Policy & Practice | August 2019

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use technology to make the foster care experience better. As a result of the Hackathon, one of the youth in care smartly suggested that we develop a dedicated web portal for youth and families that would be a one-stop- shop to find information about the variety of programs available within the child welfare system. As a result, we launched ACS ConnectMe. 1 Now, youth, families, and child welfare pro- fessionals can search for the services that are not only right for them but available in the area in which they live. ACS ConnectMe allows them to be better connected to services like educa- tion courses, legal services, housing resources, parenting support classes, and more. What we’ve seen in New York City is that technology can help advance our mission— but, like anything, it has to be done thoughtfully and strategically. We’ve held town halls and feedback sessions to identify what technology

would be most useful and to find out how to improve it once it’s been rolled out. We’ve engaged some staff as “super users” to pilot new technology before we implement it agency wide, to identify improvements, and to help build staff support for the new tech- nology that can help them be more effective and efficient in supporting families and protecting children. All of the improvements we’ve put in place support our core mission—to protect the safety and enhance the well-being of children in New York City. Using technology in our front-line work is one of the many critical ways we are making sure that happens. David A. Hansell is the Commissioner of NewYork City’s Administration for Children’s Services. Reference Note 1. See https://acsconnectme.nyc.gov/ homepage.do

Getting to homes quickly—within 24 to 48 hours of a report—for an initial visit is critical to securing children’s safety, so we recently began using new car-sharing technology to help front-line staff respond much more quickly to possible cases of child abuse and neglect. The technology is called Zipcar Local Motion Technology and it means our CPS can immediately find and reserve cars online with 24/7 access. With this technology, our front- line workers are unlocking and driving any authorized vehicle, day or night, to ensure the safety of New York City’s children. This is also helping to dra- matically reduce CPS response times in the field. Technology can also be used to help connect those we serve to the services they need. In 2016, ACS held its first- ever Hackathon to bring the foster care community— including youth in foster care—together with tech- nology experts to think about how to

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