1. Child Safety, Placement & Permanency

3. Child Safety, Placement & Permanency: Competencies
SW Ability to prepare children and families for child removal in a manner that reduces trauma, minimizes stress, and enhances partnership
SW Ability to identify the legal rights of children, parents, and caregivers involved in the public child welfare system
SW Ability to use a variety of strategies to engage fathers from first contact with the family and throughout the life of a child welfare case
SW Ability to identify, explore, and pursue birth family relationships with relatives at the initial point of contact and from that point forward as a resource to help meet child and family needs and provide notice of agency involvement to relatives of children in care

4. Placement & Permanency: Competencies
SW Ability to plan and implement placements that reduce stress, minimize trauma, promote placement stability and permanence for children
SW Understands the importance of maintaining sibling connections in out-of-home placements
SW Ability to maintain open communication with parents regarding the well-being of their children, placement options, the agency permanency plans, and status of case progress

5. Trauma and Placement - activity

6. Removed: De-Brief and Activity
What actions during this child’s initial and subsequent placement may have caused trauma for her?
What actions could have been taken to prevent, or minimize, this trauma?
Group brainstorm:
Actions during and after placement that:
increase coping decrease trauma

7. Information to Placements
Child Information and Placement Referral
DSHS
Pre-Learning Review

8. Child Information and Placement Referral
Provide ChIPR to placement - Obtain Signature - Upload in FamLink

9. Child Information and Placement Referral
Activity – Completing the ChIPR

10. Placement
We must place a child out of the home when… Active safety threat AND In-home safety plan can not be put in place
Pre-Learning Review:
Role of the FTDM

11. What are the 4 ways children can be detained or removed?
Placement
What are the 4 ways children can be detained or removed? ?

12. Placement Police Protective Custody Hospital Hold “PC”
What are the 4 ways children can be detained or removed?
Police Protective Custody
“PC”
Hospital Hold
Court Order
Voluntary Placement “VPA”

13. Hospital Hold Who can order a hospital hold?
When is a HH permitted under RCW ?
*Child in imminent danger if released

14. Parental Notice must be provided
Law Enforcement
When can law enforcement remove a child?
*They determine the child is abused/neglected
*They determine the child would be injured/ couldn’t be removed otherwise
Parental Notice must be provided
DSHS

15. Returning to parental custody after Hospital Hold or PC
Why might this happen?
Should the case stay open?

16. Court Order Dependency Petition Request for Pick-Up Order
Initial Shelter Care Hearing

17. Parental Notice Applies to all legal parents
Service of legal paperwork
Custody Transfer
(10-157)
Applies to all legal parents
Temporary Custody Notification (09-731)
Notification to Parents (16-219)

18. When is a VPA appropriate?
Voluntary Placement
When is a VPA appropriate?
When it is truly voluntary
AND
There is a safety threat identified, and an FTDM recommends a VPA
After business hours when a safety threat exists but law enforcement does not place the child
While a parent receives medical care/treatment and no one is available to care for the child
When the other (safe) parent is not
immediately available to care for the child
Pre-Learning Review

19. Voluntary Placement Parental Agreement Placement Options
ICWA stipulations Reasonable effort?

20. Placement Options “In Home” w/ parent Unlicensed Placements:
Suitable Relatives
Suitable Adults
Licensed Placements:
Foster Homes
Facilities

21. Relative Placements Relative or suitable adult? Pre-Learning Review
Must place w/a suitable relative unless:
Child’s health, safety, and welfare
will be jeopardized
Efforts to reunify will be hindered
Suitable adult placements = court approval
Pre-Learning Review

22. Relative Notification Letter/ Relative Inquiry (15-330)
Finding Relatives
Relative Notification Letter/ Relative Inquiry (15-330)
Ask
Locate
Written Notice
Document
Ongoing Search

23. Paternity Consequences Is paternity already established?
Locating the father
Confirming paternity

24. Determining Suitability
The Homestudy Process

25. Determining Suitability: Background Check
Criminal History Check
Finger Prints (National)
Background Authorization Form (WSP)
Child Abuse and Neglect
FamLink and MODIS
Out of State Records

