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Georgia's Child and Family Services Federal Review and Evaluation
Results of Placement Survey
This Survey Ended on April 6, 2001.

Target Audience: County/Regional Supervisors, Judges, SAAGs, GALs.

CFS 2001 Review Surveys

Section: Placement Survey

Your identifying information will be kept completely confidential. We want this survey to paint an accurate picture of Georgia's child welfare system, so please, please be completely honest and accurate. Thank you.

1. How often do you feel children are placed in the most appropriate placement setting? (check one)
Almost Always   6.7% (5)
Often   17.3% (13)
Sometimes   72.0% (54)
Seldom or Never   2.7% (2)
Not Applicable (N/A)   1.3% (1)
TOTAL   100.0% 75
2. Does your county have access to appropriate emergency placements for children entering foster care and/or when placement disruptions occur? (check one)
Almost Always   2.7% (2)
Often   8.0% (6)
Sometimes   46.7% (35)
Seldom or Never   41.3% (31)
Not Applicable (N/A)   1.3% (1)
TOTAL   100.0% 75
3. In your geographic area, which placement types are most needed? (rank the priorities on a 1 to 5, LOW to HIGH scale)
Average rank
1 2 3 4 5
Family Foster Care (non-relative)   (4.2)
Family Foster Care (relative)   (3.3)
Group Home (6-8 children)   (4.0)
Emergency Shelter Foster Home   (4.4)
Institution   (3.4)
Homes for medically fragile children   (3.4)
Homes for teens   (4.7)
4. To meet national standards and improve permanency outcomes, children with a plan of reunification must be discharged from foster care within 12 months from the latest removal episode. For children who are reunified with a parent or caretaker, national standards require that 78% or more of those children are reunified in less than 12 months. In 1999, Georgia reunified only 63% of these children in less than 12 months, 15% below the national standard. (Georgia's CFS Profile)

In your geographic area, which of the following issues have the most impact on timely reunification within a 12 month period? (rank the impact on a 1 to 5, LOW to HIGH scale)

Average rank
1 2 3 4 5
Staff resources   (4.2)
Placement resources for children   (3.5)
Services to birth families   (3.8)
Legal impediments (judicial/legal representation/interpretation)   (3.1)
Lack of automated case management, decision making, and collaboration tools   (3.1)
Availability of substance abuse treatment   (3.4)
5. State and federal laws and policies require termination of parental rights (TPR) for children who have been in foster care for 15 of the most recent 22 months or documentation of a compelling reason why such action is not in the best interest of the child. For children who exit foster care to finalized adoption, national standards require that 36% or more exit within 24 months from the time of the latest removal from the home. In 1999, Georgia finalized adoptions on only 23% of these children in less than 24 months, 12% below the national standard. (Georgia's CFS Profile)

In your geographic area, which of the following issues have the most impact on timely termination of parental rights? (rank the impact on a 1 to 5, LOW to HIGH scale)

Average rank
1 2 3 4 5
Staff resources   (4.1)
Placement resources for children   (3.7)
Services to birth families   (3.3)
Legal impediments (judicial/legal representation)   (3.5)
Lack of automated case management, decision making, and collaboration tools   (3.0)
Availability of substance abuse treatment   (3.1)
6. In 1999, the median time to finalized adoption in Georgia was 37 months. (Georgia's CFS Profile)

In your geographic area, which of the following issues have the most impact on the timely discharge of children to finalized adoption within a 24 month period? (rank the impact on a 1 to 5, LOW to HIGH scale)

Average rank
1 2 3 4 5
Staff resources   (4.1)
Placement resources for children   (3.9)
Services for adoptive/foster parents, relatives, and birth families   (3.6)
Legal impediments (judicial/legal representation/interpretation)   (3.5)
Lack of automated case management, decision making, and collaboration tools   (3.0)
Inability to access available services (e.g. transportation)   (2.9)
7. To meet national standards for the stability of placements, 89% of the children in foster care for 12 months or less must have had no more than 2 placements. In 1999, 92% of children in foster care in Georgia had no more than 2 placements. That is 3% better stability than the national standard. Still, this number may underestimate placements, and we need to learn from our successes. (Georgia's CFS Profile)

In your geographic area, which of the following resources have the most impact on the stability of children in foster care and the prevention of multiple placements? (rank the impact on a 1 to 5, LOW to HIGH scale)

Average rank
1 2 3 4 5
On-going recruitment development skills   (3.6)
Funding to develop recruitment materials (supplies)   (3.2)
Appropriate placement resources for children   (4.3)
Staff training on community partnerships to protect and serve children in the child welfare system   (3.4)
Sufficient staff to meet Child Welfare League of America caseload standard of one worker to every 15 children   (4.4)
Funding for increased per-diems and respite for foster families   (4.3)
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