Dear CFSA:

Since the transition to a single source contract,  Temporary Safe Haven Redesign (TSHR) many foster parents have had several complaints regarding conduct of National Center for Children and Families (NCCF) and it’s practices. We as foster parents, believe NCCF was not the right choice for this single source contract, and DC Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) should renegotiate. Foster parents are afraid of being bullied or retaliated against by executive leadership for speaking up or making formal complaints. From the beginning, the transition was very chaotic, and left many children displaced. I cannot, and will not, go through every complaint, that we as foster discuss amongst each other, because of the fear Dr. Chapman and her executive leadership will use their power to again retaliate, suspend, and or revoke any parents license. It’s our hope that CFSA reconsiders this single source contract and award to more than one agency for the upcoming fiscal year. This gives the foster parents a choice, as to who we feel best serves the needs of the children in DC foster care. To protect us against retaliation, we ask CFSA to consider the following that has had public media attention:

1. Foster parents have complaints about stipend payments for the Dc Ward children for which we care for daily. These payments either weren’t received on time as specified by NCCF payroll 15th and 30th of each month. 

2. Foster parents are offered bribes to take children in time of desperation, lied to about age, and NCCF is not forthcoming about the youth coming into their home regarding diagnosis they may have and what medications they are taking.

3. The agency does not communicate with the foster parents in a prompt or appropriate manner. Leadership will be unresponsive to foster parents emails and at times will not follow up until days later, or even not at all. Leadership doesn’t listen to our concerns as resource parents. 

4. NCCF also has a high turn over rate of staff, since transitioning with the agency in 01/2018. Staff members have complained about delayed payments in their checks to even having inexperienced supervisory staff to work with DC foster children. 

By signing this petition, it does not disclose your concern unless you make your comment public. You can express how you feel when signing but uncheck the box if you don’t want it public. It’s our hope to get enough signatures to take to the Ombudsman, CFSA Director, and if needed the DC Mayor for reconsideration of the current contract. The more support we have with this petition, the more attention this will get. If the media needs to be involved, we can go that route. I feel this is the best way to address concerns without any problems from Dr. Chapman and or Ralph Belk. 

We believe NCCF is not serving the best interest of the DC children but rather their own personal agenda. 

***THE SOLE PURPOSE THAT WE AS FOSTER PARENTS CHOOSE TO DO FOSTER CARE IS TO PROVIDE A LOVING HOME TO CHILDREN IN NEED.*****

**** IF CFSA WANTS TO DO WHATS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILDREN, PLEASE RECONSIDER AND RENEGOTIATE YOUR SINGLE SOURCE CONTRACT********

P.S.

It is also believed this contract was awarded to NCCF given Dr. Chapman’s personal relationship with the current Director.