RELEASE: January 14, 2004

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Davy calls for immediate actions:
to protect children Child welfare improvement plan now due February 18th

Davy also unveiled emergency interim measures to protect New Jersey’s children while that plan is being finalized including:

• the licensing of 100 new foster homes in one month

• closing thousands of inactive DYFS cases to free up caseworkers in one month;

• immediately releasing funds to transport and provide child care to children who languish in DYFS district offices;

• ending the practice of allowing “boarder babies” to remain in hospitals after they are medically cleared;

• authorizing millions to re-do safety assessments on children in out-of-home placement and requiring independent verification of those assessments by outside agencies

“I thank Children’s Rights and the Child Welfare Panel for agreeing to this 30-day extension,” said Davy. “However, our staff and the children they serve cannot wait any longer. They need help now and that is why I am ordering several immediate actions be taken to protect our children, support our staff and increase the number of foster homes available.”

Specific immediate actions include:
• Expanding the number of foster homes available by expediting the licensing of over 100 foster homes currently in different stages of the licensing process – and collapsing the licensing process from months to weeks

• Introducing targeted foster home recruitment initiatives to meet the needs of Latino children

• Immediately funding support services for foster parents in each region and bolstering local recruitment efforts

• Reducing the number of children spending their days in DYFS district offices by increasing transportation services to school and expanding child care options by Feb. 1

• Within days, promulgating emergency regulations that will allow nurses to conduct medical screenings for foster children so children and caseworkers do not have to spend countless hours in hospital emergency rooms

• Establishing a Boarder Baby coordinator in UMDNJ-Newark hospital so the state can end the practice of keeping babies in the hospital once they are medically cleared

• Closing as many as 6,000 cases where children and families no longer require DYFS services so caseworkers can focus on protecting children rather than completing paperwork

• Authorizing $2.5 million to redo safety assessments on about 6,000 children in care within five months and requiring those assessments be verified by an independent, local community agency.

“Some of these tasks may seem insurmountable but we are talking about our children,” said Davy. “We are going to expand existing contracts, reassign staff and most importantly authorize overtime for DYFS staff. We will do whatever it takes to get it done.”

Safety assessments will be conducted by DYFS caseworkers who will work in tandem with a local community agency. Unlike the previous safety assessments conducted by the Division where only a specific child was assessed, a uniform protocol will now be followed and every child in a home including adopted and natural children will be assessed. Over $2.5 million has been allocated to fund the community agency involvement.

An additional $1.2 million in overtime has been authorized for DYFS supervisory and case practice staff to work evenings and weekends to close thousands of cases. Additionally, staff in the Department’s Office of Licensing will also work overtime to expedite the licensing of an additional 100 foster homes in the next month.

“I was greatly disturbed to learn many children are spending their day in our district offices instead of going to school,” added Davy. “We’re going to expand transportation services and also provide additional child care services so our staff can do their work and more importantly our children can be in a nurturing environment.”

Overall, Davy has authorized an additional $11.2 million in spending over the next year with about $2 million of that to be spent in the next 30 days. Existing transportation and child care services will be expanded at a cost of $3.7 million annually while funding for initial and subsequent medical screenings will grow by $1.7 million annually. As outlined in the original Children’s Rights settlement agreement, DYFS will also spend $1.5 million to recruit more foster homes over the next year including $500,000 in the next month alone.

“We need more foster homes and we need them now,” said Davy. “We cannot wait weeks or months to launch innovative recruitment strategies. We must do it now. We must get it done.”

Last year, the State settled a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of the children in its care. As part of the settlement, the New Jersey Child Welfare Panel comprised of national experts was created to oversee the plan for improving services to children and families. Public meetings were held throughout the State and three workgroups were established in the areas of resource families (foster care), community partnerships/resource development and practice model and system. Each workgroup identified problems in the current child welfare system while making recommendations to be considered for implementation.

Under the leadership of Davy, the State will work with the Panel to finalize a reform plan by February 18th. Once the plan has been submitted and approved, the Panel will monitor the State’s progress in implementing the plan for an additional 18 months.

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