DSHS once is again is reverting to its brain dead, bureaucracy bound, and baffling mode of operations.

They are canceling the Permanent Placement Family Program (PPFP). PPFP identifies kids in high-risk situations where the parents either through case history, or severity of the situation are not likely to be able to regain custody of the children. These kids are place with a foster family that is already identified as the most probable adoptive home. This program minimizes the children's moves with in the system.

In these programs the various departments within Child Welfare Services, Child Protective Service, and the Foster Care and Adoption sections coordinated and communicated on the children's' placement and case progress.

Without this program the various departments seldom have the coordination required. They do the intake processing on child and place them in an available home. There is no evaluation of the type of case and screening as to long term care. That comes up 90 days into a case with the Permanency Planning. At which point the child may be moved.

In the 2 years this program has been in place, in King Co, 70 families have signed up, 84 children have been placed and 30 of these have been adopted, and another 10 adoptions are close to being completed.

There are 6 regions in DSHS, the King Co. program was the most successful the other regions did not have the success of King Co. The Bureaucracy looks at the "data" and said the program must no be working. Instead of examining why the program worked in King Co. and not in the other regions, the management decided 1 out of 6 must not work. This is a simplistic approach, and defies normal logic.

The other Issue is the Braam Settlement.

The Braam Oversight Panel was created in 2004 to oversee a Settlement regarding Washington State's foster care system. The Settlement was reached after a six-year period of litigation. The named Plaintiff, Jessica Braam, is an adult who lived in 34 foster homes by the time the suit was filed in 1998. The Settlement is intended to improve the conditions and treatment of children in the custody of the state's Division of Children and Family Services.

The top priority of the Braam is:

Placement Stability 1. Each child in the custody of the Department shall have a safe and stable placement with a caregiver capable of meet the child's needs.

The PPFP program is ideal in terms of meeting the conditions of the Braam Settlement. Yet DSHS is revert to the previous status quo in order to meet the goals of Braam. On top of this while the overall DSHS budget increases, DSHS is cutting service to the parents and children.

The title of the Braam Compliance Plan:

Kids Come First