16.5 Ongoing Procedures to Maintain Placement
The Career foster parent worker will update the Alternative Care Client form, SS-61.
The Children’s Service Worker (CSW) will also assess the child's overall treatment needs, including educational and emotional needs and will obtain evaluations if needed. The worker will develop a treatment plan with the Family Support Team (FST) for stabilizing their behavior, to improve their level of functioning at home, school and in the community and to achieve permanency.
NOTE: Career foster parents (CFP) are the primary change agents for children placed in their care. Clinical intervention should be limited to support and guidance to the career foster parents. However, on a case-by-case basis, other therapeutic support may be added for the child based on that particular situation as recommended by the team working with the child. (For example, participation in an incest survivor’s group or family therapy with the family of origin/kin). Also, an identified “best practice” includes utilizing the Career Foster Care (CFC) consultant for consistent feedback and support.
The Children’s Service Worker will provide at least weekly consultation to the CFP, with a minimum of two (2) consultations per month occurring in the home. At that time the worker will:
- Assess and monitor the child's progress toward treatment and permanency goals;
- Assess and monitor the CFC foster parent’s job performance;
- Review and discuss reports maintained by the CFC foster parent;
- Arrange regularly scheduled respite care;
- Maintain 24 hour availability to the Career foster parents to assist them with any emergency; and
- Assess the level of care required by the child at 90-day intervals and move the child to a less restrictive environment as appropriate.
The Career foster parent worker will provide the Career foster parent a written assessment of their job performance at 90-day intervals.
Services to the birth parent will be consistent with the case plan. The Career foster parent worker will:
- Assess and monitor their progress and keep them informed of their child's progress and provide services consistent with the permancey goal;
- Assist them in following through on treatment strategies used by the career foster parents when the child is in their home; and
- Encourage and nurture a relationship between the Career foster parent and the birth parents, kin and/or adoptive parent(s).
The Case Manager will submit reports of the child's progress to the FST and submit reports to the court at required intervals. The court reports should incorporate progress reports and the Child Assessment and Service Plan, CS-1, including FST recommendations.