Important

Information

For

Caregivers

A Summary of State Approval Regulations

Department of Family and Children’s Services

373 West Julian Street

San Jose, CA 95110-2335

1

Dear Caregiver,

When a child must be removed from his or her own family, we look to members of the extended family to provide care, comfort and shelter. Family members share a common history and experience and may provide the most familiar placement for the child. These are unusual circumstances, and the best possible plan for the child is what we are all striving to achieve.

In most situations when a child is removed from his or her own family, the Juvenile Court takes over decision-making about the child. That is, the child becomes a “Dependent Child of the Court.” In order to provide a home for the child, there are certain state and federal requirements that must be met.

This document provides information about those requirements. It is important that you read this document thoroughly, as you will be required to meet all of the requirements described. As part of the orientation and training process necessary for you to be approved for a child’s placement, the social worker or another Department of Family and Children’s Services staff person will review the contents of this document with you. You can discuss any questions or concerns you may have with the social worker at that time, or anytime thereafter if the child is placed in your home.

Exceptions may be granted for some building and grounds rules (see page 8) if an “Alternative Plan” is approved by the Department of Family and Children’s Services. Please tell the social worker if you have any questions, or if you have any difficulties or problem areas so the social worker can assist you in resolving them.

Financial and medical assistance is available to cover the child’s basic needs. There may also be other financial resources to ensure that the child’s special needs are met.

At the end of this booklet there are some pages that you may find useful. You can record important names and telephone numbers on the “Important Information about the Child’s Case” page. The “Important Contact Information” includes a some key service providers, and spaces for you to record names and telephone numbers of important service providers helping the child. The last few pages of this booklet provide space for you to record your own “Notes.”

We appreciate the opportunity to work with you to explore placement of the child.

Thank you.
This booklet contains information about:
General Caregiver Qualifications / 1
Criminal and Child Abuse Record Clearance / 1
Emergency Plan / 1
Reporting Requirements / 1
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect / 2
Danger to Child Incidents / 3
Changes / 3
Absences / 3
Children’s Records / 4
Child’s Personal rights / 4
Discipline / 4
Telephones / 4
Transportation / 5
Food Service / 5
Responsibility for Providing Care and Supervision / 5
Activities / 5
Buildings and Grounds / 6
Bedrooms / 6
Beds / 6
Home Hygiene and Safety Standards / 7
Pools and Bodies of Water / 7
Other Safety Standards and Regulations / 8
Outdoor Activity Place / 9
Storage Space / 9
Court Orders / 9
Planning for the Child’s Future / 10
Role of the Social Worker / 10
Grievance Procedures / 10
Pages for the Caregiver to Use to Record Information
Important Information about the Child Case / 12
Important Contact Information / 13
Notes / 16

1.General Caregiver Qualifications

Ability to provide care and supervision for the type of children to be served including ability to communicate with the children.

Knowledge of the laws and regulations and ability to comply.

Ability to maintain financial and other records.

Completion of an orientation provided by the licensing/approval agency.

Ability and willingness to follow all orders of the Juvenile Court, including specific instructions regarding visitation between the child and the parent(s).

Education, training, or experience in areas related to the qualifications.

Please discuss any difficulties or problem areas with your social worker as exceptions can be made to many of the requirements described in this document.

2.Criminal and Child Abuse Record Clearance

All caregivers and adults who live in the home or who have close association with the child are subject to federal, state and local criminal record review, including fingerprint clearance and clearance of state and local child abuse records. Having a criminal or child abuse record does not automatically prevent approval of a family for placement. The Director of the Department of Family and Children’s Services can grant an “Exemption” to allow a caregiver to be approved as a potential placement for the child.

  1. Emergency Plan

Each caregiver shall post emergency telephone numbers, discuss emergency situations with children, and practice emergency procedures every 6 months and at the time of new placements.

  1. Reporting Requirements

The caregiver must report the following to the child’s social worker (or social worker’s supervisor if the social worker is not available):

Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect

Relatives and non-relative extended family members with whom children are placed by the Department of Family and Children’s service must immediately report any actual incident of child abuse or neglect, as well as, any suspicion that a child has been abused or neglected.

Reports from caregivers must be made immediately by telephone. If you reside in Santa Clara County, call the Department’s Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Center. The Center is receives calls 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week. Call any of the following telephone numbers to reach the Center in Santa Clara County:

North County(415) 493-1186

Central County(408) 299-2071

South County(408) 683-0601

If you reside out of Santa Clara County, call Directory Assistance (411) to obtain the telephone number for your local Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Center.

