Children's Services Act (CSA)

Senate Bill 850, passed by the 2015 General Assembly and signed by Governor McAuliffe, changes the name of the Comprehensive Services Act for At-Risk Youth and Families to the Children’s Services Act (CSA) and the Office of Comprehensive Services to the Office of Children’s Services. The name of the State Executive Council is renamed as the State Executive Council for Children’s Services. These changes took effect on July 1, 2015. The acronyms of CSA, OCS and the SEC remain intact.

Purpose of the Program

Passage of the Comprehensive Services Act by the Virginia General Assembly in 1992 altered the funding systems for services to at-risk and troubled youth and their families. In July of 1998, Franklin County created the Office of the Comprehensive Services Act (CSA Office) to oversee the County's CSA Program. The intention of the CSA Program is to implement a collaborative system of services and funding that is child-centered, family-focused, and community-based when addressing the strengths and needs of troubled and at-risk youth and their families.

Multi-Disciplinary Teams

The Franklin County CSA Program consists of two multi-disciplinary teams: Family Assessment and Planning Team (F.A.P.T) and the Community Policy and Management Team (C.P.M.T). Both teams have representatives from the following member agencies:

  • Franklin County Administration
  • Franklin County Department of Social Services
  • Franklin County Schools
  • Juvenile and Domestics Court Services Unit
  • Piedmont Community Services
  • Veteran Affairs Autism Behavior Consulting

Parent Representative

Both teams have a parent representative. The C.P.M.T. has three additional representatives: a Franklin County Board of Supervisors member, the Franklin County Health Department, and a Citizen Representative.

F.A.P.T.

The F.A.P.T. formulates service plans with recommended services for at-risk and/or troubled youth and their families. At-risk and troubled youth and their families must be open to case management by the referring member agency prior to the referral. The CSA Program Director then presents the service plans formulated by the F.A.P.T. to the C.P.M.T. for approval of service funding requests.

A referral to the F.A.P.T. can be made by any of the member agencies:

  • Franklin County Department of Social Services
  • Franklin County Schools
  • Juvenile and Domestics Court Services Unit
  • Piedmont Community Services
  • ST.E.P. Inc

CSA Process

The Children's Services Act process can seem overwhelming. Help is available at every step of the CSA process. Please contact the Franklin County Children's Services Act office at 540-483-7209 or Email CSA Program Manager, Heather Kesterson.

A Family Assessment and Planning Team meeting is scheduled to with the F.A.P.T. and members of the family:

  • The child and family take an active part of the F.A.P.T. meeting to discuss their needs
  • Emergency services may begin immediately
  • The family signs the service plan if they agree with the plan
  • If the family disagrees with the plan, they may ask for a review with the local C.P.M.T.
  • Parents are not required to make co-pay payments for special education services
  • Parents may be required to make child support payments for foster care services
  • Parents may be required to make co-payments for non-foster care services
  • The service plan goes to the Community Policy and Management Team for review and approval
  • A service plan is developed
  • Services begin as soon as possible after the approval of the Community Policy and Management Team