IOC is a public-private partnership to provide child welfare services in Philadelphia. Seven organizations contract with Philadelphia DHS to operate Community Umbrella Agencies (CUAS) in 10 regions. IOC is a community based approach to child welfare in which each family has one case manager and one plan. Philadelphia DHS provides prevention, hotline, investigations, and adoption support, among other services.
An evaluation of IOC was requested by the Mayor Jim Kenney and led by the City’s Managing Director’s Office, who identified evaluators from the Child Welfare Policy and Practice Group, a consultancy that has worked with over 20 jurisdictions nationwide, to complete the evaluation. Their evaluators interviewed over 200 people, observed daily work experiences of CUA and DHS, reviewed data, case documents, policies and external reports, and shared a draft report which garnered feedback from over 250 individuals.
“I am happy to accept this report and I appreciate all the work that went into evaluating this complex but very important case management system said Mayor Kenney. As evident by the evaluation, DHS has made significant improvements over the past several years and I anticipate even better outcomes for children in care under the leadership of Commissioner Cynthia Figueroa and her team.”
Among the strengths noted in the evaluation were a high rate of placing children with kin (46 percent here compared to 30 percent nationally), caseload reduction, and better performance measurement and management. System challenges included a high rate of children in out-of-home care (16.4 children per 1,000 in Philadelphia; 5.5 per 1,000 nationally) and the lack of a good data system.
Another strength outlined in the evaluation is Philadelphia DHS’ implementation of the CUA Scorecard. The CUA Scorecard brings an unprecedented level of transparency, accountability, and commitment to child welfare services in Philadelphia. This first year presents baseline data by which future years will be measured.
The CUA Scorecard aligns with the department’s mandate for child safety, and reflects that 90% of CUAs meet expectations for safety assessments, plan completion, quality and timeliness, and more than half of CUAs meet the goals for children, youth, and family visits that are purposeful and timely.
“The purpose of the Scorecard is to identify strengths and weaknesses in practice and to measure CUAs’ improvement over time,” said Commissioner Figueroa. The baseline data in the Scorecard shows that seven out of 10 CUAs are presently at an “unsatisfactory” and three as “competent.” “While there has been tremendous work to stabilize the system, there is more work to be done,” Figueroa continued.
DHS will provide targeted technical assistance in low performing areas and CUAs who are doing well will share best practices with other CUAs. “This,” says Figueroa, “is how we will learn and grow as government and providers and work to improve outcomes for children, youth, and families receiving child welfare services.”
Both publications as well as a four page summary of the evaluation can be found online at http://www.phila.gov/hhs/PDF/IOC%20Evaluation%20Final%20Report.pdf , http://www.phila.gov/hhs/PDF/IOC%20Evaluation%20Final%20Report.pdf and https://www.phila.gov/documents/dhs-annual-reports/