSOC by Fresno County Superior Court and law enforcement.
4. Identifying other disciplines and groups that should be represented on FCFCSOC to improve its oversight ability, and encourage applicants to apply to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors to fill vacant seats.
Attachments: 1) A working general categories list of issues and concerns brought forward by members and Fresno County staff, 2) A list of working guidelines adopted by FCFCSOC, and 3) Reports from the four subcommittees.
As the FCFCSOC continues the work of realigning its focus and subsequent actions with its original purpose, it may discover that analysis, data collection, review, and other skilled assistance is necessary, which may require a source of funding to perform. Should this come to pass, an explanation of such needs and a proposed budget will be submitted to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors to consider.
The members of the FCFCSOC are committed to presenting the Fresno County Board of Supervisors with recommendations for lasting and meaningful foster care system improvements in the coming year. It is also committed to re-establishing regular contact with appointing Supervisors to ensure accountability for progress.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
FCFCSOC 2017-18 Annual Report
Attachment 1
Attachment 2
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander