b. Assistance with forms completion, letter writing, and interpreting written material will be available as needed. Forms may be completed, letters written and written material interpreted with the family members and the child when requested by them.
c. An appropriate representative of the system of care shall request to attend, with the age appropriate child and family, all scheduled Individualized Educational Planning (IEP), and Individualized Family Service Planning (IFSP) meetings.
d.
Families and children shall be made aware of advocacy
services to assist them in protecting or advancing their right to participate
in entitlement programs.
C. Confidentiality
Participants in service planning, delivery and evaluation will be made aware of the importance of maintaining confidentiality and will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement.
No sharing of confidential
information provided by the child, family or others will take place at child
and family planning team meetings, or other meetings called by
At meetings other than team meetings
or meetings called by
Under no circumstances are
The current
Parents and their age appropriate child have the right to be informed of and attend all court proceedings and administrative reviews pertaining to the planning, of services provided by the Division of Family and Children's Services. Every effort will be made to encourage the age appropriate child and his or her parents' attendance and participation in such legal proceedings and reviews. In support of this,
1. Parents
and age appropriate children, or their attorneys, shall be notified of court
petitions that relate to them filed by
2. Age appropriate children and their parents shall be notified of the dates, times, locations and reasons for scheduled court hearings and administrative reviews and shall be provided services as needed to enable and encourage their attendance and participation, including necessary transportation, child care and meals.
3. Sources of advocacy and support will be discussed with the parents and child, including:
a. The family's and child's informal support network,(e.g., extended family, neighbors, friends);
b. The family's and child's formal network of associates, (e.g., health clinic social worker, AA or NarcAnon volunteer, personal attorney, teacher);
c. Other families or children who have participated in similar proceedings;
d. Formal advocacy organizations, (e.g., Alabama Parents' Support Network, Alabama Developmental Disabilities Advocacy Program, local Mental Health Association, legal services programs).
The family and child will be helped to link up with advocates in whom they express interest. Names of individuals from other families who have previously participated in the process will not be shared without a release of information statement signed by those individuals who are to be referred as advocates.
Advocates for the family and child will be given reasonable notice of meeting times and locations.
4. Parents
and age appropriate children shall be offered assistance in preparing for court
hearings and for administrative reviews.
They shall be informed of what to expect at the proceeding, and of what
may be expected of them. With permission
of legal counsel, the
5. Parents
and age appropriate children, or their attorneys, shall be informed in advance
of the content and recommendations of
6.
IV. Rights of Children and Their Families
A. Overview
Children and their family members are entitled to be treated in accordance with the goals and principles of the R.C. Consent Decree and to be assisted to understand their rights . They are entitled to certain case information pertaining to themselves and to make decisions regarding services they will be provided. All decisions regarding services ultimately rest with the child and family, unless the child's immediate needs for safety will not be met through those services chosen.
B. Notification
In support of advancing their rights, entitlements, and privileges, age appropriate children and their families shall be made aware of their rights and the availability of advocacy services.
Upon opening a case, the
C. Case Information
Case information will be shared with age appropriate children and their parents in a timely fashion and in understandable language and terms.
1. The
When deciding whether to release particular case information, consideration should be given to whether releasing the information would violate the provider of the information's legitimate expectations of privacy.
2. Age
appropriate children and their parents will be given a copy of their
3.
Parents in the child's home or in the home at the time
of removal have the right to be informed of all allegations of child abuse or
neglect reported to
V. Partnership Practices to Encourage Family Access to Services
The child and family planning team will consider the child and family's unique needs and circumstances when designing services with them. Services deemed unsuccessful at time of evaluation will be assessed with the child and family to identify why the service was not successful, including why the child and family may have chosen not to use the service. The service then will be adapted or a new service will be identified or developed to better accommodate the child and family.
The following strategies will be used when planning services with a child or family:
1. Identify needs through a family systems approach by using family and solution focused questions and statements.
2. Begin service planning around those needs that are most important to the family and to the safety of the child.
3. Reach agreement with the age appropriate child and family concerning the desired permanency goal (desired case outcome).
4. Emphasize family strengths and avoiding problem statements during both informal and formal planning and evaluation of services.
5. Aggressively pursue "non-traditional" services to meet the child's and family's needs, including:
a. "Natural helpers," (e.g., neighborhood groups such as church groups, neighbors, relatives and friends who may function as aides, coaches, mentors, baby-sitters, respite or transportation providers, etc.).
b. Professionals or para-professionals who function outside their traditional roles.
6. Plan services with consideration to the ability of the provider to support the child's and family's racial, ethnic, cultural and religious background.
VI. Partnerships Between
Parents will retain a level of
routine parenting responsibility sufficient to sustain the parent/child
relationship and to support the attainment of the permanency goal, unless
restricted by the child and family planning team.
1. The child and family will be encouraged to identify "natural helpers", who might be available to be a placement resource or service provider. "Natural helpers" include neighbors, relatives, friends and community organizations. They are good sources of crisis intervention services, therapeutic recreational activities and other individualized services. These "natural helpers" will be given first consideration and utilized and funded whenever possible. When utilized they will be given needed training and/or supports.
NOTE: A child shall not be placed by the worker in
a foster home that is not licensed.
However, as part of a safety plan, the
2. Siblings will be placed together in accordance with specific policy on sibling placement.
3. Children will be placed in close proximity to their homes in accordance with policy on close proximity of placement. A child or sibling group will be placed in their own neighborhood or community whenever possible. Such placements will be made to facilitate planning and delivery of family focused, rather than child-focused, services.
4. Parents
and/or others significant to the child will be engaged to prepare the child for
the move from his home, as well as any change of placement. They will also participate in making the
placement if they so choose when in accordance with the
5. The child will frequently visit with family (including siblings in other out-of-home placements) and friends in accordance with the policy on visiting.
6. Telephone and mail contact will be maintained between the child and his or her family and friends in accordance with the policy on telephone and mail communication.
7. Parents and other family members will be encouraged and assisted to participate in school activities. These include but are not limited to: activities designed to smooth the transition to a new school, helping the child select courses or teachers, participating in individual teacher's conferences, Parent/Teacher Association meetings and IEP meetings, sharing in the child's extracurricular activities, and signing report cards.
8. Parents will be encouraged and assisted to participate in health and mental health service planning and delivery for their child. The parents and age appropriate child, with other members of the child and family planning team, will plan for the child's accessing all needed health and mental health services.
a. As decided upon in the child and family planning team meeting, the
b. Consent will be sought from parents for surgery, emergency medical
care, or other necessary medical care.
If parents refuse, are unavailable, or unable to give consent,
NOTE: All petitions requesting temporary
custody of a child should request that the Department be given the authority to
consent to all necessary medical care.
Without such authority the Department may only consent to "ordinary medical
care." Surgery is not included in
the definition of "ordinary medical care." Although parental consent is all that is
necessary to authorize medical care and will be sought in the spirit of
partnership with parents, an order giving
9. The age appropriate child and his or her family shall be encouraged to participate with the foster care provider and worker in the development and ongoing maintenance of the child's lifebook. Lifebook work will begin no later than the second month after the child enters care.
10. Parents will be encouraged and assisted to participate in planning the management of their child's excess personal income, for example, by determining with the foster care provider and age appropriate child which of the child's personal needs or wants should be met from his or her excess personal income.
11. Parents will be encouraged and assisted to participate in planning for the child's vacation and for extended trips. Children placed on "Agreements for Foster Care" shall make extended trips or vacations only with parental consent.
12. Parents will be encouraged and assisted to participate with the child and foster care provider in deciding whether extreme clothing and hair styles that the child wishes to wear are to be allowed. The decision reached is to be respected in all situations, except that children may not be permitted to wear clothing or hair styles to school that violate school policies.
13. Parental consent must be obtained for a child to engage in an activity involving an explicit risk (e.g. hunting, driving, football, etc.). If the parent is unavailable, unable or unwilling to give informed consent and it is felt the activity is in the best interest of the child or meets a child's needs, the court may be petitioned to make the decision or to specifically authorize the Department to do so. If the Department is authorized to give consent, the decision shall then be made in collaboration with the child and foster care provider.
