The long road home : a study of children stranded in New York City foster care

242 Pages·2009·2.553 MB·English

by  Children's Rights (Organization)

The
A Study of Children
Long
Stranded in
Road
New York City Foster Care
home
November 2009
ChildreN’S rightS
November 2009
The
A Study of Children
Long
Stranded in
Road
New York City Foster Care
home
COVER PHOTOS (l-r): Jean-Philippe Daigle, Laura Burlton, and Flickr user bricolage 108
Table of ConTenTs
Acknowledgements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
executive.summAry.of.findings.And.recommendAtions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
SUmmaRy.Of.fINDINgS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
I. Length of Stay ........................................................................7
II. Casework . . . . ........................................................................7
III. Legal Proceedings in Family Court ......................................................13
IV. Casework Resources .................................................................16
V. Court Resources ..................................................................... 17
ReCOmmeNDaTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
study.metHodology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..23
I. Methodology .......................................................................24
II. Limitations . . .......................................................................26
One Child’s stOry: darla. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
One Child’s stOry: CeCe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
cHAPter.1:.demogrAPHics,.cAse.oPening,.And.current.cAse.stAtus. . . . . . . . . . .31
HIgHLIgHTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
I. Demographic Information ............................................................ 33
II. Reasons Children Entered Foster Care and Court Findings ............................... 35
III. Current Case Status .................................................................. 37
One Child’s stOry: FeliCia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
cHAPter.2:.cHild.HeAltH.And.well-Being. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
HIgHLIgHTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..48
I. Medical Conditions .................................................................49
II. Developmental Disorders ............................................................50
III. Mental Health ....................................................................... 51
One Child’s stOry: Max. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
cHAPter.3:.PlAcements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..57
HIgHLIgHTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
I. Placements . . . ......................................................................59
II. School Transfers .....................................................................63
One Child’s stOry: Calvin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
One Child’s stOry: devin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
cHAPter.4:.cAsework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
HIgHLIgHTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..70
I. Factors that Affect the Quality of Casework ............................................ 72
II. Developing and Implementing the Case Plan ...........................................78
III. Reporting to the Court ...............................................................92
One Child’s stOry: Margaret. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
One Child’s stOry: dOra. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
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cHAPter.5:.AdoPtion.cAsework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
HIgHLIgHTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
I. Establishing the Permanency Goal of Adoption ........................................103
II. Surrender of Parental Rights and Open Adoption ......................................104
III. Recruiting, Identifying, and Placing Children in Prospective Adoptive Homes .............106
IV. Sibling Groups and Adoption ........................................................109
V. Preparation for Adoption ............................................................109
One Child’s stOry: Peter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
cHAPter.6:.cAseworker.contActs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
HIgHLIgHTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..116
I. Caseworker Contact with Children ................................................... 118
II. Caseworker Contact with Parents ....................................................120
III. Caseworker Contact with Resource Parents and Child Care Workers ......................125
One Child’s stOry: latisha. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
cHAPter.7:.PArent-cHild.visits.And.PArent.contAct.witH.resource.PArents. . . 131
HIgHLIgHTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
I. Parent-Child Visits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
II. Parent Contact with Resource Parents ................................................ 141
One Child’s stOry: riCO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
cHAPter.8:.services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
HIgHLIgHTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148
I. Services for Children ................................................................149
