Greetings CPA Providers,

The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services provides direct care for approximately 11,800 children who are currently in Georgia’s foster care system. To ensure each and every child is safe and thrives, it takes the entire child welfare system operating efficiently and collaboratively. There are many integral stakeholders in this system, and kinship caregivers or foster parents play a significant role in ensuring our system’s success. 

Another key component of our child welfare system are the state’s juvenile courts and their administration of dependency proceedings. Kinship caregivers or foster parents  involvement in a child’s dependency proceeding is important and encouraged. To help DFCS improve the dependency process, we are seeking your valuable input. 

Attached, you will find a survey for kinship caregivers and foster parents (memo) that focuses on various elements of the dependency process. The survey asks about your experiences, how to improve your involvement in juvenile court proceedings, and how to ensure your voice is heard. The survey should take approximately ten to fifteen minutes to complete. If you would please complete the survey, we would greatly appreciate your insight into this important element of our child welfare system. 

Please submit your completed survey to James Farnan at jefarna@emory.edu by July 23, 2020.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact James Farnan at jefarna@emory.edu or me at chris.hempfling@dhs.ga.gov. 

Thank you again for your time and insight. 

DFCS Deputy Division Director and General Counsel