NYC-WTC_000195490

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

I

Foster Care

ACS provides foster care services through contracted (voluntary) agencies or through ACS directly run programs. Placements in foster boarding homes, congregate settings, or specialized residential care facilities are isible for provided on a temporary basis until children can be reunified with their families. If reunification is not an option, omes, or children receive services that will lead to adoption or development of independent living skills. ximately 2002. The Special Child Welfare Advisory Panel, consisting of nationally respected experts in child welfare, issued a report in December of calendar year 2000 praising ACS for its “remarkable progress” in reforming the child lur Child welfare system in New York City. The panel commended ACS for the decrease in the number of children placed t service in foster care between 1998 and 2000. The foster care caseload is now at its lowest point since 1998, with 31,009 emented children in foster care as of November 2000. This is a 25% decrease from November 1997, when there were I goal of 40,863 children in foster care. Fewer removals, reunification of children with their families and a record number of adoptions over the past five years have contributed to the decrease in the foster care population.

the new ACS continues its initiatives to enhance foster care service delivery as/outlined in the 1996 Reform Plan. lent and Neighborhood-based provider networks, reinvestment in services through the STAR Program and comprehensive iigned:to evaluation of provider performance will promote improved permanency outcomes for children removed from their homes. The Agency has launched a foster parent recruitment drive with the goal of recruiting an additional 3,500 foster parents from all income levels. The Office of Parent Recruitment and Expedited Permanency (PREP) was established to oversee foster and adoptive home recruitment. The goals of PREP are to build upon neighborhood-based services by recruiting foster parents in high need communities, recruiting homes for children i variety ; with special needs, increasing the proportion of working foster families and better retaining both the current and the time ' newly-recruited foster families. ervatipn »ilitatlon slots is ! AVERAGE FOSTER CARE CASELOAD: 1991-2001 ies/with 60 smaking id youth H Direct Care _ 50 —!-- ■ Contract Care merit of

iiiiiiiima , and the 40 (ventive igencies ; 4 30

10

0 1991 lllllllllll * Projected 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Note: Beginning in 1996jhe number of children in contract care is calculated using number of care-days rather than reported census. 2000 2001*

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