14. Parents will be promptly informed of allegations of abuse or neglect of their child while the child is in out-of-home care and of the disposition of any report and the reasons for the disposition.
15. Parents will be involved in
the decision to change their child's placement.
Normally placement changes will be made as a result of
A. Overview
All providers will be treated
as partners with
Services will often be provided
by the family's natural support system, (e.g., relatives, friends,
neighborhood individuals or groups, civic organizations or volunteers). These "natural helpers" may need
special assistance or support to be partners with
Foster
care providers have a special role because they provide a temporary substitute
home for a child. To promote partnership
with foster care providers,
B. The Role of
The following practices will be
followed in
support of and in commitment to a successful partnership between
1. Providers will be effectively informed of the rights and entitlements of children and their families under the R.C. Consent Decree.
2. The handout entitled "Rights,
Responsibilities and Rewards of Foster Parents" will be given to the
foster parent at an early point of contact, (e.g.,
3. Providers will be informed of organizations and resources available to support and advocate for them.
4. The
5. Referrals to providers will be based upon the child's and family's strengths and needs and matching those strengths and needs to the provider's strengths, skills, and interests, and in consideration of their capacity to preserve and nurture the child's and family's cultural identity and heritage.
6. Consistent with confidentiality policy, relevant health, educational or other information as appropriate will be shared with providers to promote informed decision making.
7. Providers will be encouraged and assisted to
actively participate in
8. Foster care providers will be assisted as needed to facilitate shared parenting with the child's family, especially in the following areas:
a. Assistance in clarifying expectations with the parents and family regarding their visiting, talking on the telephone with the child, and undertaking significant parenting responsibilities;
b. Assistance in planning and supporting visits between the child and family (visits do not require the worker's presence);
c. Assistance in encouraging and supporting the child's parents as they undertake significant parenting responsibilities for the child in such areas as grooming, feeding, helping with school work and after school care, taking the child on outings, and other activities affecting the child's daily life; and
d. Assistance in collaborating with parents to develop and implement appropriate disciplinary techniques for the child.
9. Foster care providers will be informed in
writing of the specifics of any allegation of maltreatment of a child in their
care, whether or not the provider is alleged to be responsible. If the alleged perpetrator is a foster
parent, the parent will be informed of the Foster Allegations Support Team (
10. Training, evaluation and consultation will
be provided as needed to clarify and support the
a. Group Preparation and Selection (
(1) the goals and principles of the system of care,
(2) individualized needs-based planning and service delivery,
(3) the rights of children and their families,
(4) the separation and loss experienced by children removed from their families,
(5) the effects of and ways to minimize multiple placements,
(6) the role of foster parents in working with the child and family planning team to develop, implement and monitor individualized service plans,
(7) the role of foster parents in reunification of a child with his or her family.
b. Regularly scheduled re-approval conferences in which rights and responsibilities will be clarified, and strengths, needs and services to meet those needs will be identified.
c. Child and family
planning team meetings, and ad-hoc conferences as requested by foster
parents or
11. Training, evaluation and consultation will be provided as needed to clarify and support the residential provider's roles and responsibilities by among other things:
a. Regularly scheduling conferences during the license renewal process in which strengths and needs will be identified.
b. Working with staff of residential programs to identify and meet training needs concerning, but not limited to the following:
(1) the goals and principles of the system of care,
(2) individualized needs-based planning and service delivery,
(3) the rights of children and their families,
(4) the separation and loss experienced by children removed from their families,
(5) the effects of and ways to minimize multiple placements,
(6) the role of residential providers in working with the child and family planning team to develop, implement and monitor individualized service plans,
(7) the role of residential providers in reunification of a child with his or her family.
c. Working with residential programs to identify and meet training needs of their staff concerning crisis resolution, restraints and seclusion, and dispensing, storing and disposing of medication.
d. Scheduling child and family planning team
meetings and ad-hoc conferences as requested by the residential provider or
12. Training, evaluation and consultation opportunities will be provided as needed to support non-residential providers in serving children and families and to clarify their roles as partners with them.
