Florida Foster Care Review

Florida Foster Care Review (ffcr) serves as a bridge between the child welfare system and the community at large. Ffcr harnesses the power of its extensive volunteer and partner network on behalf of children and young adults impacted by miami's Foster Care system and those at risk of entering or re-entering the system. Ffcr's innovative programs and professional team of subject-matter experts develop and implement child-centered, individualized strategies that allow youth to heal from trauma and grow up with the love and support of stable adults and nurturing families.ffcr's citizen Review panel (crp) program engages, trains and supports volunteers who conduct Review hearings for "continued on schedule o" abused or neglected children in miami-dade county's Foster Care system. With guidance and supervision by ffcr's staff, crp volunteers interview the youth, his/her case manager, and caregivers; and scour medical reports, educational records and therapy records to identify critical gaps in the child's Care. Each ffcr Review hearing culminates in an individually-tailored set of recommendations to address each child's unmet needs to ensure a safe, timely and permanent exit from the system. Once approved by the dependency court judge, these recommendations become binding and enforceable court orders. Ffcr staff engage in post-review advocacy efforts to ensure that all time-sensitive safety and well-being needs are properly addressed.ffcr's permanency roundtable (prt) program curates and convenes an individualized multi-disciplinary team for each child served and facilitates an initial prt session to develop a customized and strategic permanency action plan. Every prt team reconvenes for subsequent roundtable sessions every 30-45 days to Review progress towards the child's permanency goal, to modify the plan as needed and to tackle challenges and break through barriers. Ffcr's program staff coordinate these follow-up roundtables until the child reaches permanency. Between sessions, ffcr tackles time-consuming tasks, including family finding, and explores ways to safely re-connect children with family. Staff mine court files for crucial information and work to match children with prospective families. They also engage and support prospective adoptive families by helping to remove barriers to adoption and provide support to youth who have questions and concerns about the adoption process. Ffcr's connect 2 community (c2c) initiative enriches the lives of children who are served by ffcr by connecting them to new experiences that are individually tailored to meet each child's unique needs, interests and/or goals. Program staff leverage ffcr's extensive network of community-based organizations, corporations and volunteers to create a variety of "community connections," such as engaging in athletic activities, equine therapy, resume workshops and college essay guidance. For children waiting to be adopted, connections to community-based activities and resources can also help promote permanency by enhancing the child's self-esteem and sense of self-worth. To ensure long-term stability and prevent re-entry into Foster Care for children who have been adopted, reunified, placed under permanent guardianship or aged out of Foster Care, ffcr's c2c initiative extends to children, young adults and their caregivers who no longer have an open Foster Care (dependency) case. For these children, ffcr team members reach out every 60 days or more to provide practical guidance, ongoing emotional support and linkages to community resources.