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Using the CANS – F to Support In-Home Child

Welfare Services

Tim Kelly, MS, Department of Social and Health Services

Children’s Administration

11th Annual TCOM/CANS Conference

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System Overview

• Children’s Administration (CA) is the Washington State administered child welfare system.

• The state is divided into three regions

– Regional Administrators oversee

– Responsible for child safety, permanency, and well-being

• Headquarters staff provide support and direction

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In-Home Services

• CA staff assess and identify conditions impacting child safety

• Families with an open and active case receive in-home services to: – Prevent placement – Support reunification

• In-Home Services are delivered by contractors in the child’s home

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Service Planning

• Contractors work with families and CA to – develop an intervention plan– provide clinical services to maintain or restore

safety

• Historically:– Individual assessments were used– Approach to intervention varied

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CANS – F

• The Washington State CANS-F – developed in 2012– implemented in 2013

• Targets areas connected to child safety– Screening for services delivered through other agencies (e.g.

mental health and substance abuse)• Used with – Family Preservation Services– Triple P– Promoting First Relationships– Crisis Family Intervention

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CANS-F con’t

• Increased use of EBP’s – Resulted in reduced use of traditional Family

Preservation Services– Highlighted challenges matching EBPs to families

with complex, multi-faceted needs

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Family Preservation Resource Library

• The Resource Library https://www.dshs.wa.gov/ca/contracted-providers/family-preservation-library– Based on concept of Essential Elements– Connects CANS items with evidence informed strategies

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