Child Welfare Reform: Maine leads by Example.

Child Welfare Reform: Maine leads by Example.

In 2002, Maine's senior child welfare managers began to look at the outcomes for children under the state's supervision. From that review, a plan for reform began to evolve. Information is beginning to accumulate that change is occurring. For example:

* In 2001, there were 3,200 children in out-of-home care in Maine. In 2004, that number had been reduced to 2,900, and by July of 2006, the number in care had declined to fewer than 2,350.

* In 2001, less than 10 percent of children under supervision were placed with relatives. In five years, the number has doubled.

* In 2004, there were 770 youths in residential placements in Maine funded by the child welfare system. Two years later, there were 465.

* As late as 2005, less than 50 percent of child protection first contacts were achieved within 14 days. Today face-to-face contact is done in 75 percent of cases within five days.

* In 2004, family team meetings became a part of practice. There are now 600 family team meetings each month.

* Since 2001, there has been a 25 percent reduction in removals, adoptions have increased as a percentage of children in care, and re-unifications have risen by 25 percent.

What explains this change, most of which has taken place in the past four years with no added resources? First, the reform that was prompted by the organization was realized in a 2002 review. Reviewing programs at regular interviews allows for an honest assessment of effectiveness. The initial impetus for reform began in 2002 with the realization by Karen Westburg, Maine's child welfare director at the time, that children in Maine's care were not achieving acceptable outcomes. Children were in care for long periods of time and large numbers were not living in families. A decision was then made to seek support in achieving reform from the Casey Strategic Consulting group, which proved instrumental in the transformation of management and practice models. Borrowing from effective business models is not something that should be looked down on. It is something that, upon occasion, can be very effective in helping out government programs.

Reforms included the development of a beliefs statement, practice model, strategic plan and the use of data to measure change. In 2005, all policies were reviewed by assigning them to local offices to ensure that they were consistent with the organizational beliefs statement and the practice model. Each child welfare office assumed leadership in revising policies to meet that goal. Among those changes were: putting into place timely responses to complaints of abuse and neglect; ensuring that domestic violence perpetrators were the focus of interventions; implementing family team meetings to ensure inclusion, safety and permanence; developing clear family-centered policy to make visits child and parent friendly; and a focus on safety, permanence and well-being.

Driving the reform has been a clear statement that it is the organization's responsibility to ensure that every child lives and grows up in a family while being connected to a community.

Training for family team meetings, the practice model, residential use and other changes were the key to building these reforms. Good supervision does cause change and much focus has been on supporting a team of managers invested in a common view of what is right vs. what is easy.

The agency staff is now recognized for timely responses by persons who have made referrals; families and extended families are less fearful of our caseworkers; and family team meetings have resulted in sharing critical information with extended family that we previously lacked. More youths are being placed within their communities in part because it is policy, but also because it is being measured. Community placement data on each caseload and an array of other key data elements will soon be made available to every worker and to each unit and office.

This statewide initiative signifies a shift away from perception-based case management to a more data-driven practice. In other words, administrators look first at hard numbers—for instance, the length of time between report of child abuse to the initial investigation—vs. subjective observations in a social worker's notes to determine how best to manage a troubled child's situation. The result: fewer reports of child abuse as well as longer foster-care relationships throughout the state.

Among the remaining challenges are the offices and units where strategies have not been effective in achieving the strategic indicators. Another challenge is ensuring fidelity to policy as reflected in our quality assurance process.

Please watch a video by Maine's Governor regarding Child Welfare Reform at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHP0cj8zg60&feature=PlayList&p=740FD3E68DCF9650&index=25