Chair Stevens Questions ACS on Youth Outreach and Contract Management

Yeah, um, and and I and I would love for us to like continue to think about what that looks like, even around like the targets, because again, and and thank you guys for coming to Shadow Day for our foster care youth here.

Thank you for having us.

Yeah, they were really excited to have you guys in the information, but even some of that, and I'm not sure they didn't ask you guys a lot of questions, but some of the conversations I had with them in passing, there's still a big inconsistency of what information is being shared according to agencies, and so definitely want to make sure that we're working on that, especially with a program like this, and how do we reach those targets?

Because if young people don't know, they don't know.

Um is lower is a lower number of young people than originally planned for being served by the pro and no.

What's the second steps is ACS taking to ensure providers are fully utilizing the funding in this program so that all eligible young people are receiving those vital supports?

So again, we have our contract management unit, and in addition to they're not just how often do they like meet with the providers, the contract management unit?

I wouldn't need to get back to you with an exact um often, but like you know, invoices come in monthly or you know, within a certain like a few times a quarter, and there's a lot of conversations with um those, you know, the finance teams at the agencies.

At now, agencies have their allocations, at least for enhanced family foster care and specialized family foster care.

We're gonna be looking for them to submit the budget, so there'll be a lot of conversations now.

Um so I'll get an exact number I can get back to you.

I think I forgot your question though.

What did you ask me?

I know your original questions.

We're just asking about like the utilization of the program.

So they submit, you know, and so we're able to look at the tracking and like basically on what they're submitting.

So let's say you know they're budgeted for X, and then so far they've submitted um a number, you know, much lower.

We're gonna have conversations about what's happening.

Is there like a trigger where if it's like okay, you don't see a number, and you guys can reach out to say, like, what supports do you need?

Exactly.

So that's the role of the contract management team is to look at like, hey, you haven't submitted invoices, are there vacancies?

Are there staff turnovers?

There are difficulties.

Um, I think we want to refine and hone in more around the qualitative piece, not just look at like the monetary keys, but like the qualitative piece and how are you leveraging um that information?

And then I think our partnership with the Center for Fair Futures will help intensify because they're working with the coaches regularly, so it's really just about expanding and making sure new staff come on and they say, Oh, you're this age, you should go to Fair Futures.

Let me make a referral, that type of thing.

Um Chair Stevens, I just to add, um, you know, one of one of the things that I have throughout my career enjoyed is being able to spend time with young people and hear directly from them.

And so um as as I'm learning all of the things parts and pieces that we have available in ACS, um, certainly wanting to ensure that we've got pathways for young people to engage and give us feedback directly about what's what they need and and how communication um and information is best communicated to them from um from the various agencies that are serving them, and so I'm looking forward to um engaging with the young people around that issue as well.

And thank you for having a shadow day.

I think it's critical.

Well, if you know me and everybody knows this, I only like kids, and so and I get all the information from them, which is why when I come back, I'm so passionate because I am translating the I do, I don't really like y'all adult, but the young people are what I'm really focused on, and so a lot of the things that I'm coming back with is like direct conversations that I have with them, um, because you know I think it's so important that they have access to government and have conversations with them.

So I look forward to going out and hanging out with kids and changing the system to actually work for them.

I still have a ton of questions, but I'm gonna pass it to Lee um Chair Lee so that our colleagues could ask some questions and come back to me on a second round.