If a child is in immediate danger call 911 to reach your local law enforcement department (police or sheriff) before calling your local Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Center.

When you call in your report, ask the staff person taking your call to mail you a “Suspected Child Abuse Report” form. When you receive this form, immediately fill it out as completely as possible and mail it to your local Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Center. If you made your telephone report to the Child Abuse and Neglect Center in Santa Clara County, mail the “Suspected Child Abuse Report” form to:

Child Abuse and Neglect Center

Department of Family and Children’s Services

373 West Julian Street, 2nd Floor

San Jose, CA 95110-2335

At soon as possible after calling the Center, call the child’s social worker to inform him or her of the report. If the child’s social worker is not available, inform the social worker’s supervisor of the report.

The social worker will provide you with a brochure prepared by the California Attorney General’s Office called “Child Abuse.” The brochure explains report requirements in more detail.

Danger to Child Incidents

  • Death of any child from any cause.
  • Any injury to any child which requires medical treatment.
  • Any unusual incident or child absence which threatens the physical or emotional health or safety of any child.
  • Any suspected physical or psychological abuse of any child.
  • Communicable diseases as reported to the caregiver by a health professional.
  • Poisonings.
  • Catastrophes.
  • Fires or explosions which occur in or on the premises.

Changes

  • Any change in the caregiver’s residence or mailing address is to be reported within 48 hours following the change.
  • All changes in household composition must be reported within 10 working days including any additions to the family.
  • Any new people moving into your home requires immediate notification and record clearance.

Absences

When the caregiver intends to be absent from the home for 48 hours or longer, the social worker (or in their absence, the social worker’s supervisor) must be notified in writing or by telephone and include the following information:

  • Dates of intended absence.
  • Whether the child will accompany the caregiver or remain in the home.
  • Telephone number where caregiver may be contacted.
  • Name, address and telephone number of approved substitute caregiver.

5.Children’s Records

The caregiver must maintain a separate, complete and current record or file in the home for each child placed, including a current placement agreement with the name, birthdate and date of placement in the home, educational records, medical/dental records and case plan information for each child.

The file should also contain a written consent that authorizes the caregiver to obtain routine and emergency medical and dental care.

A record of all medical, dental and mental health appointments must be maintained, including the doctors’ and other medical providers’ names and the dates of appointments. The social worker will give you a binder called a “Health and Education Passport” in which you record medical and developmental information about the child, including copies of forms documenting the child’s contacts with medical providers that you’ll obtain following appointments.

All information and records regarding children shall be confidential.

  1. Child’s Personal Rights

Each child shall have personal rights that must be protected by the caregiver. These rights include safe accommodations, freedom from corporal punishment, freedom to attend religious services of his/her choice, not to be locked in any room, not to be placed in any restraining device, not to be given any medications unless directed by their physician, and many others. These rights are described in detail in the separate ‘Child’s Personal Rights’ document provided to the child and caregiver. The Social Worker will give you additional information about the child’s personal rights.

7.Discipline

Any form of discipline that violates a child's personal rights is prohibited. That includes, but is not limited to, any form of physical discipline.

8.Telephones

All foster family homes shall have telephone service, unless alternative telephone access is approved and documented.

9.Transportation

The caregiver shall ensure that all transportation provided for children in their care is provided in vehicles that are in safe operating condition and that the drivers comply with all applicable laws.

10.Food Service

The caregiver shall provide or ensure at least 3 nutritious meals per day, which meet each child’s dietary needs. Whenever children in placement eat at the home, they will have their meals with family members in a family setting. Infants under seven months shall be held during bottle-feeding.

11.Responsibility for Providing Care and Supervision

The caregiver shall provide care and supervision as necessary to meet each child’s needs.

The caregiver shall provide the services identified in each child's case plan.

The caregiver is responsible for ensuring care and supervision of the child of any minor parent in placement and the direct care and supervision of the child of a minor parent during the hours that the minor parent is unavailable.

If the child will be cared for or supervised by another adult, you are responsible for determining that the adult can provide safe and appropriate care and supervision. If another adult cares for the child for more than a day or two, or cares for the child on an ongoing basis (for example while you are at work or away frequently on weekends), tell the social worker. The social worker will conduct a criminal and child abuse background check on the adult.

12.Activities

The caregiver shall provide opportunity for, and encourage participation in, group, sports, leisure time, family, special school, and daily living skill activities.

