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Hillsborough Partners: An Intensive Preventive Services Collaboration In December 1999 an emergency public forum was held to respond to crisis statistics presented by the Department of Children and Families in Hillsborough County. The statistics described serious overcrowding in foster care throughout the county and state, and short-term and long-term solutions were offered. A group of 10 provider agencies was developed in response to the need for front-end, family-based support and early intervention services. This partnership, referred to as the Hillsborough Partners, is implementing a comprehensive and holistic prevention continuum for children who are at high risk for out of home placement due to neglect and abuse. The primary population targeted for this project are children at high risk for entering the foster care system and their families, be they living with their own parents or relative caregiver. The Partners also target children in the foster care system in both shelter status and in foster care who have family reunification or placement with a relative as a goal but where reunification is not possible without a mix of support services. Under the organization and leadership of the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA, the Partners are committed to finding alternatives to out-of-home placement and reducing foster care system overcrowding. Mental health and substance abuse services, increased family support and kinship care are part of a service continuum employing a wraparound case management model. The partnership is being evaluated by the Consortium for Child Welfare Studies to determine its effectiveness in achieving positive, safe, and stable environments for children and their caretakers. The evaluation has been designed to track program efforts to pursue permanent placements for children that minimize their time out of their home or the home of a relative. Moreover, issues related to process and effectiveness of service provision are being assessed. |
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The
Consortium for Child Welfare Studies is sponsored by the Department
of Child and Family Studies
at the Louis
de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute,
a college of the University
of South Florida. |
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