To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Social Services
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: Majority
SUBJECT:
title
Humboldt County Child Welfare Services System Improvement Plan 2022 - 2027
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Adopt Resolution (Attachment 1) authorizing approval of the System Improvement Plan, recognizing the Child Abuse Prevent Coordinating Council (CAPCC), and identifying the CAPCC to administer the County Children’s Trust Fund (CCTF); and
2. Approve the revised five-year California Child and Family Services Review, System Improvement Plan (2022 to 2027) for Humboldt County Child Welfare Services a (Attachment 2); and
3. Authorize the Chair to sign the System Improvement Plan signatory pages (Attachment 3); and
4. Authorize the Chair to sign Notice of Intent (Attachment 4).
Body
STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action supports the following areas of your Board’s Strategic Plan.
Area of Focus: Workforce & Operational Excellence
Strategic Plan Category: 9999 - Core Services/Other
DISCUSSION:
In 1997, the federal government enacted the Adoption and Safe Families Act, which mandated the development of outcome measures for safety, permanency, and child/family well-being. The Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) was created to measure outcomes in these areas with interagency partnerships, community involvement, and public reporting of program outcomes. The federal government audits child welfare systems in all 50 states using the CFSR and requires states to develop and implement a Program Improvement Plan (PIP). As part of this Act and California’s Program Improvement Plan (PIP), all 58 counties in California are required to participate in the California CFSR. In 2001, in response to the federal CFSR oversight system, the California Legislature passed the Child Welfare System Improvement and Accountability Act (Assembly Bill 636, Chapter 678,
Statutes of 2001, Steinberg). The intent of this legislation is to improve safety, well-being and permanency outcomes for at-risk children and families served by the child welfare and probation system, while holding county and state agencies accountable for the outcomes achieved. This statewide accountability and quality assurance system, known as the California-Child and Family Services Review (C-CFSR), went into effect January 1, 2004.
The five-year cycle of the C-CFSR involves the County Self-Assessment (CSA) and Peer Review, which guide and inform the System Improvement Plan (SIP) updates. These are conducted by the county according to state guidelines.
California counties submit their System Improvement Plan to the state and the states submit their Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) to the federal government for review. The intent is to have a coordinated approach among federal, states, and counties’ efforts and activities that are mutually supportive. Meaningful engagement with Tribes in this process is also a critical component and core value for California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and Humboldt County Child Welfare Services.
CWS had submitted a draft of the SIP in March 2024, but due to the discussions underway about the whether the SIP should be updated to focus on the areas of practice that were the focus of the audit and the Tribal concerns, CDSS delayed approval of the submitted SIP. Revising the SIP to focus on priorities identified by Tribal partners also aligned with the commitment made by the CWS Director that all future Humboldt County SIPs would always include an ICWA specific goal. In 2025, CDSS indicated that a revised SIP could be developed in partnership with local Tribes and CDSS. Humboldt County CWS worked closely with local Tribal partners to develop a new set of strategies and actions steps to be included in the county’s 2023-2027 SIP.
In March of 2025, there was a stated desire from Tribal partners to create a new SIP together, that was informed by current needs and strengths of HC-CWS, as determined collaboratively with Tribes. Based on this feedback, HC-CWS hosted two in person SIP planning sessions specifically for Tribal partners, with the purpose of fulfilling the Tribes’ request to develop the SIP together. The meetings were held on August 15, 2025, and September 5, 2025. Approval From CDSS for the re-submission of the revised 5-year SIP occurred on December 12, 2025.
Administrative oversight of integrated Child Abuse Prevention, Intervention and Treatment (CAPIT), Community Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP), and Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) programs, including distribution and receipt of program funds, will remain the responsibility of the Humboldt County DHHS, Children & Family Services. This Department has been designated as the local liaison for these programs. Responsibility for oversight/monitoring of local services, program compliance, data collection, five-year plan amendments, annual reporting and annual program evaluation will also be the responsibility of the Humboldt County DHHS, Children & Family Services. This includes ensuring that programs funded by CAPIT/CBCAP/PSSF will track client participation and satisfaction and measure program and service delivery effectiveness.
Humboldt County’s five-year SIP goals and strategies focus on child/family safety, well-being and permanency, achieved through county improvements of programs, services, and processes. The county’s selected SIP goals for 2022 - 2027 seek to improve performance outcome measures in the following areas: Improve timeliness, relevance, and accuracy of communication and documentation. Improvement in court collaboration and shared decision making.
CWS strategies include: increasing use, timeliness, and improved fidelity of Structured Decision Making (SDM) assessment tools, implementing/increasing effective and timely use of Child & Family Team (CFT) meetings, developing and implementing process for improved data entry and tracking of 10-day referral responses using CQI, providing staff training and guidance with responding to referrals and documenting in a timely manner, and developing and implementing CQI structure and process.
DHHS recommends that the Board adopts the Resolution, approves and authorizes the Chair to sign one copy of the System Improvement Plan signatory pages and one copy of the Notice of Intent.
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Social Services Fund, Child Welfare Services (1160-508)
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Narrative Explanation of Financial Impact:
The report prioritizes where staff time and resources are assigned. Costs associated with performing services that are in line with the SIP reside in Fund 1160, Budget Unit 508 Child Welfare Services and were included in the proposed county budget for fiscal year 2025-26.
STAFFING IMPACT:
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impact:
No staffing impact
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
California Department of Social Services (CDSS)
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board could choose not to receive and file the attached documents and/or choose not to approve CWS’s System Improvement Plan in Response to California Department of Social Services However, that is not recommended as the steps outlined in the system improvement plan are based on the data analysis and findings from the CDSS recommendations.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution approving County System Improvement Plan and Affirming the role of the Child Abuse Prevention Coordinating Council
2. The California Child and Family Services Review, five-year System Improvement Plan (2022 - 2027).
3. System Improvement Plan Signatory Pages
4. Notice of Intent
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: N/A