CPS Placement

1
CPS Placement

• The Centralized Placement Concept

2
Centralized Placement Process Background

• Prior to 2004, the childs primary caseworker was
  ultimately responsible for securing emergency,
  initial and subsequent placements for children on
  their workload.
• Increasing challenges in the Texas foster care
  system necessitated change.

3
The Emergence of the Residential Treatment
Placement Coordinator

• Out of the Advancing Residential Childcare (ARC)
  Project came the development of the State Office
  Placement Team and the Residential Treatment
  Placement Coordinator (RTPC).
• 5 RTPCs began facilitating RTC placements
  statewide January 16, 2004.

4
The Function of the RTPC

• Single point of contact for the placement of
  children into RTC facilities
• Familiar with facility strengths and treatment
  models, to improve outcomes
• Identify residential treatment needs
• Facilitate the development of resources to meet
  residential treatment needs
• There are currently 9 RTPCs supervised by CPS
  State Office.

5
The Emergence of the Centralized Placement
Coordinator

• Due to the success of the RTPC model, the
  Centralized Placement (CP) Coordinator was
  developed to facilitate and expedite the
  placement of children in emergency shelters,
  foster homes, and basic childcare institutions.
• A Centralized Placement Unit (CPU) was
  established in each region, and by September 1,
  2005, all CPUs were operating.

6
The Function of the CP Coordinator

• Single point of contact for the placement of
  children into emergency shelters, foster homes,
  and basic childcare institutions
• Ensure children are placed in accordance with
  federal and state laws, licensing standards,
  contract requirements and CPS policy
• There are currently 45 CP Coordinators statewide
  supervised at the regional level.

7
The Placement Team

• Together, the RTPCs and the CP
  Coordinators form the backbone of the Placement
  Team.
• The RTPCs and CP Coordinators work together to
  minimize the number of placements experienced by
  children, place children in the least restrictive
  settings, and match children's needs to the most
  appropriate provider.

8
The Impact of the Placement Team

• From April 2004 to April 2006, the population of
  children in substitute care increased from 21,580
  to 28,429. This is a two-year population
  increase of 31.7.
• Despite the challenge of a significant population
  increase, the Placement Team has had positive
  outcomes in nearly every aspect of child
  placement.

9
Least Restrictive Most Home Like Setting

• The Placement Team has increased the number of
  children placed in the least restrictive most
  home like setting

10
Stabilizing Childrens Placements

• Federal case readings indicate an increase in
  placement stability from 77.67 in 2004 (Q2) to
  84.1 in 2006 (Q2).
• The Placement Team has decreased the overall
  number of placements experienced by children in
  foster care.

11
Closest Proximity

• Despite the challenge of a substitute care
  population increase of 31.7, the percentage of
  children placed within their own legal region has
  remained relative unchanged.
• 83.21 of children were placed within their legal
  region in April 2004, while 83.27 of children
  were placed within their legal region in April
  2006.

12
Improving Closest Proximity

• To increase the number of children placed within
  their legal region/county, the Department debuted
  a child placement vacancy database in December
  2005, which now enables RTPCs and CP
  Coordinators to search available placements by
  county in real time.

13
Children Ages 0 - 2

• The percentage of children ages 0 to 2 placed in
  an emergency shelter dropped from 1.71 in April
  2004 to 0.73 in April 2006.
• More children ages 0 to 2 are being placed in
  less restrictive foster home settings and
  relative placements.

14
Meeting the Needs of Tomorrow

• The Placement Team maintains data records on all
  placement attempts to determine regional
  placement needs.
• The Placement Team continues to work with local
  residential providers in developing foster care
  placements, which will meet the needs of the
  increasing population of children in care.