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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20241485.tiffMariah Higgins From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Attachments: Follow Up Flag: Flag Status: Hi Mariah, Windy Luna Wednesday, May 22, 2024 2:45 PM CTB HS -Contract Management COMMUNICATION ITEM: 2024-26 Diligent Recruitment Plan 2024-2026 Diligent Recruitment Plan (f).pdf; Submission 052224.pdf Follow up Flagged Through operational memo: OM-CW-2022-0011, the Colorado Office of Children, Youth & Families (OCYF) requested all county departments of human/social services to complete a two year diligent recruitment plan. The plan is effective from June 1, 2024 through June 1, 2026. The attached plan outlines the Department's recruitment efforts, community partners, and data collection process. The plan does not require formal board approval and is not associated with any Tyler ID or CMS number. The plan was submitted to the state by the Division of Child welfare today, Wednesday, May 28th Thank you, Windy Luna Contract Administrative Coordinator Weld County Dept. of Human Services 315 N. 11th Ave., Bldg A PO Box A Greeley, CO 80632 (970) 400-6544 wluna@weld.gov Confidentiality Notice: This electronic transmission and any attached documents or other writings are intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify sender by return e-mail and destroy the communication. Any disclosure, copying, distribution or the taking of any action concerning the contents of this communication or any attachments by anyone other than the named recipient is strictly prohibited. cotes frwn , co.-KooS a6/to%2y 2024-1485 HRooQb From: Kristy DeAnda To: Windy Luna; HS -Contract Management Subject: FW: Diligent Recruitment Plan Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2024 1:44:19 PM Attachments: 2024-2026 Diligent Recruitment Plan (fl.dooc imaae001.png imaae003.onq lmage005.ong I had already just submitted. See below. Kristy DeAnda Human Services Foster Care Recruiter Weld County Department of Human Services 822 7th St Suile 150, Greeley, CO 970-400-6849 State Child Abuse Hotline 1-844-CO-4Kids (1-844-264-5437) Subscribe to our Foster Care Newsletter! Confidentiality Notice: This electronic transmission and any attached documents or other writings are intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify sender by return e-mail and destroy the communication. Any disclosure, copying, distribution or the taking of any action concerning the contents of this communication or any attachments by anyone other than the named recipient is strictly prohibited. Vision: The people of Weld County are connected to the resources needed to thrive in the community and feel safe and empowered. Mission: Engaging and partnering with the community to improve the safety, health and well- being of individuals and families through the delivery of responsive and collaborative services. From: Kristy DeAnda Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2024 1:43 PM To: Vida Hejazi <vida.hejazi@state.co.us> Cc: Julie Rudley <jrudley@weld.gov> Subject: Diligent Recruitment Plan Hi Vida, Here is our DRP. Thank you! Kristy DeAnda Human Services Foster Care Recruiter Weld County Department of Human Services 822 7th St Suite 150, Greeley, CO 970-400-6849 State Child Abuse Hotline 1-844-CO-4Kids (1-844-264-5437) Subscribe to our Foster Care Newsletter! Confidentiality Notice: This electronic transmission and any attached documents or other writings are intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify sender by return e-mail and destroy the communication. Any disclosure, copying, distribution or the taking of any action concerning the contents of this communication or any attachments by anyone other than the named recipient is strictly prohibited. Vision: The people of Weld County are connected to the resources needed to thrive in the community and feel safe and empowered. Mission: Engaging and partnering with the community to improve the safety, health and well- being of individuals and families through the delivery of responsive and collaborative services. Colorado Diligent Recruitment Plan COLORADO Office ,f Children; Youth b Families; Dmaion of Ch. Welfare County Department/Child Placement Agency (CPA) Plan Template County Department or Child Placement Agency Name: Effective Date: June 1, 2024, through June 1, 2026 The Colorado Division of Child Welfare has the following core beliefs regarding diligent recruitment and retention of foster care, kinship foster care, and adoptive parents: We prohibit discrimination or harassment because of race, ethnicity, culture, ancestry, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, gender expression, or any other legally protected characteristic. We strive to be equitable, diverse, and inclusive in our