Policy

In 2013, Partners for Our Children will focus on four main policy objectives to improve outcomes for children and families:

1. Implementing 2012 Reform Efforts – Work with the Children’s Administration, the Legislature, the Governor’s office, and community partners to ensure that resources, policies and practices are in place to successfully implement Family Assessment Response, Performance Based Contracting, and the IV-E Waiver.
2. Improving the Match between Services and Needs – Advocate for flexible spending in the 2013-2015 biennial budget, service capacity building across the state, and minimizing the inclusion of provisos in the Children’s Administration’s budget.
3. Identifying Key Child and Family Outcomes – Support efforts to identify and codify indicators that best demonstrate how children and families involved in the child welfare system are doing.
4. Addressing Primary Factors Related to Child Welfare Involvement –  Support strategies that impact the likelihood of child welfare involvement, such as housing availability, expansion of evidence based parenting support/home visiting, provision of substance abuse/mental health treatment, and access to basic needs services.

Partners for Our Children will collaborate with others on strategies that are associated with the key outcome measures and are grounded in research, such as extending foster care to 21, removing barriers to licensing relatives, increasing the availability of housing, keeping siblings together, and providing legal representation to youth in care.

Partners for Our Children will continue to explore new strategies for improving the child welfare system, such as, liability reform, the creation of a single state agency for children and families, and innovative financing opportunities.

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