CT’s DCF-Head Start Partnership
Working Together to Serve Vulnerable Families &
Support the Development of At-Risk Children
Presenters:
Rudy Brooks
Former Bureau Chief, Prevention Services
CT Department of Children & Families
Grace Whitney
Director, CT Head Start State Collaboration Office
Child Welfare, Collaboration and the Courts: A Collaboration to Strengthen
Educational Successes of Children and Youth in Foster Care
Renaissance Arlington Capitol View Hotel, Arlington, VA
November 3-4, 2011
1
Why Should We Partner?

Head Start/EHS and DCF often serve the
same children

Many Head Start/EHS children and families
are at risk

Great potential for identification and
prevention

Head Start/EHS is a natural environment
for interventions to occur
What Would the Benefits Be?

Programs understand one another

Establish regular procedures for working
together

Achieve continuity of care through case
management

Develop creative solutions for unique and
difficult cases
How Would Families Benefit?

Families understand and access services

Families feel supported

Placements reduced and permanency
increased for children

Children access high quality ECE

Children receive care from knowledgeable,
nurturing adults working together
Protocol for Working Together
Section I: Identifying and Reporting
Child Abuse and Neglect
Section II: Communication on Open
DCF Investigations
Section III: Treatment Planning and
Case Management
Protocol for Working Together
Section IV: Placement of Children
Section V: DCF Referrals to Head
Start/EHS
Section VI: Agency Planning
DCF-Head Start Partnership
Phase 1 - Pilot
1999 1 DCF Areas & 3 Head Start/Early Head Start

Created Protocol for Working Together
Phase 2 – Ready Communities
2007 8 DCF Areas & 15 Head Start/Early Head
Start

Began quarterly facilitated meetings
Phase 3 – Statewide Implementation
2009 6 DCF Areas & 11 Head Start/Early Head
Start

Added mental health, other early care, etc.
Evaluation

Quarterly Data Collection

Building Trust and Partnership

Maintaining On-going Collaboration

Improving Services to Families

“Stories” of interest
Visits
Average Number of Visits
7.00
6.00
5.00
4.00
DCF visits to HS
3.00
HS visits to DCF
2.00
Linear (DCF visits to
HS)
1.00
Linear (HS visits to
DCF)
.00
Yearly Quarters
"Getting to Know You"
Meetings
Average Number of Meetings
5.00
4.50
4.00
3.50
3.00
Meetings DCF attended
2.50
Meetings HS attended
2.00
1.50
Linear (Meetings DCF
attended)
1.00
Linear (Meetings HS
attended)
.50
.00
Yearly Quarters
Average Number of Committee Meetings
Committee Participation
5.00
4.50
4.00
3.50
3.00
DCF staff on HS
committees
2.50
2.00
HS staff on DCF
committees
1.50
Linear (DCF staff on HS
committees)
1.00
Linear (HS staff on DCF
committees)
.50
.00
Yearly Quarters
Referrals
Average Number of Referrals
14.00
12.00
10.00
8.00
HS referrals to DCF
6.00
DCF referrals to HS
4.00
Linear (HS referrals to
DCF)
2.00
Linear (DCF referrals to
HS)
.00
Yearly Quarters
DCF-Head Start Partnership &
Collaboration Needs Assessment
No working
Relationship
Cooperation
Coordination
Collaboration
(exchange
info/referrals)
(work together)
(share
resources/
agreements)
(little/
no contact)
2008
14%
11%
36%
39%
2009
0
0
8%
92%
2010
0
6%
0
94%
Results

Simplify/standardize referral processes and
intentional enrollment of DCF-involved children,
including foster care, into Head Start

Align Treatment Plan/Family Partnership
Agreement

Connect mental health supports, housing
supports, other early care

Modifying DCF LINK data system to help identify
and serve children under five
The Collaborative Process
1.
It must be meaningful to you!
2.
Balancing Process with Product
3.
Mental Models
4.
The Collaborative Path
Getting to Know One
Another as
Organizations
Common Ground
Improving Outcomes for Children
Stage 5: Going to Scale
•Adapt and expand prototype
•Deepen collaborative culture
•Institutionalize processes
Stage 4: Taking Action
•Implement new processes
•Collect data
•Evaluate progress-make course corrections
Stage 3: Developing a Plan
Stage 2: Building Trust
•Formalize interagency relationships
•Define service delivery processes
•Develop technical tools
•Get to know one another
•Build cooperative relationships
•Establish shared goals
Stage 1: Getting Together
•Commit to Collaboration
•Involve the right people
•Decide to act
Team Self-Assessment

Where are we now?

Have there been changes for which we need
to repeat earlier steps to get everyone up to
speed?

Are there others we need to invite to our
table?

What are some logical next steps to include
on our Goal Sheet?

Do we need any additional supports?
What’s Worked for Us.....

Ongoing commitment from and access to all
levels of both agencies

Critical importance of support at the top!

A process that promotes statewide goals yet
respects local differences and needs

Opportunities to share accomplishments
with and learn from other communities
What’s Worked for Us.....
Community Leaders
Federal/State Leaders

Local Meetings

Strategic Facilitation

Membership Lists

Meeting Supports

Quarterly Data Sheets

Data, Data, Data

Quarterly Goal Sheets

Policy/Practice Change

“Community NEWS”

New Resources