13.Buildings and Grounds

(Exceptions may be available for some of the following requirements)

Bedrooms

The bedroom arrangements in the home must, at a minimum, meet the following requirementsfor everyone in the home including adults where relevant:

  • No more than two children shall share a bedroom.
  • Children of the opposite sex shall not share a bedroom unless each child is under five years of age.
  • No room commonly used for other purposes shall be used as a bedroom. For example: living rooms, halls, stairways, unfinished attics or basements, garage, storage areas and sheds or similar detached buildings.
  • No bedroom shall be used as a public or general passageway to another room.
  • Except for infants, children shall not share a bedroom with an adult.
  • In bedrooms shared by adults and infants, no more than two infants and no more than twoadults shall share the room.
  • If two children have been sharing a bedroom and one of them turns 18, they may continue toshare the bedroom as long as they remain compatible and the agency has granted an exception.
  • Each bedroom shall have portable or permanent closets and drawer space to accommodate the child's clothing and personal belongings.
Beds
  • The caregiver must provide each child with an individual bed, which is equipped with a clean, comfortable mattress, clean linens, blankets, and pillows, all in good repair.
  • Linen shall be changed at least once per week or more often when necessary to ensure that clean linen is in use by children at all times.
  • Beds shall be arranged to allow easy passage between beds and easy entrance into the room.
  • The caregiver shall provide each infant with a safe and sturdy bassinet or crib, appropriate to the child's age and size.
  • Bunk beds of more than two tiers shall not be used.
  • Bunk beds shall have railings on the upper tier to prevent falling.
  • Children under five years of age or those who are unable to climb into or out of the upper tier unassisted shall not be permitted to use the upper tier.

Home Hygiene and Safety Standards

  • The home shall be clean, safe, sanitary and in good repair at all times for the safety and well being of the children. The caregiver shall take measures to keep the home reasonably free of flies and other insects.
  • All outdoor and indoor passageways, stairways, inclines, ramps, open porches and other areas of potential hazard are to be kept free of obstruction.
  • The caregiver who accepts a child with a disability is expected to make special provisions, including changes to the buildings and grounds to protect and assist the child and maximize the child's potential for self-help.
  • Additional equipment, aids, and/or conveniences shall be provided in home accommodating children who need such items.
  • The caregiver shall maintain at least one toilet, sink, and tub or shower, in safe, clean operating condition.

Pools and Bodies of Water

The following rules apply to homes with swimming pools (or other ‘bodies of water,’ such as hot tubs, fish ponds, etc.) who have children under 10 years of age or a child that is developmentally disabled, mentally handicapped, or needs special care and supervision:

The water must be inaccessible when not in use by having a pool cover or by surrounding the pool with a fence. Pool covers shall support the weight of an adult and be placed on the pool and locked while not in use.

  • Gates shall swing away from the pool, self-close and have a self-latching device located no more than six inches from the top of the gate.
  • Fences shall be at least five feet high and must not obscure the pool from view.
  • Where an aboveground pool structure is used the ladder must be removed when pool is not in use.
  • All in-ground pools and aboveground pools which cannot be emptied after each use, shall have a working pump and filtering system.
  • An adult must provide supervision at all times when children are using a pool or a body of water, the adult must be able to swim if swimming would be necessary to rescue a child.

If you need financial assistance to cover or fence a body of water (for example a pool, pond or stream), tell the social worker. There may be funds available to help you.

Other Safety Standards and Regulations

  • Caregiver shall maintain a comfortable home temperature for children at all times.
  • Caregiver shall ensure the safety of the child in homes with fireplaces and open-faced heaters and wood burning stoves.
  • The caregiver shall provide lighting in all rooms and other areas to ensure the comfort and safety of all persons in the home.
  • Faucets shall deliver hot water at a safe temperature.
  • Garbage shall be stored, located and disposed of in a way that will not permit the transmission of disease or odors, create a nuisance, or provide a breeding place or food source for insects or rodents.
  • All containers used for storing garbage are to have tight fitting covers, be in good repair, be leak proof and rodent-proof and shall be maintained in a clean condition.
  • Garbage containers, including movable bins, receiving rotting waste shall be emptied at least once per week or more often if necessary. Each movable bin shall provide for suitable access and a drainage device to allow complete cleaning at the storage area.
  • All caregiver homes shall have an approved and functioning smoke detector installed in the hallway of each sleeping area, or outside each sleeping area, which is clearly audible within each sleeping area.
14.Outdoor Activity Space

The caregiver must provide access to yard or outdoor activity space, which is free from hazards to life and health.