Identifying and Engaging Non-custodial Parents (NCPs) – Agency Examples

Overview
Brown County sought to enhance identification, location, contact, and engagement with non-custodial parents (NCPs) and to improve the continuity of those efforts across the family’s time with the agency and across all workers. To do this, Brown County recognized there was no consistent NCP resources or guides for staff to use on how to engage NCPs. PDSA members created resource documents and broadcasted their availability to all direct practice professionals. In addition, the case transfer process was reviewed and streamlined to include information on NCP contacts.

The team also implemented an internal staff survey to gather information on what resources were used, what feedback was given by families, feedback on the new case transition process, and to determine if NCP resources were used.

Tools
The tools created may be viewed and downloaded here:

• Non-Custodial Parent Conversation Guide
• Case Transition Request and Checklist 2023
• CPS Definitions
• CPS Father Engagement Brochure
• NCP Search Tool Resource Document
• Non-Custodial Dad Incarcerated Parent Letter
• Non-Custodial Dad Non-Incarcerated Parent Letter

Improvements
As a result of the project, PDSA team members felt that they had:

• Drawn attention to Initial Assessment and Ongoing Standards requirements and improved consistency contacting NCPs. Overall, the PDSA members developed a more intentional approach to NCP engagement in all CPS practices.
• The tools provided to direct practice staff improved their efficiency. For example, staff now document all attempted phone numbers when trying to find the NCP, which saves time for ongoing staff.
• The streamlined case transfer process allowed the IA team to present more information to the ongoing team regarding contact with the NCPs. Three quarters of respondents stated that the consolidated case transfer document was beneficial.
• The survey determined that all new NCP resources were used by survey respondents, and especially the NCP letter.
• Two families provided feedback that the NCP Guide and brochure were beneficial in helping them stay involved while incarcerated.

Barriers
The team acknowledged that their internal data collection was difficult at the beginning of the collaborative, leading to not enough information to provide insight into current practice, and areas in greatest need of focus. The team changed their strategy to gain input and obtain the information on NCP contact across the initial assessment and ongoing team.

Overview

Chippewa County’s goal in the PDSA Collaborative was to decrease out-of-home care placements and increase permanency within families. To do this, the county focused on increasing direct practice professional’s awareness about non-custodial parents and relatives and developed a toolkit and onboarding procedure for direct practice professionals. Chippewa County specifically focused on improving direct practice professionals’ by:

• Training on Initial Assessment, Ongoing, and Youth Justice Standards related to non-custodial parents during division meetings and supervision discussions.
• Definitions regarding non-custodial parents (NCPs), and resources and tips for locating NCPs, through creation of the ‘Non-Custodial Parent and Relative Guide and NCP Location Resources’.
• Agency culture was addressed to increase staff beliefs that engaging NCPs and their family is an important part in achieving permanency faster and increasing child and youth well-being.
• Creating a NCP onboarding checklist that includes watching a video, having a discussion with a supervisor or PDSA team member, learning to track NCP data in agency systems, and accessing a curated list of training resources available on their agency’s shared drive.

Tool

The tools may be viewed and downloaded here:

• Non-Custodial Parent and Relative Guide and NCP Location Resources
• Non-Custodial Parent Onboarding Checklist

Improvements
As a result of the project, PDSA team members felt that they had:

• a better understanding of the Standards and more consistent practice related to NCP contacts.
• The Non-Custodial Parent and Relative Guide as well as the Resources Guide for Locating Non-Custodial Parents is in use by direct practice professionals and available agency wide.
• Staff still regularly compile practice data related to NCPs to measure improvement.
• Staff have shared multiple NCP success stories amongst the team including an example of a youth thriving after placement in a NCP relative home, a child reunification with the NCP, and increased motivation amongst NCPs to be supportive in their child’s life.

Chippewa County acknowledges that it has increased the amount of upfront time spent identifying and locating the NCPs; however, the agency believes this work has the potential to decrease the amount of time a child is placed in out-of-home care and will be measuring if this hypothesis is accurate.

Barriers
The team acknowledges that this work involved practice change, and as such requires the agency to continue having discussions around the importance of NCPs and finding permanence for children. Direct service professionals have also navigated cases where the youth is adamant in not wanting contact with the NCP.

Overview
Eau Claire sought to improve agency policies by providing consistent guidance on who is considered a NCP, how the NCP should be engaged once they are identified, and clarify what benefit comes from engaging the NCP. To address these needs, Eau Claire sought to enhance clarity and communication about NCP engagement at the point of case transition from Initial Assessment to Ongoing CPS.

Eau Claire added a section within their CPS Case Transfer document to specifically discuss and document efforts during Initial Assessment related to the NCP identity, location, contact attempts, and extent of any engagement. Further, the ongoing professional team schedules monthly meetings where all ongoing professionals discuss their cases with NCPs as a group to brainstorm next steps and solutions for how to best engage the NCP. Discussions here include historical and current efforts to engage, as well as barriers within the family. Staff help each other think of ideas that have not been tried for some time, or at all. These meetings are found to bring increased energy, motivation, and shared learning. The documents used in these ongoing meetings are the Engaging NCP – Tracking and Monitoring sheet that includes areas to document the NCP location, contact efforts, engagement efforts, and discussions during supervision. The Engaging NCP – NCP Reviews sheet is color coded by worker and allows space to document barriers and what is unique about the case as well as next steps.

