TITLE
Title
DHHS - DIVISION OF SOCIAL SERVICES CHILDREN’S SERVICES UPDATE
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SPONSOR
Sponsor
Heather Skeens (Sharon Barlow)
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BACKGROUND
Background
NC FAST Update
Over the past few months Child Welfare divisions across the state have been preparing for the implementation of the NC FAST Project 4 or P4. Previously reported, Guilford county is one of the five pilot counties chosen to work in the system and participated in all aspects of the design of P4.
After a short delay, the official “go-live” date was August 7, 2017 at 9:00am. On-site support from the state has been tremendous. Trainings and weekly calls with the state and NC FAST teams have been ongoing. Issues are being identified and reported promptly.
Licensing and Recruitment
With currently 557 children in foster care, the need for foster homes could not be greater in Guilford County. From January 2016 to September 2017, fifty-seven (57) new foster homes have been licensed. There are currently thirty-one (31) pending applications with the state for approval. With the addition of a new Recruiter, the expectation is that Guilford county will begin to see an increase in the number of licensed foster homes.
Public Information Sessions are held monthly in an effort to recruit additional foster families. Each of these sessions average twenty-five (25) attendees. During these sessions, an overview of the steps involved in becoming a licensed family is discussed. This includes policy, requirements, expectations, etc. Questions are answered and applications are provided for those with a continued interest in becoming a foster family.
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BUDGET IMPACT
Budget Impact
NO ADDITIONAL COUNTY DOLLARS REQUIRED
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REQUESTED ACTION
Requested Action
Receive DHHS - Division of Social Services update on Children’s Services’ licensing and recruitment efforts and NC FAST.
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