Agencies should have received, or will receive in the next few days, information and a registration form for the Association�s Spring Membership Meeting to be held at the Hyatt Regency Woodfield. The first day, MARCH 22, will include a workshop on FOUNDATION FUNDING�NEW INITIATIVES AND DIRECTIONS with presenters from both local and national foundations. The afternoon session will focus on the NEW CASEWORKER/SUPERVISOR TRAINING REQUIREMENTS that will be going into effect very shortly. It is critical that all agencies know what this entails and how it will affect their agency. We will also be providing an update on DCFS PERFORMANCE BASED CONTRACTING FOR FY 2001-02�the directions that program may be taking. On the second day, MARCH 23, we are going to spend the day discussing LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY. Tom Nolan, the Association�s legislative liaison, will present the key principles of legislative work. We will also hear from agencies that have sponsored successful legislative initiatives over the past several years as to what worked best for them. Also invited are representatives from the Governor�s office to join us to get their perspective on the fiscal situation and to discuss with them our issues and concerns. (RHM)

ROOMS AT THE HYATT: If you are planning to attend and need a room reservation you need to call the Hyatt Regency Woodfield at 800.233.1234 or 847.605.1234. The Hyatt is holding rooms for CCA guests on March 21 and 22. The rate is $109.00 single or double. Please remember to say you are attending the Child Care Association meeting in order to get the $109.00 room rate. March 1 is the deadline for reservations. The Hyatt�s address is 1800 East Golf Road, Schaumburg, IL. (SKA)

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CCAI members are invited by Jane Addams College of Social Work to attend a special training event on Ethical Issues and Informed Consent with Children in State Custody:

March 1, 2001

Topics to be covered:

� Issues to take into consideration when planning research with wards

� Elements of informed consent

� Factors the DCFS Guardian considers in making decisions about consent for participation of wards

in research

� IRB application processes and expectations

Speakers:

� Mark Testa, DCFS Research Director

� Donna Del Principe, DCFS Deputy General Counsel

� Jean Ortega-Piron, DCFS Guardian

� Sherry Shells-Browne and Sardari Bhasin, DCFS IRB Representatives

Pre-Register Now! Space is Limited to 100 Participants

Sponsored by:

The Jane Addams Center for Social Policy and Research, University of Illinois at Chicago

The Jane Addams College of Social Work Doctoral Research Fellows Program

(Funded by U. S. Children�s Bureau)

The Children and Family Research Center, School of Social Work

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services

and

In Cooperation with the University of Illinois Office for the Protection of Research Subjects

This Education Program meets the requirements for Human Subject Protections

Continuing Education credit

An Agenda Follows:

1:30 -- 2:00 -- Registration and Refreshments

2:00 -- 2:15 -- Introductions and Overview of the Session

� Creasie Finney Hairston, Dean, Jane Addams College of Social Work,

University of Illinois at Chicago

� Dennette Derezotes, Assistant Director, Children and Family Research Center,

School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2:15 -- 2:45 -- Discussion of issues to take into consideration when planning research involving DCFS wards, employees, or systems

� Mark Testa, DCFS Research Director

2:45 -- 3:15 -- Discussion of the elements of informed consent including such factors as legal status and mental health status

� Donna Del Principe, Deputy General Counsel for DCFS

3:15 -- 3:30 -- Break

3:30 -- 4:00 -- Discussion of the factors representatives of the Office of the Guardian take into consideration when making decisions about consent for participation in research or consent to release information

� Jeanie Ortega-Piron, DCFS Legal Guardian  

4:00 -- 4:30 -- Discussion of DCFS IRB application processes and expectations

� Sherry Shells-Browne and Sardari Bhasin, DCFS IRB representatives

4:30 -- 5:00 -- Additional discussion and wrap-up - Jim Gleeson, Associate Professor,

Jane Addams College of Social Work

Questions will be taken for discussion throughout the course of the forum (MB)

CCAI, in conjunction with Judge Bishop, Presiding Judge at the Juvenile Court, and DCFS will begin a new opportunity for recognition of casework staff who perform an outstanding job during court processes. The criteria on which the award will be based is in development. At this point, it appears that the process will begin with collection of the "Positive" Court Reports completed by judges/hearing officers for private agency and DCFS workers.

To ensure that persons with limited English skills can effectively access critical health and social services, on August 30, 2000, the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued "Policy Guidance on the Title VI Prohibition Against National Origin Discrimination as it Affects Persons with Limited English Proficiency." The first formal policy guidance on this issue since l970, this document is the result of over a year of dialogue with DHHS recipients, beneficiaries and the public regarding the challenges of extending services to individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP.) All entities which receive federal financial assistance through DHHS are covered by this guidance, which systematically clarifies their responsibilities for providing language assistance under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of l964. DHHS hopes the training will serve as a helpful tool in the development, revision or maintenance of policies and procedures to ensure that persons with LEP can meaningfully access health and social services. In addition, federal matching funds or reimbursement may be available for expenditures related to the provision of oral and written translation as administrative activities and services.

