1201 Child Placement Services Table of Contents

1201 – CHILD PLACEMENT SERVICES

I. OVERVIEW OF CHILD PLACEMENT SERVICES

II. THE OUT OF HOME FAMILY SERVICES AGREEMENT

A. Overview of the Family Services Agreement Forms

B. Risk Assessment and the Planning Process

C. Shared Decision Making

D. Collaboration in Developing Out of Home Family Services Agreements

E. Reviews of the Out of Home Family Services Agreements

III. PLACEMENT PREVENTION

A. Reasonable Efforts Requirements

B. Children in DSS Custody Who Remain in the Home

C. Assessment and Planning for Services to Prevent Placement

IV. PLACEMENT DECISION MAKING

A. MAKING THE DECISION TO REMOVE CHILDREN FROM HOME

B. PRACTICE GUIDANCE: DECISION MAKING ABOUT INTERVENTION AND REMOVAL, REUNIFICATION, AND BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD

C. Legal Authority for Placement in Foster Care

D. CHOOSING THE BEST PLACEMENT RESOURCE

E. SPECIAL LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS IN PLACEMENT DECISION MAKING

V. OUT OF HOME PLACEMENT SERVICES

A. Partnerships in Parenting

B. Preparing the Family, the Child and the Foster Care Provider for Placement

C. Using One Caseworker or Casework Team

D. The First Two Weeks of Placement

E. Maintaining One Single, Stable Foster Care Placement

F. Required Services for Children

G. Agency Plan for Abducted or Runaway Foster Children

H. Required Services for Parents

I. Parent /Child Visitation

J. Required Services for Foster Parents

VI. PERMANENCY PLANNING

A. DEFINITION OF PERMANENCY PLANNING

B. IMPORTANCE OF PERMANENT HOMES

C. ELEMENTS OF PERMANENCY PLANNING CASEWORK

D. PERMANENCY PLANNING HEARING

E. PERMANENT PLACEMENT OPTIONS

VII. ADOLESCENT SERVICES: NC LINKS

A. INTRODUCTION

B. LINKS IS AN OUTCOME BASED SERVICE

C. ELIGIBILITY FOR LINKS SERVICES

D. PRIORITIES FOR SERVICES DELIVERY

E. OTHER PROGRAM ELEMENTS OF NC LINKS

F. LINKS SERVICES

G. PERMANENCY FOR ADOLESCENTS

H. TRAINING FOR STAFF AND FOSTER/ADOPTIVE PARENTS

I. PLACEMENT SERVICES FOR FOSTER AND ADOPTIVE PARENTS

J. INDEPENDENT LIVING AS A COORDINATED SERVICE OF FOSTER CARE

K. TRACKING OUTCOMES

VIII. CASE REVIEWS

A. Permanency Planning Action Team Purpose

B. Required Time Frames for Case Reviews

C. Participants in the Action Team Review

D. Essential Issues to be Discussed during Case Reviews

E. The Distinction between Permanency Planning Action Teams and Community Assessment Teams

IX. AFTERCARE SERVICES

A. Social Work Practice Guidelines for Services after Foster Care Placement Ends

B. Termination of Services

X. RECORD KEEPING AND DOCUMENTATION

A. Maintenance of the Child Placement Case Record

B. Contents of the Child Placement Case Record

C. Access to County Data

XI. SHARED PARENTING

A. Why Partner

B. Strengths of Practicing Shared Parenting

C. Preparation for a Shared Parenting Meeting

D. The Role of the Social Worker throughout Out of Home Placement Services

E. The Shared Parenting Meetings

F. Shared Parenting and Child and Family Team Meetings

G. Preparation for Post Permanency

The Children’s Services Yellow Pages: Tools for Enhanced Practice

I. Community-Based Support for All Families

II. One Coordinated Assessment Process

III. One Caseworker or Casework Team

IV. One Single, Stable Foster Care Placement Within the Child’s Own Community

V. A Safe and Permanent Home Within One Year

Appendix A

Incorporated in manual material effective October 2008.

Appendix B

Instructions for Kinship Care Assessment

Kinship Care Face Sheet

Kinship Care Initial Assessment

Kinship Care Comprehensive Assessment

The Comprehensive Assessment for Guardianship

Comprehensive Assessment for Guardianship

FACE SHEET

Kinship Care Initial Assessment

Kinship Care Comprehensive Assessment

For questions or clarification on any of the policy contained in these manuals, please contact your local county office.