POLICY: Preserving Connections
POLICY NUMBER: 2.4
EFFECTIVE DATE: January 14, 2013 / Current: 1/1/13
Revised: 2/1/12, 4/3/09, 1/31/12, 1/1/13
Original: 4/3/09
A. Purpose
To help preserve the continuity of family relationships and connections for child(ren)/youth and families who are involved with Department of Family Services (DFS).[1] The most beneficial place for a child(ren)/youth to grow up is in his/her own family. DFS seeks to ensure that all children/youth are provided a safe, nurturing, and permanent family environment and community and when the child(ren)/youth is placed out of the home, ensure the child(ren)/youth maintains connections to both.
Child(ren)/youth have a right to a lifelong relationship with his/her parent(s). Some of the parents with whom DFS works are incarcerated in jails or prisons. Unless parental right have been terminated or otherwise ordered by the court, DFS shall make reasonable effort to reunify child(ren)/youth with his/her parent(s); engage parent(s) in planning for his/her child(ren)/youth; help child(ren)/youth maintain contact with his/her parent(s); and provide services to parent(s) regardless of his/her incarceration.
B. Procedure
1. When appropriate and safe for the child(ren)/youth and family, efforts shall be made to help the child(ren)/youth preserve connections with significant people in his/her life. These connections include, but are not limited to:
a) Parents, including those who may be incarcerated;
b) Siblings;
c) School staff;
d) Foster families/caregivers;
e) Friends;
f) Relatives (immediate and extended family);
g) Non-traditional “family” (neighbors, close family friends, godparents); and/or
h) Culture, community, religion.
2. Whenever possible, a child(ren)/youth shall be placed in close proximity to his/her parent(s).
3. Reasonable efforts shall be made to place siblings together unless it is contrary to their safety or well-being. These efforts and/or safety or well-being concerns shall be documented in the case file.
a) If siblings are not placed together, frequent visitation or other ongoing interaction between the siblings shall be provided unless documented that it is contrary to the safety or well-being of the siblings.
b) If appropriate and possible, siblings who are initially placed separately shall be reunited.
4. Efforts shall be made to keep the child(ren)/youth in the school of origin, when the child(ren)/youth is initially placed and each time there is a change in placement, unless it is not in his/her best interest and documented in the case file. If remaining in the same school is not in the best interest of the child(ren)/youth, the DFS Caseworker shall coordinate with the school(s) to ensure the child(ren)/youth is immediately enrolledand school records are transferred in a timely basis.
5. Visitation, preferably in person, communication, and positive relationships shall be encouraged with family and other important people to the child(ren)/youth, including incarcerated parent(s) (i.e. in person, by phone, video conference, letters, pictures).
6. When extended family is not an acceptable or a safe placement option, the DFS Caseworker shall encourage visitation and/or communication with them when it is appropriate and safe to do so.
7. The DFS Caseworker shall encourage family, including foster family, biological family, and extended family, to keep or contribute to a life book/scrap book of memories and documentation for the child(ren)/youth.
8. The DFS Caseworker shall keep child(ren)/youth in a consistent school placement or daycare setting and avoid school or daycare changes. Encourage the child(ren)/youth to stay involved with his/her extracurricular activities or engage them in new activities to help build peer support and friendships.
9. The DFS Caseworker shall encourage foster parent(s) and/or family members to help child(ren)/youth maintain a connection to his/her language and culture of origin.
10. Diligent search shall be completed to locate and involve noncustodial/absent
parent(s) and relative(s)/kin. [2]
11. The DFS Caseworker shall comply with Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) guidelines in order to ensure the child(ren)/youth maintains a connection with his/her identified tribe.[3]
12. The DFS Caseworker shall comply with the Multi-Ethnic/Interethnic Adoption Provisions Act.[4]
13. Incarcerated Parent(s). In cases where the parent(s) are incarcerated and the DFS Caseworker is able to locate the incarcerated parent(s),[5] the DFS Caseworker, in addition to those items listed above, shall:
a. Visit the parent(s), send a letter, and/or make a call to the incarcerated parent(s) informing him/her of the situation and ask for his/her involvement.
b. Contact the prison/jail where the incarcerated parent(s) is located and talk with his/her case manager.
1) Determine the best way to communicate;
2) Determine the types of programs, services and/or classes that are available at the prison/jail; and
3) Obtain available information on the offense/crime and length of sentence and possible amount of time to be served. This may help in the case planning and permanency planning process.
c. Set up a meeting or conference call with the incarcerated parent(s).
