Braam Settlement Agreement
BackgroundThe Braam vs. State of Washington lawsuit was filed in August 1998 on behalf of a class of foster children who had three or more placements while in foster care. The named plaintiff is Jessica Braam. The lawsuit alleged that the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) does not provide constitutionally required care to foster children. After six years of litigation, a Settlement Agreement was reached and approved by the court in November 2004. The goal of the settlement agreement is to improve the conditions and treatment of children in the custody of the Washington State DSHS Children's Administration (CA), Division of Children and Family Services. The Braam Oversight Panel was created in 2004 to oversee the Settlement Agreement regarding Washington State's foster care system. It is an independent five member panel of experts from across the nation that were mutually agreed to by the parties. The Braam Oversight Panel, in collaboration with DSHS/CA and substantial input from the Plaintiffs' attorneys, developed outcomes, benchmarks and action steps. On October 31, 2011, the Department and the Plaintiffs' attorneys agreed to continue to monitor the Department's performance on 21 Outcomes, which include monthly visits, sibling placement, sibling visits, annual mental health and substance abuse screens, and others. Measuring ProgressThe Department issues data twice yearly on its performance in the 21 Outcomes in the Revised Settlement and Exit Agreement. The Braam Oversight Panel determines whether the Department complied with the full compliance measure in the agreement, and determines whether the Department complied with the 21 Outcomes in the Revised Settlement and Exit Agreement. The Braam Oversight Panel will hold twice yearly public meetings that coincide with its monitoring report. The Braam Oversight Panel Meeting Schedule is available on the Panel's website. 2010/2011 UpdateFY2010 annual performance and informational reports were submitted to the Braam Oversight Panel in several submissions between January-May 2011. The current settlement agreement expired October 31, 2011 and was renegotiated as some requirements have not been met. Additional InformationCopies of the Performance Reports, Monitoring Reports, DSHS/CA Compliance Plan Reports, and Braam Panel Public Meeting minutes and materials are available below. Additional information and materials can be found on the Braam Oversight Panel website. For information from DSHS/CA regarding the Braam Settlement Agreement or to participate in the continuous quality improvement process related to outcomes addressed in the Implementation Plan please email cabraamsettlement@dshs.wa.gov. Reports and Meeting Minutes2011
2010
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