	Foster Care Services

Introduction

Administration and Management

Service Delivery Administration Standards

Service Standards

PA-FC 6: Child Placement

Children are placed with foster families who can meet their needs for safety, permanency, stability, and well-being.

Interpretation: When another provider is responsible for child placement, the agency must ensure the standard is met. An agency that provides emergency placements must document efforts made to meet the standards given the emergency nature of the placement.

Interpretation: An agency that has responsibility for placing an Indian child should work closely with the child’s tribe to identify foster homes within the tribal community. Families from all tribes to which the child has ties should be considered as placement options.

Note: Foster Care to Adoption programs will implement PA-FC 6 and PA-AS 9.

PA-FC 6.01

All foster homes are licensed, approved, or certified according to state, tribal, or local regulation

PA-FC 6.02

A process that examines child and caregiver characteristics, strengths, needs, and resources is used to identify the most suitable, safe, and nurturing home for the child.

Interpretation: The agency uses all intake, screening, assessment, and prior placement information available at the time of placement to make the best possible match. Any prior relationship between the child and caregiver should also be examined. At least one foster parent effectively communicates in the language of the child, and when such a placement is not possible, assistance is provided with translation and support while a more suitable family is identified.

Research Note: Preliminary research suggests that placement success is more likely when there is a good fit in temperament between the child and the foster parents.

Research Note: The Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 (MEPA) and the Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996 prohibit denial or delay in the placement of a child on the basis of the race, color, or national origin of the child or the foster or adoptive parent. Guidance from experts suggests that on an individualized basis, under exceptional, non-routine, circumstances, a child's best interests may warrant consideration of needs based on race or ethnicity. Neither MEPA nor the Small Business Job Protection Act override, amend, or repeal the requirements of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The protection granted under ICWA is based upon the child’s political affiliation to the tribe and this is distinct and separate from the racial classifications outlined in either act. As such, Indian children should be placed according to the placement preferences outlined in ICWA (See PA-FC 6.04).

PA-FC 6.03

A placement that can meet the child’s needs is selected in accordance with the following priorities:

with siblings;
with kin; or
with a family that resides within reasonable proximity to the child’s family and home community.

Interpretation: If a child is not placed in a manner consistent with the specified priorities, the reason is documented in the case record.

PA-FC 6.04

Indian children are placed according to the placement preferences specified in the Indian Child Welfare Act, as applicable.

Research Note: The Indian Child Welfare Act requires that preference be given to foster placements in the following order: (1) a member of the child’s extended family; (2) other members of the child’s tribe; (3) foster homes licensed, approved, or selected by the child’s tribe; and (4) an institution approved by an Indian tribe or operated by an Indian organization. As evidence of compliance with these placement preferences, a record of each placement must be maintained by the state in which the placement was made. These records are made available upon request of the United States Secretary of Interior or the Indian child’s tribe.

PA-FC 6.05

The home environment is considered when identifying a family for the child, and foster care homes have no more than:

five children with no more than two children under age two; or
two foster children with therapeutic needs.

Interpretation: Environmental factors can include sleeping arrangements and characteristics and needs of other children in the home. The total number of children includes all children under the age of 18 residing in the family’s home and should not exceed four in therapeutic foster homes. Exceptions may be made to the number of children in the home to accommodate sibling groups, or when the home is licensed by the state or tribe to care for more children and demonstrates that the needs of every child can be met.

Research Note: Literature suggests that the child-caregiver ratio is one of the most important factors in caregiver burnout and is critical for children with significant therapeutic needs.

PA-FC 6.06

Placement moves are prevented to minimize trauma through:

supporting the child during the removal and placement process;
avoiding the use of cyclical placements and minimizing other planned or administrative disruptions;
providing child-specific information to the prospective foster family;
arranging opportunities for the child and prospective foster family to meet when possible; and
responding proactively to challenges associated with placement and assessing the need for services or placement changes.

Interpretation: Day visits, mutual activities, or overnight visits provide the child with opportunities to meet the foster family. Information about the child can include behavior, likes, dislikes, talents, strengths, reasons for placement, and permanency goals.

Research Note: Literature suggests that providing foster parents with accurate information about the child’s needs prior to placement can lead to greater foster parent satisfaction, greater placement stability, and better preparation for responding to a child’s behavior.

Research Note: Research suggests that child behavior problems can be both a cause and a consequence of multiple placements. Researchers recommend placement management and early intervention for children that develop behavior problems while in care.

PA-FC 6.07

Children that experience multiple placements receive additional supports and services to improve stability and well-being, including:

sufficient advanced notice prior to a placement move to plan for and support the child through the transition;
identification of new foster parents with suitable skills and characteristics to meet the child’s needs or referral for temporary placement in a treatment facility when the child’s needs cannot be met in a home setting; and
assessment and referral to additional therapeutic or other needed services.

Interpretation: Notice should be provided at least 14 days in advance of a placement move.

Interpretation: When the case involves an Indian child, the tribe should receive timely notification prior to a placement move.

Research Note: Abrupt placement moves can cause suffering for both the child and the foster parents, and the transition to and from residential and hospital settings can be complex and stressful. Children may need additional support during the transition. Literature suggests that children with repeated placement disruptions may need frequent assessment and intensive services.

QUICK JUMP TO


	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.


	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.).


	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.


	PROGRAM A system of services offered by an organization. For example, an organization providing a mental health service may offer several mental health programs to different populations, e.g., a mental health program for adolescent teens. The word "program" can be used interchangeably with the word "service" or to describe specific programs.


	CAREGIVER The provider of physical, emotional, and social needs to another person, often dependent and unable to provide for his or her own needs. Caregiver is the generic term used for the direct service providers in Community Care and Support Services (CCS).


	INTAKE The client's entry point for services at which eligibility is assessed against established criteria and a preliminary evaluation of the presenting problem occurs.


	ASSESSMENT An evaluation, which utilizes professional expertise and skills in the collection and analysis of data to understand and describe the nature of service needs of an individual, family, or group. Assessment, as in needs assessment, is also used to determine priorities of program planning and service development for the organization as a whole. See also DIAGNOSIS.


	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."


	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.


	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.


	ETHNICITY An orientation toward and identification with a population group that shares national origin, religion, race, or language.


	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 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."


	MANAGEMENT See ADMINISTRATION


	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.