13. The foster care provider will be encouraged
and supported to prepare the child for the move from their home or
facility. Foster care providers will
participate in planning moves of children from their care, and in carrying out
such moves in accordance with the
14. A former provider's contact with the child who was in the provider's care or who received services from the provider will be facilitated after moves or after the conclusion of service delivery if desired by the child when it is consistent with visiting and mail and telephone policy.
C. The Role of Providers in Promoting Successful Partnerships
The following practices will be followed to promote successful partnerships between providers, the child and family served, and other child and family team members. These practices support the child and his or her family in the achievement of Decree goals, including the selected permanency goal.
1. Providers will accept referrals based upon their ability to provide services to meet the identified needs of the individual(s) referred, including the family members' needs for preservation and nurturance of their cultural identity and heritage.
2. Providers will actively participate in
a. When team members are unable to negotiate a meeting schedule that will allow a particular provider to attend a given meeting, that provider will participate via conference call, written reports or other means of communication.
b. When written documentation of a child and family planning team
meeting is not consistent with the attendee provider's understanding, that
provider should contact
the
3. Consistent with confidentiality policy, providers will share relevant health, education, and/or other information with child and family team members to promote their informed decision making.
4. Providers will give reasonable advance
notice to the
5. Providers will request assistance from
6. Providers will meet needs in a safe, nurturing, predictable environment, modeling healthy, supportive interpersonal relationships with the child and family.
7. Providers will assist parents in planning and carrying out activities that provide a level of routine parenting activity sufficient to sustain the parent and child relationship and to support the attainment of the permanency goal, unless restricted by the child and family planning team. Routine parenting functions include activities such as: (1) performing daily care responsibilities such as bathing, feeding, dressing of children, (2) helping with homework, (3) attending school functions and conferences with the child, (4) transporting or going with the child to a medical appointment, (5) taking the child shopping, for a haircut or for other personal care, or (6) taking the child on family or recreational outings such as church, picnics, walks, cookouts, family holidays and reunions.
8. Foster care providers will participate in
planning moves of children from their care, and in carrying out such moves in
accordance with the
9. Providers will give the child, his or her
parents and the other members of the child and family planning team, including
the
a. A child and/or family member may have services withdrawn summarily or a child may be discharged from a placement summarily only under the following circumstances:
(1) summary withdrawal or summary discharge is necessary to protect an individual's safety, and protection cannot be provided through the provision of additional services.
(2) a medical emergency exists which makes it necessary to terminate services or discharge a child from the home or facility.
b. The provider summarily withdrawing a service or summarily
discharging a child from placement, along with a
RIGHTS
OF PARENTS
A lawsuit filed
against the Department of Human Resources (hereafter referred to as
The agreement was
the beginning of many changes for the
These rights are
listed below in bold print. an explanation of each right follows its listing.
·
You
and your child have the right to be told and to understand all of your rights
as stated in the R.C. Consent Decree.
·
You
and your child have the right to receive services that strengthen your family
and meet your family’s special needs.
Your child has the right to receive services that will let him or her
remain with family, unless the child’s needs for safety can not be met at home.
Your
child age 10 or older (unless he or she is severely mentally retarded), your
child under age 10 who can understand, and you have the right to be full
decision-makers in the planning and receiving of services for yourselves. You also have the right to services that fit
your individual needs and help you reach your goals.
Assistance
will be provided to give your child and you the opportunity to participate as
partners. This assistance will be
provided by the social worker and by a team of people who will help you and
your child plan services. Meetings will
be held to plan your services. Others
included on the team who will attend the meetings may be your child’s teacher
and your counselor. If your child lives
in a foster home, the foster care provider(s) may also attend. You have the right to bring others such as a
friend, family member, or a professional person to the meeting who will
encourage, support, and speak up for you (please see the end of this booklet
for a list of professional groups who can provide such help).
These
meetings to plan services are for your family.
Your social worker will provide any assistance you need so that you can
attend and participate in the planning meetings. Your social worker is also responsible for
helping you identify a convenient time and place, and for informing everyone of
the meeting. You may request and receive
help with transportation, meals, baby- sitting, or other needs in order to be
able to attend. You also have the right
to receive help in understanding letters or forms and in preparing anything you
would like to say to the team.
