DPSS Annual Report 24_25 FLIP v16_compressed

Children’s Services Division

Community Partners Unite to Support Riverside County Families

Riverside County Children’s Services and Probation are advancing a five-year System Improvement Plan focused on placement stability, prevention and stronger cross-department collabora tion. Developed with public agencies and community partners, the plan sets shared priorities for improving child and family outcomes through coordinated action. One of the plan’s major focuses is reduc ing delays in the Resource Family Ap proval process. A 2024 root cause anal ysis examined why approval timelines averaged 218 days in 2023, far above the state’s 90-day guideline. Children’s Services responded by streamlining workflows, strengthening staff training, improving applicant support and reduc ing administrative barriers through a Rapid Improvement Event. The changes have already shortened approval times for relative assessments. The plan also expands prevention work aligned with the Family First Prevention Services Act. Intake staff received re fresher training on the Structured De cision-Making Hotline Tool, paired with enhanced coaching to better identify families appropriate for prevention ser vices. Work is underway on a screening tool to strengthen long-term prevention capacity. A third strategy centers on Linkages, a partnership between Children’s Services and Self-Sufficiency that connects families to supports addressing hous ing instability and financial hardship. A 2024 improvement event strengthened referral processes and communication, increasing referrals and contributing to early reductions in maltreatment recur rence and foster care re-entry. System Improvement Plan Strengthens Collaboration and Prevention

The 2024 Annual Community Partners Forum brought together about 250 participants from more than 85 River side County agencies and community organizations committed to strength ening support for local families. Cen tered on the theme Empowering Fam ilies through Community Partnerships, the event highlighted countywide efforts to improve systems, expand prevention and reduce child maltreat ment. Hosted by Children’s Services in col laboration with Riverside County Pro bation and the HOPE Collaborative, the forum drew representatives from education, health and behavioral health, faith-based and tribal com munities, community-based organi zations, foster care partners, county departments and state agencies. At tendees shared information, strength ened relationships and coordinated strategies across regions. “We know families flourish when sys tems work together and respond with consistency, compassion and ac countability,” said Children’s Services Deputy Director Ben Slagter, who is leading the new Riverside County Of fice of Child Abuse Prevention.

The program featured updates on System Improvement Plans from Chil dren’s Services and Probation, along with prevention-focused presenta tions from the HOPE Collaborative and the Racial Disparity and Disproportion ality Committee. The HOPE Collabo rative outlined its role as the county’s Child Abuse Prevention Council and its work to elevate family and provider voices. The RDD Committee shared progress on culturally responsive practices, workforce development and prevention strategies, including Healthy Crownz and a planned pilot to strengthen Imminent Risk Child and Family Team Meetings. Presenters offered trauma-informed perspectives, and keynote speaker Dr. David Alan Brock emphasized the power of coordinated partnerships to stabilize families.

Riverside County Department of Public Social Services | Annual Report 2024 - 2025

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