	Foster Care Services

Introduction

Administration and Management

Service Delivery Administration Standards

Service Standards

FC 1: Screening

The organization screens applicants promptly and responsively to identify needs efficiently and direct individuals to appropriate services.

FC 1.01

Prompt, responsive screening practices:

ensure equitable treatment;
examine the child’s ability to participate in family and community life without danger to themselves or others;
give priority to urgent needs and emergency situations; and
support timely initiation of services.

Interpretation: Each child is screened to determine if they pose a risk to other children in the home or community, and, when risks are identified, the organization uses that information to inform screening decisions, identify a suitable foster family, and develop a safety plan with the foster parents.

Research Note: Research suggests that child behavior problems can be a cause of multiple placements, and researchers recommend careful initial screening to inform the selection of an appropriate placement and provision of needed services.

FC 1.02

When the child and family cannot be served, the organization contacts the referral source immediately to make alternative arrangements.

NA The organization: (1) accepts all clients, or (2) only receives clients by referral, and is required by contract to accept all referrals.

FC 1.03

The organization identifies Indian children and collaborates with the tribe or Indian organization to:

determine the applicability of, and ensure compliance with, the Indian Child Welfare Act;
determine jurisdiction;
assess the child's needs;
provide the family with information regarding their rights under the Indian Child Welfare Act;
determine the most appropriate plan for the child; and
maintain connections between the child and his or her tribe.

Interpretation: If the tribe is unknown, the organization should document efforts to identify the tribe and notify the regional office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Interpretation: The organization should have established procedures for identifying Indian children that do not depend on the child’s physical appearance.

Note: Evidence of tribal participation should be documented in the case record.

Research Note: The Indian Child Welfare Act authorizes states and federally recognized tribes to enter into agreements governing the care and custody of Indian children and jurisdiction over child custody proceedings. Organizations should refer to tribal-state agreements and ICWA to determine what role each party should play in cases involving Indian children, and to ensure compliance with all relevant legal requirements.

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	PURPOSE: Children and youth who receive Foster Care Services live in a stable home, remain safe and healthy, and achieve permanency and well-being.

RELATED FILES


	SERVICE One or more organization-operated programs or activities that have a common general objective and deploy the organization's material and human resources in a planned and systematic manner. An organization that publicly promotes or identifies itself in writing as offering a service, is licensed to deliver a service, assigns personnel and/or space to a service, or allocates financial resources to a service is considered to offer that service.


	SCREEN A preliminary test administered to a client to determine whether he/she meets eligibility criteria for the services offered by an organization.


	PRACTICE Established actions or ways of proceeding in the regular performance of organizational duties. Policies and procedures often guide practice.


	FAMILY Two or more people who consider themselves family and who assume obligations, functions, and responsibilities generally essential to healthy family life. Child care and child socialization, income support, long-term care, and other caregiving are among the functions of family life. The definition of "family" will rest with an individual's indication of who plays a family member role, including current or former foster family, adoptive family, extended family members, fictive kin, or significant others. Organizations that believe family is the central constellation in a child's life, and that family attachments are of primary importance for human development, will strive to work with professional staff to develop a common understanding of "family."


	COMMUNITY A specific group of people living in the same locality and who may share a common culture, values, and norms. Communities can also be defined by race, religion, ethnicity, age, occupation, political status, tribal affiliation, interest in particular problems or outcomes, or other common bonds. The term "community" encompasses worksites, schools, tribes, residential neighborhoods, business districts, recreational areas, and health and human service sites.


	FOSTER PARENTS State- or county-licensed adults who provide a temporary home for children whose birth parents are unable to care for them. Foster parents are not considered employees or personnel and are specifically referenced in all relevant standards.


	RESEARCH For purposes of COA accreditation, all forms of internal or external research involving persons served except internal program evaluation and outcomes research, or educational projects performed by students and interns that are part of their professional training.


	CONTRACT A formal written agreement between two or more parties that specifies the services, space, or products to be provided in exchange for some form of compensation. Also known as "purchase of service arrangement."


	REFERRALS Resource suggestions provided to consumers to address problems or needs that are beyond the scope of the organization's mission.


	INDIAN ORGANIZATION As defined in ICWA, "Any group, association, partnership, cooperation, or other legal entity owned or controlled by Indians, or a majority of whose members are Indians."


	CLIENT See service recipient.


	CASE RECORD A written compilation that describes the client and the services delivered. Records can be in hard copy and/or electronic format. The case record can be used as a source of information for quality improvement or other evaluation activities, for research purposes, or to demonstrate accountability to funding bodies.


	INDIAN CHILD As defined in the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), "Any unmarried person who is under age eighteen and is either (a) a member of an Indian tribe or (b) eligible for membership in an Indian tribe and is the biological child of a member of an Indian tribe." For purposes of compliance with ICWA, the definition provided in the Act shall apply. For purposes of access to services and resources, other more inclusive definitions may apply (e.g. Indian Education Act, tribal definitions, etc.).


	CUSTODY The care, control, and maintenance of a child. The court legally can award custody to an agency in abuse and neglect cases or to parents in divorce, separation, or adoption proceedings. Child welfare departments retain legal custody and control of major decisions for a child in foster care; foster parents do not have legal custody of the children for which they provide care.


	CASE A general term used to designate clients (including individuals, families, and groups) served by an organization for purposes of monitoring the provision of services. A foster care case is generally based on the placement of an individual child, although casework for the child may include services to the child's family. A child protective services case is based on an entire family household if a family assessment model is used; otherwise a case is defined as a child.