Q&A
Addressing increased rates of maltreatment in family foster care
1:43:43
ยท
126 sec
Council Member Stevens inquires about the increase in maltreatment rates in family foster care and the additional oversight mechanisms being implemented. Commissioner Dannhauser provides context and explains ACS's response to this issue.
- The recent increase is based on a four-month period, but overall rates are still down compared to previous years
- 98% of foster homes have no indication of maltreatment
- ACS has implemented a new protocol to investigate and address maltreatment allegations more effectively
- The agency focuses on recruitment and support of foster parents to prevent maltreatment incidents
- ACS emphasizes the importance of proper training and resources for foster parents to handle challenging situations
Althea Stevens
1:43:43
Yeah.
1:43:44
I can see probably having a different provider might be helpful because they're like, they took my kids.
1:43:48
I get it.
1:43:49
The rate of maltreatment in family foster care more than doubled, increasing from one point five to two point eight per one hundred thousand days care days.
1:43:59
Given the increase in maltreatment rates in family foster care, what additional oversight mechanisms are being implemented to ensure foster care homes are safe?
Jess Dannhauser
1:44:07
So that is for the PMMR period, the four month period, and so we are still down year over year.
1:44:14
Just a few years ago, it was six, per hundred thousand care days, and so, this sums up to 98% of, of foster homes have no indication of maltreatment.
1:44:27
Any is not okay.
1:44:28
A child's coming to care.
1:44:30
The vast majority of these are, and there's about forty nine children were infected in 2023.
1:44:39
They're I'm not giving 2024 not because I'm hiding it, but because the sixty day period for investigations, but we can get you that number.
1:44:46
So we've seen a a significant decline.
1:44:50
A lot of them are things where there's a situation about did the foster parent take the child to the doctor appropriately or something like that where there's a neglect situation.
1:45:00
In each of those situations there's a full investigation.
1:45:05
We created a new protocol to make sure that we understand because some of the maltreatment in care is also relates to something happened on a family visit.
1:45:16
And so a protocol to make sure all systems, agencies, office special investigations, family permanency are talking together.
1:45:24
So much of this council member goes back to the recruitment and the support of foster parents, that they're knowledgeable about the services that are available, and so wanna work with you.
1:45:34
I love the idea of a of a day to do some recruitment.
1:45:38
You know, we have fewer
Althea Stevens
1:45:39
children gotta put the council members into more work.
Jess Dannhauser
1:45:41
Alright.
1:45:42
You said I love it.
Althea Stevens
1:45:43
Every office should be helping with recruitment.
Jess Dannhauser
1:45:46
So Thank you.
Althea Stevens
1:45:47
That's 51 people
Jess Dannhauser
1:45:48
Everyone's business.
Althea Stevens
1:45:49
Yeah.