Families are Safe and Economically Stable (Montgomery) (Formerly Stability)

A home environment with nurturing adults who love, care for and protect their children is a cornerstone of healthy child development.Children with special challenges—physical, emotional or developmental—have a substantially better likelihood of achieving their potential if raised in their family homes, or in their home communities, rather than in distant residential facilities.

• 4.2 per 1,000 children in Montgomery County entered out-of-home care in FY2014
• Nearly 38,000 children in Montgomery County were food insecure in 2013. The rate has been steady over the last three years.Nearly half are likely eligible for federal nutrition assistance.

Contributory factors include:

• Often the only way for families and child serving agencies to obtain needed services is to place a child in a restrictive environment.Research tells us such environments are less beneficial to the positive development of all children and youth.The agencies in the child-serving system are sometimes unable to transfer resources to least restrictive level of care and community-based services because of their own rules and regulations.
• Many of the children with intensive needs are receiving multiple services from multiple agencies, and care coordination is complex and difficult to manage when there are several case managers and funding requirements.Both parents and providers find it challenging to optimally care for children in this environment.Having interagency care coordination and case management services can ensure that parents can access the right mix of services and resources.

Pathway to Services