Children's Administration looked at a sample of 10-day response cases and found that 70 percent to 80 percent did not meet the statutory requirements for a CPS response. Those referrals will be screened out. The 10-day response will be eliminated in October 2013, which will give us time to work with intake staff to ensure they screen out cases that do not meet statutory requirements. The majority of the 10-day response cases that meet the statutory requirements will screen in for the FAR pathway. Research on programs similar to FAR show a reduction in repeat referrals. Over time, a reduction in the number of repeat intakes should reduce CPS workload.
Children's Administration is also working on multiple permanency strategies to help safely reduce caseloads. As we safely return children home or move them into permanent homes, the funding that was used to pay for foster care maintenance may be used to provide support and in-home services for families in the FAR pathway.