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19 <br /> 1 Crystal Mitchell said it is currently 107 children. <br /> 2 Nancy Coston said this number fluctuates, and about 75% of cases involve severe <br /> 3 mental health or substance abuse issues on the part of the parents. <br /> 4 <br /> 5 Overview and Update on Reform Plan <br /> 6 • North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has published 14 <br /> 7 recommendations based on the reform work completed thus far <br /> 8 • Highlights include: <br /> 9 o DHHS to create 7 regions, phasing in by first establishing virtual regions and <br /> 10 using existing community space by March 2020 <br /> 11 o Modify language of NC REACH legislation to include youth who exit foster care <br /> 12 to a permanent home through Guardianship Assistance Program <br /> 13 o Modify legislative language to include provision for training Social Services <br /> 14 Boards no less than 2 times annually <br /> 15 o DHHS to conduct a feasibility and cost study for transferring adult guardianship <br /> 16 cases from the Department to the counties <br /> 17 o DHHS, in collaboration with key stakeholder groups, study and recommend a <br /> 18 workforce development model for key positions in county DSS, regional offices <br /> 19 and central offices <br /> 20 • House Bill 291 authorizes the continuation of the Social Services Working Group <br /> 21 • Directs the group to provide more detailed recommendations in certain areas <br /> 22 • Continues work toward exploring mandatory regionalization of social services <br /> 23 departments <br /> 24 <br /> 25 Commissioner Marcoplos asked if there was a particular impetus to do these measures. <br /> 26 Nancy Coston said a few things, but it mostly came out of the federal government citing <br /> 27 North Carolina as failing the Child and Family Review. She said every state failed, and the <br /> 28 federal measures are almost impossible to meet. She said there was also a desire to review <br /> 29 how child fatalities that were active child welfare cases, were reviewed. <br /> 30 Erica Bryant, Child Support Director, resumed the PowerPoint presentation: <br /> 31 <br /> 32 Performance Measures: Child Support <br /> 33 • All state performance measures for Child Support are set at a threshold of 80% <br /> 34 • County goals may be set higher or lower by the state <br /> 35 • Orange County met all county goals in SFY18 <br /> 36 <br /> 37 Erica Bryant said the County goal is based on federal incentive goals, which turns into <br /> 38 revenue for the County. She said 80% was picked as the goal for the performance measures <br /> 39 for House Bill 630, because that is where the incentive benefits are maximized. <br /> 40 Commissioner Greene said she does not understand how 108% of paternities can be <br /> 41 established. <br /> 42 Erica Bryant said looks at the number of children born out of wedlock the previous year, <br /> 43 and it is calculated by the number of paternities that are established this year. She said the <br /> 44 birth rate is declining, so the figure will continue to be above 100%. <br /> 45 Commissioner Greene asked if this is because some are being counted from last year. <br /> 46 Erica Bryant said the base figure is always the number of children born out of wedlock <br /> 47 the previous year, which is the federal calculation. <br /> 48 Commissioner Dorosin clarified that the only item on which the County is behind its goal, <br /> 49 is the percent of orders established. <br />