7.1 Activities in the First 24 to 72 Hours
Concurrent planning should begin within this first 24 to 72 hours after removal of the child from the home. The Children’s Services Worker shall conduct a 24 hour meeting with the parent(s). During this meeting, the worker should gather information regarding the location of the absent parent and potential relative or kinship care providers. This information is to be documented in the assessment and treatment services section of the record and on the CS-1. The Children’s Service Worker will also provide information to the parents about the process and what to expect while their child is in alternative care. The Handbook for Parents of Children in Foster Care (CS-304) should be given to the parents during the 24 hour meeting. This Handbook will assist the worker in providing the information to the parents regarding the process and what to expect while their child is in alternative care.
Per RSMo210.127 the Division is required to complete a diligent search to locate the biological parent. Search progress to locate the absent parent must be reported at each court hearing until the parent is either identified and located or the court excuses further search. This also applies for relative searches.
Prior to the 72-hour Family Support Team (FST) meeting, the Children’s Service Worker and the family shall continue the assessment using the CD-14 and CD-14A family assessment tools. The assessment process shall be geared toward meeting the needs of the family at that point in time. The purpose of this assessment is to begin the process of assessing the strengths and needs of the family to determine what tasks must be accomplished for the child to return home safely and whether those tasks can be completed, allowing the Division to recommend that the child go home at the 72-hour FST meeting. This process should begin within 48 hours of the child entering care. Ideally, this process will occur with the parent and child together, but in some situations this may not be possible or appropriate due to safety needs of the child. Where appropriate, the placement provider may also be involved in the process. If there are no safety concerns, every effort should be made to meet with the parent and child in the removal home to begin the assessment. This allows the worker to observe family interaction in their home environment.
7.1.1 Working with the Family:
- In preparation for the 72-hour FST meeting, the Children’s Service Worker and family will begin a thorough and comprehensive assessment of family functioning using the CD-14 and CD-14A. The worker should utilize the CD-14 family assessment tools to explore and gather as much of the following information as possible:
- The family's understanding of the reasons for their child's placement and what they see as ways to resolve problems that contributed to their child's out-of-home placement.
- Whereabouts of any absent parent and past involvement with the child. What concerns would the parent have if the absent parent was located and placement was sought with him/her?
- The family's concerns regarding special medical, physical, social, legal, educational, vocational, emotional, racial/ethnic/cultural or other issues. Financial concerns might require a referral to Emergency Assistance Services or Families Together:
- Past solutions/treatment which the family has identified/obtained to address concerns; what did or did not help, and why.
- Signed SS-6 "Release of Information" from family members to obtain information regarding past and current treatment.
- Additional resources/treatment to further address concerns.
- Natural family helpers/advocates, i.e., friends, neighbors, kinships, clergy, etc. who may be available to assist the family in resolving the issues that led to placement. The family and/or Children’s Service Worker should invite this advocate to attend the 72-hour Family Support Team meeting where the advocate's role will be further defined. If none, assist family in obtaining an advocate/support group for the family.
- Any relative, or non-relative with emotional ties to the child(ren) who may be available to provide placement. When relatives are identified and are unable to provide placement for an entire sibling group, the FST should give consideration to separating the sibling group amongst the relatives, in efforts to preserve familial ties.
7.1.2 Children’s Service Worker's Observations/Concerns
The Children’s Service Worker shall document observations and concerns about family interaction, safety of family members, internal resources and investment in treatment process.
7.1.3 Physical Conditions of the Home
The physical condition of the home should be evaluated in conjunction with other risk factors, not in isolation, when evaluating whether a child may safely return home. The Parental Home Visit Checklist (form CD-83) should be utilized to assess safety of the home. Both announced and unannounced visits should be utilized to adequately assess the safety of the home for the child’s visits and return. The form should be retained and kept in the assessment and treatment service section of the case file.
The Children’s Service Worker shall observe the physical conditions of the home to determine what has been or needs to be corrected before a recommendation can be made for the child to return home. The worker must be sensitive to their own personal standards and how those standards influence their evaluation of the conditions of the home. Also, the worker should carefully assess whether the condition of the home contributed to the child's removal, seriously jeopardized the safety and well-being of the child, and merits continued out-of-home placement.
The condition of the home is a serious consideration as in the following circumstances:
- Neglect, i.e., restoring utilities, or eliminating health hazards within the home, repairing unsafe physical structure, which may jeopardize the child's health and safety if left unattended.
- Sexual abuse, i.e., installing appropriate doors and locks on bathrooms and bedrooms to protect personal boundaries.
- Lack of supervision, i.e., proper storage of chemicals, medications, and weapons, installing appropriate doors and locks to prevent injury to the child.
7.1.4 Gathering Information from Other Resources
The Children’s Service Worker shall begin the process of gathering information from other persons involved with the family, such as the Children’s Division (CD) investigator, treatment providers, probation officers, and other family members, natural family helpers/advocates, regarding special medical, physical, legal, educational, vocational, or emotional concerns. Ask the family (parent and child) to identify those people who know them best. This information gathering process shall include CA/N and criminal checks.
7.1.5 Contact with the Child/Placement Provider
The Children’s Service Worker should meet face-to-face, individually and jointly, with the child and the placement provider, at the placement, the next business day following placement, when possible. The worker must then meet face-to-face with the child and placement provider a minimum of two times per month and no less than seven (7) calendar days apart. These visits may be conducted at the same time or separately. One of the two visits must occur in the placement home to continually assess:
- The child’s safety in the placement;
- The child's reaction to separation from his family;
- The child's perception/understanding of the problem and what he would like to see happen;
- The child's adjustment to placement;
- The placement provider's perception of the child's adjustment to placement;
- The Children’s Service Worker's observation of the child's adjustment to placement;
- The placement provider’s response to the sibling group’s adjustment; and
- The sibling group’s response to the placement provider.
The Checklist for Worker/Child Visits (form CD-82) and Placement Provider Checklist (form CD-84) should be utilized during at least one home visit per month. The Children’s Service Worker must visit with both the child and the placement provider a minimum of two times per month and no less than seven (7) calendar days apart. These visits may be held separately or together and both the child and placement provider must be seen in the household at least one time each month. Both announced and unannounced visits should be utilized when visiting placement providers.
7.1.6 Implementation/Initiation of Immediate Services
The Children’s Service Worker will initiate services to address any immediate needs identified by parents, child and/or placement provider.