September 28, 2022

Greetings RBWO Providers,

As Category 4 Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Florida,  the National Weather service has also issued a Hurricane Watch and a Tropical Storm warning for parts of Georgia. The Office of Provider Management (OPM) wants to ensure that our RBWO Providers and youth in our coastal counties are safe and secure during this time. Please ensure that your staff, caregivers, and youth are knowledgeable of your agency’s emergency preparedness and evacuation plan.

For ALL RBWO Providers: 

Effective September 1, 2017, the following procedure has been implemented for all foster caregivers involved with DFCS:

CPAs:

If a caregiver has to evacuate their home, they will need to contact CICC (1-855-GA-CHILD, then select Option #1), and advise them of their new location. They will be asked questions regarding their location, contact information, household composition / members, and any unmet needs for the children in their care.

For our CCIs/ILPs:

If an evacuation becomes necessary, please call CICC at 1-855-GA-CHILD, then select Option #1.  You will be asked questions regarding your planned evacuation location, children being moved, and any unmet needs for the children in your care.  CICC will enter this information into GA SHINES and notify the county. 

For further information regarding the storm, please refer to complete coverage of Hurricane Ian at https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/hurricane-ian-florida-updates-09-28-22/index.html. Also, for additional support with preparing your families, please refer to https://www.fema.gov/.

Stay Safe,

The Office of Provider Management