Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare Report to the Community January 13, 2006

1. Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare Report to the Community January 13, 2006 Jan. – Dec. 2005 Progress summary of 2005 • Safety • Permanence • Well-Being January 13, 2006

2. 20012002 2003 2004 2005 Reunification 854 1110 907 (15.9%) 704 (14.7%) 677 (15.6%) Guardianship 246 371324 ( 5.7%) 198 ( 4.1%) 232 ( 5.4%) Adoption 265 504 584 (10.3%) 560 (11.7%) 373 ( 8.6%) Subsidized Guardianship 101 ( 2.3%) Permanency Counselor: Voluntary TPR 125* *The number of children who achieved permanency through the Permanency Counselor program are counted in the number of adoptions. In 2005, 31.9% of the children who had an out-of-home placement achieved permanency compared to 30.5% in 2004. The rate of reunification and guardianship has remained consistent since 2003. Although the number of adoptions has decreased there is increased efficacy in the timeliness of adoptions within 24 months (Percentages are based on total number of children in out-of-home care.) Permanence Permanency Achieved for Children During 2005A comparison to 2004

3. Safety Referrals to Ongoing Services and Safety Services 1999 to 2005 Safety Services safely maintains children in their homes • Families transferred to Ongoing Services and Safety Services OngoingSafety ServicesRatio: Ongoing to Safety 1999 1036 1392 1 to 1.3 2000 689 1326 1 to 1.9 2001 632 1296 1 to 2.1 2002 567 1245 1 to 2.2 2003 508 1202 1 to 2.4 2004 584 1036 1 to 1.8 2005 566 841 1 to 1.5 The Safety Service program has safely diverted a significant number of families from entering the Ongoing program every year since it began. Prior to the advent of Safety Services in 1998, families were transferred to Ongoing Services. • Since 1999 the data indicates that, overall, for every family referred to Ongoing nearly 2 were referred to Safety Services.

4. Comparison of Families Entering/Exiting Ongoing Services1999 to 2005 • Families entering and exiting Ongoing Services • Year Families enteringFamilies exitingRatio: entering to exiting • 1999 1036 788 1 to .8 • 689 914 1 to 1.3 • 2001 632 830 1 to 1.3 • 2002 567 1120 1 to 2.0 • 2003 508 938 1 to 1.8 • 2004 584 721 1 to 1.2 • 2005 566 647 1 to 1.1 • Both the number of families entering and exiting Ongoing services has declined since 2002 . • Since 2002, the ratio of families entering and exiting Ongoing services has gradually achieved equilibrium; in 2005, for every 1 family that entered Ongoing services, 1 family exited.

5. Children in Out of Home Care 2001 to 2005 The data suggest that the rapid downward trend in children placed in out-of-home care first reported in 2002, may have reached a 3-year plateau as indicated by the slower rate that children left out-of-home care between 2003 through 2005.

6. Summary The areas highlighted in this report cover critical milestones in child welfare; achieving permanency, and ensuring the safety of children in their homes whenever possible. The information provided indicates a common trend across the various data sets presented; the current status of these milestones may be the net effect of the permanency and safety strategies implemented by BMCW since 1998. These strategies include but are not limited to: • Partnership with the private agencies who provide ongoing, safety, licensing and adoption services • Partnership with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Child Welfare training • Partnership with the Children’s Court Center; implementation of the Permanency Plan Review Court • Partnership with the Assistant District Attorney’s office to increase the number of TPR attorneys • A Permanency Counselor at Children’s Court Center who facilitates voluntary TPRs • Implementation of Safety Services and the diversion of families from Ongoing Case Management • Implementation of Family Intervention Support and Services (FISS) and the diversion of families with adolescents from Ongoing services • Coordinated Services Team meetings, enhancing parent participation in case planning and including the inclusion of foster parents and adoption staff at the meetings • Enhanced service provider networks, increasing the number of services available to parents • Child Abuse Review Team: Multi-Disciplinary Team Staffing and the Child Fatality Review Panels • Child Protective Center’s initial screening and forensic interviews • Subsidized Guardianship Waivers • Mobile Urgent Treatment Team for Foster Families (MUTT-FF) providing support to foster families • Assessment Homes, Centers and Placement Stabilization Centers

7. BUREAU OF MILWAUKEE CHILD WELFARE