Annual Report Our Kids of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Inc. We create safe havens for children and families through adoptions and foster care

Transcription

1 Annual Report Our Kids of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Inc. We create safe havens for children and families through adoptions and foster care

2 About Us Created in 2002, Our Kids is the non-profit lead agency for Community Based Care (CBC) in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Since May 2005, we have been providing foster care and related services in Miami and the Florida Keys. These services were previously performed by the Florida Department of Children and Families. Our Kids is proud of our unique Community Leadership Model. The members of our diverse Board of Trustees were specifically selected to represent the communities of Miami-Dade and Monroe counties in the creation, development and oversight of a privatized, local foster care system. Our Kids pioneered the concept of maintaining a board of community leaders that are completely divested and independent of our network of direct service providers. Mission The mission of Our Kids is to oversee and lead a coordinated system of care, delivering excellence to abused, abandoned and neglected children and their families in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Vision Our Kids vision is that at-risk children in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties grow up in safe, permanent families.

3 A Message from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and the CEO TMaintaining our course and moving forward, strengthened by past successes he past two years were full of accomplishments, successes and new innovations in the way we do business. It was also a challenging time, during which we found ourselves looking at ways we can make improvements that will ensure the continued safety of the children we serve. This report is a biennial edition, which allows a better understanding of how far we have come in improving South Florida s child welfare system. We continue our focus on improving safety, permanency and well-being for the children we serve. Here are some highlights: n In 2010, we were proud to have completed the highest number of adoptions in Florida by finding forever families for 433 children. n We successfully integrated Structured Decision Making into our Intake process and we revamped our training process. n1 n Over the last two fiscal years, Our Kids safely diverted more than 4,500 children from entering foster care by providing family support and directing families to preservation services. Carlos de la Cruz, Jr. Chair, Board of Trustees Frances P. Allegra CEO n Our Nurse Case Management Department is ensuring that all children in care receive regular dental and medical care. n In 2010, we were able to put guidance counselors in the schools to help foster youth in high school. n We launched Youth Life Conferencing to help ensure that youth aging out of care had support systems in place to become successful and contributing members of the general society. n With the help of the community we were able to reduce the number of youth with Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA) by 54%. n We launched our PenPal project in the courtrooms, capturing legal information instantly. We have much to be proud of and we have even more reasons to be thankful. Our Kids continues to be recognized as a leader for providing a high-quality, efficient, and innovative child welfare model in Florida. Thanks for your continued support. We are proud to share our achievements and we wish you a prosperous 2012.

4 Board of Trustees n2 Officers Chair, Carlos De La Cruz, Jr. De La Cruz Companies Vice Chair, Sandy Bohrer Holland & Knight LCP Secretary, H. William Walker, Jr. White & Case, LLP Treasurer, Donna Arduin Arduin, Laffer & Moore Econometrics, LLC Corporate Counsel Cynthia Everett Cynthia A. Everett, P.A. Bruce Bennett, Pathman Lewis, LLP Berta Blecke, Child Advocate Richard R. Deas, PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP Carmen Dominguez, Miami-Dade College Patricia A. Eables, Patricia A. Eables, P.A. Joyce J. Elam, Florida International University David Friedman, Baptist Health South Florida Laura B. Goodman, TIB Bank Evelyn Greer, Hogan Greer & Shapiro Carol A. Licko, Hogan & Hartson, LLP Carmen Matos, MasterCard Worldwide D. Alan Nichols, Deloitte & Touche, LLP (retired) Raimundo L. Ruga, CVOX Group, LLC Gina S. Russ, Russ & Associates Ron Silver, Florida Senator (retired) Rebecca Priegues Sproul, KPMG, LLC Bruce Turkel, Turkel Schwartz & Partners Keith Ward, Quality Management North America, Inc. Gwen Wurm, MD, University of Miami Advisory Board Adam M. Goldstein, Royal Caribbean International Charlie Martinez, Caribe Homes Co. Chuck Cobb, Cobb Partners Dean Colson, Colson Hicks Eidson Douglas M. Halsey, White & Case, LLP Hank Adorno, Adorno & Yoss, P.A. Harold T. Smith, H.T. Smith, P.A. Joe Arriola, Inktel Direct Miami Joseph Lacher, BellSouth Florida, (Retired) Leonard Abess, City National Bank Manny Kadre, De la Cruz Companies

