YMCA to oversee child welfare services

YMCA to oversee child welfare services
Local agencies will provide the actual care, unlike the YMCA's
predecessor, which oversaw and conducted the children's programs.
By SAUNDRA AMRHEIN, Times Staff Writer
Published March 12, 2004
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LAND O'LAKES - The new lead agency to oversee the services provided to
abused and neglected children promised Thursday to put community into
"community-based care" through the participation of local social
service groups.

The outgoing Family Continuity Programs - the beleaguered nonprofit
agency that agreed last week to turn over its job to the Sarasota
Family YMCA - was one of the state's first experiments in
community-based care in 2000 when it took over child welfare services
in Pasco and Pinellas counties.

But Family Continuity itself ran the services, such as foster care,
adoptions and counseling - services that had previously been handled
by the Department of Children and Families.

Under the new arrangement, the YMCA will oversee those services, but
local agencies will actually provide care for children and their
families, said Christy Kane, the YMCA's senior vice president for
community-based care.

She made her statements and took questions at the Pasco County School
Board chambers during a unique meeting that brought together workers
from three major child care coalitions.

The coalitions included the Department of Juvenile Justice; SEDNET,
which helps children with severe emotional disturbances; and the
Community Alliance. The three coalitions have decided to meet once a
month to better coordinate their work for children.

The success of the YMCA "is going to be up to those of you in this
room," said Susan Arnett, president of the United Way of Pasco and
chairwoman of the Community Alliance.

Kane promised not to fragment the services but said her agency would
integrate them under one management system. She noted that her agency
has had seven years of success already in other counties.

She explained the following time frame: the YMCA will hold two
meetings, one on the west side of the county March 22 and one on the
east side March 26. Locations will be announced later. The meetings
will be held to get feedback from foster parents, social service
providers, guardian ad litem workers and anyone else who works with
children on the best way to help abused and neglected children.

In April, the YMCA will mail out invitations or solicitations to
certain agencies for contract proposals. After the agencies submit
their proposals, the YMCA will award contracts by the end of April.
The transition and startup of new services begins July 1.

Transferring the $37-million-per-year state contract will be a
complicated undertaking, affecting nearly 400 employees, 4,100
children and 440 foster families in both counties.

Kane said none of the current 168 caseworkers in Pasco would be laid
off. In fact, she anticipates needing more caseworkers.

Family Continuity is quitting under pressure, dogged by complaints of
crowded foster homes, sloppy casework and failure to connect with the
community. It racked up a $2-million deficit as it increased staff to
respond to DCF's complaints. It later had to lay off dozens of
caseworkers.

Hiring nonprofits, such as Family Continuity, to do child welfare work
was supposed to improve community involvement, but many said this
agency actually became isolated and inaccessible. Parents repeatedly
complained they could not reach their caseworkers.
http://www.sptimes.com/2004/03/12/Pa...ee_child.shtml


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