Q&A
Post-reunification support and services to prevent re-entry into foster care
1:41:44
ยท
119 sec
Council Member Stevens asks about post-reunification support and services provided to prevent re-entry into the foster care system. Commissioner Dannhauser outlines the various support mechanisms in place.
- ACS reports a decrease in re-entry rates, with over 90% of families remaining reunified
- The agency provides a child discharge period with continued services after reunification
- Behavioral health and medical services can continue for families for a year after reunification
- Some families (15-20%) connect to preventive services after reunification
- ACS works with providers like the Council on Adoption to offer post-permanency services for adoptive families and those in kinship guardianship arrangements
Jess Dannhauser
1:41:44
So we're we're pleased that reentry is down even with reunifications being up.
1:41:48
It's a little over 7%, and so the ninety plus percent of families are remaining reunified.
1:41:57
We have a child discharge period where services are provided.
1:42:01
Many of the behavioral health and medical services, now that children in foster care went into managed care, the year after unification providers are able to continue those services for families after.
1:42:17
You know, to be perfectly frank, there's times where where parents want the services from that agency.
1:42:22
There's times when they don't want.
1:42:24
They're concerned about I can
Althea Stevens
1:42:24
see why they wouldn't.
Jess Dannhauser
1:42:25
You know, they're concerned about the oversight and but we we provide a whole series.
1:42:31
There's also some providers for post permanency services that operate throughout the city, the Council on Adoption.
1:42:41
Did you wanna add anything there?
Ina Mendez
1:42:46
Not really, but that particular group, they do a lot of work around for families where adoption or Kingap was the permanency option.
1:42:57
And so they will provide support.
1:42:59
They can provide counseling, therapy.
1:43:01
They do a lot of preservation as well because sometimes it it's possible that the adoptive it's not a placement anymore, but the adoption could disrupt, and they do a lot of work on keeping that family together.
1:43:14
And then if it is the best decision that maybe the adoption is not gonna work, we have a post adoption team that can work on supporting that child if they need to come back into care or if we need to find maybe other, adults that can care for them.
Jess Dannhauser
1:43:28
There's also, about fifteen to twenty percent of reunifying families connect to preventive services.
1:43:37
As I said earlier, often they want services from from different providers, we facilitate that as well.