The Employment and Human Services Department, Children and Family Services Bureau (CFS) is mandated to ensure the safety of children. In efforts to establish practice reform and consistency among the delivery of child welfare services across the state, several new state and federal mandates have been implemented, such as Commercially Sexually Exploited Children, Continuum of Care Reform, Resource Family Approval, Foster Parent Recruitment & Retention, Katie A. Mental Health Services and the National Youth in Transition Database. The State's goal is for all California counties to become a learning organization by establishing a Continuous Quality Improvement framework and a Core Practice Model through which all families receive timely, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive services. All of these initiatives will require CFS to plan, develop, implement, track, and evaluate both new and existing programs. The Department has determined that a Social Service Program Analyst position is needed to assist in meeting the new mandated requirements, adequately implement new legislation and initiatives, as well as monitor and update existing programs. Social Service Program Analysts are responsible for monitoring all of CFS program compliance, update existing policies, and implement new initiatives as directed by federal and state legislation. Additional responsibilities will include updating the CFS manual sections in need of revisions and to make manual electronically available to staff.  
  

Without the addition of a Social Service Program Analysts, Children and Family Services (CFS) will lack sufficient staff to effectively update existing policies, implement new initiatives and reporting to the State.This may impact compliance, quality control, and services to youth and families. Children and Family Service will be at risk of not being in compliance with Federal mandates of state Title IV-B and IV-E program requirements. This could lead to loss of funding and a state mandated corrective action plan for CFS.

If the position is not added proper program implementation, training, and established policy and procedures will not be available to Children and Family Services (CFS) staff, which will not have the appropriate skills and knowledge to assess for child risk and safety. Staff will also be missing a trauma informed, culturally driven foundation of services to youth and families. This could lead to children being left in dangerous and life threatening situations or result in children remaining unnecessarily in long term foster care.  
  
The lack of program oversight will lead to missing and/or incorrect data in Statewide Child Welfare Services / Case Management System (CWS/CMS) that can affect children’s eligibility for federal aid and newly mandated services through initiatives such as Katie A. mental health services, Commercially Sexually Exploited Child (CSEC), and the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD).