BE IT RESOLVED, that Agreement A188740 with the Minnesota Department of Human Services, accepting a grant for the continuation of Hennepin County's Family Group Decision Making Program for the period January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018 in the receivable amount of $529,868 be approved; that the Chair of the Board be authorized to sign the Agreement on behalf of the county; and that the Controller be authorized to disburse funds as directed; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Human Services and Public Health Department be authorized to increase their staff complement by 2.0 FTE grant positions and receive a supplemental appropriation of $203,488 to the 2018 Human Services and Public Health Department budget; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that sponsorship and acceptance of the grant funding for this program by the Board of Commissioners does not imply a continued funding commitment for this program when grant funds are no longer available. 

Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) is a program that integrates family-centered, strength-based social work practice with the need to maintain child safety, well-being, and permanency for children and families. A Family Group Conference is a facilitated meeting to help families and children resolve issues of safety, permanency, and well-being. Conference facilitators are Hennepin County social workers who have completed State of Minnesota Family Group Decision Making training. The target population includes families with an open Children’s Services case, children in Long Term Foster Care working towards self-sufficiency or emancipation, families open in Family Assessment, and families referred from contracted providers who are seeking Family Support and Preservation services.

FGDM’s goals are:

• preservation of families through prevention of placements
• safe reunification of children who are already in placement with their families
• assistance for youth in long-term foster care as they transition to independent living

These goals directly align with federally-mandated outcomes related to safety, permanency, and well-being for children that are measured through the Child and Family Service Review process. While families and children eligible for the FGDM programs at Hennepin County are referred to the program primarily by Child Protection and other Human Services and Public Health Department social workers, FGDM remains voluntary; for the process to be successful, it must be family and/or youth driven. This model of intentional engagement with natural support systems is a key strategy in the county's Child Well-being work with a focus on investing in families and fostering natural supports for children to thrive.

Agreement A188740 will allow the program to continue through December 31, 2019 and accepts $529,868 for the rest of 2018. An additional $529,868 is expected to be received in 2019.