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“ In the spring of 2004, we were averaging about 12% of youth in care going to ﬁrst placement with kin. By January 2006, 28 to 30% of children entering care were

going to ﬁrst placement with kin. We now have a kinship

care support group. We’re also continuing to educate the court system about kinship

care. If you let it, the BSC will change your practice. It’s all about willingness to change.”

Sarah Shuma

Certificate Program/Breakthrough Series Collaborative Application

The Certificate Program/Breakthrough Series Collaborative (CP/BSC) is a groundbreaking program of intensive study for leaders responsible for juvenile justice and child welfare policy development and implementation in their jurisdictions. The program will begin with a Certificate Program for teams of leaders from seven different jurisdictions, and will lead into a year-long Breakthrough Series Collaborative project on Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Integration. After completion of the five day Certificate Program held in late July, each of the teams of leaders will return home and appoint interagency teams in their jurisdictions to advance the desired reforms.

In the fall of 2008 the interagency teams will convene to begin the Breakthrough Series Collaborative (BSC). These teams will initiate strategies and tests of change that target improving the many factors that contribute to poor outcomes for children known to both Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare. The interagency teams will engage in a series of three learning sessions and action periods. During these periods, participating jurisdictions will identify, develop and test potentially promising strategies for improving practice and ultimately supporting multi-systems approaches that improve outcomes for children and youth. The Center faculty and national experts will provide ongoing support to the teams, helping to sustain and implement the learning and resulting plans that were developed while at Georgetown. The BSC is a specific quality improvement method that is designed to enable participating teams to make dramatic improvements in a focused practice topic over a short period of time. The intention of a BSC is not to create an entirely new body of knowledge. Instead it is intended to fill the gap between what has been identified as best practice and what is actually practiced in the field.

Results Achieved through previous Breakthrough Series Collaboratives:

The information below highlights results achieved within aspects of child welfare, which are reflective of outcomes achieved within the healthcare BSCs as well. These results demonstrate the outcomes that can be anticipated and achieved by the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Integration BSC.

Educational Stability and Continuity BSC:

(Individual target site results)

30% dip in the suspension of children in the foster care system.

Of the 42 children who had a move while in foster care, 100% remained in school.

Of the 50 schools in a school district, 100% entered into a Memorandum of Understanding between the school and the child welfare system.

90% of the children who are in foster care have educational information in the statewide database.

Racial disparities results from Differential Response BSC:

(one example)

African American Children in Care-

Counties involved in the BSC

2002 48.5%

2007 34.6%

Non BSC Counties

2002 25.9%

2007 21.8%

Foster Family Recruitment and Retention BSC:

Vermont’s target site reported a 38% increase in the number of homes for teens.

Ramsey County, Minnesota reported a 26% increase in the number of resource families for teens, and a 24% decrease in the number of moves for all children in placement.

Catawba County, North Carolina reported a 79% increase in the number of resource families, and a decrease in the time taken for children to be placed in kinship care.

Kinship care BSC:

The kinship placement rate in Washington’s target site almost doubled—from 24% to 42% of youth in kinship placement.

In Wyoming, the number of licensed kinship providers increased from 10 to 30, a 200% improvement.

Within three months after using a new form that asks about relatives, an investigation unit in Arizona identiﬁed 59 potential kinship.

If you are interested in the Certificate Program for Individuals click here.

Thank you for your interest! If you need further information please contact us.