House Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #2239 Citizen Review of Foster Care
Requester:	Laura Atkins		Organization:		Foster Care Review, Inc.
Project Title:	Citizen Review of Foster Care		Date Submitted:		01/28/2000 4:21:05 PM
District Member:	Gustavo Barreiro		Service Area:		County
Counties Affected:	Dade
Recipient:	Foster Care Review, Inc.		Contact:		Laura Atkins
	3050 Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 900		Contact Phone:		(305) 573-6665
	Miami 33137
Project Description:
Foster Care Review recruits, trains and supports panels of volunteers who review the cases of children under court supervision due to abuse or neglect. Volunteer panel members use case file research, analysis of submitted reports and full hearings involving interviews of the child, guardians ad item, parents, family members, custodians, caseworkers, legal representatives and service providers, to monitor whether children are safely and appropriately placed, the tasks identified in the case plan are being performed and needed services are being provided. Recommendations are provided to the judiciary, the Department of Children and Families, and all parties involved in the case.
Services Provided/Benefit to State:
Trained citizen volunteers conduct judicial review hearings of dependent children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect or abandonment as outlined in Chapter 39.702, Florida Statutes. During fiscal year 1998-99, 2,133 reviews were conducted by Foster Care Review volunteers. Benefits to the state include: Preservation of Title IV-E and IV-B funds to the state by providing vehicle for timely reviews, especially in jurisdictions where court dockets are overcrowded; Fulfills federal mandate for review under PL 96-272 (Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act) and PL 105-89 (Adoption and Safe Families Act); Cost effective method that engages the community in the dependency court system and decreases need for judges and support staff; Provides and independent monitoring by the community of individual case management and each child's progress toward permanency; Could be utilized to fulfill federal mandate for citizen review panels under CAPTA (Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act).
Measurable Outcome Anticipated:
Review hearings for children in out-of-home care are conducted within federally mandated timeframes and include mandated case findings. Children in the state's care are more closely monitored to ensure safety or appropriateness of placement, needed provision of services, assessment of family progress in mandated timeframes, and identification of barriers to reaching a permanent family.
Amount requested from the State for this project this year:				$375,000
Total cost of the project:		$600,000

Request has been made to fund:			Operations
Is there Local Government or Private match for this request?						Yes
	Cash Amount:	$225,000
Was this project previously funded by the State?						Yes
	Fiscal Year:	1999-2000		Amount:		$375,000
Is future-year funding likely to be requested?						Yes
	Amount:	$375,000
	Purpose for future year funding:				Recurring Operations
	Will this be an annual request?					Yes
Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request?						Unknown
Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget?						Unknown
Is there a documented need for this project?						Yes
	Documentation:	Federal and State Law; 1989 Dade County Grand Jury Report; District XI DCF Alternate Care Plan
Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)?						No