You,
your family, and the team will set your goals.
The team of people will also assist you in listing your family’s
strengths, needs, and ways to meet those needs.
You and your child will be given a copy of the service plan and any
revision made, after you and the team have decided
upon them. Any questions you have about
the plan will be answered honestly and as quickly as possible. Services listed in the plan may be obtained
from other agencies or individuals (e.g. schools, health department,
mental health, etc.) or may be created by the team. They will be delivered by others in ways that
best meet the needs of the family members who are to receive the services.
If
services can not meet the child’s need for safety, the child will be placed in
out-of-home care. The child will return
home as soon as he or she can be safe there.
The
·
If
your child is living out of his or her home, he or she has the right to be
placed in the most family-like setting, where services that are needed can be given.
If
the services delivered include out-of-home care, your child will be placed in a
family-like setting unless the team of people who develops the services plan
decides:
(1)
Your child’s needs can only be met in a more limiting restrictive
placement; and
(2) Your
child’s need for therapy, his or her need to communicate and visit with your
family, and your family’s need to be involved with his or her treatment can
only occur in a more limiting, restrictive placement.
·
Your
child has the right to visit and/or communicate with you while living away from
home.
Necessary
services (e.g., transportation, the cost of telephone calls and postage
for writing letters, cost of meal expense for out-of-town visits, etc.) will be provided so
that you and your child can continue to have contact with each other. Communication may be limited if restricted
because of your child’s safety needs, the team’s decision or a court order.
·
Brothers
and sisters have the right to live together even when they cannot live with
their parents, unless one or more of them has a need(s) that cannot be met
while living together.
Every
effort will be made to place brothers and sisters together. When their needs require them to be
separated, the social worker or the families taking care of the children will
see that they can visit, make phone calls, and write and receive letters. This will happen unless the brothers and
sisters can not safely have contact with each other or unless restricted by the
team or the court.
·
Your
child has the right to have his or her culture, race, ethnicity, and religion
valued and respected as decisions are made with and for him or her.
If
services delivered include out-of-home care, your child will be placed with a
family or individual who best understands and meets his or her needs. This family or individual must be able to
respect and reflect the healthy behaviors, values, and attitudes of your family
and community. To accomplish this, the
family taking care of your child should be of the same culture, background, and
have similar experiences. At times, such
a family may not be immediately available who can meet your child’s needs. Every effort will be made to locate such a
family or individual from your neighborhood or community, or to prepare a
family or individual to understand and nurture your child’s cultural identity
and heritage who can also meet the needs your child has.
·
Your
child has the right to talk to his or her lawyer(s) and to someone at court.
The
social worker will provide your child the names, addresses, and telephone
numbers of persons providing legal services with whom your child wishes to
speak. A phone will be made available to
your child, and he or she will be given sufficient privacy during phone
conversations.
·
Your
child has the right to appropriate educational services.
The
service plan which you and other members of the team develop will identify your
child’s educational needs and the specific services to meet those needs. A member(s) of the team will take an active
role(s) in helping your child and you obtain the service(s) if such help is
needed. When special education services
are needed, the social worker or another member of the team will be available
to attend Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Individualized Family
Service Plan (IFSP) meetings with you at your request.
Appropriate
discipline can teach a child to manage his or her behavior in a healthy
way. If your child has received
unsuitable or inappropriate punishment at school, then members of the team will
work with the school to find a better way to discipline.
·
Your
child if eligible for Medicaid, has the right to be
enrolled in the EPSDT (Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment)
program and to receive services when needed.
The
social worker will work with you to see that your child gets regular medical
exams provided through the Medicaid program and recommended services to
diagnose and treat conditions he or she may have. If you need it, You
will get other assistance which can include transportation and help with understanding
and following instructions (e.g., prescriptions, physical therapy
follow-up appointments, lab tests, etc.)
·
Your
child has the right to receive all assistance needed in order to apply for the
Supplemental Security Income(SSI) program.
SSI
pays monthly checks to disabled or blind children whose families do not have a
lot of income. Children are considered
“disabled” for SSI purposes if their handicap affects their ability to do
things and behave like other children their age. The social worker will help you identify
which of your children should apply. The
worker will make sure your child or children have the services needed to apply
for SSI or to appeal a denial of the SSI application. These services may include transportation, as
well as help in understanding and responding to letters and application forms.
