Statewide Quality Assurance Report

Florida Department of Children and FamiliesCase Management Services - 2009-2010 Quality Assurance ReportValentina were particularly helpful to them. The youth expressed the need for more mentors toassist them, more job opportunities for transitioning foster youth, and more support for youthwhen they are turning age 23 to help them make a successful transition from the Road toIndependence program.Conclusion: The youth greatly appreciated having their concerns heard at the roundtable. Theyouth also greatly hope that actions will be taken to address their concerns.Some youth have been involved in the Miami Chapter of Florida Youth SHINE. A few yearsago, youth in the Miami Youth SHINE chapter worked together to produce a writtenpresentation, “Seeing Through Our Eyes: Foster Youth Share Our Voices, Our Experiences, andOur Solutions.” Many of the same concerns were raised by other youth at the roundtable. Theyouth involved in Youth SHINE expressed that they want to work together with the foster caresystem to resolve the concerns and to put in place solutions that will improve the system forthemselves and their peersV. Florida’s Performance with Federal Safety, Permanency and Child Well-BeingRequirementsFlorida’s quality assurance system is the state level process for assessing child welfarepractice. At the federal level, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) assesses thequality of practice through the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) process.The CFSRassesses the performance of State child welfare agencies with regard to achieving positiveoutcomes for children and families. The CFSR is authorized by the Social Security Amendments of1994 requiring the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations forreviews of State child and family services programs under titles IV-B and IV-E of the Social SecurityAct. Florida’s case management child welfare Quality of Practice Standards closely align with thefederal measures in the CFSR protocol, but are tailored to Florida’s child welfare system. Eachstandard is linked to a practice rating within the three CFSR domains: Safety, Permanency andWell-Being. These three domains include the following seven outcomes.• Safety 1: Children are, first and foremost, protected from abuse and neglect• Safety 2: Children are safely maintained in their homes whenever possible and appropriate• Permanency 1: Children have permanency and stability in their living situations• Permanency 2: The continuity of family relationships and connections is preserved forchildrenOffice of Family Safety | Page 51