5 Board Oversight The Our Kids Board of Trustees maintains a number of working committees that execute the Board s oversight function. These committees drive Our Kids' direction and implement strategic goals. Below is a list of the current Board committees and respective chairs: n Executive Committee Exercises the authority of the Board in the management of the Corporation. - Carlos De La Cruz, Jr. n Finance Committee Oversees financial procedures and controls. Evaluates budgets and reviews financial statements and assesses risk management practices. - Donna Arduin n Audit Subcommittee - Rebecca Priegues Sproul n Procedures Committee Responsible for ensuring that the Board operates according to its by-laws and evaluates personnel policies. - Berta Blecke n Legislative Committee Oversees government relations strategy and legislation. - Bruce Bennett n System of Care / Quality Assurance Committee Designs, reviews and evaluates the performance of the service delivery system. - Raimundo Ruga n Independent Living Subcommittee - Gina Russ and Keith Ward n Information Technology Subcommittee - Joyce J. Elam n Prevention Subcommittee - David Friedman n3 n Marketing & Public Relations Oversees marketing and public relations strategy. - Bruce Turkel

6 Guiding Principles In 2008, the Board of Trustees created a set of seven core principles by which all corporate decisions are measured. n4 Customer Service Ensure that customer needs are met in a manner that is both child and family focused and that demonstrates commitment to being responsive, respectful to cultural diversity, transparent and accountable. System and Process Ensure services are seamless, cohesive, comprehensive and collaborative within and across providers and stakeholders. Performance Require performance throughout the system of care, utilizing ongoing quality assurance and adopting best practices, in order to realize the highest quality of service. 7core Fiduciary Responsibility Maximize existing resources, pursue additional funding sources, create operating efficiencies, and effectively manage costs to reinvest in continually improved quality of service. Innovation Develop new resources and new business practices designed to maximize success. Customer Satisfaction Engage all key stakeholders, especially children, families and caregivers, in the planning, delivery, monitoring and continuous improvement of the system. Leadership and Stewardship Maintain an independent board of community leaders that oversee the system of care. The Board s primary focus is to establish a strategic direction, advise on policy, advocate for system enhancements and innovation and facilitate relationships. principles I have seen the worst of the system. Now I have seen the best from the system as a result of Our Kids. The way Our Kids, is handling things, is the way it should be done. Having to deal with the system is bad enough. But, thanks to Our Kids a difficult situation was made less stressful. A thank you note from one of our relative caregivers

7 Partner Agencies and Regional Operations Regional Operations Regional Managers are resourced to the Our Kids Regional Service Hubs and provide management and oversight of the assigned Full Case Management Agencies (FCMAs) which encourages individualized and strength-based delivery of services. Each Regional Office is co-located with the case management providers serving the region. Our Kids Partner Agencies Ensuring that we are responsive to the diverse needs of our community and the children we serve, Our Kids created a network of qualified non-profits to provide case management and related services. n www. wesleyhouse.org

8 Finance In addition to financial planning, risk management, budgeting and accounting, our Finance Department manages a number of specific tasks: n Support new families by providing 4,000 adoptive subsidies monthly. n Support over 500 young adults (18-22 years) formerly in foster care to help them reach self-sufficiency. n Manage personal trust accounts for 300 clients that receive federal social security and disability benefits (approximately $2 million annually) from the Social Security Administration. n Conduct fiscal and administrative monitoring of key subcontractors to validate compliance. n Maximize state and federal funds while ensuring data integrity and compliance. Quality Assurance 1% Clinical and Mental Health 3% General and Administration 5% Intake 1% Family Engagement 1% n6 Independent Living 11% Adoption Subsidies 18% Dependency Case Management 57% Out-of-Home Care 42% In-Home Care 35% Room & Board 20% Diversion and Prevention 5% Our Kids Certified Audited Financial Statements prepared by Verdaja & De Armas, CPA can be found at Client Services Our Kids Eligibility Team is responsible for the processing of Title IV-E benefits, SSI benefits and Adoptions Assistance benefits. The team also ensures clients are enrolled in Medicaid Services. Contracts Our Kids Contracts Management team is charged with negotiating and managing sub-contracts with various service providers to ensure regulatory and contract requirements are met. n A Social Security Advocacy Team ensures that federal benefits are secured for eligible children. n An Adoption Assistance Team ensures that new families can access Medicaid benefits quickly and easily.

