Georgia Comprehensive Child and Family Assessments (CCFA)

Note: The Georgia Comprehensive Child and Family Assessments (CCFA) was not responsive to the CEBC's request for information about their program. The following information was obtained from publicly available sources.

Scientific Rating:
4
Effectiveness Unknown
See scale of 1-6

Relevance to Child Welfare Rating:
1
High
See scale of 1-3

Child Welfare Outcomes: None indicated.

Brief Description:

Georgia Comprehensive Child and Family Assessments (CCFA) has been rated by the CEBC in the area of Placement Stabilization. Family assessments are used to assist decision-making regarding placement of children entering foster care. A formalized assessment known as the Child and Family Comprehensive Assessment (CCFA) is initiated soon after the child enters care. The child and his/her family, both immediate and extended, are engaged in the assessment process. Family-centered approaches such as Family Team Meetings and Multi-Disciplinary Team Staffings are effective ways to involve the family in assessment, planning and decision-making around the needs of the child. The Family Assessment is the foundation of the family case plan and will also assist judges, CASAs (Court Appointed Special Advocates), Citizen Panels, and other providers working with the child and family to gain a better understanding of the:

Degree of parent-child attachment and where the child feels a sense of belonging;
Child's extended family as a potential resource for support and/or the placement of the child;
Family's history and/or patterns of behavior; e.g., prior CPS involvement or foster care placements, past experience with handling crisis, problems with addiction, criminal behavior, etc.;
Strengths and resources from which the family can tap;
Core needs of the family which, at a minimum, must be changed or corrected for the child to be safely returned within a reasonable period of time;
Probability of the child returning home or the likelihood of an alternative permanency plan; and
Identified medical, emotional, social, educational and placement-related needs of the child.

Manual and Training section:
Information on training for the Georgia CCFA can be found on the Department of Human Resources website.

Relevant Research:
There are no peer-reviewed, outcome research studies about Georgia CCFA.

References:
There are no published reference articles about Georgia CCFA.

Contact Information
Affiliation/Agency: Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Family and Children Services, Constituent Services
Phone: (404)651-9361
E-mail:
Website:

Date review compiled: July 2007