partnerships, collaborations, and practice. We value all prospective, current, and former foster care, kinship foster care, adoptive parents, and non -certified kinship families. We value the belief that retention of foster care, kinship foster care, adoptive parents, and non -certified kinship caregivers is a customer service -based activity that begins at the first contact with a prospective family and continues through post - permanency support. We value opportunities for support, engagement, and training of foster care, kinship foster care, adoptive parents, and non -certified kinship caregivers. We value opportunities to increase Colorado's capacity to track and interpret data. We value the use of data in the recruitment and retention of foster care, kinship foster care, and adoptive parents. As set out by the statewide Diligent Recruitment Plan, the State of Colorado identifies the following goals for diligent recruitment and retention throughout the child welfare system: 1) Recruit and maintain a sufficient pool of diverse families, including but not limited to culture, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE), language, and experience diverse families who can provide ongoing safety for and meet the needs of children and youth served by the foster care program. 2) State, counties, and licensed Colorado child placement agencies have the capacity and ability to use data to inform and monitor diligent recruitment and retention efforts throughout Colorado. 3) Excellent customer service provided to prospective, current, and former foster care, kinship foster care, and adoptive families. , CO 60203 P 005,, $ > n, County Department/Child Placement Agency Diligent Recruitment Plan 2 4) Excellent customer service provided to internal and external community partners. 5) Create and implement dedicated and planned respite opportunities to allow foster and kinship foster parents to recharge at critical times, in turn supporting their ability to provide the highest quality care possible to the children/youth in their care. Respite regularly will be especially critical for foster parents serving youth transitioning from congregate care settings. 6) Develop therapeutic and treatment foster care programs. 7) Identify short-term placement options for children/youth including youth who are screened out from detention settings. 8) Collaborating with the biological family, judicial partners, and other professionals regarding the planning and decision -making pertaining to the placement. 9) Providing additional training and support to therapeutic, treatment, foster, and kinship foster care families. Colorado is a diverse state, with 64 county departments and over 35 licensed child placement agencies. Each agency has unique strengths, needs, resources, and cultures. In recognizing and valuing the need for localization of diligent recruitment and retention efforts, each county department and child placement agency will submit a plan for the diligent recruitment and retention of foster care, kinship foster care, and adoptive parents to meet the needs of the children and youth in their care. By design, each plan will be different and will be based on the expertise of the communities it aims to serve. Child placement agencies are required to complete this template, in partnership with the counties they serve, to develop their Diligent Recruitment Plan. County departments and child placement agencies will receive their data by February 29, 2024, from the Foster Care and Adoption Recruitment and Retention Specialist at the Division of Child Welfare to support them in the completion of their plans. If a county department and/or child placement agency has questions about completing the Diligent Recruitment Plan, the Foster Care and Adoption Recruitment and Retention Specialist (see contact) is available to assist. The Diligent Recruitment Plan for all county departments and child placement agencies must be submitted to the Division of Child Welfare by June 1, 2024. County departments are asked to provide their plans and/or data to each child placement agency they partner with by April 1, 2024. If a child placement agency has not received the county department's Diligent Recruitment Plan and/or data by April 1, 2024, and would like to review it, the agency should request the plan and data from the county department. If no response is received, please contact the Foster Care and Adoption Recruitment and Retention Specialist for assistance along with permission from the county department to share the data with the child placement agency. All plans will be effective from June 1, 2024, through June 1, 2026. The Foster Care and Adoption Recruitment and Retention Specialist will review the completed plan and is ,575 Sherman street. Denver. CO 80203 P 303.666-5700 +vww.cotorado.gc r!CDNS larod