Agencies are invited to learn more about the implications of this policy guidance by taking part in the Illinois training event, jointly sponsored by DCFS, Department on Aging, DHS, DPA, DPH and DHHS Region V. The training is scheduled for:

Thursday, February 22, 2001

1:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.----Registration Begins at 12:30

State of Illinois James R. Thompson Center

100 W. Randolph, Chicago

Auditorium�Concourse Level

A number of private agencies were not able to send staff to the recent training dates on the new Levels of Care system. DCFS staff have announced one final additional day of LOC training:

February 28, 2001

DCFS

3301 West Arthington

Chicago

9:30-12:30 OR 1:30-4:30

Registration forms previously received by DCFS should be completed and faxed to assure a slot is reserved. For more information, contact Wendy Kalina, DCFS, at 312-814-6867. (MB)

The "unreconciled" permanency statistics from July 1-December 31 have been compiled by DCFS for the private sector. Agencies must still complete the reconciliation process and DCFS units must be added before the "final" report is complete. However, the draft report indicates performance as follows:

DOWNSTATE HMR AND TFC: 17.1%

COOK HMR: 10.1%

COOK TFC: 8.5%

Agencies should expect to see the final reconciled report with their agency rankings within the next few weeks, as the reconciliation process is completed and contract adjustments are made. (MB)

The Governor�s Children and Family Leadership Sub cabinet, chaired by Lt. Governor Corinne Wood, met last week to review and release its First Year Report. This report represents an extraordinary amount of work in a short period of time and does an excellent job of presenting an overview of the diverse needs of Illinois� children and families as well as specific recommendations for addressing those needs. There were five specific areas addressed and their recommendations were: 1) Supporting Families with Children recommends: a) that the State conduct an inventory and evaluation of all youth programs administered in Illinois that receive state and/or federal funding; b) a State Task Force be convened to address the issue of social and emotional development of children ages birth through five and their families; c) the creation of an Advocacy Network to monitor policies and legislative initiatives impacting families and children in Illinois. 2) Supporting Families with Seniors recommends: a) that a comprehensive information manual be developed for seniors; b) that innovative methods of providing training, counseling, and assistance to caregivers through the development of pilot programs be explored; c) that various methods of providing supplemental financial assistance to caregivers, such as grant programs or tax incentives be reviewed; d) that current programs for the elderly and their caregivers and the feasibility of expanding these services statewide be explored . 3) Supporting Families in the Workplace recommends: a) that a steering committee comprised of representatives of the public and private sectors be developed to promote current state incentives for businesses to adopt family-friendly policies and to review potential problems businesses face in their efforts to become family-friendly; b) that the importance of family-friendly workplace practices for businesses of all sizes be publicly highlighted; c) that a task-force comprised of state employees be comprised to conduct an assessment of the State of Illinois� workplace practices; d) that the use of current financial incentives among Illinois employers be tracked and monitored. 4) Outcome and Communication recommends: a) that a task force or planning committee be comprised of representatives from the public and private sectors to examine how information is disseminated in Illinois and to work towards developing a human services hotline statewide. Once such a hotline is established develop a comprehensive public education campaign to increase awareness about this centralized source of information. 5) Infrastructure and Strategic Planning Resources: a) when possible provide multi-year contracts for private sector human service providers to provide services to children, families, and senior citizens; b) increase access to information regarding capital improvements for human service entities, as well as provide a method of funding for capital projects; c) ensure that private sector providers be included in all stages of the human services planning process and work in conjunction with the state to develop sound policies; d) create an Advisory Committee to monitor relevant financial indicators to ensure that the State remains competitive in rate structure and payments to private sector employees in the field of human services.

The committee recommended that this report be immediately made available to all legislators and public policy makers to ensure that its recommendations are able to be incorporated into both the budgeting and legislative processes for the spring session of the General Assembly. We are duplicating the article and will be sending it out to all member agencies this week. (RHM)

The CCA Public Policy Committee met last week. On their agenda was: a review of the Governor�s State of the State address and its implications for the coming fiscal year. Concern was raised about the coming budget process and the lack of available funding both for current programs as well as new initiatives. As reported in last week�s edition of the Monday Report, all indicators are very negative.

New legislation is just now beginning to be introduced. Several bills that did not pass last year were reintroduced this year including: HB 0184 (Wojcik) which mandates that a foster parent submit to drug testing before obtaining a license to operative a foster family home; before each child is placed within the foster family home, and a random test after a child is placed with the foster family home. As the bill is written, we have serious problems with it, and we will be meeting with the sponsor to discuss them with her. HB 0236 provides that DCFS will create a pilot Citizen Review Panel in Cook County, which would allow any parent in the pilot to challenge the findings of the Administrative Case Review process. Empowers the court to order specific placements or services, etc. We have a number of questions about this bill and will want to get clarification from the sponsor. HB 0638 (Flowers) requires DCFS to create an advocacy office to receive and resolve complaints about a child�s services. The bill appears to conflict with existing components of federal law as they relate to consideration of race and culture in considering placement resources. We will also be discussing this bill with its sponsor. The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless has introduced HB 506 (Ryder/Cross) which will allow the creation of a Youth Transitional Housing Program for 16 & 17 year olds who are homeless. This will require DCFS to create a new licensing standard for YTH programs with funding from a variety of sources: Chicago Dept. of Human services, Ill. Department of Human Services; federal DHHS through the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, and the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. We will certainly be discussing this initiative with the Coalition.

