Our own President and CEO, Dan Heit, was formally invited to participate as a member of a multi-disciplinary stakeholder workgroup, under the leadership of the Child Welfare Council. This workgroup is tasked with developing recommendations for county child welfare finance reform. The workgroup is convened by Cathie Utz, Deputy Secretary of the Office of Children, Youth and Families, and is comprised of state and county officials as well as providers. JusticeWorks expertise providing in-home services led to Dan’s appointment.
Federal law has changed significantly since the Adoption and Safe Families Act was passed to support state and county efforts to improve practice and service delivery geared toward keeping children safely in their own homes or ensuring timely permanence when they cannot remain with family. States and counties have been asked to expand the array of available services, including the expansion of evidence-based programs and decreasing the use of services that don’t have proven outcomes.
The role for the stakeholder workgroup will be to prioritize the alignment of state funds to support current child welfare practices focused on home and community-based services and prevention.
As a member of this workgroup, Dan will assist in the identification of the necessary action steps and decision points to develop recommendations for DHS’s consideration and the drafting of any recommended legislation.
Congratulations Dan!