Liked it	94.0%	(63)
Didn't like it	1.5%	(1)
Indifferent	4.5%	(3)
TOTAL	100.0%	67

Good	71.6%	(48)
Bad	6.0%	(4)
Indifferent	22.4%	(15)
TOTAL	100.0%	67

#	Response
1	The biggest reasond we have to move children so frequently is due to not having enough time to plan for the move, the resources to evaluate the children and make the most appropriate first placement. If each area could be funded an assessment center with placement capability, then seeing a child (of any age) sitting at the DFCS office, frightened, lonely, sad would be eliminated. It is really heartbreaking to witness this, and especially be a part of it. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be part of this survey.
1	A survey such as this is more interesting, easier to complete, and not as time consuming as written surveys.
1	Andy, Georgia is indecisive on the role of the private sector on the privatization of foster care. Your survey is on the right track but I thought needed to seperate basis care, TFC and Residential care/treatment. I am very concerned about the 41 children removed from the Atlanta church. While it was the right thing to do I fear it will painfully show how we are unable to support a right decision with the appropriate care for the children involved. How many multiple placements will occur? How many will be brought into the system and spend more than a year getting to the right placement. This may be a no win situation for both the state and these children. We do need a competent and confident staff with adequate resourses....
1	As a survey that will provide some overview of specific areas the survey should provide the information your are seeking. A more indepth survey based on the answers received could be helpful.
1	Biggest problem continues to be "missing Dads". Until that is addressed. That enormous amount of money spent on social services will never be enough. We must educate parents about their obligation to their children, we must encourage them to meet that obligation and then we must use enforcement if they do not get the message. In that regard we need for future surveys to be a little more specific. We may want SAGG's to track all their cases for a week or month and of those report how many dealth with missing dads, physical abuse, sexual abuse, where child was placed, etc.
1	Didn't fit my computer screen, so was difficult to read, but I'm not sure you could do anything to solve that problem. Thanks for all your hard work.
1	feedback 5
1	Good job.
1	Great way to collect this information. I can do it at home. No paper, no messy ink mess and no stamps. Much faster and efficient. I am more likely to complete a survey in this format. I especially liked the introduction before each question. I understood better what you were asking and the issue that was presented. Therefore, I was able to answer the question accurately and quickly. Great job, Andy.
1	I feel #7 is underestimated. The child's behavior and foster/adoptive parents unrealistic expectations of children factor into this question. Developing the right kind of people is cricial. I feel to many times homes are developed just for bed space around the state instead of developing homes that can meet the kids' needs. However based on personal experience, some families go through MAPP and remain blind to the fact of the types of kids we have in care.
1	I feel that the questions were simple and easily answered. The results should be predictable and reinforce what we already know. These are not unchartered issues.
1	I really liked this style for the survey. My suggestions are: need to identify the class size of the county and whether resources are available in the general area. If not, how far do we have to go to get services, etc. One overall general question would be whether or not the county has been able to provide services to their children without going outside of the resident county. If not, then where and how far do they have children in placement from their "home". Does this distance prevent quality services or quality involvement between the SSCM and the child? Does this distance prevent or slow down reunification or permanency, etc.? Our SAAG has too many counties and doesn't get orders etc. to us in a timely fashion because he is so overwhelmed. All these things slow down our process....not the questions you asked. Increases in per diems and caseworker salaries are steps in the right direction. I want to keep the good folks I have and right now they're all looking for more money and less responsibilities.
1	I think per dium should be based upon a audited financial statement and your corporate report which shows what percentages of your finances are spent on programs and services rather than administration - time studys do nothing more than require more time spent on surveys which do little to effectively advance the systems of care for the children we provide services to.
1	I wasn't quite sure about one or two of the points. You mentioned to rank the resource of one worker to fifteen children. ? Do some counties have that luxury? If we had that, of course, more time could be spent on individual cases.