9 Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QA) As part of our ongoing commitment to measure and improve our performance, our Quality Assurance team identified priority areas of services improvement in 2009 and Percentage of children removed within 12 months of a prior reunification We gained a lot of momentum in some exciting projects: Structured Decision Making and Co Location (SDM) a nationally-recognized protocol for using evidenced based assessment tools, was introduced by Our Kids in Miami-Dade County in November 2009 and in Monroe County in December Now the judiciary, Department of Children and Families, Our Kids and case management agencies in the Southern region are using the same language in assessing risk and safety with our families in need. Our Kids Statewide Quarterly Reviews of Federal Measures: with the help of DCF and Casey Family Programs, Our Kids was selected to be one of Florida s three Innovation Sites to bring focus and commitment to engaging families and moving our casework practice to a holistic and family-centered one. Percentage of children visited in their homes each month n7 Our Kids Statewide Staff Training and Curriculum Development Maintaining highly trained personnel is a critical piece in child welfare. This past year Our Kids revamped it s training by partnering with the Miami Police Department and Department of Children and Families. This groundbreaking program is the result of an ongoing initiative to deliver the most advanced training to current and future protective investigators and case managers.

10 Keeping Children Safe and Families Together Number of Children Our Kids Intake is available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. We are the front door to the system of care. Intake triages every case presented by DCF Child Protective Investigators (CPI) using evidenced - based assessments to help determine the most appropriate services for the family based on safety conditions and risk levels. Intakes 1,610 Cases/Familes 3,072 Children 2,463 Cases/Familes 5,193 Children Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Safe at Home (SAH) and Parents as Partners (PAP) programs are intensive in-home services for families that are determined to be High or Very High Risk of future maltreatment. These programs are developed in accordance with best practice models from the National Family Preservation Network and Best Practice Standards, as outlined by the Council on Accreditation. Preliminary recidivism analysis shows a rate of re-entry 50% lower than national averages. n8 Collaboration and Partnership Our Kids Intake Staff are co-located with DCF CPIs in the four service regions (North, Central, South and Monroe) enhancing collaboration. Our Kids Family Preservation System of Care The Our Kids Family Preservation System of Care provides families who are at risk of becoming involved with the Dependency System with three diversionary programs. Our Kids Intake Department oversees the Family Preservation Programs by providing programmatic support, conducting case file reviews and facilitating multi-disciplinary staffings. Percentage of children removed within 1 year of a prior reunification Our Kids Statewide Average In Fiscal Year , approximately 36% of cases received were for Family Preservation Services. This number almost doubled in fiscal year where approximately 68% of cases received were for Family Preservation Services. For the past 3 years, Our Kids has led the Statewide average performance.

11 Reconnecting and Preserving Families Intakes Fiscal Year (Total Number of Children N=2,618) Intakes Fiscal Year (Total Number of Children N=4,835) n9 Number of Children Family Empowerment Program 272 Parents As Partners 872 Safe At Home 51 Court-In-Home 365 Relative/Non-Relative 514 Licensed 544 Number of Children Family Empowerment Program 1,446 Parents As Partners 1,389 Safe At Home 473 Court-In-Home 537 Relative/Non-Relative 392 Licensed 596 Outcomes Post Structured Decision Making (SDM) Family Preservation (n=1,195) Court (n=1,423) Family Preservation (n=3,308) Court (n=1,525) For purposes of this analysis, cases from other states and counties (ICPC and OTI) were excluded 40% reduction in children living away from their parents

