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Placement Unit Area IV, from l to r; Karla Howell, Gloria Billings (Supervisor), and Quita Harris.

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The Placement Unit, Not Just Placements

The Placement Unit is not really new to Area IV but it is now staffed with more than one person. Before January 2004, the Placement Unit consisted of Brenda Atkins, Program Coordinator. Currently four persons staff the unit, each with an extensive history with Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Children and Family Services. So, what does the renovated Placement Unit do...well you name it! There are a variety of duties and responsibilities handled by the unit. To list a few:

•  Seek placement of hard to place children

•  Weekly foster home vacancy report for Area IV

•  Complete in-home consultations for potential foster parents in Area IV (averaging about 20 calls per month)

•  Attend staffings and court hearings for children referred to the unit for services

•  Complete foster home re-evaluations (averaging about 80 per year, with this number increasing with each new home approved)

•  Meet with placement providers to build rapport and insure that there is a clear understanding of criteria for placement. This decreases the frustration of the worker and the placement provider not to mention the trees that are saved by decreasing the number of packets mailed out.

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Although the placement unit is in its current function is new to Area IV, there are other areas in the state that have worked with the placement unit for years. Area IV's placement unit is working hard to locate additional homes that are willing to accept a greater diversity of children for placement. The placement unit, like other DCFS units, would like more staff in order to complete their jobs more efficiently and effectively.

The next time you see Gloria, Judy, Quita or Karla let them know that we appreciate the job they are doing!

DOWNLOAD

Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care Releases First Report

Voices from the Inside

"This report, commissioned by the Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care, examines the experiences of children in foster care as well as the experiences of parents whose children were placed in foster care and of foster and adoptive parents. It illustrates serious shortcomings in the nation's child welfare system—of which foster care is the largest component—as well as aspects of the system that are successfully helping children live safely in permanent families. " -The Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care

Download the complete report here.