The Next Phase of Child Welfare Reform in Illinois: The Lifetime Approach.

The Next Phase of Child Welfare Reform in Illinois:

The Lifetime ApproachThe Lifetime Approach

Major Reforms/New Direction


Lifetime Approach

Embrace role as parent;Embrace role as parent; Anticipate and respond to developmental and Anticipate and respond to developmental and

clinical needs;clinical needs; Evaluate impact by:Evaluate impact by:

education, well-being and life skills of the education, well-being and life skills of the young adults who emerge; andyoung adults who emerge; and

success in sustaining foundation through success in sustaining foundation through development of own strong families. development of own strong families.

Goals of Lifetime Approach

Early identification of trauma.Early identification of trauma. Strong correlation between trauma, Strong correlation between trauma,

treatment plan and services.treatment plan and services. Improved well being outcomes.Improved well being outcomes. Sustainable life foundation.Sustainable life foundation. Strong adults building healthy families.Strong adults building healthy families.

Trauma Impact is Lifelong

Trauma includes abuse and neglect, exposure Trauma includes abuse and neglect, exposure to violence, and removal hometo violence, and removal home

Research concluded that, Research concluded that, ““The effects of trauma can be pervasive, The effects of trauma can be pervasive,

impacting school readiness and impacting school readiness and performance, diminishing cognitive abilities performance, diminishing cognitive abilities and leading to substance abuse, disabling and leading to substance abuse, disabling mental disorders and costly physical health mental disorders and costly physical health problems.”problems.”

Next Two Years Devoted to Implementing


Major Reforms

Integrated Integrated AssessmentAssessment

Child &Youth Child &Youth Investment TeamsInvestment Teams

Trauma TreatmentTrauma Treatment Transitional & Transitional &

Independent Living Re-Independent Living Re-DesignDesign

Foster Care Caseload Foster Care Caseload ReDesignReDesign

Early Childhood Early Childhood School Readiness School Readiness InitiativeInitiative

Intensive Stabilization Intensive Stabilization ServicesServices

Family Supported Family Supported Adolescent CareAdolescent Care

Residential Residential Performance UnitPerformance Unit

Integrated Assessment

Provides a comprehensive clinical Provides a comprehensive clinical understanding of the child from the moment understanding of the child from the moment he enters care.he enters care.

A service plan directly related to identified A service plan directly related to identified clinical assets. clinical assets.

Trauma Treatment

Integrated Assessment will identify issues.Integrated Assessment will identify issues. Existing contracts will be targeted to ensure Existing contracts will be targeted to ensure

treatment over two years.treatment over two years. Recognition of impact of trauma will be Recognition of impact of trauma will be

infused throughout service plan and infused throughout service plan and treatment systems.treatment systems.

School Readiness Initiative

Birth to 6 is critical time for brain developmentBirth to 6 is critical time for brain development School readiness critical for longterm School readiness critical for longterm

educational outcomes & successeducational outcomes & success Children who start out behind often never Children who start out behind often never

catch upcatch up If we want to improve educational outcomes If we want to improve educational outcomes

for child-welfare involved children overall, we for child-welfare involved children overall, we need to start earlyneed to start early

5 Dimensions of School Readiness

1.1. Physical well-being – general health, Physical well-being – general health, immunizationsimmunizations

2.2. Social and emotional development – Social and emotional development – positive relationships, personal self-positive relationships, personal self-confidenceconfidence

3.3. Approaches toward learning Approaches toward learning

4.4. Language developmentLanguage development

5.5. Cognition and general knowledgeCognition and general knowledge

National Education Goals Panel

To be ready for school, children must

Be able to recognize letters and how they Be able to recognize letters and how they relate to numbers and words, use simple relate to numbers and words, use simple number concepts, and be able to number concepts, and be able to communicate with otherscommunicate with others

Be excited by learning, have confidence to Be excited by learning, have confidence to try new things, understand that school is try new things, understand that school is importantimportant

Understand other people’s feelings, get Understand other people’s feelings, get along with others, be able to control their along with others, be able to control their emotions and behavioremotions and behavior

National Research Council “From Neurons to Neighborhoods”

““Remediating the effects of abuse and neglect Remediating the effects of abuse and neglect experienced during early childhood at later ages experienced during early childhood at later ages requires much more intensive, long-term, and costly requires much more intensive, long-term, and costly treatment than early responses … treatment than early responses …

The best time to address these important issues The best time to address these important issues is during early childhood, and the children who is during early childhood, and the children who enter the child welfare system in the early years enter the child welfare system in the early years are those most in need of this early response.”are those most in need of this early response.”

