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ACF Administration for Children and Families |
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration on Children, Youth and Families |
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1. Log No.: IM-07-08 | 2. Issuance Date: 10-09-07 | |
3. Originating Office: Children's Bureau | ||
4. Key Words: Program Improvement Plans, Child and Family Services Reviews |
INFORMATION MEMORANDUM
To: State and Territorial Agencies Administering or Supervising the Administration of Titles IV-B and IV-E the Social Security Act, ACF Regional Offices
Subject: Guidance and Suggested Format for Program Improvement Plans in Child and Family Service Reviews (CFSRs)
Legal and Related: Titles IV-B and IV-E of the Social Security Act, Section 1123 A of the Social Security Act, 45 CFR 1355, OMB Control No.: 0970-0214, Expiration Date: 1/31/2010
Purpose: To provide guidance and assistance to States in developing Program Improvement Plans in response to the findings of the CFSRs, and a suggested format for preparing the Program Improvement Plan (PIP) for the second round of CFSRs.
Information: In accordance with 45 CFR 1355.35(a), States are required to develop and implement PIPs that address any of the outcomes or systemic factors determined not to be in substantial conformity as a result of a CFSR. The regulation, at 45 CFR 1355.35(a), requires States to include certain information in the PIP, although no specific format for developing the PIP is prescribed. Further, at 45 CFR 1355.35(d)(4), States are required to submit quarterly status reports to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), unless less frequent reports are mutually agreed upon, to inform ACF of the State's progress in implementing the provisions of the PIP. In ACYF-CB-IM-02-04, we provided guidance for States in developing their PIP during the first round of CFSRs. Through our work with the first round of CFSRs, ACF recognizes a need to provide further clarification and guidance to States on the required content of the PIP to address the key concerns from their review and provide a framework for broad strategy approaches to program improvement. These approaches may include overarching reforms and continuing strategies that build on prior PIP activity. ACF will track States' approaches and progress in implementing PIPs over time. Using the attached suggested format and tracking matrix will better assure the ability of States and ACF to develop realistic, achievable PIPs and to identify progress and barriers to improving outcomes for children and families.
The attached document provides clarification on the required content of the PIP. It also provides a suggested format that States are encouraged, but not required, to use in preparing the PIP and for use in providing quarterly status reports to ACF. Additional detailed information concerning developing PIPs including examples may be found on the Children's Bureau website at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/cwmonitoring/tools_guide/pip_instruct.htm
Inquiries: Children's Bureau Regional Program Managers
________________ Date: |
_________________________ Joan E. Ohl Commissioner |
Attachment
Program Improvement Plan Suggested Standard Format
Children's Bureau Child and Family Services Reviews Program Improvement Plan Suggested Standard Format OMB Control No.: 0970-0214 Expiration 1/31/2010 |
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States are encouraged to use this PIP standard format to submit their PIP to the Children's Bureau Regional Office. The standard format includes the following sections: |
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I. PIP General Information |
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CB Region: | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | ||||||||||
State: | ||||||||||||||||||||
Lead Children's Bureau Regional Office Contact Person: | Telephone Number: | |||||||||||||||||||
E-mail Address: | ||||||||||||||||||||
State Agency Name: | Address: | |||||||||||||||||||
Telephone Number: | ||||||||||||||||||||
Lead State Agency Contact Person for the CFSR: | Telephone Number: | |||||||||||||||||||
E-mail Address: | ||||||||||||||||||||
Lead State Agency PIP Contact Person (if different): | Telephone Number: | |||||||||||||||||||
E-mail Address: | ||||||||||||||||||||
Lead State Agency Data Contact Person: | Telephone Number: | |||||||||||||||||||
E-mail Address: | ||||||||||||||||||||
State PIP Team Members* (name, title, organization) | ||||||||||||||||||||
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*List key individuals who are actually working on the PIP and not necessarily everyone who was consulted during the PIP development process.