1	It is encouraging to see the State of Georgia's ever-increasing use of technology. We really like it! This was so much easier than having stacks of paper circulating throughout the office.
1	lack of affordable housing should have been listed as a specific barrier or factor relating to delay in achieving reunification.
1	More descriptive choices for program areas
1	Not enough choices given...too brief to really find the information I think you want...Per diems at about 64% of "allowable" costs is not sufficient...we are raising 30-40% of the costs we are allowed to submit plus paying for other needed services we provide...How can you quantify all that in a 6 question survey?
1	Placement resources aren't generally found in the southwest section of the state. We end up driving hundreds of miles to place our children in emergency placements. Not having resource development workers also causes problesm. Staff are already carrying caseloads and trying to serve the families they work with. Resource development is time consuming and needs a dedicated (specified) worker to meet this need.
1	Simple, Quick, Efficient.
1	Some of the answers were so broad that it may be misunderstood. For example if the legal system had a high imact, it may not mean the judge or the SAAG, but it could be attorneys requesting continuance after continuance, or it may be that everything happened timely from the county Department to the SAAG to the Judge, but the birth parent filed an appeal and it took the Appelate court 3 years to make a ruling, skewing the time line for permamency.
1	some questions did not permit an avenue for specifics-such as in the range of per diem, % of per diem (such as what is meant by % used to care for children as every aspect of expenses excluding fundraising, etc. is used to provide care for children. Also, the bed space asked for "caring for how many more?"-I used the figures of our current licensing which is 22 children on any given night in the emergency shelter. Also, our emergency shelter embraces far more than food, shelter and clothing which includes a therapeutic component (art therapy, child advocacy and assessment center which includes forensic interviews, sexual assault medical examinations and child/individ/group/non-offending family member psychotherapy.) THANKS FOR A GREAT EFFORT TO ASSIST US IN ASSISTING THESE SPECIAL "CHIDLREN OF NEED"!
1	The foster care placement resource system in Georgia needs totally revamping. In my opinion, moving children out of birth/caretaker homes into another home is detrimental to the children. In other words "replacing the birth family" with another family gives the child mixed signals. We have entirely too many foster families looking out for themselves, rather than the child. I suggest a group home setting (much like the shelters) that would house a child up to 60 days so the First placement/Best placement assessment could be completed without placing a child in the only available foster home initially and then moving him to the recommended placement. This would decrease the amount of moves a child has to endure. Also, more intensive assessments need to be conducted on prospective foster/adoptive homes.
1	The issue of staff retention,in my opinion, is critical to any system reform. Staff retention is dependent upon what this state can do regarding caseload sizes, greater resources, and better supervision.
1	The per diem we currently receive is far below our cost of care, and therefore many more resources must be raised privately to serve our youth. While that is a task that is certainly worth our time and best efforts, the state needs to understand the responsibility implied in the words "state custody". Though I do not anticipate a program where 100% of our costs were totally reimbursed, enhanced funding would allow our private efforts to go toward enhanced services, building continuums of care, etc., vs. the need to fund the large difference between state reimbursement verses our actual cost.