Potts. Governor. kbcnette Barnes. Exenutrve A+restar County Department/Child Placement Agency Diligent Recruitment Plan 3 available for technical assistance to support the county department or child placement agency in the development and implementation of the plan. Note: If the county department does not have a foster care program please answer only the following questions 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, and 11. County departments and child placement agencies are encouraged to review and use the following resources: • Family First Act Supplement to the Diligent Recruitment Navigator Here • Developing Recruitment Plans, A Toolkit for States and Tribes Here Recruitment Strategies and Tools Here How some child protection agencies successfully recruited and retained resource families Here All Children - All Families: Online Learning Archive Webinar Series o Multiple Archive Webinars including, Recruitment and Retention and Experiences of Foster parents identifying as LGBTQIA+, working with youth identifying as LGBTQIA+, etc. Here • Child Welfare Information Gateway o Supporting Children and Youth of Color in Foster Care Here • ROM Reports: Racial Disproportionality and Disparity o Disproportionality in Foster Care o Disparity in Foster Care • Child Welfare Information Gateway o Diligent Recruitment Here County departments and child placement agencies may use addendums as needed to support their agency's Diligent Recruitment and Retention Plan. Please do not alter or delete portions of this form. Contact: river. Co 80203 P 303,eoo.5700 www.ca4Arado.goy/COit5 Jarad Pot, Mm[r,atSe Bsmrs. Ex•cutt. € srector County Department/Child Placement Agency Diligent Recruitment Plan 4 Vida Hejazi, MSW Foster Care and Adoption Recruitment and Retention Specialist, vida.heiazi@state.co.us (C) 303-918-4163 Mary Griffin, MSW Administrator for Foster Care and Relative Guardianship Assistance, marv.Qriffin@state.co.us (C) 303-396-3979 1575 Sherman Street, Denver, CO 60203 P 303.666..5700 www.colwado.Qov/CD}rs amid Poles. Game* r Michele Barnes, Enecuttee Draftier County Department/Child Placement Agency Diligent Recruitment Plan 5 Part 1: Information Gathering The Multi -Ethnic Placement Act (MEPA) has the following requirements: https://www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress/house-bill/4181 /text Codes/References: Title IV -E of the Social Security Act Section 471(a)(18)(A) Et (B); 45 CFR Part 1355.38(a)(2); and Multi -Ethnic Placement Act of 1994 as amended by the Inter -Ethnic Adoption Provisions of 1996 (MEPA-IEPA) Prohibits State agencies and other entities that receive Federal funding and were involved in foster care or adoption placements from delaying, denying, or otherwise discriminating when making a foster care or adoption placement decision on the basis of the parent's, child's or youth's race, color, or national origin Prohibits State agencies and other entities that receive Federal funds and were involved in foster care or adoption placements from categorically denying any person the opportunity to become a foster or adoptive parent solely on the basis of race, color, or national origin of the parent, child or youth Requires States to develop plans for the recruitment of foster and adoptive families that reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of the child/youth in the State for whom families are needed Allows an agency or entity to consider the cultural, ethnic, or racial background of a child/youth and the capacity of a foster or adoptive parent to meet the needs of a child/youth with that background when making a placement Does not affect the provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 and as amended Makes failure to comply with MEPA a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act All the county departments and child placement agencies are expected to have a non- discrimination policy or statement for caregivers, preventing them from discrimination towards the child(ren)/youth in their care. Alleged MEPA violations are investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. In addition, refer to Section 19-1-130, C.R.S. 1) [COUNTY DEPARTMENT ONLY] If your county department does not have a foster care program and partners with a child placement agency and/or contractor for recruitment and retention services, has their non-discrimination policy or statement been reviewed to ensure it aligns with MEPA and the statute referenced above? If so, when was the most recent review of the recruiting agency's policy? Please provide verification of the review. • N/A 2) Please provide the contact information for your recruitment and retention staff/child placement agency partner/contractor. Include their name, telephone number, email, and address. 