Policy & Practice August 2017

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August 2017 Policy&Practice 29
residential Regulation place-
ment. This was a huge improvement
compared to our pre-NEICE experi-
ence. Typically, residential placements
have had a two-week turnaround
from the time we receive a packet,
send it out to the receiving state, and
obtain the signed documentation. The
database is easy to use, allows quicker
communication among states, and
saves time and money.
Although there are some up front
set-up and training costs, and an
annual maintenance fee, when we
looked at those items as the equivalent
of a few months’ placement costs for
a single child, and then at how much
faster we are able to get our kids into
safe and healthy committed relation-
ships despite state boundaries, it was a
slam-dunk decision to sign up. We had
lots of implementation support from
the NEICE team, including training
and modest customizations based on
our unique needs. We have sched-
uled monthly check-ins to solicit our
feedback and suggestions about how
NEICE can be improved. The NEICE
team continues to be open to our input
and we are grateful for their attention
and responsiveness.
Of course, any database is only as
good as the information in it, and ICPC
is a two-way street between states. The
more states that use NEICE, the better it
becomes for everyone involved. Sixteen
states are in, more have active plans
to join, and we encourage the rest of
you green and gray states (see progress
map on the previous page and at http://
PDF% DOC/NEICE% Progress%
Map% External% ( ).pdf) to
become any shade of BLUE! (And no, in
case you ask, California did not choose
the color scheme …)
Sign a simple memorandum of
understanding, make small invest-
ments in training and the annual
fee—your workforce and the children
it serves will reap a huge return on
your investment over the long term.
Joining NEICE is cheaper before May
; everything you need to know can
be found at
AAICPC/en/actions/NEICE.html. Please
consider joining those of us already on
the NEICE, for the children.
Pete Cervinka is the Chief Deputy
Director at the California Department
of Social Services.
Christina Oliver is the Deputy
Administrator for the Interstate
Compact on the Placement of Children
at the California Department of Social
Services.
Although there are some up front
set-up and training costs, and an
annual maintenance fee, when we
looked at those items as the equivalent
of a few months’ placement costs for
a single child, and then at how much
faster we are able to get our kids into
safe and healthy committed relation-
ships despite state boundaries, it was
a slam-dunk decision to sign up.