The Foster Care Redesign initiative has been a collective effort on the part of the Department of Children and Families, Partnership for Strong Families, Casey Family Programs, and many other agencies in Alachua County, FL.  Redesign efforts are gradually being implemented to all areas of the circuit.  The goal of the Redesign is to safely reduce the number of children in the foster care system by 1) preventing removal through improved practice and increased in-home "diversion" services and 2) accelerating permanency through practice change.

Numbers tell the story.  The impact of the Redesign for the 13 counties making up Circuits 3 and 8 is highlighted by the following data.

This chart demonstrates the shift in services from "open" cases (children in the foster care system) to "diversion" cases (children AT RISK of foster care placement).  As fewer children are coming into the system, resources have been shifted to diverting children who are at-risk.