1575 Sherman Street, Denver, CO 80203 P 303.866,5700 www.coiorada.govICt*+S JumO Pacts, Governor P M,nPue Bames, Executive Director County Department/Child Placement Agency Diligent Recruitment Plan 6 Office Address 2) Telephone (including zip code) Number(s) 3) Recruiter Name(s) 4) Hours of Service (M -F) 822 7th St., Suite 970-400-6849 Kristy DeAnda 8:30am-5pm M -F & 150 as needed Greeley, CO 3) Please outline the pre -service and ongoing training provided to prospective foster, kinship foster, and adoptive parents. Distinguish between the pre -service and ongoing training, that increases knowledge and understanding of diversity, including those identifying as LGBTQIA2S+. Outline training provided to county department or child placement agency staff that increases knowledge and understanding of diversity as well, including those identifying as LGBTQIA2S+. Weld County trains foster families during our pre -certification training for fostering diverse populations. The new National Training and Development Curriculum (NTDC) foster care pre - service curriculum, which Weld County uses to train foster and kinship families, has three modules dedicated to cultural competency and diversity. We also partner with outside providers, professionals, and organizations for ongoing training opportunities for both foster parents and workers. (Ex. Shari Simmons, Foster Source, etc.) Beginning with Therapeutic foster families, our foster families will be required to attend Cultural lnclusivity for Caregivers: Understanding and Expanding Your Role -Foster Parent Ongoing Education. Virtual seminar, 4 hours, for resource caregivers. Description: Learn to distinguish between the concepts of race, culture, ethnicity, and nationality. Description of elements below: o Look at how differences in cultural beliefs and values can lead to misconceptions about others. Use new knowledge to inform your own perspectives about those who are different from you. o Get support as you explore personal biases and how to minimize their impact on the kids in your care. Foster families will leave this course with greater confidence to start incorporating a child's or youth's culture into your caregiving to promote 1S75 Sherman Street. Denver. CO !"10203 P 303.1.66.5700 www.cotorado.sov/CDH5 Jarod Pen, Governor t Mtchetle Barnet, Executive Director County Department/Child Placement Agency Diligent Recruitment Plan 7 their development and positive self-esteem and to help them adjust in their foster home and community. 4) How long does it take for a potential foster care, kinship foster care, or adoptive parent to become certified through your county department or child placement agency? • Four (4) to six (6) months. 5) What non-discriminatory fee structures are in place to support applicants in becoming certified through your county department or child placement agency to recruit more diverse foster care and kinship foster care parents (i.e., free CPR Et First Aid training, gas cards, resource/clothing closet, etc.). Weld County offers Foster Care Orientation twice a month as the first step to support applicants in becoming certified. One meeting per month is offered as a virtual meeting, and one meeting per month takes place in a rotating physical location (Greeley, Firestone, and Windsor). Once a prospect has attended our Orientation and pre-screening application process, they are contacted by Foster Care Coordinator who will walk them through the application, training, and certification process. Home studies are completed by contracted Home Study Providers who schedule appointments based on the prospective foster family's availability. Weld County has a Home Study Lead that ensures that home studies are meeting high standards and done in a timely manner. Home studies begin during the eight - week (8) training period. There is no application fee. We cover training and certification fees, including the cost of background checks and First Aid & CPR. Families may cover medical release if there is a co -pay involved. Families are referred to CPA's or adoption agencies when they have indicated that they are not willing to foster regardless of a child or sibling group's legal status, and are only interested in adoption. We cover our expectations for certifying families during orientation and discuss how foster care adoption works. 6) Describe your county department's or child placement agency's current process for data collection regarding recruitment and retention activities (for example, how did you hear about us, have you seen our advertisements at any of the following places, etc.)