-- -- Linda McCart and Charles BrunerLinda McCart and Charles Bruner

““Child Welfare and School Readiness Making the Child Welfare and School Readiness Making the Link for Vulnerable Children”Link for Vulnerable Children”

Child and Family Policy Center

Getting kids ready to Getting kids ready to start school with start school with quality ECE quality ECE

Stability in ECE Stability in ECE placementplacement

How does the Lifetime Approach apply to our youngest children?


Bolster ability of ECE to Bolster ability of ECE to work with children in work with children in child welfare system and child welfare system and to prevent child abuseto prevent child abuse

Strengthening Families Illinois

Strategy A

Strategy B

IDCFS School Readiness Initiative

1.1. Developmentally appropriate, trauma-Developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed child welfare practice for children informed child welfare practice for children birth to 5birth to 5

2.2. Children 3 – 5 in quality early learning Children 3 – 5 in quality early learning program (Head Start, state Pre-K or other)program (Head Start, state Pre-K or other)

3.3. Partner to build quality in early childhood Partner to build quality in early childhood programs so that they can meet the needs programs so that they can meet the needs of our kids (Strengthening Families Illinois)of our kids (Strengthening Families Illinois)

All children in the system ready for schoolAll children in the system ready for school Goal September 2006 – all 3-5 year olds enrolled in Goal September 2006 – all 3-5 year olds enrolled in

quality preschool (center-based early care and quality preschool (center-based early care and education programs) education programs)

Help caseworkers and foster parents understand the Help caseworkers and foster parents understand the importance of quality ECEimportance of quality ECE

Working with early childhood community to ensure Working with early childhood community to ensure that quality preschools can meet our children’s that quality preschools can meet our children’s needsneeds

Working internally to ensure educational stability Working internally to ensure educational stability across placements and trauma-sensitive transition across placements and trauma-sensitive transition planningplanning

Strategy A:


Updated Policies – All wards turning 3 by Updated Policies – All wards turning 3 by September 1 must be enrolled in preschool September 1 must be enrolled in preschool for at least part of the day:for at least part of the day:

Head StartHead Start State Pre-Kindergarten (ISBE / CPS)State Pre-Kindergarten (ISBE / CPS) Strengthening Families pilot centerStrengthening Families pilot center Accredited child care center with Accredited child care center with

strong early learning programstrong early learning program Performance Contract language (07)Performance Contract language (07)

Supports for Enrolling Children

Finding ProgramsFinding Programs Directory of local Head Start programs Directory of local Head Start programs

(To come)(To come) List of Strengthening Families sitesList of Strengthening Families sites City of Chicago City of Chicago

www.earlychildhoodchicago.orgwww.earlychildhoodchicago.org -- Pre- -- Pre-K and Head Start programsK and Head Start programs

Child Care Resource and Referral Child Care Resource and Referral AgenciesAgencies


Local Head Start Collaborative Local Head Start Collaborative AgreementsAgreements

TrainingTraining Written Tools / ResourcesWritten Tools / Resources


Local Head Start Collaborative Local Head Start Collaborative Agreements (with grantee agencies)Agreements (with grantee agencies)

• Maximize participation of child-welfare Maximize participation of child-welfare involved children and families with involved children and families with Head Start programsHead Start programs

• Encourage collaboration between child Encourage collaboration between child welfare staff and early education staffwelfare staff and early education staff

• Support for caseworkers and Support for caseworkers and comprehensive services to familiescomprehensive services to families