1) Discuss the presenting problem and determine his/her interest in the child(ren)/youth’s life and whether or not he/she is willing to be involved in the case.
a) As long as the parental rights are intact, the DFS Caseworker shall still be responsible for keeping the parent(s) informed of meetings, hearings, how his/her child(ren)/youth is doing, and any important events, even if the parent(s) is not interested in being involved.
2) Gather what information he/she can contribute regarding the family history.
3) Work with the parent(s) to identify relative(s)/kin.
d. Work with the incarcerated parent(s) to develop a Family Service Plan and/or a Youth Empowered Success (YES) Case Plan.
1) If the goal of the incarcerated parent(s) is to reunify with the child(ren)/youth, the DFS Caseworker shall include goals and tasks in the Family Service Plan and/or YES Case Plan which will address the needs of the incarcerated parent(s), child(ren)/youth, and family.
2) The DFS Caseworker shall discuss permanency options, which include concurrent planning options, with the incarcerated parent(s) in order to ensure the best plan for the child(ren)/youth and family is put in place.
3) Since the incarcerated parent(s) is in an environment which does not enable him/her to be involved with some of the community and family activities, it is important to be creative in making the Family Service Plan and/or YES Case Plan meaningful.
e. Notify the incarcerated parent(s) of court hearings, Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings, and family meetings. If the incarcerated parent(s) is able to attend by phone, the DFS Caseworker shall work with the prison/jail case manager and the court in order to facilitate the meeting.
f. Maintain monthly face-to-face contact with the incarcerated parent(s) as long as parental rights are in place. This contact shall include updates on how the child(ren)/youth is doing, reviews of the Family Service Plan and/or YES Case Plan, providing support, transition planning, and involvement in meetings. If the incarcerated parent(s) is out of the county in which the DFS Caseworker is located, necessary meetings, contacts, and visits may be made by phone.
g. Make arrangements for a method of receiving periodic progress reports from the prison/jail case manager in order to keep the DFS Caseworker up-to-date and include in the case record.
h. Consult with his/her Supervisor and the District/County Attorney on each case in order to determine the best plan.
i. Document all contacts and reasonable efforts made with the incarcerated parent(s) in the DFS data system.
14. Child/youth Portfolio. The Department of Family Services shall provide the youth, if 18 years old or older, or the child(ren)/youth’s custodian, if younger than 18, with original documents (photocopies when originals are not available) when the child(ren)/youth leaves care. When applicable, the following information shall be included in the portfolio:
a. Certified birth certificate;
b. Placement history: names, addresses and dates of each out-of-home placement to give a complete and continuous record of where the child(ren)/youth has lived;
c. A brief summary of how, when, and why the child(ren)/youth first came into foster care, and why he or she is there now;
d. A relevant court order that indicates that DFS had custody of youth through his/her 18th birthday or a court document indicating an adoption or guardianship was established after age 16 years;
e. School history: names, addresses and dates of attendance at all schools, report cards, awards, class pictures, and any other school information or mementos;
f. Medical records: health history and names of physicians, dentists, psychologists, therapists and other medical, dental or mental health professionals who have provided services to the child(ren)/youth. Also include any health care related documents received while the child(ren)/youth has been in care (immunization records, illnesses, chronic medical or dental problems, accidents or injuries, and surgeries);
g. Family health history: information regarding biological parents and siblings, and significant genetically transmitted tendencies for illness, and birth defects;
h. Social Security and other benefits: Social Security card, information on benefits available through parent(s)' accounts, veterans' benefit status, insurance benefits from parent(s) (life and/or health), tribal benefits for Indian youth, or other special resources;
i. Personal mementos: pictures, letters, baptismal certificate, awards and other mementos from case files or foster parents, including family members' names and locations;
j. Work history: resume or jobs held and vocational training received;
k. Change of address card;
l. Proof of tribal registration and membership; and/or
m. Life book(s).
15. In many instances, the foster parent(s) will take the lead in putting together the personal information packet (personal mementos) receiving assistance of the DFS caseworker (legal and medical information). In some instances, it is appropriate for the foster parent(s) to maintain a copy of the packet. The copy shall follow the child(ren)/youth throughout their stay in out-of-home care.
a. If the youth is working with a Transitional Living Provider, he/she may also assist the youth in preparing a packet.
Policy # 2.4
Page 5 of 5
[1] Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act 2008 (HR6893); Promoting Safe and Stable Families, Title IV-B; Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act (2011); and, W.S. Title 14.
[2] Diligent Search policy 2.2
[3] ICWA Policy 2.6
[4] Multi-Ethnic Placement Act (MEPA) October 1994; amended by the Interethnic Adoption Provisions (IEAP) 1996
[5] Locator database systems: http://www.inmatesplus.com and http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/LocateInmate.jsp