HomeMy WebLinkAbout20194455.tiff RESOLUTION
RE: APPROVE APPLICATION FOR CHILD WELFARE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
INNOVATION FUNDS GRANT AND AUTHORIZE CHAIR TO SIGN
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, pursuant to
Colorado statute and the Weld County Home Rule Charter, is vested with the authority of
administering the affairs of Weld County, Colorado, and
WHEREAS, the Board has been presented with an Application for a Child Welfare
Recruitment and Retention Innovation Funds Grant from the County of Weld, State of Colorado,
by and through the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, on behalf of the Department
of Human Services, to the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Child Welfare,
with further terms and conditions being as stated in said application, and
WHEREAS, after review, the Board deems it advisable to approve said application, a copy
of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of Weld
County, Colorado, that the Application for a Child Welfare Recruitment and Retention Innovation
Funds Grant from the County of Weld, State of Colorado, by and through the Board of County
Commissioners of Weld County, on behalf of the Department of Human Services, to the Colorado
Department of Human Services, Division of Child Welfare, be, and hereby is, approved.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Board that the Chair be, and hereby is, authorized
to sign said application.
The above and foregoing Resolution was, on motion duly made and seconded, adopted
by the following vote on the 9th day of October, A.D., 2019.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
WE D COUNTY, CO RADO
ATTEST: dithio .. ' ►%4 7 ,11U j,e;J 4 AA
bara Kirkmeye , Chair
Weld County Clerk to the BoardBY:7122-1,4)(4
- - Mike Freeman, Pro-Tern
Deputy Clerk to the Boare,
1EL,s Sean p'. Conway
APP: .V'` DAS1`i' ih
1851 " �1 o K. James
'"cfefit Aorney
\�� Steve Moreno
Date of signature: 10/16 /M
cc,: HSO4 acTCc3crcC) 2019-4455
(Cfa '/I9 HR0090
PRIVII,EGLI) AND CONFIDENTIAL
MEMORANDUM
DATE: October 1, 2019
1861
' 3°O: Board of County Commissioners Pass-Around
\/ ` Ir !!n
� I F FR: Judy A. Griego, Director, Human Services
RE: Application for Recruitment& Retention
Innovation Funds (SFY20)
Please review and indicate if you would like a work session prior to placing this item on the
Board's agenda.
Request Board Approval of the Department's Application for Recruitment & Retention
Innovation Funds (SFV20). The Department is applying for Recruitment & Retention
Innovation Funds through the Office of Children, Youth & Families; an office of the Colorado
Division of'Child Welfare. These funds are made available annually through a grant application
to provide for efforts or activities that recruit new foster and adoptive parents or support the
retention of active foster families. The County is applying for the full funding of$4,000.00. An
additional $3,000 will be secured through Realities for Children Charities, which has received
monetary donations specifically designated for Weld County.
If awarded, these funds will he used to host a Foster Family Appreciation Event at the Denver
Zoo. The event will include passes to the Denver Zoo, food, fun games for the children and a
raffle for foster families. The event will provide an opportunity for foster parents and children to
engage in a fun activity as a family. It also allows for Weld County foster care staff to interact
with foster parents and children during the event. The venue has agreed to place a large banner
with information about the Weld County Foster Care Program,as well as contract information,
near the Zoo entrance during the event, which will support the Department's ongoing recruitment
efforts.
The deadline for the application is October 11, 2019. If awarded, the effort/activity must he
completed, and funds spent by, April 30, 2020.
Pass-Around Memorandum;October I, 2019—Not in CMS Page 1
2019-4455
(O1Q9
!—I ROO61O R 0
PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL.,
I do not recommend a Work Session, I recommend approval of this Application and the required
signatures.
Approve Schedule Othcr/Comments;
Recommendation Work Session
Sean P. Conway
• Mike Freeman, Pro-Tem
Scott James
Barbara Kirkmeyer, Chair
Steve Moreno bvt
Pass-Around Memorandum;October 1, 2019—Not in CMS Page 2
SFY20 Recruitment & Retention Innovation Fund
County/CPA
Weld County Department of Human Services
Lead Staff Person
Denise Suniga, Child Welfare Resource Manager
sunigadk@weldgov.com
970-400-6545
Supervisor of Lead Staff
Robin Overmyer, Child Welfare Division Deputy
overmyers( weldgov.corn
970-400-6250
List Additional Staff Assisting with The Project
Charlene Montgomery, Human Services Recruiter
montgoce(a weldgov.com
970-400-6539
Holly Hinderer, Foster Care Supervisor
hinderhjaweldgov.com
970-400-6222
Name of Efforts or Activity
Weld County Foster Family Appreciation Event at the Denver Zoo
Please choose type:
❑ Recruitment
02 /9- x`46 -.
❑ Retention
® Both
Total Budget
$7,000.00
Amount Requested
$4,000.00
Amount Expected in Matching Funds (County/CPA dollars and/or match by a vendor or partner
organization.)
$3,000.00 from Realities for Children Charities (RCCF) Weld County Fund
Detailed Budget (Please list each item in your budget and an approximate cost. If you are using
matching funds, please list those as well and indicated they are matching funds.)
