|
|---|
|
|
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|||
| ACF Home | Services | Working with ACF | Policy/Planning | About ACF | ACF News | HHS Home | ||||
Questions?
|
Privacy
|
Site Index
|
Contact Us
|
Download Reader™
|
Print
|
|---|
| Date of Waiver Approval: | September 29, 1999 |
| Date of Waiver Implementation: | Between July 1 and December 31, 2000 |
Project Description
Florida will provide capped title IV-E funding allocations and offer flexible use of IV-E funds to support locally-controlled, nonprofit, community-based systems of care. In experimental sites, the State will contract with agencies using a lead agency community network model. Lead agencies will be responsible for all service needs for all referred children from the point of referral to the exit of the children from the system. In comparison group sites, the public agency will maintain responsibility for delivery of child welfare services. Comparison group families will receive the typical array of services without flexible use of IV-E dollars, bonuses or penalties nor other structural supports offered in the experimental sites. This is a five-year demonstration project.
Financial Structure
Lead agencies will receive capped allocations – a fixed amount of funds to cover the costs of all services for a broad population of children for a fixed period of time. Lead agencies will assume financial risk for service delivery. The State will develop a catastrophic risk plan prior to implementation. The purpose of the plan is to ensure that services to children across the State will not be put at risk due to bankruptcy or to the breach or termination of a contract between the State and a provider.
Target Population
This demonstration will target children, in selected counties, who have a maltreatment finding and require child welfare services beyond investigation.
Evaluation
The evaluation consists of process, outcome and cost-benefit components. Florida will compare matched experimental and comparison sites. Ten counties will serve as experimental sites, and 13 counties will be comparison group sites.
With this demonstration project, Florida expects to improve access to services; reduce the length of stay in out-of-home care; reduce re-entry into the system; improve satisfaction ratings of services; and reduce variability in service delivery across sites.
Given State legislation requiring plans for privatizing the State’s child welfare system, except for child protective services intake and investigation, by 2003, Florida will submit an updated evaluation plan that accounts for changes in comparison sites by 2003.