II. Services for Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
One Child’s stOry: Wilsa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
One Child’s stOry: lisa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
cHAPter.9:.legAl.Proceedings.in.fAmily.court.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
HIgHLIgHTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
I. Overview of Challenges in Legal Proceedings .......................................... 174
II. Factors that Affect the Quality of Legal and Family Court Practice ....................... 177
III. Court Proceedings When Children First Enter Foster Care:
Article 10 and Voluntary Placements ............................................. 185
IV. Permanency Hearings ............................................................... 191
V. Termination of Parental Rights ....................................................... 195
VI. Mediation . . . ...................................................................... 211
APPendix.A:.metHodology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213
I. Sample Selection ................................................................... 215
II. Instrument Design .................................................................. 219
III. Case Record Review ................................................................220
IV. Interviews . . . . ..................................................................... 221
V. Focus Groups . ..................................................................... 222
VI. Data Entry and Analysis ............................................................. 223
VII. Study Limitations ..................................................................224
APPendix.B:.AsfA.‘comPelling’.And.‘otHer’.reAsons.for.not.filing.for.tPr. . . .227
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lisT of figures
cHAPter.1:.demogrAPHics,.cAse.oPening,.And.current.cAse.stAtus
Figure 1.1: Mean and Median Ages of Children ............................................... 33
Figure 1.2: Ages of Children ...............................................................34
Figure 1.3: Sex of Children .................................................................34
Figure 1.4: Race/Ethnicity of Children ..................................................... 34
Figure 1.5: Children’s Borough of Origin .................................................... 35
Figure 1.6: Allegations and Other Concerns Identified When Child Entered Foster Care .........36
Figure 1.7: Types of Findings for Children’s Cases ............................................ 37
Figure 1.8: Types of Findings as to Mothers and Fathers ....................................... 37
Figure 1.9: Ranges of Length of Stay in Foster Care .......................................... 38
Figure 1.10: Mean and Median Length of Stay in Foster Care .................................. 38
Figure 1.11: Length of Stay in Foster Care ................................................... 38
Figure 1.12: Permanency Planning Goals of Children in Study Sample ..........................39
Figure 1.13: Proportion of Children in Study Sample with a Goal of Adoption
who were Legally Free and Not Legally Free ............................................40
Figure 1.14: Ranges of Length of Time with Current Permanency Goal .........................41
Figure 1.15: Mean and Median Length of Time with Current Permanency Goal ..................41
Figure 1.16: Length of Time with Current Permanency Goal ..................................41
Figure 1.17: Selected Circumstances of Children’s Mothers ....................................42
Figure 1.18: Selected Circumstances of Children’s Fathers ....................................43
cHAPter.2:.cHild.HeAltH.And.well-Being
Figure 2.1: Proportion of Children with Documented Chronic Medical Conditions ..............49
Figure 2.2: Most Commonly Documented Chronic Medical Conditions ........................50
Figure 2.3: Proportion of Children with Documented Developmental Disorders ................50
Figure 2.4: Most Commonly Documented Developmental Disorders .......................... 51
Figure 2.5: Proportion of Children with Documented Mental Health Diagnoses ................ 51
Figure 2.6: Most Commonly Documented Mental Health Diagnoses .......................... 52
Figure 2.7: Proportion of Children who Received Psychotropic Medications .................... 53
Figure 2.8: Proportion of Children who Experienced Psychiatric Hospitalizations ............... 53
cHAPter.3:.PlAcements
Figure 3.1: Proportion of Children Placed in Family Settings
During Entire One-Year Review Period ................................................59
Figure 3.2: Children’s Placement Settings ...................................................60
Figure 3.3: Proportion of Children Whose Most Recent Placement was
in His/Her Borough of Origin .........................................................60
Figure 3.4: Number of Placements Children Experienced During One-Year Review Period .......61
Figure 3.5: Number and Type of Placements Children Experienced ............................62
Figure 3.6: Reasons for Placement Moves ...................................................62
Figure 3.7: Number of School Transfers Experienced by Children ..............................64
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cHAPter.4:.cAsework
Figure 4.1: Number of Case Planners Children Experienced During Two-Year Period ............. 73
Figure 4.2: Caseloads of Interviewed Caseworkers ...........................................74
