« Back to: Safety

Spotlight On: System Change

Region: Bay Area, Contra Costa, California
Investment: $675,000 over eight years
URL: www.ehsd.org/child000.html

Contra Costa County – Implementing Family to Family

The Challenge

More than 800,000 American children spend some time in foster care each year, most because they have been victims of child abuse or neglect. Last year California responded to more than 500,000 reports of child abuse and neglect.  In 2008, Contra Costa, the ninth most populous county in the state, received 10,448 new child abuse and neglect referrals that resulted in 500 new entries into foster care and a total foster care population of 1,313.   Despite the efforts of many dedicated child welfare staff, there is broad consensus that many of the children who encounter the child welfare system will remain unsafe, and will not have their basic and long-term needs met.


Contra Costa is a leader among the 25 Family to Family counties in implementing the four core strategies:

  • Building Community Partnerships. 

  • Team Decision Making. 

  • Resource Family Recruitment, Development, and Support. 

  • Self Evaluation. 

    • Initiative Participation

    Contra Costa has been participating in the Family to Family initiative for nearly eight years. The County has wholeheartedly embraced the four basic principles listed below:

    • A child’s safety is paramount.
    • Children belong in families.
    • Families need strong communities.
    • Public child welfare systems need partnerships with the community and other systems to achieve strong outcomes for children.
    Results to Date

    In Contra Costa County:

      • Data is consistently utilized to evaluate and improve child welfare practice in an effort to improve outcomes for children and families.  
      • Team decision making meetings occur at three key points in the child welfare process –
        when there is imminent risk of removal from the home, prior to a placement change, and prior to exit from the child welfare system.
      • Nearly 75% of those children who received a team decision meeting due to imminent risk were able to remain safely in their homes.
      • 85% of those children who received a team decision meeting prior to a placement change were able to maintain their current placement or move to a less restrictive placement.
      • 90% of those foster youth who were aging out of the child welfare system received an exit team decision meeting.
      More siblings are being placed together in foster homes.  Between 2006 and 2008:

      • Placements with all siblings increased from 40% to 46%.
      • Placement with some siblings increased from 58% to 61%.