Improving Child/Youth Placement Outcomes:

A System Redesign (Foster Care Redesign)

Too often, children in the Texas foster care system are placed far from their home communities. This can compound the turmoil these children and youth are already experiencing, and we know placing children outside of their home communities is often not in their best interest. Unfortunately, this is often necessary for two reasons:

• Providers and services are not distributed evenly across the state; and
• Few residential providers offer the spectrum of services children and youth need.

That is why the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and others involved in the system are working to redesign this part of the Texas foster care system. There is no preconceived notion about the ultimate shape of a new system. However, there are basic guiding principles for the project aimed at improving the quality of care, these include:

• Placing children in their home communities;
• Placing children in the least restrictive setting that meets their needs;
• Minimizing moves that disrupt children’s personal connections and educational progress;
• Placing children with siblings; and
• Respecting the culture of each child.

From a system development perspective the guiding principles of the redesign include:

• Fully informing and engaging those with an interest in foster care (stakeholders);
• Basing proposed solutions on the data and evidence;
• Providing incentives for good outcomes for children; and
• Developing a foster care model that neither precludes nor requires additional funding.

For more information go to http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Child_Protection/Foster_Care/redesign.asp