? • How has this process met the needs of your county department or child placement agency? ,575 Sherman Street. Denver. co 80203 P 303.846.5x00 wwvw.notorado. /CDHs brad Paw. Berner, Exenut we Director County Department/Child Placement Agency Diligent Recruitment Plan 8 • Does your county department or child placement agency track the number of inquiries it receives? • Does your county department or child placement agency track the final outcome (for example, how many of the individuals that inquired completed the application, and how many were certified) On our Orientation registration form Weld County conducts a survey to gather information about how people hear about the program. Data on foster and kinship families is gathered through the application process in Binti and during the home study. Accessed through Binti. Characteristics of foster families and children needing placement are entered into Binti. During the placement search, staff view matching families in Binti. The families are automatically selected in Binti based on matching criteria built into the system, including proximity of the foster family home to the child's removal location and school, ethnicity and cultural considerations and characteristics of the foster parents and the child. Data on the number of families entering foster care via our certification process and exiting foster care is maintained on a spreadsheet. Internal Data is accessed through Trails for families/resources, removal locations, languages of children, and challenges to placement. CDHS gathers data for us in preparation for this Diligent Recruitment planning, such as ages at removal, children's race/ethnicity, placement type. We use data collected to prioritize goals and inform our recruitment practices. This data is used to help us understand our gaps in resources and the needs of children in out -of -home placement. We partner with CHAMPS and conduct an annual survey of our foster families. An exit survey is administered to closing foster families. 7) Do you need support from the Foster Care and Adoption Recruitment and Retention Specialist regarding data collection? If so, please outline what would be helpful. • No 8) Describe the community partnerships your agency has and how they support your recruitment and retention efforts. • For the City, Christ Community Church, and Zoe's Caf� & Events allow Weld County use of their facilities for trainings. Donations are collected toward foster care recruitment/retention events and activities and support and funding of KindConnect item donation program. ,575 Sherman Street. Denver. CO 80203 P103.866.5700 vrww.colorado.gov/CDf5 Jared PWrs, Governor ! MtGPwo, Bamet, Executive Director County Department/Child Placement Agency Diligent Recruitment Plan 9 Hispanic Women of Weld County offers opportunities to interact with families at Dia Del Ninos for recruitment, recruitment presentation at member meetings, and inclusion of foster care information in newsletter. Vineyard Church allows use of their facility for training. They are a partner for recruitment & retention efforts. Greeley Interfaith shares foster care recruitment social media posts. Greeley/Evans District 6 Schools support recruitment at Back -to -School events, in newsletters, social media. Arc of Weld County shares foster care recruitment social media posts. NoCo Indian Powwow Association allows for foster care recruitment and materials at their event. Foster Source provides ongoing training opportunities and help with retention efforts. City Lights Church offers respite events, recruitment support and is a KindConnect partner. Timberline Windsor is a KindConnect partner, and offers recruitment support, offers the Hope for the Journey TBRI conference. Weld County Faith Partnership Council (WCFPC) conducts monthly meetings with WCFPC members to talk about needs and goals for WC Foster Care. They provide space in their Newsletter for recruitment and retention efforts, hold a breakfast during foster care month for community awareness, and provide overall Foster Friendly efforts. Various Churches/Congregations/business groups/individuals provide gift and food donations for children and families for holidays, backpacks for school, facility use, sharing social media posts and recruiting volunteers for recruitment and retention efforts. Colorado Kids Belong shares social media posts for recruitment, offers resources for respite events and faith community involvement. They are contracted to facilitate pre -certification training for families, and support Foster Friendly initiatives in Weld County. Realities for Children provides emergency funding, gives occasional donations to help with events, and provides KindConnect items sharing program for Weld County. Toys for Tots and Serve 6.8 support the holiday Adopt -a -Family and Giving Tree, and offer food, clothing, and material needs for foster and kinship families. Royal Family Kids Camp provides camp and other activities for children in foster care. 1575 Sherman Street. Denver. CO 80203 P 303.866.5700 www.cotm do,RoviCDFi5 Ja :C Potts. Governor t Michelle Barnes, E:ecutrve [hrecter County Department/Child Placement Agency Diligent Recruitment Plan 10 Finally Home Foundation provides family strengthening events and support for foster families, kin, adoptive families. Bridge the Gap provides collaboration, information sharing and networking opportunities for organizations working with foster, adoptive, bio, kinship, at -risk children, youth, and families. Youth for Christ offers a REBALANCE TBRI youth programming for youth with trauma, and respite events for foster/kinship families with older children/teens. CHAMPS partners to look at additional retention efforts through an annual survey; assists in developing county initiatives such as Icebreakers between foster/kin families and parents, town halls, and Support Is Everyone's Job. 9) Describe your county department's or child placement agency's strategies and how the strategies you will be using supports recruitment and retention of: • Affirming foster, kinship foster, and adoptive parents to care for children/youth who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ • Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) to foster and adopt children/youth that reflect their commuties of removal. • Foster, kinship foster, and adoptive parents to care for children/youth with disabilities • Foster, kinship foster, and adoptive parents to care for children/youth with significant behavioral needs • Foster, kinship foster, and adoptive parents to care for sibling groups We have developed the following recruitment strategies to recruit diverse families for Weld County foster care needs: o Recruitment at Dia Del Ninos event. o Recruitment at Greeley Multi -Cultural Festival. o Recruitment at United Way Children's Festival and other children centered events. o Recruitment with Greeley Interfaith Association. o Recruitment at Greeley Pride event. o Our Weld County Recruiter is a member of Youth Net through the Rodarte Center to network with different organizations serving diverse populations of youth in Weld County. o Outreach to Latino churches. o Denver and NCIPA Powwows. o Weld County holds regular Therapeutic Foster Care Coffees for anyone interested in learning more about the program. A diverse representation of Child Welfare staff participate in regularly scheduled recruitment collaboration meetings, activities, and events. 1575 Sherman Street. Denver. CO 80203 P303.866.5700 www.totorado.mov/CDHS Jared Patin. Governor ! Michelle Games, Executive D'ractor County Department/Child Placement Agency Diligent Recruitment Plan 11 Photos are chosen by Weld County for marketing and social media that are reflective of the diverse population in Weld County for foster parent recruitment. Our division has a strong presence of bilingual staff, including our Child Welfare support specialists and one of our Foster Care Coordinators. Recruitment materials have been translated into Spanish. Each non -certified kinship family has a Kinship Care Coordinator who is available to support them as needed. One of our KC Coordinators is bilingual. Kinship Care Coordinators regularly talk to their kinship families about certification. If a family chooses to pursue that option, a referral is made to the Certification Specialist who contacts the family within 48 hours. Weld County offers a referral incentive program for current foster families. Weld County offers medically fragile recruitment campaigns. Greatest needs campaigns. Frequently Asked Questions campaign. Monthly Weld County Foster Care Newsletter. 10) Is your county department or child placement agency exploring implementation of therapeutic or treatment foster care? • No, we already have a therapeutic program. 11) List the county departments or child placement agency(s) you worked with during the last state fiscal year (July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023). • Ariel Clinical Services, Courage Community Foster Care, WhimSpire, Denver Area Youth Services, Dungarvin Colorado, Griffith Centers, Hope and Home, Lutheran Family Services, Maple Star Colorado, Nightlight Christian Adoptions, Parker Personal Care Homes, Family Resource Network, Sample Supports, Savio House, Smith Agency Inc., Special Kids Special Families, Specialized Alternatives for Families and Youth, Strong Foundations, Kids Crossing, Bethany Christian Services, A New World Child Placement Agency, Kairos Family Services. 1575 Sherman Street. Denver. CO 80203 P 303.866,5700 vwvw.cotorado.