The Iowa Department of Human Services is seeking input
on how to redesign the state's child welfare and juvenile justice
system.
Iowa DHS seeks ideas on new program
A "town meeting" was held Monday at Iowa Western
Community College to accomplish this. The meetings are being held across Iowa as part of DHS'
"Better Results for Kids" redesign project.
"The most important aspect of this is that project
success means that service's outcomes are better for the kids and
families we serve," said Mary Nelson of DHS and member of the "Better
Results for Kids" committee.
The redesign was mandated in Senate File 453:
"The department of human services shall initiate a
process for improving the outcomes for families in this state who become
involved with the state system for child welfare and juvenile justice by
implementing a system redesign to transition to an outcomes-based system
for children," it states.
The concept of success for the project is design and
implementation of a publicly supported system that will achieve better
results for Iowa's at-risk children, youth, and families.
In order to achieve that, the redesign must:
- Identify specific outcomes for children and youth
and annual targets for improvement.
- Be guided throughout by the question: Is this
better for children?
- Be responsive to the needs of children, youth and
families.
- Develop performance-based contracts for all
providers.
- Honor the requirements spelled out in the fiscal
year 2003 legislation.
- Effectively engage stakeholders and their views.
"Legislation itself directs us to develop an
outcome-based system that has performance contracts with our providers,"
Nelson said. "With this redesign, we're to move toward 'purchasing'
performance, 'purchasing' more of an outcome-based result."
In addition, the redesign should:
- Maximize the use of resources available across the
entire child welfare and juvenile justice system.
- Balance flexibility with accountability.
- Build on an allocation of state resources for the
fiscal year beginning July 1 that has decreased by $10 million from the
current fiscal year, yet does not assume that total resources invested
in the system must decrease.
- Use a design process that has integrity and earns
the respect of all involved.
- Be completed along with an implementation plan by
Oct. 1; that some aspects of the system be implemented by Jan. 1, 2004
and that the redesigned system be fully implemented by July 1, 2004.
Public feedback is a crucial part of the system.
Besides the meetings, focus groups and individual interviews in each of
the state's eight service areas will be conducted.
Nelson said comments can be offered online at
www.dhs.state.ia.us by clicking
on Better For Kids at the bottom of the page.
By Courtney Brummer
20 June 2003
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=8384917&BRD=2554&PAG=461&dept_id=507134&rfi=6
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