TrainingTraining

o Workers in Regions / POS & DCFSWorkers in Regions / POS & DCFS

o Head Start Collaborative Agreement Head Start Collaborative Agreement TrainingTraining

o Strengthening Families Pilot SitesStrengthening Families Pilot Sites

o Foundation TrainingFoundation Training


Written Tools / Resources:Written Tools / Resources:

o Brochure for use with foster parents Brochure for use with foster parents “Our Kids Deserve A Fair Start: “Our Kids Deserve A Fair Start: Enroll them in a Quality Preschool Enroll them in a Quality Preschool Today!” – in English and SpanishToday!” – in English and Spanish

o 10 Great Reasons to Partner with 10 Great Reasons to Partner with Preschool StaffPreschool Staff

o Caseworker Guidance for Selecting Caseworker Guidance for Selecting an Early Learning Programan Early Learning Program


People Inside DCFSPeople Inside DCFS NIU Educational Advisors and Educational NIU Educational Advisors and Educational

Liaisons help to locate programsLiaisons help to locate programs DCFS Early Childhood Specialists help with DCFS Early Childhood Specialists help with

special needsspecial needsPeople Outside DCFS People Outside DCFS Child Care Resource and Referral AgenciesChild Care Resource and Referral Agencies

(Action for Children dedicated staff position pilot)(Action for Children dedicated staff position pilot) SFI pilot site hub coordinatorsSFI pilot site hub coordinators Head Start grantee agencyHead Start grantee agency

Supports Enrolling Children

Strategy B:

Strengthening Families Illinois

Early childhood and child welfare systems Early childhood and child welfare systems working together to prevent child abuse and working together to prevent child abuse and neglect by strengthening neglect by strengthening protective factorsprotective factors

7 States / RFP – National Model7 States / RFP – National Model DCFS Convener for IllinoisDCFS Convener for Illinois 25 + partners25 + partners 5 pilot sites involving 50 child care centers5 pilot sites involving 50 child care centers

Early Childhood & Child Welfare systems working together

Child care centers work with families to keep Child care centers work with families to keep children safe and healthychildren safe and healthy

Parental involvement (foster, biological, and Parental involvement (foster, biological, and adoptive parents)adoptive parents)

Child care centers better able to meet the needs Child care centers better able to meet the needs of children who have experienced trauma (and of children who have experienced trauma (and promote social and emotional well-being of all promote social and emotional well-being of all children)children)

Child welfare workers and child care center staff Child welfare workers and child care center staff intentionally work together to keep children safeintentionally work together to keep children safe

Protective Factors Research says if these are present, children Research says if these are present, children

are less vulnerable to child abuse and neglect are less vulnerable to child abuse and neglect (CAN):(CAN): Parental resilienceParental resilience Knowledge of parenting and child developmentKnowledge of parenting and child development Positive social connectionsPositive social connections Access to help in times of crisisAccess to help in times of crisis Children’s social and emotional well-beingChildren’s social and emotional well-being

Local learning networks of 50 child care Local learning networks of 50 child care centers incenters in Chicago / North LawndaleChicago / North Lawndale Southern Cook CountySouthern Cook County PeoriaPeoria Kane County / CarpentersvilleKane County / Carpentersville Southern Illinois – 11 counties Southern Illinois – 11 counties Evanston (To be added in FY 2007)Evanston (To be added in FY 2007)

Pilot sites

Partnership for Quality Child Care Partnership for Quality Child Care (Chicago)(Chicago)

Stephenson County / FreeportStephenson County / Freeport RockfordRockford Rock Island / Quad CitiesRock Island / Quad Cities

Additional Networks Forming

Lessons Learned

Importance of Importance of Education frame and languageEducation frame and language Top-down / bottom-up buy-in and Top-down / bottom-up buy-in and

responsibility within DCFS (staff team – responsibility within DCFS (staff team – cross-departmental, middle-management)cross-departmental, middle-management)

Engaging early childhood community Engaging early childhood community around their needs and interestsaround their needs and interests

Learning networks Learning networks

The Next Phase of Child Welfare Reform in Illinois: The Lifetime Approach.

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