CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

Family Stabilization grant works to intervene early, decrease children in foster care

Billings Gazette - 9/1/2021

Sep. 1—St. John's United received a portion of a multi-million dollar grant to be used to connect at-risk families with services before children are moved into foster care.

The grant, called the Family Stabilization Initiative, totals $4.25 million and is led by Lutheran Services in America, a not-for-profit corporation that coordinates various health and human service organizations affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The grant is split among four of its network members with Montana receiving $856,348.

"The initiative ... aims to address the disproportionate number of children separated from their families through out-of-home placements," according to a press release from St. John's United.

The organization estimates the grant will assist up to 580 families across Montana, Alaska, North Dakota and Washington.

Montana ranks second in the country for kids in foster care with 16.2 kids in the system per 1,000 children in the state, according to 2019 data from Child Trends. The national average is 5.8 foster kids per 1,000.

Jamie Rettig, a licensed addictions counselor recently hired as program supervisor, expects the number will continue to climb as the pandemic amplifies the need for support in families at risk of losing their children.

But traditionally very little money is spent on the front end of crises or preventative services that include support for those with substance use disorders, mental health difficulties, parental skill training and more.

A 2018 child welfare survey found that out-of-home placements made up 45% of total federal, state and local child welfare spending with 15% going towards preventative services with the goal of keeping children safe in their homes, according to data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

In 2019, almost $14 million was spent on foster care services in Montana and $1.4 million was spent on prevention services.

St. John's will use the grant money on preventative services to act as the first line of defense for families.

The four care coordinators and two parent advocates that will be hired for the program will act as liaisons for families in need and set up a "referral type process" to other services, said Rettig.

"The families set the goals and then we advocate, bring in supports for what they may need in the home, and then hopefully we can support families before they hit a rough patch," Rettig said.

As development takes off, the St. John's team plans to avoid duplicating other services that are already available in the area, said St. John's Family Services Director Trudi Paulson.

Paulson hopes that the program will help families access resources that are often only available after parents qualify, usually after children are already transferred to foster care. Typically, the qualification thresholds are in place due to federal rules for managing child welfare funding.

Family Stabilization Initiative utilizes a wraparound model that should provide parents with resources to meet the needs of their children before separation or potentially an arrest occurs, ultimately saving "tons" of federal dollars, Paulson said.

In the program, Paulson plans to "meet parents where they're at," and let the families decide what services they want access to, even if Paulson or Rettig feel something different would be appropriate.

"We're going to start with what (they) want and see if that is going to move us along faster," Paulson said.

Sometimes services evaporate as funding runs out and "families get forgotten," Rettig said. "You feel like you're putting little Band-Aids on, but we're all doing the best we can with what we have."

Part of the challenge during the planning period will be identifying a funding model to keep the program afloat once the grant money runs out. Part of spotting funding options involves identifying what's relevant for the community, the target population, how to put the program into practice and how to make adjustments as the program develops.

The other states receiving the grant have similar characteristics to Montana, including rural settings with limited resources and high foster care rates. The St. John's team plans to begin working with the other programs soon and through collaboration, create new and effective services for families in need.

___

(c)2021 the Billings Gazette (Billings, Mont.)

Visit the Billings Gazette (Billings, Mont.) at www.billingsgazette.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.