Empathy Map: Children Lost in Management of the DCF ecosystem.
Notes from: Taking (Case)AIM at Improving Foster Care March 21, 2019
It is hard to undue negative experiences children face. These is also a lot of stress put on the systems that support the child welfare workforce. Six percent of children in Florida end up in the system. A 2016 DCF report showed that three quarters of Florida protective investigators sought new employment after just two years of placement. This offers the Florida DCF a culture of unstructured and inexperienced workers. Florida has also seen the fastest rates of out-of-home-care. DCF, however, attributes this to the decline in discharges.The Children’s Home Society (CHS) of Florida, the state’s largest provider of foster care, believes that a $2.3 million dollar investment from the legislature to improve their management system can help improve the ecosystem.
“According to Sam Bell, a CHS board member, children managed under CaseAIM, their Microsoft management software, spent 100 fewer days in foster care. Sixty-one percent of CaseAIM children were returned home or adopted by stable families within 12 months, compared to 45 percent not under the system.”
The management systems have led to an improved work environment, retention, and morale.
“Additional state money for CaseAIM, perhaps with an accompanying plan to see if it could work throughout Florida, seems like a reasonable investment for these children.”
