Period I Monitoring Report: Kenny A. v. Perdue

This report is required by the settlement of the Kenny A. v. Perdue lawsuit. It measures the efforts of the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) to meet child welfare outcome improvement goals set by the settlement. During the eight month period covered by this report, DFCS has demonstrated progress in meeting the goals. Four of the seven outcomes to be met by June 30, 2006, were met. Three areas did not meet the target, but significant progress was noted. The outcome areas are:

• Safe from maltreatment-to be measured by investigations of maltreatment in care and substantiated maltreatment incidents
   
• Maintain family connections- to be measured by visitation rates among family members with a child in foster care
   
• Achieve permanency- to be measured by length of time in foster care, re-entry into foster care, and permanent placement rates
   
• Stable placements and caseworker continuity-to be measured by worker continuity and frequency of contacts with children and caregivers
   
• Receipt of needed services- to be measured by educational achievement of youth who age out of foster care and follow through in meeting children's service needs
   
• Oversight of placement settings- to be measured by placement setting conditions such as the establishment of specialized caseloads for children entering their 18th month in foster care
   
• Timely and complete court orders related to DFCS authority to assume and continue custody