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Former DYFS Deputy Director Marc Cherna shared lessons learned
in transforming Alleghany County’s child welfare system from one in crisis to
one that serves children and families in a holistic way.
Increased coordination among social service agencies and
building on family’s strengths has led to a dramatic decrease in the number
of children in foster care and more children and families staying safely
together, Cherna said.
Cherna made his presentation at ACNJ’s On the Issue series,
held June 11 at the Newark Club.
In 1995, when Cherna left New Jersey to head the Allegheny
County (PA) Department of Human Services, the child welfare system was in
crisis. A high-profile child death had trained attention on the agency’s
inadequacies, including high caseloads, constant staff turnover and a backlog
of adoption cases. Cherna was charged with fixing it.
Now, 15 years later, the county has cut the number of children
in foster care by 52 percent and spends just 27 percent of its child welfare
budget on foster care-related services, compared to 69 percent in 1996,
Cherna said. That has given the county the resources to build an extensive
range of prevention, early intervention, crisis management and after care
services for families.
The cornerstones of this transformation were:
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Providing adequate staff supports
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Strengthening case practice
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Developing partnerships with providers
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Strengthening the agency’s partnership with
the court
A critical part of this transformation meant moving from a
punitive approach to child welfare to one that truly capitalizes on a
family’s strengths, Cherna said. This includes widespread use of Family Group
Decision Making and ensuring that families have the resources they need to
care for their children.
The partnership with the courts was also crucial, Cherna said.
The court now has “hearing officers’’ in the local offices where hearings are
held weekly, making it easier for families and child welfare workers to
engage in regular case reviews.
Parents and children are also intricately involved in the
agency’s functioning. Through Family Support Centers, “parent partners”
decide which agency should provide family supports in their community,
determine programs and recruit other parents.
Coordination among agencies was another key to the success. No
matter which “door” a family enters the system through, they can access
needed services across agencies, Cherna said.
“Everyone is dependent on each other so they have to work
together to meet family needs holistically,” Cherna said.
While acknowledging the challenge of transferring this success
to New Jersey, which has a state-administered system, as opposed to Pennsylvani’s
county-based system, Cherna said it is possible.
He advised changing our structure to give the local offices more
power in determining the needs of their communities and how to meet those needs.
He said this “bottom up” approach has led to greater success and stronger
neighborhoods. He also said collaboration, accountability and transparency
are essential.
“The bottom line is it’s all about customer service,” he said
“We here to serve our families.”
View Marc’s Power Point Presentation.
ACNJ will resume its informative lunchtime series in the fall,
focusing on health issues. Stay tuned for dates and topics.
June 11, 2010
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