12 Partnering with Foster Parents n10 Our local network of foster parents is the heart of our system of care. Our Kids Licensing strives to secure and promote the best homes for our foster children. During the past year, over 45 new foster homes were opened and renewal licenses were issued for more than 307 existing foster homes. In addition, Our Kids Licensing Specialist began Quality Assessment Home Visits to all of our Foster Homes in Miami- Dade and Monroe Counties. Quality Parenting Initiative Our Kids, DCF, our Community Partners and Foster Parents met with QPI Florida leaders this past year to become the 15th CBC site to embrace the Florida Quality Parenting Initiative ( It is a work in progress Miami-Dade's Branding Statement: In Miami-Dade, our co-parents are members of our diverse community who love, support, and advocate for children separated from their families. They are respected, skilled partners who strengthen and mentor families Monroe s Branding Statement: In the Florida Keys community, our caregivers are loving, committed people who parent children while they cannot remain with their families. Caregivers advocate for the children s needs and nurture their development. They are trained, supported, respected members of a professional team that strengthens and mentors the child s family and fosters permanent connections. in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties with our own branding statements that support the basic tenets of QPI Florida and the new Florida Partnership Plan for Children in Out of Home Care. Foster Parent Conference Our Kids hosted our Third Annual Foster Parent Conference in March Over 250 foster parents and foster youth attended a day-long event. It was an informative and exciting day with guest speakers, including David Lawrence, Alan Abramowitz and Foster Parents/QPI mentors from Tampa and Big Bend areas of Florida. PRIDE training in Monroe County 2011 Foster youth enjoying Jungle Island while foster parents attended the conference Our Kids is a proud supporter of the foster parent associations in Miami-Dade and Monroe. MDC FAPA Respected Partners Nurturing Children Supporting Families Strengthening Communities

13 Healthy Teen Coordinators Through the leadership of the Board s Prevention Subcommittee, Our Kids began monitoring the incidence of teenage pregnancy to ensure appropriate pre/post natal care. This initiative is leading to improved foster parent training, awareness and teen education. n11 Healthy Teen Coordinators provide age appropriate medically accurate sex education information to our teens, making certain they make the best personal decisions and avoid risky behavior. They work with staff, foster parents and teens using their deep understanding of community resources to offer guidance and make referrals. The Coordinators all strive to develop trust and create enduring relationships with our teens, becoming a real resource to them as they become adults.

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16 Behavioral Health Services n14 In collaboration with the CHARLEE program, Our Kids used targeted mental health dollars to send multiple children to Buffalo Cove Camp in North Carolina. The philosophy of the camp is: Respect Yourself, Others and the Natural World. This opportunity was reported to be life changing by the children and staff that attended. 70% decrease in children placed in state In-Patient Psychiatric Program (locked facility) A TALE OF SUCCESS A child with a long history of mental health residential placements since June 2007 was adopted. His father writes: He is doing fine in school so far. He has a great support system which includes the coaches and teachers. Of course, he made the football team and is starting both on offense as the wide receiver and on defense as a defensive end. The team had their first scrimmage yesterday and he scored one touchdown where he ran from the 50 yard line to the end zone. He also ran from the 30 yard line from one side of the field, broke three tackles and almost scored a second touchdown but he slipped at the 20 yard line. He definitely put on a show at the scrimmage and he had the crowd going. With that being said, he has already made a name for himself and things are starting to definitely change for him in a good way. Lastly, his birthday was yesterday so he is now 14 and we were able to celebrate after the game. He has another scrimmage today and a game on Saturday. I will continue to keep you all posted as things occur. His counselor from Connecting Kids did come out last week and she is coming back tomorrow. Thanks. With guidance, consultation and support from the clinical and early intervention specialists at the Linda Ray Intervention Center/University of Miami, Our Kids has implemented and funded an expansion program for Child Parent Psychotherapy services (aka Dyadic therapy) for children ages birth to five years of age. Implemented a process to ensure that infants and young children ages 1 month to 66 months in foster care are provided with ongoing developmental screenings using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 to promptly identify developmental and/or social-emotional delays and receive timely early intervention services where applicable. This process facilitates referrals to Early Intervention Services at critical stages during a child s development. Comprehensive Behavioral Health Assessments (CBHA): 100% of children received a CBHA within 45 days of entering care and 97% had a CBHA completed within 24 days. Our Utilization Management Team identified 113 children as potentially eligible for SSI benefits at the conclusion of FY 2009.

