Young adult transitonal program needs improvements, Auditor General finds

(The Center Square) – The Arizona Auditor General's report looking at the Extended Foster Care “success coaching program” provided several recommendations that the Department of Child Safety has agreed to do.

According to the report , there is a need for improved oversight to make sure that everyone who can be part of the EFC program is offered and that the contractors hired are meeting the obligations outlined for the coaching service.

The report also discovered that there needed to be more details in the plans for some young adults in the program, including better-outlining resources and “achievable short-term goals.”

“Department is required to develop transition plans for youth in out-of-home care beginning at age 14,” the report stated. “Department did not develop required transition plans for most youths we reviewed, and transition plans it did develop were untimely and incomplete.”

Lastly, the Auditor General determined that there needs to be a way to closely look at the program’s overall success in helping youth transition out of foster care to lead healthy and productive lives as adults.

The recommendations largely encouraged better-written plans and accountability, as well as a “comprehensive performance measurement system” to monitor the program’s results. Specifically, it asks DCS to make sure there is oversight on its contract with Arizona State University to make sure they’re meeting the needs of the program.

The EFC program is available until an individual is 21 years old through DCS, and the report noted that it is now state law for the success coaching program to exist.

“The Department recognizes the transition to adulthood is a critical period of a youth’s development and is committed to implementing additional strategies and improvements in response to the audit recommendations,” David Lujan, the Cabinet Executive Officer/Executive Deputy Director of DCS wrote to Auditor General Lindsey Perry in response to the report.