Authorizing the Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings regarding the Department of Human Services' Improving Outcomes for Children initiative and the Community Umbrella Agency provider system.

WHEREAS, In response to the tragic death of Danieal Kelly, the Department of Human Services (“DHS”) developed the Improving Outcomes for Children (“IOC”) initiative as a community partnership approach to child welfare that will serve as a multi-year reform plan aimed at improving the safety, permanency and well-being of the children and families served by DHS; and

WHEREAS, More than 150 people from key City stakeholder groups (including providers, Family Court leadership, City officials, academics, advocates, union leaders, older youth, residents, and community agencies) were involved in the IOC's development and served on its steering committee and six workgroups that participated in the planning phase of this initiative; and

WHEREAS, The IOC is designed as a community based model of service delivery with case management services for children involved in the child welfare system to be provided by Community Umbrella Agencies (“CUAs”) and DHS will provide monitoring, oversight, and quality of assurance of the CUAs as opposed to providing direct case management to children and families; and

WHEREAS, The selection of CUAs was planned to be implemented over a few years and DHS identified 10 geographic areas (based on Police Districts) to serve as CUA boundaries; and

WHEREAS, In February 2012, DHS released its first Request for Proposals (“RFP”) for the initial two CUAs and since the release of its initial RFP, DHS has selected the following organizations as CUAs in Police Districts (Catholic Social Services - 2nd, 7th, 8th (CUA 4); Turning Points for Children - 15th (CUA 3), 12th, 18th, 77th (CUA 9); NorthEast Treatment Centers - 22nd (CUA 7), 25th (CUA 1); APM - 24th , 26th (CUA 2); Bethanna - 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 17th (CUA 8); Wordsworth - 16th, 19th (CUA 10), 35th, 39th (CUA 5); and Tabor Northern - 5th , 14th (CUA 6)); and

WHEREAS, The IOC and CUA model is a significant change in the case management and the delivery of services in the City's child welfare system and there is a need to assess and analyze the impact and outcomes of this transition; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Committee on Public Health and Human Services hold hearings regarding the Department of Human Services' Improving Outcomes for Children initiative and the Community Umbrella Agency provider system.

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