17 Medical Case Management Program The Our Kids Nurse Case Management program recognizes that children in foster care have special health care needs and therefore, the team strives to promote access to quality health care services. We collaborate with board certified physicians to assist in meeting the medical needs of our children. Introduced in 2009, the team consists of Pediatric Nurses, a Dental Care Coordinator and Medical Resource Support Staff Highlights: The team provides: Ongoing support and education to foster parents and case workers to promote timely access of quality medical and dental services. Refer medically complex children to Medical Foster Care, Children s Medical Services. Compile healthcare information on an ongoing basis to keep kids healthy and safe. Develop collaboration with local hospitals and healthcare providers involved in children s health. During the first quarter of fiscal year 09-10, 42% of children received preventive dental care within 30 days; by the 4th quarter the number increased to 79% children ages 3-17 years of age were scheduled for an initial dental examination. Partnering with Miami Children s Hospital, over 378 children received dental services via the Mobile Dental Unit. Recruited a pro-bono dentist, Dr. Jorge E. Velazquez that provided initial dental exams and cleanings as well as discounted restorative services. Dr. Brilliant continues to provide PRO-BONO orthodontic treatment to Independent Living clients. Partnering with the Miami Lighthouse Heiken Children s Vision program, 176 children received free vision exams and glasses. Thirteen children received free eye exams and glasses with Dr. Adam Clarin. Recruited 2 additional pro-bono vision providers: Dr. Adam Clarin and Dr. Karl Ellins. 2,147 children were scheduled within 72 Hours of removal for an Initial Health Screening. 1,906 children were scheduled for a Pediatric Comprehensive Medical Evaluation. n15

18 Education n16 In partnership with Miami-Dade and Monroe County Public Schools, local colleges and other community agencies, Our Kids is committed to ensuring that every child receives a quality education. ekids, a collaboration with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and the Miami Dade School System, was a successful intervention program that led to fifteen at risk 3rd Graders dramatic improvement in reading skills and passing the FCAT. The ekids program was originally designed for 3rd grade students who are in foster care and are identified as being the most at risk of failing third grade. Student s 2010 FCAT Test scores improved 10-40% in the six week pilot period. In 2011 the program was expanded to a 12 week program which included a math portion for participating student s grade 2nd to 5th. After spending three years in the same grade, the ekids program helped my daughter get better grades and finally pass to the next grade. Foster parent in the ekids program Educational Support Program Our Kids is currently partnered with Miami-Dade County Public Schools in the Foster Youth Educational Support Program (ESP), which is aimed at increasing foster youth high school completion, career planning, and post-secondary enrollment. The ESP Counselors work exclusively with children in foster care to provide educational case management and specialized school counseling services at the senior high schools with the highest concentration of students in foster care or the Independent Living program. School Based Video Tele-Court Conference School Based Video Tele-Court Conference (VTC) allows students to participate in a video court conference from school without having to miss a day of school. Tele-Court is a service that makes it easy for attorneys to schedule, and for the Court to manage and conduct telephonic court appearances.

19 Preparing for Adulthood Ensuring that our children who exit foster care at age 18 become successful adults is one of our top priorities. Beginning in August 2010, we initiated a Youth Life Conference for all 17 year olds in care to help better prepare the youth for their 18th birthdays. The youth life conference focused on the areas of housing, education, employment, family connections, medical and mental health and community connections. Since 2008, Our Kids has provided Educational Incentives to those young adults achieving educational success. Our Kids partnered with Citrus Health Network and provided 158 students housing and supportive services; 64 students were provided housing and in home coaching services. Our Kids received more than $100,000 in support from the Housing Assistance Network of Dade (HAND program) for housing for our youth. Additionally we have provided additional funding to Citrus and Lutheran Services to offer additional housing resources to our clients. Reduction of children aging out of foster care As a result of focused community efforts with CLS, GAL and Judges the number of children with a goal of Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA) decreased from 2010 to 2011 by 54%, while the population ages 14 to 17 decreased by 9% during the same period. This reduction will ensure youth do not age out of foster care, but instead find permanent and supportive families. In February 2011 Emmaus Place, a joint venture with Camillus House and Casa Valentina, opened its doors. Emmaus Place is a transitional housing program located in a rehabilitated historic house in Miami for young men in the Road to Independence Program and Casa Valentina provides the on-site services. n17 The men of Emmaus Place. Graduation Each year Our Kids has a Graduation Celebration for those youth graduating from high school, vocational programs, GED and college. This event is hosted by the University of Miami. Ensuring that our foster children become successful adults is one of our top priorities.