1	The questions are good questions and are targeted at what goals placement staff is required to meet....However, the problem lies in that the questions/answers are not specific enough. Examples: #1. In our area, with the resources that we have, I think we place children in the most appropriate placement that is available at the time. Overall, it may not be the most appropriate placement! #2. We may have access to placements, meaning that we know to whom to place a call but that does not guarantee placement...thus leaving us with not enough resources. #3. There is a high need for all of these resources...we may not have a child that needs a particular one at the moment, but when we do get a child, we may need it then and it is not available!!! One major complaint I have heard over the years and experienced as a caseworker, there are few to no groups homes in the eastern side of the state nor any institutions. (Especially not in the mid to north eastern side) #4. Staff resources...does this mean staff, resources available to staff or what...In our particular county, it would be a major problem in staff turnover and lack of experience by staff. Another issue that has a major impact is parents cooperation. They may do just enough to squeeze by in preventing termination but not a sufficient amount to actually reunify. DFCS is having to be very specific, making sure everything is spelled out, every i dotted and every t crossed! This means that caseplans are very detailed and extensive and it may be very unrealistic to expect a large majority of our parents to meet all of the goals in a year's time. So many times the cases are very complicated. The ideal case would be one problem, (the problem was critical enough to require removal), resolve the problem, the parents have visited with the child(ren), provided support, etc. and they get the children back. These kind of cases are few and far between. Most cases involve numerous problems. No longer can we just put a bandage on them and hope for the best, we actually have to help the family resolve all of the issues which apply to them being able to care for the child(ren) again. A lack of resources to the family and the case manager is a huge issue. Many of our rural counties do not have industry nor transportation. Some of those that do are losing what they have. It is a viscious cycle in which we struggle to do the best that we can, ultimately trying to do what is best for the child! (This actually applies to #s4,5,6 &7!) The legal aspect is again that all rights of parents must be addressed, hearings held timely (some problems there) and orders issued and received timely. Judges can make rulings/decisions that are good decisions but do not take into account if the outcome is realistic or obtainable through available resources/services which again can put DFCS into a bind.
1	The questions are good questions and are targeted at what goals placement staff is required to meet....However, the problem lies in that the questions/answers are not specific enough. Examples: #1. In our area, with the resources that we have, I think we place children in the most appropriate placement that is available at the time. Overall, it may not be the most appropriate placement! #2. We may have access to placements, meaning that we know to whom to place a call but that does not guarantee placement...thus leaving us with not enough resources. #3. There is a high need for all of these resources...we may not have a child that needs a particular one at the moment, but when we do get a child, we may need it then and it is not available!!! One major complaint I have heard over the years and experienced as a caseworker, there are few to no groups homes in the eastern side of the state nor any institutions. (Especially not in the mid to north eastern side) #4. Staff resources...does this mean staff, resources available to staff or what...In our particular county, it would be a major problem in staff turnover and lack of experience by staff. Another issue that has a major impact is parents cooperation. They may do just enough to squeeze by in preventing termination but not a sufficient amount to actually reunify. DFCS is having to be very specific, making sure everything is spelled out, every i dotted and every t crossed! This means that caseplans are very detailed and extensive and it may be very unrealistic to expect a large majority of our parents to meet all of the goals in a year's time. So many times the cases are very complicated. The ideal case would be one problem, (the problem was critical enough to require removal), resolve the problem, the parents have visited with the child(ren), provided support, etc. and they get the children back. These kind of cases are few and far between. Most cases involve numerous problems. No longer can we just put a bandage on them and hope for the best, we actually have to help the family resolve all of the issues which apply to them being able to care for the child(ren) again. A lack of resources to the family and the case manager is a huge issue. Many of our rural counties do not have industry nor transportation. Some of those that do are losing what they have. It is a viscious cycle in which we struggle to do the best that we can, ultimately trying to do what is best for the child! (This actually applies to #s4,5,6 &7!) The legal aspect is again that all rights of parents must be addressed, hearings held timely (some problems there) and orders issued and received timely. Judges can make rulings/decisions that are good decisions but do not take into account if the outcome is realistic or obtainable through available resources/services which again can put DFCS into a bind. I appreciate and support your efforts in not only trying to help DFCS and related groups but in your efforts to help the children! Even if it helps only one, it is important to that one...!
1	This survey was very easy to interpret and complete. I often do not participate in surveys because they are too vague and time-consuming, so the format/brevity of the survey encouraged me to complete it.
1	We are always happy to participate in surveys. the on thing I found difficult to answer was the question about the number of children we are willing to serve. We will serve as many as we have homes and funding for. The other question about the percentage of the per diem goes to services for the kids, i answered 100% but some of it does not go DIRECTLY to the child for services or the foster parent's per diem. I hope I answered right. We are all about doing what's best for the kids with whatever resources we have, so I hope my answers reflected that.