Setting P.A.C.E. for DCYF Staff


We recently received the results of our TeamFirst Assessment of Safety Culture (TASC) within DCYF. A total of 350 staff members completed the assessment, achieving a 54% participation rate.

First, I want to thank every staff member who took the time to share their valuable feedback. Your participation is vital to building a safer, more supportive environment for everyone.

As you’ll see, the findings are framed around DCYF’s P.A.C.E. strategic plan (Prevention, Accountability, Collaboration and Engagement). This framework allows leadership to actively partner with staff, analyze data against national benchmarks and drive meaningful improvements in workplace safety, workload management and psychological safety.

The P.A.C.E. strategic framework aims to provide joint support between administration and staff in how DCYF manages workforce and workplace safety, job-related stressors and professional growth within its workplace environments. It serves as the blueprint for current state policies, such as the Collaboration for the Staff Safety Culture Initiative.

This same program's framework can be used regarding the TeamFirst Safety Culture Survey as a tool for the administration team to work with the staff using the results of the survey.

The DCYF P.A.C.E. framework aligns closely with the TeamFirst Assessment of Safety Culture (TASC). The TeamFirst survey measures how staff feel about workforce safety, workload and psychological safety. By using the four P.A.C.E. pillars, an administration team can turn the survey results into a tool for real workplace growth.

Here are some of the key findings and how they align with our P.A.C.E. pillars:

Prevention: Prioritizing Preventative Support Over Intervention

• Address burnout early: DCYF reports a 33% emotional exhaustion rate. This sits squarely within the national benchmark of 30–40%, providing a baseline to target wellness programs before severe burnout rises.
• Proactive stress reduction: The agency's 53% stress recognition score slightly exceeds the national benchmark of 40–50%. This indicates a high awareness of pressure, highlighting the need for proactive mental health tools for mitigating stress and anxiety due to workload.

Accountability: Ensuring Clear, Data-Driven Outcomes

• Track baseline metrics: Establish a clear data standard by utilizing the 54% participation rate (350 participants) to track future annual culture evaluations against these newly integrated benchmarks. It is important to work with staff to increase the participation rate to have a fuller perspective on the staff work experience.
• Measure retention goals: DCYF outpaces the country with a 70% intent to remain employed in child welfare (IRECW), beating the national benchmark of 60–65%. Leadership will remain accountable by keeping retention above this national average and look forward to increasing this number with the help of staff.

Collaboration: Partnering Directly with Staff and Stakeholders

• Enhance team dynamics: DCYF shows strong collaborative health. The agency scores 74% in mindful organizing (national benchmark: 68–73%) and 77% in workplace connectedness (national benchmark: 70–75%), both exceeding national trends. These strengths can be leveraged to build peer-led support networks.
• Strengthen physical environment: The survey shows a solid 74% workplace physical safety rating. While there is no national benchmark for this category, management will work alongside frontline staff and security stakeholders to maintain and improve this environment.

Engagement: Maintaining Open, Respectful (Trauma-Informed) Communication

• Build conversational safety: DCYF sits directly within the national benchmark of 62–67% with a 65% psychological safety score. Open-door forums will be used to engage staff and elevate this metric, so individuals, teams and divisions feel entirely free to speak professionally without fear of negative consequences.
• Transparent feedback loops: Share these localized metrics side-by-side with national benchmarks openly with all staff members to build trust, ground results in a broader context and demonstrate a commitment to collective improvement.

With above average results in key metrics such as mindful organizing, workplace connectedness and intent to remain in child welfare — as well as a solid workplace safety rating — DCYF teammates indicate that this is an organization where they want to work and, perhaps more importantly, plan to continue to work.

DCYF to Participate in 'A Home for Every Child' Pilot PIP


We are excited to share that Rhode Island DCYF has elected to participate in the Children’s Bureau’s A Home for Every Child Pilot Program Improvement Plan (Pilot PIP).

The A Home for Every Child Pilot PIP is an alternative approach to the traditional Program Improvement Plan process following the CFSR. The pilot is designed to support states in implementing targeted, data-informed strategies to improve permanency outcomes for children and youth by working toward a 1:1 foster home-to-child ratio. This approach focuses on ensuring there are enough available and appropriate family-based placements to better meet the individual needs of children and youth and support timely, stable, and lasting family connections.