20 Forever Families In 2010 Our Kids led the State of Florida in adoptions! For the fifth consecutive year, Our Kids has surpassed its adoption goal. n18 Adoption by year Adoption Goal Actual Adoption In 2010 Our Kids finalized the adoptions of 100 Sibling Groups. The largest of these groups consisted of 5 Siblings. We also finalized 13 Groups of 4 Siblings. Post Adoption Services - Our Kids provides a wide variety of post adoption services which includes but is not limited to: n Mental Health Evaluations n Individual and Family Therapy n Adoption Support Groups n Supplemental Educational Services such as Tutoring n Medicaid benefits n Tuition Waiver n Medical and Dental services that Medicaid does not cover n Orthodonture/braces n In-home Mental Health crisis counseling Since we began providing services in May, 2005, we have finalized over 2,000 adoptions. Miami Heart Gallery ( is the product of the partnership between Our Kids and The Children s Trust. The Miami Heart Gallery, a traveling, museum-quality exhibit features portraits of children in Miami-Dade s foster care system who are available for adoption. The project is dedicated to increasing awareness of the foster care children in Miami-Dade who are in need of permanent homes. The individuality and spirit of the children were captured by some of the world s top photographers. We launched a new exhibit in 2011, featuring portraits of 20 children. Adoption Support Groups - Our Kids supports several active Foster and Adoption Support Groups. These groups meet at least once per month and inservice training is provided. Adoption Support Line or

21 Family Finders Vision All kids know who they are, where they came from and where they re going. Mission - Creating hope, fulfilling dreams by connecting families. n19 In closing I would like to give a special thanks to the Our Kids organization especially, Tricia Benyard, as well as Mariela Diaz, and their team for all their timeless effort and support towards this case. Without their hard work and dedication none of this would have been possible. Family Finders provides youth with a connection to their community and extended family. This is an excellent strategy to help ground them and provide a sense of belonging. In 2007, Our Kids received funding for a three year demonstration project through a generous grant from The Children s Trust. With this grant the Family Finders Program serves children in foster care and young adults who have aged out of foster care in Miami-Dade County. Since October of 2007 we have served 632 youth, and of those, 345 made a connection with extended family. Twenty-two youth have been permanently placed with a family since November of 2008.

22 Leveraging existing community resources to help children and families succeed n20 Sherda Pierre(Former Foster Youth), Representative Ari Porth, Kadie Black (Government and Community Affair) and Dan Daley (aide to Representative Port) on the floor of the Florida House of Representatives. Our Kids funded youth to travel to Tallahassee to ensure their voice was heard by Legislators. Since expanding/increasing Florida Immigration Advocacy Center s (FIAC) contract to have them co-locate with Our Kids at the Children s Courthouse, the number of undocumented dependent children represented by FIAC has increased steadily over the years. Our Kids enlisted the support of the Dade County Legal Aid Society which is now providing free legal assistance to our children turning 18 who are in need of guardianship services. The University of Miami Law Clinic and the FSU Public Interest Law Center have both assisted our children with disabilities by providing free legal representation for administrative appeals of adverse eligibility decisions for the Agency for Persons with Disabilities services. Georgetown Project for Crossover Youth Casey Family Programs and the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at the Georgetown University Public Policy Institute (CJJR), have partnered to address the unique issues presented by children and youth who are known to both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. School Uniforms Just in time for back to school Our Kids unveiled a partnership with Neat Stuff Inc. offering free brand new school uniforms for local foster and adopted children in the community. Through this initiative more than 2,200 uniforms were distributed to children in Miami-Dade and the Keys. Summer Camps Our Kids wanted to ensure that the children we serve had the opportunity to have a great summer experience. As part of these efforts Our Kids sent 63 youth to one of three week-long overnight camps this summer including: CHARLEE's Buffalo Cove in North Carolina; DCF's Myron Rolle Camp in North Florida or a Camp in the Everglades facilitated by the Florida Sherriff's Youth Ranches. In addition, 51 children participated in DCF's James Jones Camp for Champions run by DCF at Florida International University. This year Our Kids also offered camp scholarships to families including adoptive families, foster families and intact biological families, as well as those served in prevention/diversion. A total of 736 children attended the camp of their choice. Kadie Black of Our Kids met with President Barack Obama to discuss foster care successes in Miami. I would like to personally thank you and the program Our Kids for helping me and other families in their time of need for schools uniforms and much more. Before I even thought of adopting my daughter Omiyah I was working a good job and thought I would never lose my job but then when the economy got bad I was out of work and still is and find myself constantly thinking being a single mother how will I provide for my daughter but somehow I manage..i know you guys may think that it's little that you do and may not be much but I am here to tell you that it helped me out more than you could ever imagine. I really really appreciate all that you guys have done and will continue to do for me and all the other families.thanks!!! -Adoptive Mother

