Thurston County Table of Ten
We work together to insure that children are safe and have the opportunity to be reunited with their birth parents or otherwise be integrated into a safe, permanent, nurturing family environment in a timely manner.
Core Strategies
1. Provide immediate and frequent visitation using a coaching model
2. Proceed with urgency upon removal of any child
3. Achieve full collaboration and participation by all
Critical Behaviors
1. Give parents adequate time to process what is happening to them
2. Expedite the flow of information including clearly articulating what the parent needs to do, clearly explaining the process to those involved, improving exchange of discovery, clarifying roles of those in the system (including service providers, etc.).
3. Develop ways for parents to have adequate time to discuss case with attorney and social worker.
4. Empower parents by allowing them to tell their story and by making sure they have the tools necessary to succeed including access to transportation for service sand visits.
5. Improving case conference structure and function. Case conferences dates will be incorporated into the shelter care order, and those involved with the family will be encouraged to attend and fully participate.
6. Family Team Decision Meetings will be used pre-filing or as soon as possible after filing and will include addressing issues such as placement and services
7. Develop a system in which trial dates are real deadlines.
8. Use veteran parent resources to inform parents and the process as a whole.
Measures of Success
The county will measure success by examining the reduction of time in care with no completed plan and by looking at the percentage of fact finding hearings being held within 75 days of the dependency petition being filed.