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RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES | 61

New Five-Year System Improvement Plan Sets Path for Kinship Care, Integration, Prevention C hildren’s Services collaborated with multiple public agencies and community stakeholders to develop a five-year System Improvement Plan aimed at continuous quality improvement, strengthening 2023-2027 Strategies 1. Improve the rate of child placements with relatives (kin) and improve the timeliness

of second placements with relatives for children entering foster care, to promote stability and reduce re-entries. 2. Increase prevention services to reduce recurrence of maltreatment. 3. Improve interagency collaboration between CSD and the Self-Sufficiency Division (SSD) to increase concrete supports to families with the aim of reducing recurrence of maltreatment and foster care re-entries.

interagency partnerships, and expanding community involvement in the safety permanency and well-being of children to include prioritizing kinship placement. In 2023, the state approved Riverside County’s plan, which is directly linked to targeted federal goals for improving outcomes for children in the child welfare system, says Regional Manager Michele Kapp. The plan represents an agreement between the California Department of Social Services, Riverside County Children Services Division, and Riverside County Probation to collectively strengthen child welfare practices through an integrated and holistic approach to helping at-risk families. A key element of Riverside County’s improvement plan is to shore up the foundational supports for families by leveraging partnerships through integration of services. Within DPSS, the Linkages program between the Children’s Services and Self-Sufficiency divisions offers families coordinated case management to eliminate barriers to resources. The plan also seeks to establish a kinship culture that prioritizes placement of a child with a family member or trusted friend. By maintaining stability and connections to their communities and families,

children who cannot stay safely in their original homes are more likely to experience better outcomes.

“The plan sets out a roadmap for improvement and accountability. It establishes actionable steps to goals of reducing re-entry into foster care, reducing recurrence of maltreatment, and improving placement stability,” Kapp says. “Riverside County has adopted a targeted and strategic approach to improving outcomes for children and families and it’s a path we are firmly committed to following.”