A. PIP Strategy Summary and TA Plan Instructions
States are strongly encouraged to develop a PIP Strategy Summary and TA Plan, using the format that appears on the next page. Using this format helps to both provide a focus on overarching reforms and simplify the PIP document. The PIP Strategy Summary and TA Plan comprises three elements:
PIP Strategy Summary and TA Plan
State:
Date Submitted:
Primary Strategies | Key Concerns | TA Resources Needed |
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States are strongly encouraged to use the PIP Matrix form for both PIP submissions and PIP quarterly reports. The matrix is designed to allow States to enter information by themes or broad strategy areas or approaches, under which each of the items out of conformity is addressed. Using a theme or broad strategy approach helps to both provide a focus on overarching reforms and simplify the PIP document.
States should submit the PIP Summary Work Plan and PIP Matrix to the Children's Bureau Regional Office staff member responsible for the State's CFSR.
C. PIP Quality Assurance Checklist
State child welfare agency staff and their external partners may use the following quality assurance checklist to review the State's PIP to determine whether it meets the requirements necessary to contribute to a successful PIP process that will result in improvements to child welfare practice:
___ Did the State negotiate with the Children's Bureau Regional Office the level of improvement to be achieved for outcome and systemic factor determined not to be in substantial conformity and addressed in the PIP, including a percentage of improvement for statewide data indicators that did not meet the national standards?
___ Does the plan contain action steps for each goal that build on strengths identified in the Final Report on the CFSR?
___ Does the plan identify the person(s) responsible for overseeing the development, implementation, and oversight of each action step for achieving the goals?
___ Does the plan contain realistic timeframes for implementing the action steps and achieving the goals?
___ Have the goals been prioritized to ensure that action steps for achieving the most important goals (for example, those related to safety) are implemented first and within the timeframes outlined in the PIP instructions?
___ Does the plan explain how action steps targeted to one jurisdiction will lead to positive outcomes and adequate systemic functioning statewide?
___ Does the plan include benchmarks for measuring the progress of improvements towards goal achievement?
___ Are those benchmarks consistent with the level of effort required to improve performance and achieve PIP goals?
___ Does the plan include the State's method for evaluating the progress being made toward the goals and action steps?
The PIP should be signed and dated by the Chief Executive Officer of the State child welfare agency and by the Children's Bureau Regional Office responsible for the State. The approved PIP with original signature must be retained in the Children's Bureau Regional Office. A hard copy of the approved PIP must be submitted to the following parties immediately upon approval:
Agreements
The following Federal and State officials agree to the content and terms of the attached Program Improvement Plan:
__________________________________________________________________
Name of State Executive Officer for Child Welfare Services Date
__________________________________________________________________
Children's Bureau Date
This section should be completed only in the event of renegotiations regarding the content of the PIP, pursuant to 45 CFR 1355.35(e)(4). Copies of approved, renegotiated PIPs must be retained and distributed as noted above immediately upon completion of the renegotiation process.
