Policy & Practice August 2017

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://

www.aphsa.org/content/dam/AAICPC/ 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 http://aphsa.org/content/ AAICPC/en/actions/NEICE.html. Please consider joining those of us already on the NEICE, for the children.

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. 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. Although there are some up front set-up and training costs, and an annual maintenance fee, when we

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.

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