Overview
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) collaborates with local communities to address issues on behalf of children and families. The primary mission of the Permanency Enhancement Project (PEP) continues to be improving permanency outcomes for youth in foster care and reducing disproportionality and disparity of African-American and Hispanic children and families involved with the child welfare system.
Goals
The four overarching goals established from the inception of PEP are:
- Family Preservation – Reduce the rate at which children are brought into the child welfare system.
- Reduce disproportionality and disparity of children and families of color.
- Reunification – Increase the number of children who are returned home in a timely manner.
- Improve adoption/guardianship permanency outcomes.
Objectives
REVIEW COUNTY LEVEL PERMANENCY OUTCOME DATA annually to obtain a “snapshot” of the State’s current permanency achievement rates and trends, including an examination of racial disproportionality.
IDENTIFY BARRIERS TO PERMANENCY ACHIEVEMENT through the focus group process.
MOBILIZE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS through regional permanency enhancement symposia to engage stakeholders in a focused dialogue around issues of permanency planning and achievement for DCFS involved youth.
DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT COMMUNITY-SPECIFIC STRATEGIES (action plans) to increase family preservation rates, family reunification rates, and adoption/guardianship rates.
TRACK AND ASSESS SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM PROGRESS AND OUTCOMES for the Action Teams (see Central Region Action Team Annual Report).
Meet the members
 | Michael Burns Illinois Permanency Enhancement Project Community Organizer |
 | Dr. Doris Houston Director, Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies, and Associate Professor at Illinois State University Central Region Action Team Data Consultant |
 | Kimberly Carter Associate Professor/Chair/Field Education Director at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville |
 | Dr. Deneca Winfrey Avant Professor at Illinois State University Central Region Action Team Strategic Planning Consultant |
 | Jennifer Geiger Associate Professor at University of Illinois Chicago |
 | Yasmina Sefiane, MS Ed. Director for the Center for Child Welfare and Education at Northern Illinois University |