Mobile tech boosts case management for foster children

The Declaration of Independence tells us that we all have the “inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Our own Florida Constitution affirms those rights. Surely, then, it follows that a child who suffers abuse or neglect so severely that it’s no longer safe to live at home has had those rights denied to him or her. Therefore we, through our government, have an obligation to defend and restore those rights.

In Florida, the government is just one part of the equation. In our state’s privatized child welfare system, private nonprofit organizations like Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHS) are responsible for caring and advocating for children in foster care who have endured horrific abuse and neglect. CHS does sterling work, although the demand for the services and solutions provided by CHS and similar organizations is far greater than the resources available.

That doesn’t stop CHS from developing solutions that will lead to better outcomes for these children and their families.

Through a strategic partnership with Microsoft, CHS has created and implemented a new system to transform child welfare. This solution — called CaseAIM — uses mobile technology to allow caseworkers to fill out reports, issue directions for care and make appointments while out in the field. It lets caseworkers spend far more time with the many children on their caseload and reduces the burnout that leads many workers to quit.

Why is this so groundbreaking? Because it addresses the greatest challenges in the child welfare system: case management workforce stability, quality relationships and efficiency. And decades of research show that stability in case management directly impacts outcomes for children.

Every time a case manager quits and a new one takes over, every child on that caseload will spend an additional 4.5 months in foster care. That increases instability for children and costs for taxpayers. Moreover, turnover in case management increases the probability by more than 50 percent that children will exit foster care at 18 without a family. Price tag? $300,000 over the course of a child’s lifetime.

With case management turnover exceeding 40 percent, we can’t afford the status quo. That’s why CHS has invested in CaseAIM.

To determine the impact of CaseAIM, CHS self-funded pilot studies in Orange and Duval counties. Initial results are incredible. However, two pilots aren’t enough to make the change Florida’s children deserve. The next stage requires $2.5 million — money CHS doesn’t have.

This system can transform child welfare by improving outcomes and ultimately saving taxpayers millions of dollars, so it seems incomprehensible to stop progress. That’s why our Legislature should allocate $2.5 million to continue the implementation of CaseAIM throughout the state.

A modest investment in modern, efficient case management could yield heartwarming stories for many children who have suffered unspeakable cruelty and save taxpayers millions. It could result in greater growth for our economy with more productive and contributing citizens working and paying taxes.

I hope the Legislature agrees.