Safety and Wellbeing: An Interdisciplinary Collaboration for
Older Caregivers and the Children for whom They Care for
from the Child Welfare System of Illinois
Office of the Inspector General/
Illinois Department of Children and
Family Services
© DCFS Office of Professional Development
Trainer Information
Barbara Sittler LCSW; M. Div.
Office of the Inspector General:
Michelle Grove LCPC
Division of Clinical Practice and Development:
Illinois Department of Children and Family
Services
© DCFS Office of Professional Development
Objectives
• Gain an overview of the populations both departments
support and the history of involvement with older caregiver
families
• Learn about the new collaboration between IDoA and he
Aging Network and DCFS through the Inter Governmental
Agreement (IGA)
• Discover Resources from Aging and Child Welfare that can
support Older Caregiver Families
Intended Result of the Collaboration
• Better and more coordinated work between
IDoA and DCFS
• Safer, healthier and more positive outcomes
for children and their older caregivers
© DCFS Office of Professional Development
DCFS Older Caregiver Definition
• Caregiver is 65 or older
• Relative or Non-relative child welfare
placement
• Older Adult is the Primary Caregiver of the
child
Is this normal?
Grandparents raising Grandchildren:
• Adam and Eve
• Pres. John and Abigail Adams
• Pres. George and Martha Washington
Raised by grandparents:
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Jamie Foxx
Samuel L. Jackson
Carol Burnett
Maya Angelou
Tipper Gore
Justice Clarence
Thomas
• Jerry Lewis
• Willie Nelson
• LL Cool J
• Barak Obama
(after age 13)
• Richard Pryor
• Sir Isaac Newton
• Lou Rawls
• Pierce Brosnan
• Eric Clapton
• Bobby Darin
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Oprah Winfrey
Lucille Ball
Aretha Franklin
Ella Fitzgerald
Jack Nicholson
Older Relative Caregivers in Illinois
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100,000 grandparents are raising their grandchildren
110,000 children are being raised by grandparents
68% of the grandparents are under 60
32% of the grandparents are over 60
20% live in poverty
• http://www.aarp.org/relationships/friends-family/grandfacts-sheets/
© DCFS Office of Professional Development
Illinois Placements as of 5-31-14
• Total Older Caregivers aged 65+: 2,769
Reg.
Foster
Children
Spec.
Foster
Care
Home of
Relative
Placement
Children
Adoption
Subsidized
Guardianship
211
299
429
2,779
563
Total Children: 4,281
What are the Reasons?
Abuse or Neglect
Substance Abuse
Mental Illness
Domestic Violence
Death
Incarceration
Poverty - Economy
What are some feelings?
Shame/Guilt
 Grief
Anger
 Love
Ambivalence
 Sense of purpose
Despair
 Gratitude
We’ve been here before haven’t
we?
• DCFS and IDoA have been partnering for years
• We have co-trained staff
• We have collaborated on case questions and
service provision
• But we never tied the knot!
© DCFS Office of Professional Development
IDoA/DCFS
In 2013 we began a new collaboration developed by a
workgroup consisting of:
• DCFS Office of the Inspector General
• Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA)
• DCFS Divisions of: Clinical, Policy, Permanency,
Advocacy, Child Protection, Monitoring, State Central
Register (Hotline), Administrative Case Review, and
Training
IDoA/DCFS con’t.
• Commitment to work together from both IDoA and
DCFS
• Inter Governmental Agreement between IDoA and
DCFS allowing case collaboration beginning Summer
2014
• New DCFS Policy and Procedure also beginning
Summer 2014
What the IGA enables
•DCFS –
– Contact IDoA for assessments and services
– Participate in staffings with IDoA
– Report abuse and neglect to APS
•IDoA
– Provide services and assessments as appropriate upon
request
– Participate in staffings with DCFS
– Report abuse and neglect to SCR/DCFS
How will we follow up to make sure this
collaboration works?
• Webinar to IDoA providers held in June 2014
• Presentation at today’s APS conference
• Face-to-Face trainings with staff from Aging
and Child Welfare beginning fall 2014
• Joint IDoA/DCFS Workgroup follow up
quarterly beginning September 2014
© DCFS Office of Professional Development
Life-Span Approach
Change is common with older adults.
Placements affect children and caregivers.
Life-Span approach pairs the developmental stage of
the child and what they can and cannot do, - withThe on-going capability of the older caregiver to
meets those needs until the child reaches age 18
Case example
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Older non relative Foster Parent
Child was in 7 previous foster care placements
The child goal was adoption
Foster parent had macular degeneration
Child experienced trauma related to earlier abuse and neglect
Child’s behavior created a risky environment for the older caregiver
requiring a change in placement
• Outcome uncertain and detrimental to both child and caregiver
Goals for Older Caregiver Families
• Address both aging and child welfare issues.
• Ensure the permanency of the child’s
placement now and in the future including
Back up planning.
• Maximize the safety of children and
caregivers.
© DCFS Office of Professional Development
DCFS procedure and how it impacts you!
• Within the first 40 days of placement by DCFS the child’s
situation is assessed
• Additional assessment questions are asked when the
placement is with an older caregiver
• These may generate recommendations for referral to IDoA
Senior HelpLine for additional supports for, or assessment of,
the older caregiver including issues related to their safety
• These recommendations are reviewed by DCFS every 6
months
What we asking for from the Aging Network
• Referrals to the GRG programs and services
• Linkage to available supports through the Caregiver
Support Programs
• Collaboration on cases that span issues involving
both children and older caregivers
• Comprehensive Needs Assessment to explore
caregiver capacity
© DCFS Office of Professional Development
Examples of how the Aging Network
can help
Grandparents and other relatives raising
children program
Legal Assistance for back up planning and wills
Respite care
Support Groups
Education about child issues
Gap filling funds
How DCFS can help
• During placement DCFS can collaborate with IDoA/APS
regarding services and supports available for the child
• Once Permanency is achieved DCFS can facilitate a referral to
Adoption Preservation and other service providers
• For non DCFS relative caregiver families with unmet needs
that risk the on-going stability of the family →
• →Extended Family Support Program
© DCFS Office of Professional Development
Extended Family Support Program

Caregiver is a relative of the child and is age 18 or older

The child has been in the relative home for two weeks

There are no abuse or neglect issues with the child

There is no active DCFS involvement with the family

The caregiver is struggling to meet the needs of the child
Short-term Services provided
• Crisis Intervention
• Guardianship obtained through Probate Court
• Assistance in gaining benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps,
SSI benefits, “Child Only” grants, day care subsidy (for working
relatives)
• Educational Advocacy
• Linkage to community based services
• Emergency Cash Assistance
How to refer for EFSP
• A checklist of questions has been prepared for Aging
Network staff
• The worker - with the consent and participation of
older caregiver calls the DCFS Hotline
• After ruling out abuse or neglect of the child a
referral is made to the EFSP provider for direct
follow up
• Cases are served and closed within 3 months
© DCFS Office of Professional Development
Older Caregiver Project
The Older Caregiver
Project (Cook only)
Resources for Older Caregiver Families
• Helpful Guide for Parents and Caregivers CFS
1050-69
• Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Brochure
CFS 1050-86
• Resource links on IDoA and DCFS websites
• Generations United:
– www.gu.org/grandfamilies
© DCFS Office of Professional Development
Challenges
 Learning about and serving separate populations, diverse
needs (children, older caregivers)
 Complexity of Departmental involvements
 Establishing procedures and relationships across
departments
 Developing the appropriate plan and services required by
the family
 Encountering a variety of situations
 Knowing when to act