·
Your
child has the right not to be given any drug(s) that affects his or her
thoughts and behavior unless the drug(s) is the best way to help him gain
self-control.
The
use of the drugs(s) must be ordered by a doctor who is trained in its use and
who has decided the drug(s) best meets your child’s needs. You and your child (if old enough) must agree
to the use of the drug(s) before it can be given.
·
Your
child has the right not to be disciplined by (1) being placed alone in a locked
or unlocked room for a long time or (2) by being held securely so he or she
cannot move. These methods can only be
used if needed to help your child gain self-control or for protection.
Use
of these methods of discipline (e.g., seclusion, restraint must be
approved by a specially trained doctor, nurse, social worker or psychologist,
and must be the best ways of protecting your child and others. The person(s) using these methods must be specially
trained as well. When these methods are
used and your child gains self-control, he or she must be released from the
room or from being held securely.
·
If
your child has been sexually abused, he or she has the right to services.
Services
that are needed to address problems of sexual abuse can be identified by your
child and the team of people who help develop the
service plan with your child and family.
Services may include counseling, health services, services to protect
your child at home, and participation in groups which help your family members
share and understand their feelings about sexual abuse.
·
If
you have an older child who is preparing to leave out-of-home care to live
independently, he or she has the right to appropriate services. Your child also has the right to receive help
in finding employment which will support him or her.
Services
needed by your child to live on his or her own will be developed by you, your
child, and the team. Services which may
be provided before, during and after the move include: (1) counseling, (2)
employment, health, educational and legal services, and (3) financial and
housing assistance.
·
Your
child and you have the right to know about people who you are willing to speak
or write for you or to help you do this yourself.
The following list
describes agencies or organizations that may be able to help you. If you would like to talk with one of their
representatives, call or write or ask your social worker to call or write for
you.
ADVOCACY AGENCIES
GENERAL
FAMILY
Location:
315 St. Luke Mailing:
American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama,
Children’s Advocacy Project
EDUCATION
ONLY
Special Education Action Committee
EDUCATION
The
CHILD
ABUSE
Child Protect-Montgomery
GENERAL
- OTHER
Legal Services Corporation of
See
Attachment
Legal Services of Metro
See
Attachment
Legal services of North Central Alabama
See
Attachment.
Consortium on Quality Childcare Standards
Dr. Wanda Newell Washington, Director
Voices for
OFFICES
LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION LEGAL
SERVICES OF
OF
Central Office
500
205/264-1471 Executive
Director: Kenneth Cain
Executive
Director: Mercena
Ludgood Managing
Attorney: Terri Dobell
205/793-7932 205/426-6351
Managing Attorney: Ishmael Jaifree Managing
Attorney: Fred Hefler
205/767-2020 205/669-4111
Managing Attorney: Floyd Sherrod Managing
Attorney: Lisa S. Robinson
802 Chestnut Street LEGAL SERVICES OF
205/543-2435
Managing
Attorney: Ruth Ezell
Mobile Regional
Office
601 Van
103 Dauphin Street Executive Director: Thomas G. Keith
205/433-6560
Managing Attorney: Chris Knight
600
205/832-4570
Managing Attorney: Jim Smith SERVICES PROGRAM
205/875-3770 205/254-1471
Managing Attorney: Carolyn Gaines-Varner Director: Marilyn Swears
Suite 425 SECOR Bank Building (1) Refer to map on
following page.
205/758-7508 (3) Determine the region it is in.
Managing Attorney : Sue Thompson (4) Refer
back to this page for your region’s office
(address and phone
number.
.
DELEGATION OF PARENTAL AUTHORITY
TO
WHOM IT
Pursuant to Code of
to
___________________________________________________________
(person
being given authority)
of
_________________________________________________________________, a limited
(Address)
power of attorney
granting physical custody and authority to make any decision relating to the
physical custody, health, education, or maintenance of my child(ren), listed below:
_________________________, ______________________, _________________________,
(name) (name) (name)
_________________________, ______________________, _________________________,
(name) (name) (name)
including the power to grant
permission or consent, including permission or
consent to medical treatment, surgery, trips, and participation in
athletic events. No power is given to consent to marriage or
adoption of my child(ren). This authority expires one year from the date
of signature shown below unless it is canceled, verbally or in writing, sooner.
