FOSTER CARE REVIEW INC
155 NW THIRD STREET SUITE 4338, MIAMI, FL 33128 www.fostercarereview.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: FOSTER CARE REVIEW, INC. D/B/A FLORIDA FOSTER CARE REVIEW (FFCR) ENGAGES COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS TO ADVANCE THE SAFETY, STABILITY AND SUCCESS OF CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE BY CONNECTING THEM TO ESSENTIAL SERVICES, SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND LIFELONG FAMILIES. FFCR'S CORE PROGRAM IS THE CITIZEN REVIEW PANEL (CRP) PROGRAM IN WHICH TRAINED VOLUNTEERS PERFORM LEGAL CASE REVIEWS OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS IN FOSTER CARE IN COORDINATION WITH FFCR'S PROGRAM STAFF. IN PREPARATION FOR EACH CASE REVIEW HEARING, FFCR'S REVIEW SPECIALISTS SPEND HOURS REVIEWING ALL DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE COURT, DEVELOPING AN OVERVIEW REPORT OF THE CHILD'S EXPERIENCE IN FOSTER CARE AND NOTING ANY RED FLAGS IN THE CHILD'S CASE. PRIOR TO THE START OF EACH HEARING, THE CRP'S VOLUNTEER PANEL MEMBERS REVIEW THIS REPORT AND DISCUSS POTENTIAL ISSUES, QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS WITH THE REVIEW SPECIALIST. DURING THE HEARING, PANEL MEMBERS INTERVIEW CASE PARTIES AND PARTICIPANTS CHILDREN, FOSTER PARENTS, GUARDIANS AD LITEM AND CASE MANAGERS IN ORDER TO GAIN AN ACCURATE ASSESSMENT OF THE CHILD'S NEEDS. THIS PROCESS IS MODERATED BY THE REVIEW SPECIALIST WHO ENSURES THAT ALL QUESTIONS ARE ASKED AND PROVIDES EXPERTISE AND GUIDANCE TO THE VOLUNTEER PANELISTS AS NEEDED.THE CRP MEMBERS INQUIRE ABOUT CRITICAL THERAPEUTIC, EDUCATIONAL, MEDICAL AND OTHER SERVICE NEEDS FOR THE CHILD AND FAMILY. THEY DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT FOSTER PARENTS ARE COMPLYING WITH ALL REQUIREMENTS AND TREATING THEIR FOSTER CHILDREN AS 'NORMAL' CHILDREN. THEY EVALUATE WHETHER OLDER YOUTH ARE BEING TAUGHT INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS AND, FOR THOSE WHO WILL TURN 18 AND 'AGE OUT' OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM, THE PANEL REQUIRES PROOF THAT SUFFICIENT PRE-PLANNING FOR THE YOUTH'S FUTURE HAS OCCURRED. FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE WAITING FOR AN ADOPTIVE FAMILY, CRP MEMBERS INQUIRE AS TO THE SPECIFIC STEPS BEING TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT AN APPROPRIATE ADOPTIVE FAMILY IS IDENTIFIED AND THAT THE ADOPTION IS BEING FINALIZED IN A TIMELY MANNER. AT THE CONCLUSION OF EACH HEARING, THE PARTIES ARE EXCUSED AND THE CRP MEMBERS DISCUSS THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED. THEY THEN ISSUE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDED COURT ORDERS THAT PROMOTE THE CHILD'S SAFETY, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AND ATTAINMENT OF A PERMANENT HOME. THE REVIEW SPECIALISTS THEN SPEND SEVERAL HOURS GENERATING A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT CONTAINING THE CASE OVERVIEW, A SUMMARY OF ANY NEW INFORMATION PERTINENT TO THE CASE AND THE PANEL'S FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. THE REPORT IS SUBMITTED TO THE PRESIDING JUDGE AND, UPON JUDICIAL APPROVAL AND SIGNATURE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS BECOME BINDING COURT ORDERS WITH WHICH THE FOSTER CARE AGENCIES MUST COMPLY.CASE REVIEW HEARINGS BEFORE THE CRP TYPICALLY TAKE PLACE EVERY FIVE TO SIX MONTHS, AFFORDING THE PANELS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW CASE MANAGER COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR ORDERS FROM PREVIOUS REVIEWS BEFORE THE CRP. WHEN URGENT ISSUES ARISE, IN ADDITION TO RECOMMENDED ORDERS IN THE WRITTEN REPORT, THE REVIEW SPECIALISTS DIRECTLY CONTACT THE CASE MANAGEMENT AGENCY FOR RESOLUTION OR SET THE CASE DIRECTLY BEFORE THE JUDGE IF IT IS A MATTER REQUIRING JUDICIAL ATTENTION OR DECISION MAKING.IN FY 2019-20 (JULY 1, 2019 JUNE 30, 2020), FFCR'S CITIZEN REVIEW PANEL (CRP) PROGRAM'S 70 ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED OVER 2844 HOURS CONDUCTING 507 REVIEWS OF 300 CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS IN FOSTER CARE. THE CRP'S REVIEWS IDENTIFIED JUST OVER 2,600 UNMET NEEDS RELATED TO THE SAFETY, PERMANENCY AND WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN MIAMI'S FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. FFCR PROVIDED 137.5 HOURS OF TRAINING TO FFCR VOLUNTEERS, CASE MANAGERS, GALS, ATTORNEYS, AND OTHER CHILD WELFARE STAKEHOLDERS. IN ADDITION TO SERVING INDIVIDUAL YOUTH, IMPLEMENTING THE CRP PROGRAM HAS ALSO SHED LIGHT ON SYSTEMIC BARRIERS TO SUCCESSFUL LIFE OUTCOMES FOR FOSTER CHILDREN. OBSERVING THAT MANY YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE WERE STILL AGING OUT OF THE SYSTEM WITH NO PERMANENT FAMILY, FFCR DECIDED TO TACKLE THE ISSUE MORE DIRECTLY AND LAUNCHED THE PERMANENCY ROUNDTABLE (PRT) PROGRAM IN JULY 2014. EMPLOYING A MODEL DEVELOPED AND DISSEMINATED BY CASEY FAMILY PROGRAMS, FFCR'S PRT PROGRAM STAFF CONVENE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS AND FACILITATE A STRUCTURED PROCESS FOCUSED ON CREATING LEGAL PERMANENCY FOR YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE. THE PRT PROGRAM TYPICALLY SERVES OLDER YOUTH WHO HAVE BEEN IN FOSTER CARE FOR AN AVERAGE OF FIVE YEARS.AT EACH INITIAL TWO-HOUR PRT, FOUR TO SIX PROFESSIONALS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS EXAMINE THE YOUTH'S SITUATION, IDENTIFY CHALLENGES AND RESOURCES AND BRAINSTORM SOLUTIONS. EACH PRT TEAM TYPICALLY INCLUDES A TRAINED INDEPENDENT FACILITATOR (FFCR STAFF), A SCRIBE, OFTEN THE YOUTH'S CURRENT AND SOMETIMES FORMER CASEWORKER(S), RELEVANT SUPERVISORS, PROFESSIONALS FROM COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND A MASTER PRACTITIONER IN THE FIELD. THE TEAM DEVELOPS A STRATEGIC PERMANENCY ACTION PLAN AND EACH TEAM MEMBER AGREES TO COMPLETE SPECIFIC TASKS. AT MONTHLY FOLLOW-UP PRT SESSIONS, THE TEAM UPDATES AND REVISES THE PLAN. THE FOLLOW-UPS CONTINUE UNTIL PERMANENCY IS ACHIEVED OR THE YOUTH AGES OUT OF FOSTER CARE.BY JUNE 30, 2020, FFCR'S PRT PROGRAM HAD SERVED A TOTAL OF 249 YOUTH SINCE THE PROGRAM'S INCEPTION IN MID-2014. BETWEEN JULY 1, 2019 AND JUNE 30, 2020, THE PRT PROGRAM SERVED 142 CHILDREN AND YOUTH AND CONDUCTED A TOTAL OF 1164 PRT SESSIONS. A TOTAL OF 31 YOUTH HAVE BEEN SERVED THROUGH THE YOUTH CENTERED ROUNDTABLE COMPONENT OF THE PROGRAM, WHICH WAS ADDED TO THE PRT PROGRAM'S SERVICE ARRAY IN 2016. OF THE 38 YOUTH WHO EXITED THE PROGRAM BETWEEN JULY 1, 2019 AND JUNE 30, 2020, 84% ACHIEVED LEGAL PERMANENCY (23) OR A PERMANENT CONNECTION (9). THESE ARE OUTSTANDING RESULTS CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT MANY OF THESE YOUTH WERE ON TRACK TO "AGE OUT" OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM UPON TURNING 18, WITHOUT A FAMILY OR SUPPORTIVE ADULT TO HELP GUIDE THEM THROUGH YOUNG ADULTHOOD AND BEYOND.

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