Tool
The tools referenced above may be viewed and downloaded here:

• CPS Case Transfer
• Engaging NCP – Tracking and Monitoring
• Engaging NCP – NCP Reviews

Improvements
As a result of the project, Eau Claire experienced:

• Increased communication, momentum, and a more streamlined process in initial assessment and ongoing case transfer meetings and meetings with the corporation counsel.
• Ongoing professionals experienced more intentional conversation and collaboration when engaging NCPs and their families.
• Positive impact on the ability to actively engage NCPs in a timely manner.

Barriers
Eau Claire first attempted to use a Tracking and Monitoring form at the individual direct-practice staff level as opposed to in a team meeting. The county found that this work felt duplicative of documentation and took too much effort. As this first attempt was not consistently used in individual supervision, it was abandoned in favor of bringing the tool to monthly team meetings to aid in discussion.

Overview

Marathon and Waukesha’s youth justice PDSA teams sought to develop consistent practices for identifying, contacting, and engaging with non-custodial parents (NCPs).

Marathon’s PDSA team changed their intake process asking the custodial parent to arrive 15 minutes early and fill out an intake form which included requesting non-custodial parent information. If an intake with the custodial parent did not occur, the ongoing youth justice workers were assigned to gather NCP information prior to or at the court hearing (as this might be the first time they meet the family). Marathon also created an agency NCP policy for youth justice to clarify expectations.

Waukesha’s PDSA team looked to increase involvement of NCPs by addressing agency culture and practices. First, they had youth justice supervisors engage in intentional conversations about NCPs in supervision. Next, they provided questions for phone calls with NCPs and a standard letter template. Then, PDSA team members had conversations with youth justice professionals seeking qualitative information from social workers about the justifiable reasons they’ve identified for lack of contact with non-custodial parents. Finally, the team was able to provide input about how a new position (Permanency Social Worker) could also identify and engage NCPs as part of their role.

Both youth justice teams collected data related to how many of their cases had a potential NCP (approximately 59% for Marathon and 48% for Waukesha), if the YJ professional maintained contact with the NCP and/or had a justifiable reason for lack of contact, percent of families where the NCP or an NCP relative is involved, and youth that exited care into a NCP or NCP relative home.

Tools

Waukesha’s questions for NCP on phone call

Waukesha’s NCP letter template

Marathon’s YJ policy

Improvements

As a result of their projects:

• Both youth justice teams identified a baseline of data for involvement with non-custodial parents.
• Marathon reported they are gathering more NCP information right up front.
• Waukesha reported that they increased awareness about NCPs in their agency and created staff investment in involving NCPs. For example, one youth was able to reconnect with a NCP who had been minimally involved in their life. After the NCP was invited to be part of the YJ case process, the NCP felt empowered and equipped to eventually take primary placement and the youth has thrived.

Barriers

Teams reported that unique circumstances can challenge professionals’ attempt to engage NCPs including:

• If the significant other of the custodial parents do not have rights of the child, then YJ professionals relied on the legalities of the situation to determine who retains their rights.
• If the youth does not want the NCP involved, then the YJ professional helped the youth understand the importance of that relationship, and helped them navigate options.

Overview

Wood County chose to focus on increasing contact and engagement with the non-custodial parent (NCP) through their Ongoing and Youth Justice units. Multiple tools were created for direct practice staff to utilize so they would be best prepared to identify, locate, contact, and engage the NCP, and to do so uniformly across all direct practice professionals. The tools are available to view and download, and include:

• NCP Initial Assessment Guide
  This guide provides a clear list of NCP definitions, so professionals are clear on who is considered a NCP and what constitutes a justifiable reason to not contact a NCP. This guide also clarifies internal standards as to what actions are to be performed at access and initial assessment.
• NCP Engagement Brochure
  This brochure is a means of informing the NCP as to why it is in everyone’s best interest to engage with their child and explains how the agency can partner with families.
• NCP Engagement Letter
  This letter is a means to inform the NCP about the agency’s involvement with their child and request their engagement.
• NCP Locator Resource List – This list is to assist direct practice professionals effectively search for NCPs and to improve consistency in efforts across all staff.

In addition to creating these tools, Wood County held multiple discussions within both the Ongoing and Youth Justice units about how to utilize the tools and best engage with NCPs.

Improvements
As a result of the project, initial data indicates the agency has increased contact with NCPs. This is corroborated with anecdotal information that there have been increased internal conversations regarding NCP contact and engagement. The agency has also noticed a positive impact with engaging NCPs as an out-of-state NCP was located and began contact with their child.

Barriers
The team experienced barriers in a lack of time, direct practice professional illnesses impacting momentum, and high caseloads. The agency combatted these barriers through scheduling regular check-ins as a team and assigning deadlines for different PDSA projects.