Over the next several weeks, our bill list--the bills that we are monitoring and working in the General Assembly--will grow and grow. In order to allow both the Public Policy Committee and the membership to know the bills we are tracking, our positions on those bills, and more information about these bills, we are planning on establishing on our web-site a system that will provide our bill list with our positions as well as the information whereby interested parties can link with other information systems to get more detail on each bill. We will hopefully have this system in place in the very near future.

We are planning on sponsoring a workshop in the spring on Balanced and Restorative Justice--the approach and philosophy that is driving many of the new juvenile justice efforts. While some members have had the opportunity to receive this kind of training, many have not. Particularly with our interest in highlighting juvenile justice and urging member agencies to consider the service possibilities in this field, this information will be both helpful and instructive. We hope to have a date and agenda as soon as possible so that agencies can get this on their workers calendars.

The Governor�s Budget Message will be on Wednesday, February 21. We are presuming that the State Departments will hold briefing sessions following that message but as of yet do not have the details as to time and place. Once we get them we will get them out to the membership. (RHM)

The finishing touches are being placed on the CCA 2001 Salary and Benefit Survey and members should expect the survey to arrive the first of March. With your help a quick turnaround is planned for the survey results so you should expect a final report by mid April. This should help in the budget planning process and give you up-to-date salary and benefit information. In addition to covering salary information on 60 separate jobs, the survey will cover the following categories:

Organizational Size, Employment Practices, Time Off, Group Insurance, Benefits Plans, Career Development and an expanded section on Staff Turnover.

Governor George Ryan has declared April 18^th, 2001 Child Welfare Day in Illinois. Be a part of the celebration by participating in Child Welfare Day at the Capitol. The deadline for exhibiting at the State Capitol is quickly approaching. For a registration form, contact Linda Lenzini at the Child Care Association via e-mail at [email protected], or by calling 217-528-4409. The form can also be downloaded from the Child Care Association�s website at http://www.cca-il.org

Visit http://www.legis.state.il.us to read biographies , review the sponsorship histories, and obtain addresses and phone numbers for legislators in your district(s). The site also contains current bill synopses, reflects sponsoring legislators, and indicates current status of the bill. Bills and resolutions can also be searched by House Bill or Senate Bill number. For more information or assistance accessing the site, contact [email protected]. (LLL)

For publication names, addresses, phone numbers and editorial names for publications in your locale, contact CCA at [email protected], or call Linda Lenzini at 217-528-4409. Please be prepared to identify the specific counties for which you need contacts. Or .if you have a media contact that you would like added to CCA�s media list, send it to [email protected].

(LLL)

If your agency has a website, you can be linked to the CCA website. This will enable visitors to the CCA website to simply click on your agency�s name and access your website. Send requests for linkage via e-mail to Linda Lenzini at CCA, e-mail address [email protected].

If your agency would like to receive media updates and advisories, template and CCA news releases, and other items of interest, please send name, agency name, title, and e-mail address to [email protected]. (LLL)

" Success Stories". These features, submitted by members or penned by CCA staff, share the successes that members have realized with innovative programs, new initiative, and hard work. If your agency has an innovative program or recent success story that you�d like to share, contact Linda Lenzini at CCA with the details.

Feb. 13 � CWAC SACWIS Advisory Committee Meeting, LCFS, River Forest

Feb. 14 � CCA Residential Providers of Central / Southern Regions� Meeting, The Lodge, Oak Brook

Feb. 15 � Residential Meeting with DCFS and CCA Private Sector Agencies, The Lodge, Oak Brook

Feb. 19-20 � CWAC Retreat, (Downtown Chicago location to be announced)

Feb. 25-28 � 14^th Annual Conference, A System of Care for Children�s Mental Health: Expanding the

Research Base, Tampa Hyatt Regency, Tampa, Fl. Call Lyn Bryan at 813/974-4649 for information.

Feb. 28 � Healthy Families Illinois Workgroup, Chicago

March 1 - RESEARCH WITH CHILDREN IN STATE CUSTODY: ETHICAL ISSUES AND INFORMED CONSENT, Jane Addams College of Social Work, 1:30 - 5:00 P.M., Student Services Building, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1200 West Harrison Street, Conference Rooms B and C

March 2-3 � Spring DCFS/IFPA Foster Parent Conference�For more information call 800.637.1396

March 21 � CCA Board of Directors Meeting, Hyatt Regency Woodfield, Schaumburg

MARCH 22-23 � CCA�S SPRING MEMBERSHIP MEETING, Hyatt Regency Woodfield, Schaumburg

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