DCYF chose to participate in this pilot opportunity because it aligns with the Department’s commitment to continuous quality improvement, innovation and strengthening permanency outcomes for children and families in Rhode Island. The pilot model provides increased flexibility for states to focus improvement efforts in a more strategic and outcome-driven manner while still maintaining accountability to the Children’s Bureau.



We appreciate the time, expertise and perspective you contributed throughout the CFSR process and look forward to continuing to work together in support of children, youth and families across Rhode Island. For more information, visit the Child and Family Services Review page on our website.

The Role of DCYF Transition Coordinators


Youth in the DCYF system are labeled as the focus population who experience delayed discharge from psychiatric hospitals and inconsistent care coordination. As part of the Consent Decree implementation plan, a Transition Coordinator (TC) Unit is being created to improve the timeliness and quality of discharge planning and transitions to the most integrated setting.

A Transition Coordinator will be assigned to hospitalized youth who have an open case with the Family Services Unit or the Children’s Behavioral Health Family Navigation Unit. Youth who are admitted to Bradley Hospital, Butler Hospital, Hasbro Seyla 6 and Newport Children’s Inpatient Hospital will be assigned a TC. Youth stepping down from an inpatient psychiatric hospital to Bradley Center (ARTS) will continue to have their TC. Youth boarding at Hasbro Hospital or a local community hospital who are awaiting a psych bed will be assigned a TC.

The TC leads or co-leads discharge planning meetings, collaborates with the hospital team and coordinates with community-based providers and placement resources. The TC works with partners to document barriers, escalate systemic concerns and implement mitigation strategies that support timely discharge.

After the youth is referred, the Transition Coordinators will maintain engagement by prioritizing early and consistent contact with the youth, family and foster family. TCs will use motivational engagement strategies, regular check-ins and strengths-based communication to build trust and rapport. They will involve families in all planning decisions, ensure their voices guide the discharge plan and address barriers to participation such as scheduling conflicts, transportation or communication challenges.



TCs will maintain weekly contact, offer flexible meeting formats (in-person, virtual, phone), provide clear updates about the hospital process and ensure families understand their role in the transition plan. TCs will also conduct Family Team Meetings, collaborate with providers to align expectations and use culturally responsive and trauma-informed approaches to support ongoing engagement.

Learn more in the video here.

How We're Doing: Our Commitment to Children and Families

We're pleased to share an update on our progress under our “Setting P.A.C.E. for Rhode Island Children & Families" 2025-2030 Strategic Plan with our Q2 2026 (April-June) Scorecard.

As part of our commitment to excellence, we are focusing on educating our staff and community partners on the principles of P.A.C.E. — Prevention, Accountability, Collaboration and Engagement — and our SAFE Practice Model.

In June, DCYF brought together child and family well-being professionals, family court leadership and community partners for the first SAFE Summit, opening with remarks from Deputy Director Brandi DiDino and Chief Judge Michael B. Forte of the Rhode Island Family Court. The morning included a review of DCYF's Children's Family Services Review and Performance Improvement Plan pilot, followed by breakout sessions on authentic family engagement, the Family Functional Assessment process and the role of community partners in SAFE.Chief of Staff Misty Delgado closed the day with next steps, reinforcing the Summit's core purpose: strengthening collaboration across the system to keep Rhode Island children safe and families supported.

If your team would benefit from a presentation of our P.A.C.E. principals and strategic plan, please reach out to Melissa Aguiar-Rivard.

DCYF Secures Nearly $12 Million Investment to Transform Children’s Behavioral Health System of Care

DCYF is proud to announce it has secured nearly $12 million in total federal grant funding over a four-year project period, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The initial award of nearly $3 million supports the continued expansion and improvement of the Rhode Island Children’s Behavioral Health System of Care, a framework designed to provide comprehensive, community-based mental health services that meet the needs of all children, youth and families. 

The Rhode Island System of Care focuses on delivering accessible, family-centered and trauma-informed behavioral health infrastructure to ensure vulnerable youth receive high-quality care within their home communities. 

At the forefront of the System of Care work, there is also funding for continued family and youth engagement in the State’s system-planning efforts. Other key allocations of the initial grant funds are to establish a Single Point of Access to streamline intake, assessment and connection to behavioral health resources, and for Intensive Care Coordination to expand individualized wraparound service coordination for youth with complex emotional needs and their families. 

