Governor Gregoire Announces �Remarkable Strides� to Improve Child Safety and Well-Being

For Immediate Release: January 26, 2007

OLYMPIA � Governor Chris Gregoire today announced that the US Department of Health and Human Services has recognized the Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) for �remarkable strides� over the past two years to improve child safety and the overall living conditions and well-being of children in state care.

�I began my career as a caseworker and the prevention of child abuse and neglect has always been one of my highest priorities,� said Governor Gregoire. �Our children deserve nothing less and I am proud of the way DSHS has risen to the challenge and instituted system-wide changes to protect children.�

In a letter to DSHS, Dr. Susan Orr of the Department of Health and Human Services said, �The Children�s Administration has made remarkable strides in the past two years to implement policy, practice and systems change strategies which have resulted in measurable improvements in the safety, permanency and well-being of children.�

�Children�s services deep commitment to improve child welfare is evident through the many hours that staff and families dedicated to successfully complete the program improvement plan,� said Robin Arnold-Williams, DSHS Secretary.

The improvements made by the DSHS Children�s Administration (CA) were in response to the federally mandated �Child and Family Services Program Improvement Plan.�

�We could not have completed this without the day-in and day-out dedication of social workers, supervisors, support staff, foster parents, relative caregivers and others across the state,� said Cheryl Stephani, Assistant Secretary for the Children�s Administration.

Major accomplishments for Washington children:

• Respond to allegations of abuse or neglect within 24 to 72 hours, depending on the severity of the situation. The quicker response times were mandated by Governor Gregoire and have resulted in a 25 percent reduction in the number of repeat child abuse cases.
  
• Make monthly visits to children receiving services from the Children�s Administration.
  
• Conduct Family Team Decision Meetings that engage parents, foster parents, friends, relatives, and, when appropriate, the children in making plans to keep children safe.
  
• Redesign the investigative and case management roles to get families into services more quickly.
  
• Develop ways to more efficiently find relative caregivers and work with them more effectively.
  
• Develop polices to better engage fathers and absent parents in their children�s lives.
  
• Better track kids� health care and education achievements.
  
• Establish chemical dependency counselors in local children�s services offices.
  
• Introduce practices that engage the entire family in changing behaviors and solving problems.

�We applaud Washington for their continuous quality improvement efforts and the hard work and dedication of all staff as well as community stakeholders to implement changes and improvements in the child welfare program and practice over the past two years,� said Orr, in her letter.

###