Denver Zoo Gardens Pavilion & Plaza (includes 200 admission tickets) = $2,900
Denver Zoo Caterer for Food = $3,500
Linens (required by Denver Zoo) = $150
Food Station Attendant (required by Denver Zoo) _ $150
Larger Recruitment Banner = $115
Raffle Baskets = $185
Total = $7,000
Expected Completion Date
April 25, 2020
Detailed Description of Event/Activity
The Weld County Department of Human Services (WCDHS) will utilize grant funds to
host a Foster Family Appreciation event at the Denver Zoo. The event will include
passes to the Denver Zoo, food, fun games for the children and a raffle for foster
families. The event provides an opportunity for foster parents and children to engage in
a fun activity as a family. It also allows for Weld County foster care staff to interact with
foster parents and children during the event and to participate in the event together.
Research indicates that 50% of foster parents quit after their first placement and 25%
quit each year (Casey Foster Family Assessment Training Workbook). Our goal is to
positively impact those numbers by retaining Weld County foster parents many years
after their first placement. An important strategy in retaining foster parents is providing
ongoing support, and that support often occurs during monthly visits between foster
care coordinators and foster parents. Additionally, providing opportunities for foster
parents to meet and engage with other foster parents is key to building natural supports,
as well as respite supports. Finally, an event focused on foster families provides an
opportunity for the County to demonstrate appreciation for the effort our foster families
put forth for the children in their homes.
This event will also provide an opportunity for Weld County to showcase its foster
program. The venue has agreed to placement of a large banner with information about
the Weld County Foster Care Program, as well as contract information, near the Denver
Zoo entrance.
What audience are you trying to reach?
This event will primarily focus on our current Weld County foster parents and their foster
and biological children. Additionally, through placement of a recruitment banner near
the Denver Zoo entrance, others will be able to learn more about the Weld County
Foster Care Program.
What data have you used to identify your audience?
Weld County has 83 active foster homes at this time, with 29 of those recruited thus far
in 2019. Those homes currently serve as placement for 104 children. Weld County
continues to strive to increase the number of quality homes and to retain those homes.
We anticipate a minimum of 75% of our current foster families will attend this event and
that our banner placement near the Denver Zoo entrance will generate further inquiries
that will lead to the establishment of additional foster homes.
This activity supports county/agency diligent recruitment plan
® yes ❑ no
How does this support your diligent recruitment plan?
Goal Nine of Weld County's 2019 Diligent Recruitment Plan is to improve retention of
our foster homes. Strategy One, Action Step Five, specifically states "host appreciation
events for foster families annually". This event will serve as the main appreciation event
for 2020.
Our Diligent Recruitment Plan also focuses on the expansion of our recruitment efforts
utilizing advertisement and reaching out to populations we might not generally have
access to through typical recruitment events. The strategic placement of a banner at
the Denver Zoo entrance will reach a large number of diverse families Weld County
might not otherwise reach at other events.
What elements of your activity or effort make it relevant for your intended
audience?
Foster families often do not have the time or resources to spend quality time together as
a family. Additionally, the opportunities to network with other foster parents are limited.
This event will allow foster parents to network and engage with other foster parents in
an environment that will encourage the development of supportive relationships with not
only other foster parents but Weld County foster care staff, which in turn will help retain
quality foster families. Weld County believes that appreciation events are key to foster
parents experiencing an increased level of satisfaction with fostering and further
increases the likelihood that they will continue to foster.
If you have done this activity in the past, please explain how this year's activity is
different and why.
Weld County hosted a similar event several years ago. It was one of our most popular
events and foster families have expressed a desire to have the opportunity to attend
again. Weld County has expanded the event to include a recruitment component that
includes strategic placement of a banner at the Denver Zoo entrance.
Desired outcomes Through this event and other retention activities, Weld County
anticipates an overall increase in our foster parent retention rate from 75% in 2019 to
85% in 2020. Specifically of our 83 current homes, we expect to retain at least 71 of
them for the next year. We expect to receive 5-10 inquiries about foster care as a result
of Denver Zoo attendees seeing our recruitment banner. Finally, we expect to improve
foster parent connections by foster parents being able to identify one additional support
person they met at this event.
How will you measure success? Please create a SMART goal that you will be able
to report on at the end of this project.
This event supports Weld County's Diligent Recruitment Plan which recognizes that
retention is an important part of recruitment and is necessary for a successful foster
care program. The expectation is that the retention rate will improve as a result of this
event and other retention efforts. The measurement of this increase will be a long-term
measurement that will be monitored during 2020, comparing 2019 retention rates to
2020 retention rates.
We will increase retention rate by 10%, receive 5-10 new inquiries and increase foster
parent connections. We will determine our retention rate by keeping a list of each family
who attends the event and tracking for the next year whether the family continued to
foster. We will use this data to inform our retention plan and the types of supports and
events we pursue in the future. We will identify the number of inquiries received by
adding the Denver Zoo event to the drop-down list on our foster care inquiry form. If we
certify foster parents as a result of the banner at the event, then we may attend
recruitment events in the Denver area on a more regular basis. Finally, we will create a
foster parent survey which will be given to foster parents after the event to determine if
they made a new connection or identified a new support person. If new connections
were made, we will encourage those relationships by hosting support group or Parent
Cafés so that foster parents can continue to get to know and support each other.
APPLICATION FOR CHILD WELFARE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION INNOVATION
FUNDS GRANT
WAIrA44) �Cd�o'�.� BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ATTEST: WELD COUNTY, COL RADO
I-rk to the Boar.
BY: `i�. .Sii...-.-te.sideIffiv4f8...
Deputy CI:, 'to the Bo :.%•\' 1 . arbara Kirkmeye , Chair
ct .a OCT 8 9 2019
Hello