2001 Final Report Cover Letter

October 10, 2001

Dear Mr. Martin:

The Administration for Children and Families in collaboration with the Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR), Division of Family and Children's Services (DFCS) recently completed a review of Georgia's Child and Family Services program to ensure substantial conformity with the State plan requirements found in titles IV-B and IV-E of the Social Security Act. This review was initiated in January 2001 with an analysis of data related to the safety, permanency, and well being of children involved with DHR and a statewide assessment of areas seen as critical to the effective functioning of the State's child welfare system. During the week of July 16, 2001, an on-site review of 50 cases and interviews and focus groups with approximately 100 key stakeholders in your child welfare system was completed. The final report on this Child and Family Services Review is enclosed.

We appreciate the amount of time and effort that you and your staff committed to the planning and implementation of the Child and Family Services Review. While this was a joint federal/state team effort, we would especially like to thank Annette VanDevere and Doris Walker for taking primary responsibility for this review.

The state can take pride in those areas found to be strengths in its child welfare system. We have determined that DHR is operating in substantial conformity in four of the systemic factors that comprise the Child and Family Services review.

Also, as indicated in the report, we have determined that DHR is not operating in substantial conformity in any of the seven outcome areas and in three of the seven systemic factors. A Program Improvement Plan is required to address each outcome and/or systemic factor determined not to be in substantial conformity. The Program Improvement Plan must be submitted to my office for approval within 90 calendar days from the receipt of this letter. An estimated penalty of $2,424,200 is applicable to this level of non-conformity. However, we are suspending the withholding of funds associated with this penalty during the period of the approved Program Improvement Plan. If we determine that the State is successful in rectifying any of the areas that are in non-conformity, either through successful completion of the Program Improvement Plan or through subsequent review, at that point, withholding of funds related to the particular outcome or systematic factor will be rescinded.

My staff will assist you in developing the Program Improvement Plan to ensure that DHR establishes an action strategy for bringing each of the identified areas up to a level of substantial conformity as specified in 45 CFR 1355.35. To the extent possible, those involved in the Child and Family Services Planning process and members of the review team, including those who are not employees of DHR, should be actively involved in developing the Program Improvement Plan.

The major elements of the Program Improvement Plan include the priority assigned to the State's work on each area of non-conformity, the necessary action steps associated with improving each area of non-conformity, identification of the individuals responsible for carrying out the various steps, identification of the geographical areas of the state involved, and establishment of time frames for carrying-out the required improvements. We will work with your designated staff to determine jointly the time frames, the specific content, and the process for evaluating the State's progress and achievements with respect to the Program Improvement Plan.

We wish to remind you that Federal Regulations, at CFR 1355.37, require that the State make available for public review and inspection all statewide assessments, reports of findings, and program improvement plans developed as a result of a Child and Family Services review. Therefore, we urge you to consider how you will respond to inquiries concerning these documents and prepare to make the information available as required in regulation. Since the information is available to the public, the Administration for Children and Families is obliged to respond to inquiries regarding such information as well.

We also wish to note that the State may enter into a voluntary Program Improvement Plan to strengthen any areas that were determined to be in substantial conformity as noted in the enclosed report. We will be happy to discuss the provisions for developing a voluntary Program Improvement Plan at your request.

In accordance with Federal regulations at 45 CFR 1355.32 (b) (2), we will conduct the next full Child and Family Service Review of Georgia's Department of Human Resources in 2003.

Ruth Walker and Kunle Baoku of my staff will soon be in contact with you regarding the development of the Program Improvement Plan and to assist in identifying federal and other resources to best address your needs. Please be assured that we will continue to work collaboratively to assist you in your efforts to ensure the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families in Georgia.

Sincerely,

Carlis V. Williams
Regional Hub Director
Administration for Children
and Families

cc: Ms. Juanita Blount-Clark, Division Director
Mr. Wilfred Hamm, Social Services Director
Ms. Susan Orr, Commissioner, ACYF
Ms. Pamela Carter, Director, Office of Public Affairs
Ms. Diann Dawson, Director, Office of Regional Operations
Mr. .Jim Harrell, Children's Bureau, Associate Commissioner
Mr. Martin J. Dannenfelser, Jr. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and External Affairs

Enclosure