Figure 4.3: Average Foster Boarding Home Caseworker Caseloads Reported by 14 Agencies ...... 75
Figure 4.4: Caseworker Receipt of Training on Certain Identified Topics .......................76
Figure 4.5: Availability of Caseworker Resources ............................................ 77
Figure 4.6: Number of SPR/FTC Meetings Held ............................................79
Figure 4.7: Attendance at SPRs/FTCs ......................................................80
Figure 4.8: FASP Quality Ratings .......................................................... 81
Figure 4.9: Efforts to Locate Maternal and Paternal Relatives .................................87
Figure 4.10: Proportion of Children with Documented Concurrent Goals ......................88
Figure 4.11: Proportion of Permanency Hearing Reports
Provided by Foster Care Agencies to ACS at least 24 Days Before Hearing .................93
Figure 4.12: Proportion of Permanency Hearing Reports
Provided to JRP Attorney by ACS at least 14 Days Before Hearing ........................94
Figure 4.13: Permanency Hearing Report Quality Ratings .....................................95
cHAPter.5:.AdoPtion.cAsework
Figure 5.1: Length of Time from Foster Care Entry to Establishment of Adoption Goal. . . . . . . . . .104
Figure 5.2: Proportion of Cases in which Voluntary/Conditional Surrender
was Discussed with Parents ..........................................................105
Figure 5.3: Proportion of Cases in which Open Adoption was Discussed with Parents ...........105
Figure 5.4: Proportion of Children with a Goal of Adoption Placed in Pre-Adoptive Home ......107
Figure 5.5: Efforts Made to Recruit Adoptive Homes ........................................108
Figure 5.6: Barriers to Timely Adoption .................................................... 110
cHAPter.6:.cAseworker.contActs
Figure 6.1: Proportion of Caseworker-Child Contacts
Relative to Expected Number of Contacts ............................................. 119
Figure 6.2: Barriers to Caseworker-Child Contact ...........................................120
Figure 6.3: Proportion of Caseworker-Mother Contacts
Relative to Expected Number of Contacts ..............................................121
Figure 6.4: Barriers to Caseworker-Mother Contact ......................................... 122
Figure 6.5: Proportion of Caseworker-Father Contacts
Relative to Expected Number of Contacts ..............................................123
Figure 6.6: Barriers to Caseworker-Father Contact .......................................... 124
Figure 6.7: Proportion of Caseworker-Caregiver Contacts
Relative to Expected Number of Contacts ............................................. 126
Figure 6.8: Barriers to Caseworker Contact with Caregivers .................................. 127
Figure 6.9: Proportion of Caseworker-Caregiver Contacts
Relative to Expected Number of Contacts, by Type of Foster Home Placement ............ 128
cHAPter.7:.PArent-cHild.visits.And.PArent.contAct.witH.resource.PArents
Figure 7.1: Proportion of Mother-Child Visits Relative to Expected Number of Visits ............135
Figure 7.2: Barriers to Mother-Child Visits ................................................. 136
Figure 7.3: Proportion of Father-Child Visits Relative to Expected Number of Visits .............137
Figure 7.4: Barriers to Father-Child Visits .................................................. 138
Figure 7.5: Level of Supervision Required for Parent-Child Visits .............................140
Figure 7.6: Proportion of Parent-Resource Parent Contacts
Relative to Expected Number of Contacts .............................................. 143
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cHAPter.8:.services
Figure 8.1: Proportion of Children with Identified Service Needs .............................150
Figure 8.2: Proportion of Children Receiving Needed Services ................................151
Figure 8.3: Frequency of Barriers to Children’s Receipt of Needed Services .....................153
Figure 8.4: Proportion of Parents with Identified Service Needs .............................. 156
Figure 8.5: Proportion of Parents Receiving or Participating in Needed Services .................157
Figure 8.6: Barriers to Receiving or Participating in Services
for Parents of Children with a Goal of Return to Parent ................................. 159
Figure 8.7: Barriers to Receiving or Participating in Services
for Parents of Children with a Goal of Adoption .......................................160
cHAPter.9:.legAl.Proceedings.in.fAmily.court
Figure 9.1: Judge and Referee Caseloads ................................................... 178
Figure 9.2: Number of Children with Article 10 or Voluntary 358A Petitions Filed .............. 178
Figure 9.3: Frequency of Supervision Provided to FCLS Attorneys ............................180
Figure 9.4: Availability of Resources for FCLS Attorneys ......................................181
Figure 9.5: Frequency of Supervision Provided to JRP Attorneys .............................. 182
Figure 9.6: Availability of Resources for JRP Attorneys ...................................... 183
Figure 9.7: Type of Legal Representation for Parents ........................................ 183
Figure 9.8: Length of Time from Remand to Fact-Finding Order .............................. 187
Figure 9.9: Length of Time from Fact-Finding to Disposition ................................ 188
Figure 9.10: Length of Time from Remand to Disposition ...................................189