26. Determining Suitability: Initial Walkthrough
Household Safety Inspection
Fire Evacuation Plan
Safety and Supervision Plan
DSHS
DSHS
DSHS

27. Determining Suitability: Placement Realities
Having a conversation about caring for a child placed by DCFS

28. Determining Suitability: Agreement with Caregivers
Confirm family has fact sheet (publication )
Home Study Pre-Screen for Relatives/Suitable Other Placement (10-449)
Prior to Referral to DLR
Unlicensed Caregiver Checklist (15-280)
Placement Agreement
(15-281)

29. Determining Suitability: Referral to DLR for Homestudy
Homestudy Referral (10-447)
Supporting information
Court report
Placement referral
Dependency petition
Background Check results
After 60 days of placement!

30. Emergency Placement Timeline Activity

31. Background Checks: Criminal History
NCIC
Purpose Code X
Finger Prints
Electronic or Ink and Roll
Within 10 days of NCIC
Washington State Patrol
Background Authorization Form
(DSHS )

32. Background Checks: Child Abuse History
FamLink
Person Search
MODIS
Older case history
Out of State Checks
Use CA Intrantet for contacts and forms
Ask about former county of residence

33. Background Check Results: What if there is history?
All checks completed?
All information reviewed?
Discussed concerns with placement?
Ask:
Administrative Approval
15-367
Think:
Is this a safe place?
Is this a permanent option?
Do we need an FTDM?

34. Background Checks: Common Mistakes
Criminal history not adequately completed Criminal history not reviewed or Administrative approval not sought Everyone in home/property not screened Child Abuse not completed or history missed

35. Sibling Placement and Visitation

36. Sexually or Physically Aggressive Youth
“Youth Supervision and Safety Plan”
Placement must complete special training

37. Choosing between placements
Honor parental requests when possible
Prioritize suitable relatives
Preference homes where the child can:
Visit regularly with parents
Remain with or frequently see siblings
Maintain existing relationships
Remain in the community
Achieve permanence

38. Medical and Dental Services upon Placement
Initial Health Screen
(DSHS )
vs.
Well Child Exam

39. Children Missing From Care
Confirm with caregiver
Call WSP and obtain a runaway report number
Inform all parties to the case and the school
Develop a search strategy

40. Monthly Health and Safety Visits:
Child
Caregiver
Parent

41. Monthly Health and Safety Visits
Pre-Learning Review
First week of any new placement
Every calendar month
Children under 6 & at home receive 2 visits per month for 120 days
Not to exceed 40 days
between visits
Take place where child lives
Exception for kids in OOH care

42. Monthly Health and Safety Visits
Develop a relationship with the child
Prepare for the interview
What information is needed?
What observations?
Use developmentally appropriate engagement and interviewing

43. Monthly Caregiver Visits
Every calendar month
Not to exceed 40 days between visits
Scheduled and unannounced visits

44. Monthly Visits with All Parents
Every calendar month
Assess progress
Changes, new or resolved
safety threats?
Achievements
Barriers
Concurrent planning
Visitation
Child wellbeing
Efforts to locate missing parents

45. Health and Safety Visits: Case Notes
What to say?
Discussions
Observations
Plans and next steps
How to say it?
Provide information to support conclusions
Summarize conclusions

46. Health and Safety Visits
Pre-Learning Review
Brainstorm: What information should be provided in a case note documenting a health and safety visit?

47. Placement and Permanency
Pop Quiz: Can you…?
Give 3 examples of actions that can be taken to reduce the trauma associated with placement and to increase the child’s ability to cope and thrive during and after placement moves?
Describe the legal and policy requirements associated with removal?
Summarize the process by which relatives are identified, assessed to be suitable and authorized to care for a child in their home?
Name two reasons why it’s important to establish paternity and engage each child’s father early on?

48. Placement and Permanency
Can you …?
5. Explain the importance of conducting and documenting background checks, including criminal and CPS history, and the implications of criminal history or negative actions/findings.?
6. Name four things that should be discussed or observed during monthly health and safety visits with children?