23 Enhancements to Safety through use of Technology Last year, Our Kids continued to innovate with the use of technology in child welfare. **The OK Connect program piloted by Our Kids in 2008 was adopted statewide in DCF Lawyers using Digital Pen In 2008, Our Kids launched a project to image and scan in the paper files for all of the children s cases. This program, called ASK, has been extremely successful and this year the Dependency Court Judges, CLS Attorneys, Guardian Ad Litem staff and Protective Investigators were trained and given access to the case file imaging system. *The Our Kids ASK system has been adopted by six other CBC s across the State of Florida. OK Connect project was nominated as a finalist for the Governor's ITFlorida Award, 2009 Our Kids, in close collaboration with Children s Legal Services (CLS), launched a pilot program called PenPal. The project provides a digital pen to each attorney to use in court. The digital pen scans the updates to the case and wirelessly transmits the data to DCF s automated child welfare system. Our Kids of Miami-Dade/Monroe was the recipient of the 2009 Mobilizer Awards in the Field Service category. Fran Allegra, CEO and Pat Smith, Chief Information Officer, were invited to present the keynote presentation of IT s winning initiative at the 2009 Mobile Enterprise Executive Summit held in Los Angeles. n21 Fran Allegra and Pat Smith were invited speakers at the annual Child Welfare League of America conference, Washington DC, March 2011 and the Alliance for Children & Families National Conference in Philadelphia, PA in April In 2010 Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce awarded their annual The Best Use of Technology Award to Pat Smith, Chief Information Officer at Our Kids of Miami-Dade/Monroe. Fran Allegra and Pat Smith were featured speakers at the annual CW360 conference, sponsored by the School of Social Work, University of Minnesota in Spring 2011 in a talk titled: Measuring Return-on-Investment in Lives: A Model in Florida.

24 Awards and Media n22 Julia E. Niarchos, BA, JD, Director of Policy & Community Resources, was recognized for her outstanding contributions, community involvement and collaborative efforts to make child care centers and homes a safe quality learning environment for children 0-5 years old in the 11th and 16th Circuits of Florida. Carlos Villali, Our Kids Utilization Management Medicaid Liaison, based at the Juvenile Justice Center was selected to be an Our Kids Board Honoree. As of this date, Mr. Villali is the only Our Kids employee ever selected to receive this award. Frances Allegra, Our Kids CEO was awarded the The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute s Angels in Adoption Award for her leadership in creating forever families. The Our Kids team traveled to Washington to support Fran in receiving this wonderful honor. Frances Allegra was also honored by Family Central Inc. for being an advocate and committed to the ideal "changing lives for a lifetime". The Florida State Foster/Adoptive Parent Association honored Our Kids with this year s Leadership Through Example Award. The Association annually honors a CBC for demonstrating their commitment to children, families and foster parents through positive actions intended to strengthen partnerships and create a culture of caring through the system of care. Recognizing the importance of retaining superb case managers and foster parents, in 2007, the Board of Trustees began honouring the excellence and achievement of front-line professionals for the challenging and excellent work they perform. Foster Kids Graduate --Into Future of Possibilities By Diana Moskovitz July 1, 2010 Proud Kendall man to see foster son graduate BY GABRIELA GONZALEZ Sat, Jul. 25, 2009 Foster kids get a special high school graduation ceremony Dozens of foster children participated in an extra high school graduation ceremony this one to celebrate the adversities they ve overcome. BY LAURA EDWINS June 12, 2011 Safety on the Job How Managers Can Help Workers By Maria Sioco March/April 2010 GPS-like units to help Fla. child welfare workers By KELLI KENNEDY August 7, 2009 Our Kids was announced on the Floor of the United States House of Representatives by Congress Woman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in April 2010 I applaud Our Kids of Miami-Dade and Monroe, Inc. and hope that my colleagues will join me in recognizing this organization s dedication to delivering a coordinated system of care to abused, abandoned and neglected children and their families in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Ronnie Polaneczky: Fla. high-tech system shows promise in tracking children By Ronnie Polaneczky Philadelphia Daily News Daily News Columnist Florida to be first state where caseworkers can immediately upload photos, GPS coordinates and case files in real time. TALLAHASSEE, FL---Governor Charlie Crist July 16, 2009 applauded the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) development of an advanced new Remote Data Capture Solution following a briefing and tour with DCF Secretary George Sheldon at the department s facility. The Remote Data Capture Solution is expected to revolutionize the way caseworkers and child protective investigators record and store critical information pertaining to child welfare visits. Fran Allegra, Sonia Benitez and Pat Smith were featured in Forbes Magazine, Florida Women in Business in 2011.

