Report 2012-105 Recommendation 16 Responses

Report 2012-105: Departments of Public Health and Social Services: Weaknesses in the Administration of the Child Health and Safety Fund and the State Children's Trust Fund Limit Their Effectiveness (Release Date: November 2012)

Recommendation #16 To: Social Services, Department of

To ensure that its efforts funded by the trust fund are preventing or reducing incidences of child abuse and neglect, Social Services should develop universal performance measurements for the trust fund.

1-Year Agency Response

Partially Corrected/Anticipated Correction Date: December 31, 2013. The CDSS has created a plan to develop overarching performance outcome measures for the SCTF that are appropriate for the programs funded. Since the SCTF programs vary widely in purpose and function, the goal of the inclusive process is to build agreement around which measures can be universally applicable. This process will include transmission of a set of proposed outcomes to stakeholders for review and comments prior to their finalization. The performance outcome measures will incorporate the requirements for the SCTF as set forth in WIC section 18969(e).

1) During this reporting period the CDSS convened a stakeholder group that included community-based organizations, OCAP staff, and a parent from the community who is the mother of a special needs child and also the Executive Director of WarmLine Family Resource Center, to discuss ideas for improved accountability and effectiveness, and to review and consider outcome and performance measures for all OCAP fund sources.

2) The performance measures are now being vetted through the CDSS Executive Office. Once approved, a final set of performance measures will be published and implementation across programs will begin.

3) After the performance measures are finalized, they will be reflected in the grants CDSS awards and will be utilized to determine whether the grants are effective in meeting the funds' requirements as well as the efficacy in reaching goals of reducing abuse and neglect.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

The agency provided the state auditor with its approved performance measurements for the trust fund in January 2014.

6-Month Agency Response

CDSS is creating a plan to develop overarching performance outcome measures for the SCTF that are appropriate for the programs funded. Since the SCTF programs vary widely in purpose and function, the goal of the inclusive process is to build agreement around which measures can be universally applicable. This process will include transmission of a set of proposed outcomes to stakeholders for review and comments prior to their finalization.

1) CDSS has begun the process of drafting a set of outcomes with descriptions and accompanying process measures, which include the requirements set forth in WIC Section 18969(e);

2) The draft outcomes will be released to stakeholders for review and comment by August 2013;

3) CDSS will then incorporate that feedback into a final set of outcomes.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Partially Implemented

60-Day Agency Response

Social Services stated, by June 30, 2013, it will develop and publish a set of overarching performance measures for the trust fund that will be consistent with the legislative intent of the fund, as described in Welfare and Institutions Code section 18969(e).

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2012-105

Agency responses received after June 2013 are posted verbatim.