Figure 9.11: Proportion of Children with Timely Permanency Hearings ........................ 192
Figure 9.12: Number of Permanency Hearings That Were Not Completed Timely .............. 193
Figure 9.13: Reasons Permanency Hearings Were Not Completed Timely ......................194
Figure 9.14: Proportion of Children with a TPR Petition Filed ............................... 197
Figure 9.15: TPR Petitions Filed as to Mothers and Fathers .................................. 197
Figure 9.16: Length of Time from Foster Care Entry to TPR Petition
Filed as to at Least One Parent .......................................................198
Figure 9.17: Mean and Median Length of Time from Entry to Filing TPR Petitions .............198
Figure 9.18: Length of Time from Adoption Goal Establishment to TPR Petition Filed ..........201
Figure 9.19: Mean and Median Length of Time from Establishing Adoption Goal
to Filing TPR Petitions ..............................................................202
Figure 9.20: Length of Time from Establishment of Adoption Goal
to TPR Petition Filed ...............................................................202
Figure 9.21: Length of Time from Foster Care Entry to Date Child Became Legally Free .........204
Figure 9.22: Length of Time from Establishing Adoption Goal
to Date Child Became Legally Free ...................................................205
Figure 9.23: Length of Time from Filing of TPR Petition to Date Child Became Legally Free ....206
Figure 9.24: Correlation Between Date Entered Foster Care and
Months From Entry to Filing TPR as to at least One Parent .............................207
Figure 9.25: Correlation Between Date TPR Filed as to at least One Parent
and Length of Time from TPR Filing to Legal Freeing ..................................207
Figure 9.26: Correlation Between Date Entered Foster Care and
Length of Time from Entry to Legal Freeing ...........................................208
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aCknowledgemenTs
Children’s Rights is pleased to acknowledge the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation as the lead
supporter of this project, and we are grateful for the significant support provided by the Ira W.
DeCamp Foundation, the Stella & Charles Guttman Foundation, the Edward & Ellen Roche
Relief Foundation, the Marion E. Kenworthy-Sarah H. Swift Foundation, the Metzger-Price
Fund, and the Marsicano Foundation. As we thank them for their support, we acknowledge
that the conclusions and recommendations presented here are those of Children’s Rights and
do not necessarily reflect the opinions of these foundations.
The primary authors of this report are Julie Farber, director of policy, Laurie Bensky, senior
policy analyst, and Lily Alpert, senior policy analyst.
Children’s Rights commends the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS)
Commissioner John Mattingly for his willingness to allow an external organization to shine a
light on this important issue, and we thank him for the assistance he provided to the project
at every step along the way. We also thank the many staff at ACS who worked with us to make
this project possible, including Michael Bosnick, Barbara Rubinstein, Lorraine Stephens, Eric
Nicklas, Nancy Thomson, Jairo Guzman, and Brenda Perkins. Very special thanks go to Susan
Fojas who was extremely helpful in her role as the primary ACS liaison for the study.
Children’s Rights thanks Tamara Steckler, attorney-in-charge of the Juvenile Rights Practice
(JRP) of the Legal Aid Society, for JRP’s participation in the project and her assistance in
getting the project off the ground and at every turn. Special and many thanks go to Bobette
Masson-Churin who served as the primary JRP liaison for the study and worked tirelessly to
make it happen.
Children’s Rights thanks the 28 private foster care agencies across the five boroughs and
outside New York City that volunteered to open their doors and their case files for this
study—despite the burden it created—because of their concerns about permanency outcomes
for children and families. We thank the dozens of staff at these agencies who were involved in
preparing for and facilitating the review. We also thank one agency in particular that served as
our test-site for the study and went above and beyond the call of duty in assisting us. We regret
that we cannot acknowledge and thank any of these agencies by name, due to the confidential-
ity parameters of the study.
Children’s Rights wishes to thank the justices and staff of the New York City Family Court
who supported the project, including the Honorable Joseph Lauria, the Honorable Judy
Harris Kluger, the Honorable Edwina Richardson-Mendelson, Bruna Dibiase, Virginia
Gippetti, Richard Spolzino, and Barbara DeMayo.
Children’s Rights thanks the dozens of parents, resource parents, caseworkers, JRP attorneys
for children, attorneys for ACS, attorneys for parents, judges, and referees who participated in
the study. Their voices are reflected throughout the report, and provide a critical context for
understanding the quantitative findings.
Many others helped in various capacities to make this study happen—by providing their
insight into the issues being studied, providing input into the study design, and/or helping ar-
range various aspects of the project. We thank Jim Purcell at the Council of Family and Child
Caring Agencies, Mike Arsham and Jessica Wett at the Child Welfare Organizing Project, Theo
Liebmann at the Center for Children, Families and the Law at Hofstra University School of
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