Life may change us but we begin and end with family. ~unknown

1. Life may change us but we begin and end with family. ~unknown

2. Court Improvement Project Pennsylvania Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts Office of Children & Families in The Courts

3. “My family in Maryland didn’t know I was in foster care until 6 months after I had aged out…. They would have taken me in.” Stacy, Former Foster Youth

4. “I want to be in the courtroom letting the judge know that I am a person & that I am trying.” - Jacquan, Former Foster Youth

5. “Take the extra minute … get to know what kids need.”Barbara, Former Foster Youth

6. “I have had over 10 families that I call Mom and Dad … it is tiring after a while.”Jacquan, Former Foster Youth

7. No child should grow up in… “temporary” foster care

8. Since 2006… Children’s Roundtable Structure Permanency Practice Initiative Mission & Guiding Principles Judicial Bench Book CPCMS Dependency Module Office of Children & Families in the Courts Pennsylvania’s Child Dependency System

9. Primary focus on physical safety Safe kinship as one possible placement option Focus on trauma caused by abuse Secrecy Cookie cutter plans Individual participation 6 month judicial reviews Silo responsibility Deficit Model Foster Care/Group Care Balanced focus on physical and emotional safety Safe Kinship as the preferred placement Focus on trauma caused by abuse and disruption Inclusion Individualized plans Group participation Expedited reviews (3 mos) Shared responsibility Strengths Model Permanent, safe families Changes: New Lenses…

10. Children’s Roundtable Initiative: • Local Children’s Roundtable • Convene by primary dependency judge • Focus on local barriers/solutions to safe, timely permanence • Leadership Roundtables • Facilitated by Judge/Administrator Co-Chairs • Eight groupings of like-sized counties • Focus on common barriers/solutions • State Roundtable • Representation from all Leadership Roundtables & National Experts • Set priorities for OCFC & coming year • Focus on statewide barriers/solutions • 2010 priorities: Truancy, Fatherhood, GAL/Parent Attorney Education

11. Pennsylvania Children’s Roundtable Structure • Office of Children and Families in the Court • Leadership Roundtable Co-Chairs • Director of Human Services • Guardian at Lidem • Solicitor • Child Advocate • Special Invited Guests • Kinship Navigator Program Manager • (if awarded) • State Supreme Court Justice • Secretary of Public Welfare • Deputy Secretary of Public Welfare • Pennsylvania Senators • American Bar Association • Pennsylvania Bar Association • Pennsylvania County Commissioner Statewide Roundtable Meets Yearly 1 Dependency Judge and 1 Children &Youth Administrator (co-chairs) advance to the Statewide Roundtable and act as representatives for each LR (additional representation for larger size counties). 8 Leadership Roundtables (LR) comprised of like size counties grouped together LR 5 LR 6 LR 8 LR 2 LR 4 LR 7 LR 1 LR 3 Meets Semi-annually Dependency Judge & Children &Youth Administrator plus one additional designated stakeholder participate on their County Local Children’s Roundtable and then advance to a Leadership Roundtable • County Commissioners • Hearing Masters • Guardian at Lidem • County Agencies • School Districts • Other Community Stakeholders • Office of Children and Families in the Courts Program Analyst • Solicitor • Families • County Children & Youth Staff • Juvenile Probation Staff • Police Department • Other Service Providers • Local Kinship Navigator (if awarded) Local Children’s Roundtable Meets monthly or bi/monthly

14. Family Finding (FF) • Finds Families (extended families) • Combines: common sense, social work, detective work, & technology • Search for families at every stage with emphasis at intake • Connects to other family focused practices • Real work begins once family members are found

15. Family Finding

16. Family Finding

17. Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) • Voluntary decision making process • Guided by values and beliefs • Organizational Change/Practice Shift • Private Family Planning time

18. FGDM Implementation Map August 2009 Philadelphia Orange: Greater than 20 conferences Blue: Less than 20 conferences Yellow: Counties implementing but no conferences Grey: Counties expressing some level of interest in FGDM White: No information available

19. Permanency Practice Initiative: • Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) • ADR process which results in a Family Service Plan • Brings extended family and others into process of safety, well-being & permanence • Family Finding • Process to locate and ENGAGE family in the lives of children • Identifies potential family members for FGDM • Family Development Credentialing • Strength-based training for private provider staff

20. Permanency Practice Initiative: • CPCMS Dependency Module • All Findings & Orders for Dependency Cases • Provides data and case management statistics • 3 – month review hearings • Minimum requirement for PPI courts • Children’s Roundtable • Minimum requirement for PPI counties

22. Mission Statement

23. Mission Statement Protect Children; Promote Strong Families; Promote Child Well-Being; Provide Timely Permanency

24. Protect Children All children of Pennsylvania have a right to be protected from physical neglect and abuse, including sexual victimization, and from emotional neglect and abuse.

25. Promote Strong Families All children of Pennsylvania have a right to live in a strong family that provides a safe, nurturing and healthy environment in which to be reared as families are the primary source of the protection and nurturing of children

26. Promote Child Well-Being All children of Pennsylvania have the rights to be happy, thriving, self-actualized, educated, healthy and content; have the opportunity to reach their full potential as individuals capable of healthy relationships and opportunities for healthy, balanced and well-rounded development

27. Provide Timely Permanency All children of Pennsylvania have the right to live in a permanent family, and to timely permanency decisions, as these are critical to the health and welfare of dependent children

28. Pennsylvania Dependency Bench Book: • Themes: • Active/ongoing Court Oversight • One Judge-One Family • Early appointment of competent, well-trained legal counsel • Safety • Timeliness • Concurrent Planning • Front-loading of the System • Maintaining Family Connections • Keeping Siblings Together • Fatherhood • Use of Kin care and Least Restrictive Placements • Early Implementation of Services and Visitation Schedule • Tailoring Services to Meet Specific Needs of Each Child and Each Family • Creating Culture/Expectation of Non-Adversarial Process • Recognizing and Reducing Trauma for Children and Families

29. At our best level of existence we are parts of a family, and at our highest level of achievement, we work to keep the family alive. ~Maya Angelou

30. Contact Information • Sandy Moore, Administrator (717) 231-3329; sandra.moore@pacourts.us • Elke Moyer, Administrative Assistant to Sandy Moore (717) 231-3300 ext. 4255; elke.moyer@pacourts.us