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CFPIC has worked in collaboration with Speiglman Norris Associates, Berkeley Policy Associates, and other partners and stakeholders in the design and implementation of the CalWORKs Child-only Study. While at its onset the vast majority of CalWORKs cases included an aided adult, over half of CalWORKs cases now provide aid just for the children because the adults have been excluded from cash aid and receipt of services. Concern has been expressed about self-sufficiency status of the parents and caregivers in these cases and also about the well-being of the children.
Child-only Study Report #1, analyzes administrative data from seven Northern California counties to answer questions about the prevalence of five major subgroups of child-only cases, the characteristics of family members comprising those cases, and parents and caregivers’ dynamics of history of receipt of aid. Report #2 and an accompanying policy
brief, utilize data from face-to-face surveys with sanctioned and timed-out CalWORKs recipients to report on the composition, characteristics, and needs of those households in five California counties and to address essential policy questions.
A third study phase, focused on child well-being, is in the design stage. For additional information email Richard Speiglman, project director, at richard@snassoc.com
CFPIC in collaboration with the California Institute of Mental Health (CIMH) with grant funding from the Zellerbach Family Foundation facilitated a stakeholders group process to address the mental health needs of children and youth placed out of county. Several months’ work resulted in specific recommendations adopted by the County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) , the California Mental Health Directors Association, and the California Alliance of Child and Family Services and embodied in SB 785, Statutes of 2007. A final project report including the processes and products of the workgroups and the text of SB 785 are offered here.
CFPIC is working with the CWDA Children’s Committee, CalSWEC, the Regional Training Academies, and the Bay Area Association of Child Protective Services Supervisors to present a comprehensive statewide conference for Social Workers, Supervisors, Mangers and Directors in Monterey on May 28-30, 2008. The Conference will take place at both the Monterey Hyatt (for Directors, Managers and Supervisors)and Asilomar Conference Center (for Supervisors and Social Workers). The 2008 Child Welfare Conference flyer is now available.
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