ADOPTED - DECEMBER 12, 2006
Agenda Item. No. 33
Introduced by the Judiciary, Human Services and Finance Committees of the:
INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR A 2006
AGREEMENT FOR THE
CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES ANGEL HOUSE PROGRAM
RESOLUTION #06-335
WHEREAS, Child and Family Services has operated the Angel House Program to serve County residents since May of 2006; and
WHEREAS, due to the loss of funding sources primarily due to a change in funding philosophy from the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS), the Child and Family Services Angel House Program will be under-funded during this 2006 fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, Child and Family Services has requested an emergency appropriation to assist in the adequate funding of the Angel House Program; and
WHEREAS, this request is consistent with the Board of Commissioners’ priorities of “Meeting Basic Needs”.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners hereby approves entering into a contract for $40,000 with the Child and Family Services Angel House Program for the period of May 1, 2006 through December 31, 2006, for services to Ingham County residents as outlined in their attached proposal.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Controller is authorized to appropriate $40,000 from the 2006 Contingency Fund for this purpose.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board Chairperson and the County Clerk are authorized to sign the necessary contracts consistent with this resolution as prepared by the County Attorney.
JUDICIARY: Weatherwax-Grant, Holman, Nolan, Schafer, Dougan
Nays: None Absent: Bahar-Cook Approved 11/30/06
HUMAN SERVICES: Yeas: Grebner, Bahar-Cook, Hertel, Severino
Nays: None Absent: Dedden, Schor Approved 12/4/06
FINANCE: Yeas: Thomas, Grebner, Weatherwax-Grant, Dougan
Nays: None Absent: Hertel, Dedden Approved 12/6/06
Child & Family Services, Capital Area
Angel House - Children’s Shelter and Assessment Center
Proposal to Ingham County
Grant Period: May 1 – December 31, 2006
Scope of Services
Primary Goal and Objectives
The goal and mission of Angel House is “to provide a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to serving children and families who have been victimized by child abuse, using efficient, effective, and child-centered assessment, intervention, and emergency shelter services.” Angel House uses the nationally recognized Children’s Assessment Center (CAC) and Family to Family (F2F) models for service delivery. This multi-disciplinary approach brings together all the professionals and agencies needed to offer comprehensive and child friendly services to abused children and their families.
Primary program objectives are:
Provide 24 hour emergency shelter for children taken into protective custody (15 bed capacity).
Provide a safe, child friendly environment for children to be interviewed and assessed for abuse.
Provide “best practice” placement planning for children who will not return to their biological home.
Provide crisis intervention and trauma counseling for children, parents, and family members.
Provide support groups for parent, children and teens who have been victimized by abuse.
Provide support and assistance to families during the time of family restructuring.
Provide advocacy services to children and non-offending parents before, during and after court testimony.
Target Population
The target population for Angel House is children (aged birth to seventeen) who have been physically or sexually abused or severely neglected and their non-offending caregivers. The Angel House facility is located in Mason at 830 Kerns Road and serves all of Ingham County. Considering that over 90% of abused children live in poverty, the population served is largely comprised of low-income families.
Statement of Need
Angel House responds to a growing need and gap in services for child victims of abuse and their family members. Last year, the Ingham County Department of Human Services (DHS) substantiated 1,327 cases of child abuse and neglect in Ingham County. An additional 565 cases were investigated by law enforcement agencies. Data on the incidence of sexual abuse from Sparrow Hospital Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) indicate that more than 200 abused children were examined in 2005. These numbers represent a disturbing trend: since 1997, Ingham County has experienced higher and increasing rates of child abuse and foster care placement compared to the majority of Michigan’s counties.
Angel House was developed by a local group of private and public sector child welfare leaders. The group identified the critical gaps in the Ingham County child welfare service continuum as
follows: (1) Children in need of emergency shelter are quite often taken into protective custody in the middle of the night, in large sibling groups and end up sleeping on the floors of offices, or riding around in police cars until emergency foster care can be located; (2) Siblings are often split up at the time of emergency removal; (3) placement planning for children who will not return home is inadequate, often resulting in repeated moves from foster or relative homes to other homes; (4) there is little coordination among the agencies that investigate, assess, treat, and support child victims. It is not uncommon for a child to be interviewed by law enforcement, child protective services, prosecuting attorney, physician, and a mental health practitioner on separate days, at separate (and often inappropriate) locations – adding further trauma to the child and stress to the family.
Angel House opened in late May. At the end of October, 111 admissions to shelter care and 157 forensic interviews had been provided.
Program Outcomes
The following outcomes are stated in the United Way grant for Angel House:
• 400 unduplicated Ingham County cases (children and parents) will access and complete services.
• 80% of families served become safe and stable family units, demonstrating changed behaviors or conditions.
• 90% of families will not have an additional confirmed complaint of abuse and neglect demonstrating changed behaviors or conditions or new skills or knowledge.
• 85% of parents served will demonstrate new knowledge and skills in areas of appropriate discipline, parent-child boundaries, child nurturing and developmental needs and communication.
• 80% of children served will demonstrate reduced trauma and anxiety and report improved functioning; and report that their family environment is safe, stable, and healthy.
Community Continuum of Care
The attached Angel House Service and Community Continuum flow chart best describes how the two services of Angel House (Emergency Shelter/Placement Planning and Forensic Assessment) are critical to the continuum of services to abused and neglected children.
Interagency collaborative agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) have been signed by the Ingham County Department of Human Services-Children’s Protective Services, Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Ingham County Circuit Court-Family Division, Ingham County Sherriff’s Office, Lansing Police Department, and Sparrow Health System.
Contact Information
Jim Paparella
Executive Director
Child & Family Services, Capital Area
4287 Five Oaks Drive
Lansing, MI 48911
517.882.4000 ext. 123