The content of the attached PIP was renegotiated on [enter date]. The renegotiated content of the attached PIP has been approved (initialed) by State personnel and the Children's Bureau Regional Office with authority to negotiate such content and is approved by Federal and State officials:
Renegotiated Action Steps, Benchmarks or Improvement Goal | Date | Person Responsible | Evidence of Completion | Quarter Due | Quarter Completed | Approval of State Executive Officer for Child Welfare Services |
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Approval Children's Bureau | ||||||
State:
Type of Report: PIP:___ Quarterly Report:___ (Quarter:___)
Date Submitted:
Part A: Strategy Measurement Plan and Quarterly Status Report
Primary Strategy: | Applicable CFSR Outcomes or Systemic Factors: | ||||
Goal: | Applicable CFSR Items: | ||||
Action Steps and Benchmarks | Person Responsible | Evidence of Completion | Quarter Due | Quarter Completed | Quarterly Update |
Renegotiated Action Steps and Benchmarks |
State:
Type of Report: PIP:___ Quarterly Report:___ (Quarter:___)
Date Submitted:
Part B: National Standards Measurement Plan and Quarterly Status Report
Safety Outcome 1: Absence of Recurrence of Maltreatment | ||||||||||||
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National Standard | 94.6% | |||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Final Report/Source Data Period | ||||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Baseline/Source Data Period | ||||||||||||
Negotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Renegotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Status (Enter the current quarter measurement for the reported quarter.) | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 | Q9 | Q10 | Q11 | Q12 |
Safety Outcome 1: Absence of Maltreatment of Children in Foster Care | ||||||||||||
National Standard | 99.68% | |||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Final Report/Source Data Period | ||||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Baseline/Source Data Period | ||||||||||||
Negotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Renegotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Status (Enter the current quarter measurement for the reported quarter.) | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 | Q9 | Q10 | Q11 | Q12 |
State:
Type of Report: PIP:___ Quarterly Report:___ (Quarter:___)
Date Submitted:
Permanency Outcome 1: Timeliness and Permanency of Reunification | ||||||||||||
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National Standard | 122.6 | |||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Final Report/Source Data Period | ||||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Baseline/Source Data Period | ||||||||||||
Negotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Renegotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Status (Enter the current quarter measurement for the reported quarter.) | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 | Q9 | Q10 | Q11 | Q12 |
Permanency Outcome 1: Timeliness of Adoptions | ||||||||||||
National Standard | 106.4 | |||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Final Report/Source Data Period | ||||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Baseline/Source Data Period | ||||||||||||
Negotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Renegotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Status (Enter the current quarter measurement for the reported quarter.) | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 | Q9 | Q10 | Q11 | Q12 |
State:
Type of Report: PIP:___ Quarterly Report:___ (Quarter:___)
Date Submitted:
Permanency Outcome 1: Achieving Permanency for Children in Foster Care for Long Periods of Time | ||||||||||||
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National Standard | 121.7 | |||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Final Report/Source Data Period | ||||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Baseline/Source Data Period | ||||||||||||
Negotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Renegotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Status (Enter the current quarter measurement for the reported quarter.) | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 | Q9 | Q10 | Q11 | Q12 |
Permanency Outcome 1: Placement Stability | ||||||||||||
National Standard | 101.5 | |||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Final Report/Source Data Period | ||||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Baseline/Source Data Period | ||||||||||||
Negotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Renegotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Status (Enter the current quarter measurement for the reported quarter.) | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 | Q9 | Q10 | Q11 | Q12 |
State:
Type of Report: PIP:___ Quarterly Report:___ (Quarter:___)
Date Submitted:
Part C: Item-Specific and Quantitative Measurement Plan and Quarterly Status Report
Outcome/Systemic Factor:_____ Item:_____ | ||||||||||||
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Performance as Measured in Final Report | ||||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Baseline/Source Data Period | ||||||||||||
Negotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Method of Measuring Improvement | ||||||||||||
Renegotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Status (Enter the current quarter measurement for the reported quarter.) | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 | Q9 | Q10 | Q11 | Q12 |
Outcome/Systemic Factor:_____ Item:_____ | ||||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Final Report | ||||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Baseline/Source Data Period | ||||||||||||
Negotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Method of Measuring Improvement | ||||||||||||
Renegotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Status (Enter the current quarter measurement for the reported quarter.) | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 | Q9 | Q10 | Q11 | Q12 |
Outcome/Systemic Factor:_____ Item:_____ | ||||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Final Report | ||||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Baseline/Source Data Period | ||||||||||||
Negotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Method of Measuring Improvement | ||||||||||||
Renegotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Status (Enter the current quarter measurement for the reported quarter.) | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 | Q9 | Q10 | Q11 | Q12 |
Outcome/Systemic Factor:_____ Item:_____ | ||||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Final Report | ||||||||||||
Performance as Measured in Baseline/Source Data Period | ||||||||||||
Negotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Method of Measuring Improvement | ||||||||||||
Renegotiated Improvement Goal | ||||||||||||
Status (Enter the current quarter measurement for the reported quarter.) | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 | Q9 | Q10 | Q11 | Q12 |