This live teleconference will provide a forum for exploring states’ attempts to improve the quality of foster care and achieve the standards of the Child and Family Services Review. The Kentucky Foster Care Census described the interaction of child well-being, foster system capabilities, and agency practices. These results and national experts will stimulate a discussion of the policies and practices needed to improve adult success among children in care.

Providing care for children in out-of-home placements is arguably the most complex responsibility of state child welfare agencies. The public, legislators, child advocates, and the Child and Family Service Review seek answers to questions about the quality of care provided in the foster system and its impact on child capabilities and well-being. The answers to these questions ultimately involve consideration of the interaction between child needs, family and foster family capabilities, system functions, and policies and practices. The Foster Care Census was designed to verify the placement of every child in the Kentucky system and to evaluate the interaction of these system components on child well-being.

A CD will be available for purchase after the teleconference with measures and guidelines used in conducting the Kentucky Foster Care Census, the contents of this teleconference, and summary findings (Ordering Information). Opportunities to continue the dialogue will be available on-line after the teleconference.

Broadcast Objectives:

• Describe the challenges facing the out-of-home care system and the opportunities for innovation and restructuring the system to achieve the federal standards of the Child and Family Service Reviews.
  
• Describe the methodology used to conduct the Foster Care Census
  
• Disseminate key findings from the census on child-well being indicators and adult care provider needs.
  
• Explore Out-of-home care policies, practices and CFSR outcomes.

Expected Participant Outcomes:

For youth in out-of-home care, participants will understand:

1. The potential benefits of a statewide census.
   
2. The importance of well-being as an indicator of how these youth are faring.
   
3. The functional, social, and health needs and strengths of these youth.
   
4. Resources for innovative practices to enhance youth outcomes.

List of Panelists

• Bart Baldwin
  National Director for Regional Public Policy
  Child Welfare League of America
  
• Wendy Whiting Blome, LICSW, DSW
  Director, National Center for Research and Data
  Child Welfare League of America
  
• Ruth A. Huebner, Ph.D
  Child Welfare Researcher, Kentucky Cabinet for Families and Children
  
• Secretary Viola Miller, Ed. D.
  Kentucky Cabinet for Families and Children
  
• Linda Mitchell
  Senior Child Welfare Specialist with the U.S.Children’s Bureau
  
• Kristin Moore, Ph.D.
  President and Senior Scholar of Child Trends
  
• Elaine Ryan
  American Public Human Services Association