Indicator 2.2: # of children removed from the home by CPS per year
Current Value
15
Definition
Line
Bar
Story Behind the Curve
What are the positive factors that are contributing to you reaching your desired result?
- Preventative Programs: The Hope Center, New Life, VOICE, Growing Together, Child and Family, Strengthening Families Program
- Court-mandated Programs: Single Parent Family Program, Child and Family
- Growing research suggests the harm done by removing children, trend towards prevention and family based social services
What are the negative factors that are restricting you from reaching your desired result?
- Lack of Sex Education
- Lack of Knowledge and Education: Developmental
- Stigma of accessing parenting resources/materials
- Lack of CPS collaboration with community providers
- Amount of drug use in Navarro County
- High rate of domestic violence and lack of resources available for families dealing with domestic violence
What populations are the most disadvantaged and what causes these disparities?
- Any families in poverty
- Single-Parent Households
- Non-English speaking families
- Pregnant teens without support systems
- Non-citizens
Are there foreseeable factors that will affect your work over the next few months to a year?
- COVID-19: increase in childbirth
- Unemployment: children at home/not being in school
- EDI Maps: Get a better understanding of needs based on geographic areas
What additional research is needed to better understand the factors that influence the slope of the curve and related disparities?
- Understanding the removal process and requirements from Child Protective Services
- CPS worker turnover rate
- How the EDI maps connect with rates of abuse and neglect
- Gauge community's trust in CPS and how that effects their attitudes towards reporting abuse and neglect
- There are potential benefits and harm to removing children from their homes. What are the number of children staying in unsafe households?
Partners
Who are the partners who can help you reach your desired outcome? List partners and their roles.
- Preventative Prorgrams: The Hope Center, New Life/VOICE, Growing Together, PCHAS Child and Family, Strengthening Families Program
- Daycares, Schools, Headstart: Mandated reporters
- PEDIA, WIC, Pediatricians, Navarro County Hospital: Mandated reporters, have medical access to families and can spot abuse/neglect.
- The Navarro County Early Childhood Coalition
- Church involvement
- Child Protective Services
What Works
Research/Evidence-Based Practices:
- Parenting skill building: TBRI, The Incredible Years, Strenghtening Families
- EDI Maps: More data could help provide insights to specific neighborhood needs and child safety
- Building family protective factors: Resilience, Communication, Knowledge, Support, and Relationships through Parent Support Groups or Education groups.
Low Cost/No Cost Solutions:
- Promoting Preventative programs in the community: Free programs for parents including The Hope Center, Growing Together, VOICE, ECI
- Community Outreach: Using social media and marketing to provide information on abuse and neglect and resouces for parenting support
- Training mandated reporters: Spotting abuse and neglect, teaching about healthy attachment
Innovative/Out-the-Box Solutions:
- Bright by Text: text messaging service for parents to provide info and resources on child development, parenting, and safety.
- Parent Advisory Board: Surveying needs of parents, continuously getting feedback
- Child Safety Days: Help to prevent and bring awareness to child injuries such as car safety, water safety, and home safety.
Additional Research:
- Correlation between being involved in a preventative program in the community and having future involvement with CPS
- How many families are having children removed due to poverty? Is there a bias against those in low socioeconomic homes for removals?
Strategy
What Strategy | By Whom (Partners) | By When |
Parent Advisory Board: surveying needs of parents and continuosly getting feedback | Early Childhood Coalition | December 2020 |
Child Safety Days | ECC | Summer 2021 |
Bright By Text: Text messaging service to provide resources on development, parenting, and safety | ECC | Fall 2021 |
Encouraging participation in Parent Support Groups | VOICE, PCHAS, ECI | Ongoing |