This measure represents DCFS's ability to develop appropriate safety plans with families and continually monitor and update the plans as needed whenever there is a safety concern. This data comes from the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) Item 3c. CFSR is a federal-state collaborative effort designed to help ensure that quality services are provided to children and families through state child welfare systems.  Cases are randomly pulled and then 2 trained reviewers review case files and conduct  interviews with the parents, child(ren), therapists, caseworkers, and attorneys to determine the quality of DCFS and the community’s efforts to assist the family with promoting safety and receiving the services needed to remedy the concerns that brought them to the attention of DCFS. 

The percentage indicates the number of cases where there was a safety concern present and it was continually adressed through creation and monitoring of safety planning with the family (also known as a 'strength'). Cases are scored on a pass/fail basis of either 'strength' or 'area needing improvement'. The requirements to receive a 'strength' rating are rigorous and difficult to obtain. If there is any room for improvement at all, the item as a whole is not considered a strength.

The quarterly percentages are based on a rolling 12-months of state-wide CFSR reviews. The baseline was 65.22% for FY 2023.

When DCFS gets called upon to assess the safety of children, it often involves creating and monitoring a safety plan. The CPS worker tends to create the first safety plan for the family. It is then expected that this safety plan be monitored and changed as appropriate. The agency tends to struggle with consistently monitoring the safety plan, following up with those who are assisting with the safety plan, and revamping the safety plan when needed as the case transitions from the CPS worker to an ongoing worker that provides home based or foster care services).

DCFS set a goal to improve scores on CFSR Item 3c over FY2025. DCFS is seeing an overall downward trend in effective safety planning, with a slight positive uptick over the last two quarters. These trends have been analyzed and are actively addressed in the 2025 RBA Plan.