Wraparound Services

Background History

In 1997, Wraparound was established in California under Senate Bill (SB) 163 (Chapter 795, Statutes of 1997) which allows California counties to develop a Wraparound Services program using State and county Aid to Families with Dependent Children -Foster Care (AFDC-FC) dollars.This legislation permits counties to use the funding for planning and service delivery instead of for placing children/youth in high-level group homes. The intent of the legislation was to return children and youth in group home care to their homes and communities or help children at imminent risk of placement in high-end group homes to remain in their homes. Wraparound may also be used for children who are eligible for Adoption Assistance Program benefits.

The SB 163 Legislation requires Wraparound services to:

• Be family centered, individualized, culturally relevant, and strength based;
• Be team and community based;
• Identify and rely on a family's natural & community supports,
• Develop a child and family team plan to identify service needs;
• Place child in the least restrictive environment;
• Track and evaluate outcomes;
• Reinvest cost saving into child welfare programs.

In 2010, Assembly Bill (AB) 1758 (Chaptered 561, Statutes of 2010) updated statue to established that Wraparound was no longer a pilot project, but an optional statewide program. AB 1758 also made clear that being in Wraparound does not, by itself, change the child’s eligibility for Medi-Cal.

In 2017, Assembly Bill (AB) 404 (Chaptered 732, Statutes of 2017) updated statute to reflect the rate for Wraparound services to be equal to the rate for short-term residential therapeutic programs, less the cost of any concurrent out-of-home placement. AB 404 also revised the definition of an eligible child to mean (1) A child or nonminor dependent who has been adjudicated as either a dependent, transition dependent, or ward of the juvenile court pursuant to Section 300, 450, 601, or 602, (2) A child who is the subject of a petition filed pursuant to Section 602 and who is participating in a program described in Section 654.2, 725, or 790, and is at risk of placement in out-of-home care, (3) A child or nonminor dependent who is currently, or who would be, placed in out-of-home care, or (4) A child who is eligible for adoption assistance program benefits when the responsible public agency has approved the provision of wraparound services in lieu of out-of-home care.

To review the current Wraparound statue, please visit California Welfare and Institutions Code sections 18250 – 18258.

As amended by the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), Section 672(k)(4)(F) of Title 42 of the United States Code, requires six months of aftercare services to be provided to youth exiting Qualified Residential Treatment Programs (QRTPs). California operationalized FFPSA’s mandate in Welfare Institutions (WIC) Code 4096.6, which states that by October 1, 2021, each county child welfare agency, probation department, and mental health plan will jointly provide, arrange for, or ensure the provision of the six months of aftercare services for youth and nonminor dependents transitioning from a Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP) to a family-based setting. Aftercare support in California will, by October 1, 2022, utilize California’s High-Fidelity Wraparound model. By leveraging Wraparound to provide these services, aftercare services must be informed by the ten Wraparound Principles and the Wraparound Standards, published and outlined in ACIN I-52-15, supporting each child’s permanency plan.

COVID-19 Resources

A Playbook and Webinars for Supporting Child and Youth Permanency through a Wraparound-Informed Approach during COVID-19

This Playbook is a practical guide for child welfare agencies and service providers to understand and implement Wraparound-informed strategies, recognize the flexible funding available on a short-term basis described in ACL 20-44, and to better understand behavioral health service delivery for child welfare and probation involved youth and families. Please note the flexible foster care rates authorization expired on September 30, 2020 and have not been reauthorized. However, most of the remaining information in the Playbook and webinars remains relevant and helpful.

CDSS General COVID-19 Resources, including COVID-19 related county letters

National Wraparound Implementation Center and National Wraparound Initiative COVID Resources

The purpose of this document is to review key elements of the Wraparound process practice model and potential modifications that may be necessary to effectively support young people and families participating in Wraparound during COVID-19, while also adhering to public health and safety standards.

Wraparound Resources

ACF Youth Engagement Team Recommendations Document

The ACF Youth Engagement Team was developed in 2020 in order to gather expertise from former foster youth in identifying key recommendations for the ALL‐IN Foster Adoption Challenge and state and federal efforts toward achieving permanency for all waiting children and youth. The ACF Youth Engagement team provided specific recommendations on how agencies and courts could improve permanency outcomes by supporting connections with kin, securing relational permanency for youth, and achieving successful adoptions for older youth.

Wraparound Video

Hear from state child-welfare leadership, probation chiefs, and youth and families on why Wraparound services are a smart and effective intervention to keep families together and prevent system involvement for our children and youth.

National Wraparound Implementation Center (NWIC)

NWIC supports states, communities, and organizations to implement Wraparound as part of broader health reform strategies. NWIC uses innovative approaches grounded in implementation science and spanning the policy, financing, evaluation, and workforce development areas to comprehensively support implementation and build sustainable local capacity to provide high-quality Wraparound, thereby increasing positive outcomes for children, youth, and their families.

National Wraparound Initiative (NWI)

National Wraparound Initiative works to promote understanding about the components and benefits of care coordination using the Wraparound practice model, and to provide the field with resources and guidance that facilitate high quality and consistent Wraparound implementation.

The National Center for Innovation and Excellence

The National Center for Innovation & Excellence (NCFIE) is a dynamic community of thought leaders and experts dedicated to developing youth, strengthening families, and building strong communities by developing resources, delivering services, providing technical assistance, consultation and training. They specialize in family-centered, youth-driven system reform initiatives, scaling innovations to excellence, privatization and high-fidelity wraparound.

Vroon VDB

Vroon VDB LLC (VVDB) was the leading wraparound training, coaching, and consulting company dedicated to supporting improved access to high fidelity wraparound for individuals and families across North America.

Wraparound Evaluation and Research Team (WERT)

The Wraparound Evaluation and Research Team seeks to improve the lives of children and their families through research on the implementation and outcomes of the Wraparound process.