#ovfCDHS seed P0415., �sd'M enee t mocil4di. gannee. (Xfoetr.e rhrarter County Department/Child Placement Agency Diligent Recruitment Plan 12 Diligent Recruitment Plan Recruitment Goals Recruitment Goal: To provide a respectful and responsive experience to prospective, current,; and former foster care, kinship foster care, and adoptive parents from initial inquiry through post -placement services. Provide a minimum of 4 strategies (dependent on the needs and size of the program) What is the agency goal Strategies to reach the goal How is success measured 1-3 new therapeutic homes. -Recruiter and FC Supervisor to hold 2-4 coffee dates for people interested in learning more about therapeutic foster care. -Add Therapeutic foster care info to web page, brochure, newsletter, social media, & community partners social sharing. -Highlight tips & training opportunities for foster parents who might be interested in stepping into therapeutic foster care in the future. We will have at least 4 therapeutic homes by June 2025. Increase Latino homes compared with 2023 by June 2025 (adjusted for 4-6 month certification length). -Collect staff and current Latino foster and kinship parents' ideas and suggestions. -Work on relationships with Latino community partners. -Attend Latino events and multicultural events. Latino homes will be increased by more than 11% by June 2025. Increase # of new foster families for our greatest placement needs - older kids/teens; sibling groups -Increase community presence through varied community partners, events, and activities. -Increase frequency of We will have a decrease in CPA/Residential placements from 7 in CPAs and 2 in QRTPs. tSn Sherman Street. Denver. CO 80203 P 303.866,5700 www,cotoraElo -goy /CONS Jar., Pelts. Gowrnor 4 Mm6603 9aneex. Executive (~rector County Department/Child Placement Agency Diligent Recruitment Plan 13 greater than 2; complex orientations compared with last behavioral and mental year. health needs compared -Tweak wording in orientation to with 2023. better support this goal. -Adjust description of foster adoptive in orientation, webpage, presentations, etc. -Tailor language and images used for recruitment to support greatest needs. Encourage foster parent -Utilize a foster parent referral Our word-of-mouth inquiries word-of-mouth recruitment program. will increase compared to support. 2023-2024. There will be greater than 9 referral -based inquiries. 1575 Sherman Street. Denver. CO 80203 P 303.866.5700 www.totor'adoliw/CD tS Jared PoIn, Gowrnar t Min mUe Berms, Ex cutwe Drrector County Department/Child Placement Agency Diligent Recruitment Plan 14 Retention Goals Retention Goal: To provide ongoing capacity development, support of foster care, kinship foster care, and adoptive parents, as well as non -certified kinship caregivers to help meet these families' needs and build on their skills. Provide a minimum of 4 strategies (dependent on the needs and size of the program) What is the agency goal Strategies to reach the goal How is success measured Help improve internal customer service practices to better support foster parents. -Begin new caseworker training about foster care and support of foster families through excellent communication and customer service practices. -Present to all staff to encourage support for foster families. -Help build a sense of community by spotlighting more families and workers in newsletter and social media. Foster home closures per year will average less than 20 by June 2026. Collaborate with community partners for support and resources for our foster families. -Collaborate with Colorado Kids Belong Foster Friendly initiatives. -Collaborate with organizations and churches for respite events. -Promote community -wide events, trainings, and activities that provide resources and support for our foster families. We will track our foster families' participation with community partners' support and resource offerings. Support a sense of supportive and appreciative community relations within the Weld County Foster Care Program. Provide at least two Weld County DHS hosted appreciation events per year to serve foster parents and help them connect with one another. We will have had at least two events per year. 1575 Srernien Street, Denver. CO 80203 P 303,840.5700 wvvw.cotorado:.cov/CDHS .a,m5 Pwn. Governor t M,chette Bawas. Executive Director County Department/Child Placement Agency Diligent Recruitment Plan 15 Provide relevant ongoing Provide at least two training We will have had at least two training to our foster opportunities per year that ongoing training opportunities parents. address foster parent's stated per year to address stated needs for training and support. needs for training and support derived from comments and surveys. Provide relevant ongoing Provide at least two training We will have had at least two training to our therapeutic opportunities per year that ongoing training opportunities foster parents. address therapeutic foster per year to address parent needs for training and therapeutic foster care specific support. needs. tsm Sherman Street, Denver. CO 00203 P 303.866.5700 vow*. ceteradu.toviCDHS Jared Pot! , Gewrnur # bourne. Barnes. Execut Me Do -et -tor Hello