“Listening to our families is at the heart of building a real support system,” said DCYF Director Ashley Deckert. “By expanding these initiatives, we are giving families a clearer path to care and making sure young people get the right support directly where we know they do best, in their own communities.” 

Read more

RI Youth Summit Showcases Resilience and Determination of Foster Youth

On June 22, SPEAK, Rhode Island’s Youth Advisory Board, in partnership with Youth Development Services, sponsored the 2026 RI Youth Summit, “Blooming with Resilience: Every Flower Must Grow Through Dirt,” which was held at Farm Fresh RI. The day featured interactive workshops like team building and mindfulness, along with a resource fair that included community partners such as Adoption RI, Tides Family Services and the Office of the Child Advocate. The event was designed for young people ages 16–21 who have experienced the foster care system.

Addressing the youth, DCYF Deputy Director Brandi DiDino said, “You embody something I often say — and truly believe: We’re not defined by what happens to us, but what we make happen. We’re not defined by the hardest moments of our lives. We’re defined by our resilience and determination to turn our experiences into something meaningful for ourselves and for others.

“You may be young, but you have agency. Your voices matter. You see things and know things that reports and statistics can never fully capture. And because of your willingness and courage to share what you know, Rhode Island is building a child- and family well-being system that understands the needs of young people better and offers stronger supports and greater access to services. You’re doing that.”

Federal Changes Impacting RI Medicaid

The federal government is making changes to Medicaid programs across the country, including Rhode Island. Effective October 1, 2026, new federal laws will stop Medicaid for some people who are not U.S. citizens. Starting in 2027, some adults on Medicaid will have to meet work requirements and renew their coverage every six months (instead of once a year).



If you have families with health insurance through RI Medicaid, have them make sure their account is up to date so they don't miss important notifications about their coverage. Learn more about what is changing and who will be impacted at staycovered.ri.gov/updates.

Learn More about the Safe Haven Program for Surrendering Infants

In Rhode Island, parents — or their adult designee — have the legal right to surrender an infant who appears to be 30 days old or younger at a Safe Haven location. This option is available anytime, at any Safe Haven location, no questions asked. The child may be left at any of the following facilities:

• A hospital,
• A medical emergency facility,
• A fire station,
• A police station

Learn about Safe Haven here and download and share our newest resources in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Guidance for Interactions with ICE

We’ve updated our guidance for providers and community partners who may encounter a situation where a DCYF-involved child is the subject of an action related to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement laws and court orders.

It includes samples of administrative warrants, notices to appear, administrative subpoenas and judicial warrants, plus a copy of our guidance to our staff members.

We also prepared wallet cards for youth and families, which you are welcome to share or use as a template if you choose to create one for your staff.

We’re also passing along the Rhode Island Center for Justice’s guidance for parents who are concerned they may be detained or deported and want to protect their children. The Center for Justice outlines steps and provides forms needed to create a family preparedness plan. 



Inspiring Artwork Installed at Newly Constructed Residential Treatment Center in Exeter

With construction of the new residential treatment center in Exeter completed that will provide clinical and educational services to adolescent girls, DCYF, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) and Division of Capital Management and Maintenance have installed a facility-wide art project entitled "I AM: Positive Affirmations for Future Generations.” The installation was created by Linda Fernandez and Martha O'Connell of Amber Art and Design, and selected by a panel including the architect, a representative of DCYF, a community member and two professional artists who felt that their proposal for art was the most inspiring and the best fit for the new female youth residential facility.

“The artists created a facility-wide artwork in components, uniting the spaces throughout,” said Molly Dickinson of RISCA. “The artwork seeks to provide affirmations to young women, in addition to a colorful, cheerful, upbeat presence throughout.”

When open, the new facility will provide residential interventions designed specifically for girls ages 13 to 18 who require intensive behavioral health treatment outside a hospital setting. The facility, which will be operated by Family Service of Rhode island, will include two eight-bed suites, classrooms, activity rooms, indoor and outdoor recreational space, a visitor area and staff offices. The new facility will enable the girls to receive residential treatment while remaining connected to their communities, noted DCYF Director Ashley Deckert.

The artwork is located in the reception lobby, gymnasium, hallways, family rooms and dining room. Installation is complete with 11 separate components installed in the facility. Titles of the separate pieces include “I am limitless,” “I believe in me,” “I am worthy of love,” “I am growing,” “I am whole,” “I radiate creativity” and “I am creating and designing my future.”