25 Events National Adoption Day was held for the second year in a row at the Children s Museum on Watson Island. During the event over 80 forever families were created and celebrated. Families explored the museum and enjoyed face painting and balloon making while waiting for their adoption to be finalized. Thanks to Royal Caribbean International over 100 adoptive families were able to spend a night out on the Oasis of the Seas to celebrate their completed families. Our Kids was also fortunate enough to receive an allocation of staterooms as a fundraiser for Our Kids and our partnering agencies. Judge Caballero, Judge Sampedro-Iglesia, General Magistrate Lieberman, Judge Sarduy and Jeff Berkowitz, The Miami Children s Museum board chair, at National Adoption Day n23 Thanks to Dodge City Picnic, the Knights of Columbus and our Full Case Management Agencies for making the Adoption Awareness picnic a great success. Over 200 people attended; many of them were kids and a lot of families interested in learning more about foster care adoptions. Many families registered for Model Approach to Partnership and Parenting classes and some potential adoptive matches may have been made. A special thanks for those who gave up their weekend for our kids.

26 We could not do it without you! Here is a small sampling of our community partners. Thanks to your commitment and support we are able to do the work we do. We could not do it without you! n24 Royal Caribbean International The Children s Trust Skin Deep Productions. Compuquip Travel Ind. Assoc. of Florida Voices for Children Foundation, Inc. Vista Technologies Maximus Citrus Health Network KPMG Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Learning Network Solutions Group of Florida Maxx Motors Mellon United National Bank Helene D. Ziff Memorial Foundation Milner The Bachelor Foundation AT&T Foundation Dade Community Foundation United Way of Miami-Dade City National Bank The Cobb Family Foundation University of Miami CC1 Companies Neat Stuff of Miami Morgan Stanley Hector Family Foundation Miami Children s Museum Jungle Island Miami Dade College The Able Trust Ounce of Prevention Funds of Florida Miami Dade County Public Schools Educate Tomorrow Youth Shine Florida Children First Casa Valentina Camillus House Florida International University DentaQuest Managed Care of North America (MCNA) Miami Children s Hospital Healthy Smile, Happy Faces Dental Mobile Program Miami Lighthouse Heiken Children s Vision Program (Free Vision Screenings and Glasses) Northwest Pediatrics Cordero Pediatrics Guardian Health Center Dade County Legal Aid Society University of Miami Law Clinic Dodge City Picnic Florida Immigration Advocacy Center Florida State University Public Interest Law Center "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." Dr. Seuss (The Lorax)

27 I commend you and your entire staff for what you do. Stories like this must truly confirm why you get up every morning and do what you do. - Orlando Prescott, Administrative Judge of the Juvenile Court The Our Kids Family Our Kids recognizes that our most valuable asset is our employees. We pride ourselves in acknowledging our staff s valuable contributions to the organization and our community, and this year we honored the following employees with the Employee of the Quarter award: Employees of the Quarter Mario Martinez, IT Help Desk Support Supervisor Lourdes Padron, Executive Assistance Nicole Morejon, Assessment Coordinator Sharaun Wheeler, Facilities & Administrative Assistant Denise Taylor, Human Resource Assistant Kevin Nelson, Quality Assurance Specialist Tensy Tolmos, Executive Assistance Luis Ledesma, Developer Karen Moncada, Client Records Services Support Staff KimUyen Thai, IT Business Requirements Analyst Tonia Edwards, IL Administrative Assistant Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. -Henry Ford

28 Our Kids of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Inc. Our Kids of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Inc. 401 N.W. 2nd Avenue, South Tower 10th Floor, Miami, FL n PO Box Miami, FL *Special thank you to the Miami Heart Gallery for the use of pictures in this report. Sponsored by Our Kids of Miami-Dade/Monoroe, Inc. and The State of Florida Department of Children and Families.