Etrena Gerard

This document, the 2026 Annual Progress and Service Report for the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, reviews performance (2020-2024) and details the strategic plan (2025-2029) to enhance child welfare services. Key priorities include improving outcomes related to child safety, permanency, and well-being through a focus on workforce development, technology modernization (CCWIS implementation), and robust collaboration with a wide array of public and private stakeholders. The plan emphasizes continuous quality improvement in case management, judicial review processes, and family engagement to achieve its mission of keeping children safe, promoting self-sufficiency for families, and caring for the well-being and safety of Louisiana's people.

This business plan serves as a blueprint for transformation and accountability for the Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services. It outlines a strategic direction to improve operational efficiency and protect vulnerable children, with key commitments focusing on ensuring appropriate staffing, completing strategic business reorganization, conducting a market study for competitive compensation, leveraging modern technology, maintaining data accuracy and transparency, using historical data for evidence-based policy, enforcing timeliness requirements and strengthening process controls, and enhancing accountability through audit implementation. The ultimate vision is a future where every child thrives in a safe, stable, and loving environment, supported by empowered families and resilient communities.

The testimony before the Louisiana State Senate Finance Committee highlighted several key areas, including child welfare, family support, and emergency preparedness. The Department of Children and Family Services discussed the need for additional positions in child welfare to manage caseloads effectively and the department's response to the COVID-19 crisis, including support for foster parents and virtual visits. The shift in focus towards workforce initiatives, particularly the SNAP employment and training program, was emphasized, along with the challenges and adaptations made in SNAP application processing during the pandemic. The pandemic EBT program, providing a one-time payment to families with children on free and reduced lunch, was also discussed. The use of state parks for sheltering individuals during the pandemic and the department's readiness for future emergencies were also addressed.

The committee meeting included discussions on the Department of Children and Family Services, focusing on budget stabilization, support for the department, and the department's role in serving the people of Louisiana. Key topics included the COVID-19 response, child welfare, family support, and emergency preparedness. The need for additional staff in child welfare was emphasized, along with the challenges of underpaid and overburdened staff. The impact of COVID-19 on child abuse reports, foster care, adoptions, and SNAP applications was also discussed, along with emergency response efforts.

The strategic plan for the Department of Children and Family Services focuses on the well-being and safety of Louisiana's people. Key areas include promoting safe and thriving families, encouraging self-sufficiency, improving customer service, reducing fraud, modernizing business practices, and enhancing emergency preparedness. The plan outlines goals and objectives for various divisions, including Management and Finance, Child Welfare, and Family Support, with specific strategies and performance indicators to measure progress.