Dated:___________________,
19 ______
_______________________________________
(Signed - Custodial Parent)
Address: _____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
___________________________
(optional)
(Witness)
Rights, Responsibilities and Rewards of
Foster Parents
A. Foster
Parents Have the Right To:
A clear explanation of
their role as foster parents in partnership
with children and their families,
Be treated as partners in the planning,
delivery and evaluation of services
provided children and families.
Be
informed of the rights of children and their families under the R.C. Consent
Decree.
Be
informed of their rights and entitlements and of advocacy services which can
assist them in protecting and advancing their rights and entitlements.
Be notified of and participate in child
and family planning team meetings involving children or families when
appropriate.
Supportive services for participation in
child and family planning team meetings, e.g., preparation, assistance
in communicating wants and offers, day care services,
etc.
Participate in the planning and actual
move of children from their homes if supported by the individualized service
plan.
Contact with children for whom they have
provided care and their families if supported by the individualized service
plan and desired by the children and families.
Complete information about children in
their care and their families which promotes informed decision making, including health,
educational and social information.
Assistance in identifying their
strengths and needs related to caring for specific children, and in identifying
and accessing services needed for the children and their families.
Assistance in identifying and accessing
services to meet their own needs related to their role as foster care
providers.
Access to crises services and supports
in order to maintain placements which would otherwise be jeopardized.
Be provided training, consultation and
evaluation from the Department to clarify and support their role as foster care
providers.
Services and supports designed to build
strong positive relationships with children and their families, and
opportunities for involvement in the reunification of families.
Assistance as needed in facilitating
shared parenting with children's families in the areas of visiting, routine
parenting functions, appropriate disciplinary techniques, etc.
To accept referrals for placement of
children based upon their abilities to meet identified needs of the children
and families.
Be considered as the permanent family
for children in their homes in accordance with relevant policies when the
child's permanency goal is adoption or long term foster care.
Be informed in writing of any
allegations of maltreatment of children in their home and the disposition of
these allegations as well as information about
Access to
Participate in responsive, ongoing
professional development activities.
B. Foster Parents Have the Responsibility to:
Provide children a safe, nurturing and
predictable family environment and keep them free from harm.
Work in partnership with children and
their families and the child and family planning team in developing,
implementing, maintaining and evaluating permanency goals for children.
Actively and positively participate in child
and family planning team meetings of children and their families, participate
in the development of the Individualized Service Plan (
Model supportive interpersonal
relationships which help children build positive self-concepts and positive
family, cultural and racial identity.
Help children maintain and develop
relationships which keep them connected with people, values, beliefs, places
and things that are important to them.
Encourage and support children's
relationships with their parents, other family members and friends.
Provide consistent and positive
discipline for children that
(1) helps
them express needs; (2) teaches healthy behaviors, and (3) teaches appropriate
ways of managing behaviors.
Participate in the planning and actual
moves of children from their homes unless restricted.
Maintain confidentiality regarding
information discussed with members of the child and family planning team, and
refrain from discussing information about children and families outside the
context of service planning.
Assist children and families in managing
loss and attachment issues.
Advocate for resources and services to
meet the needs of children in their care, currently or in the past, and their
families.
Notify immediately the appropriate
Meet and maintain agency requirements
for approval of foster homes; adhere to agency policies and procedures.
C. Foster Parents Are Rewarded Through:
Providing a safe and
nurturing environment for children while promoting family preservation.
Assisting in the
development and implementation of permanency goals for children.
Helping children and families reach
their fullest potential.
Helping children
transition to adulthood.
Advocating for
children.
Serving as a member of
a professional team.
Helping children grow and make progress
by meeting their needs and dealing with their developmental delays.
Strengthening children
and families with respect for cultural, ethnic and community diversities.
Playing a key part in
helping families reunify wholesomely and safety.