Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 6 - Division of Family and Children's Services › Chapter 1 - DFCS Policy Manual › Section 18-6-1-D - Foster Care Policy › Section 18-6-1-D-VII - PLACEMENT ACTIVITIES

Current through June 25, 2024
A.
Pre-Placement Activities
1.
Information to be shared with Resource Parents/Child Caring
				  Facility/Child Placing Agency
Prior to placement, the Worker will discuss with the
					 Resource Parents or the child caring agency staff when the child is being
					 considered for placement. The Resource Parents or child caring agency staff
					 will be given enough information about the child to enable them to make a
					 decision as to whether or not they can accept the child.
When a child is placed in a Licensed
					 Resource/Relative/Group Home/Facility, or Court Ordered Placement, the Worker
					 shall provide foster parents or facility staff with the foster child's
					 currently available medical, dental health, educational, and psychological
					 information, including a copy of the child's Medicaid card. DFCS shall gather
					 and provide to resource parents or facility staff all additional current
					 medical, dental health, educational, and psychological information available
					 from the child's service providers within fifteen (15) calendar days of
					 placement.
An original and copy of DFCS, "Foster Child Information
					 Form," will be completed before the child is placed in the home or facility.
					 The original and copy will be given to the Licensed Resource/Relative/Group
					 Home/ Facility personnel or court ordered placement resource to sign. A copy of
					 the signed form will be given to the provider and the original will be filed in
					 the case record.
The information to be shared includes:
* Child's name and date of birth;
* Current medical, psychological, and dental health
					 including the following:
* Physical disabilities,
* Immunizations,
* Existing illnesses including but not limited to
					 HIV/AIDS,
* Medications,
* Dental status,
* Date of Early Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and
					 Treatment (EPSDT) screening appointment and/or referral appointments,
* Special care needs.
* Education (grade level, past grades, attendance
					 patterns, tutoring needs, educational expectations, achievements)
* School-aged child must attend school even while in
					 temporary shelter care;
* Relationship with family (parents, siblings, extended
					 family or significant others);
* Reason for placement in foster care (neglect, abuse,
					 etc.). Worker needs to be specific when sharing information with Resource
					 Parents. For example, the child does not relate well to men due to sexual
					 abuse; or child may hoard food or search for food in garbage cans due to
					 hunger;
* Reasons for changes in placement;
* Custody Case Plan (services to be provided to child,
					 permanent plan);
* Visitation plan with biological parents;
* Any other information regarding the child which may be
					 helpful to the Resource parents or child caring facility staff in determining
					 the appropriateness of the child for the home or facility and/or if the home or
					 facility can meet the child's needs.
2.
Pre-Placement Planning with Licensed
				  Child Caring Facilities and Child Placing Agencies
Because of the various types of licensed residential child
					 caring agencies and services offered by each, it is necessary for the Worker or
					 ASWS to determine, prior to placement, if the services, program, and policies
					 of the child caring agency will serve the best interest and needs of the child.
The Worker will discuss with the facility staff DFCS'
					 policies, practices and expectations of the facility in meeting the child's
					 needs. If the facility is not willing to comply with policy regarding children
					 in DFCS custody, placement of a child in that facility is not appropriate and
					 another resource must be considered. Upon the placement of the child the
					 facility becomes the Agency of Service.
The following is a non-conclusive list which the Worker
					 and licensed child caring agency staff must discuss, and have a clear
					 understanding of, prior to placement of child:
* Residential Services Application;
* Admission criteria (required material and forms, the
					 agency's internal acceptance procedure, and the method of assigning the child
					 to a group or cottage);
* Case planning responsibility;
* Family Serviced Plan (FSP) which includes the child's
					 permanency plan. It is the responsibility (of the county Worker and Agency of
					 Service staff to communicate information affecting the plan);
* Monthly staffing requirement with Agency of Service
					 staff regarding the child's progress/lack of progress, continuing
					 appropriateness of placement, etc.;
* DFCS requirements for quarterly (monthly, if
					 contractual) progress reports from the Agency of Service, unless a specific
					 arrangement has been made with an individual DFCS Worker. Reports shall include
					 individualized information such as the child's progress, special needs or
					 problems, overall adjustment, services being or to be provided, etc.;
* Provisions for Worker to have two face-to-face contacts
					 with the child monthly
(weekly contact shall be required the first
					 month of placement.
If necessary the COS should be asked to make these
					 contacts and documentation of contacts filed in child's case record;
* Agency of Service's provision for face-to-face contact
					 with facility staff (i.e. Worker, counselor, etc.) and child for purpose of
					 ongoing counseling, and supervision;
* Agency of Service's willingness to obtain needed
					 services (medical, dental, psychological testing or counseling) or coordinate
					 with DFCS Worker to ensure such services are obtained within specific time
					 frames;
* Child's educational needs and provisions for appropriate
					 education, special needs (i.e., tutor, etc.), and surrogate parents, when
					 applicable;
* DFCS Policy and approval regarding visitation between
					 child and his parents, siblings, relatives or other unrelated persons,
					 including prior approval for out-of-state trips; DFCS policy prohibiting
					 cancellation of visits as a disciplinary action; Agency of Service practice
					 regarding visitation with related or unrelated persons, and any required
					 visitation away from the facility, as well as documentation of any visitation;
* Case review system, notification to child and Agency of
					 Service of date and time of review, child's right to attend case review and
					 importance of DFCS staff participation;
* Financial information such as board payment, Medicaid
					 coverage, and clothing allowance, county's provision for allowance, DFCS'
					 requirements for special needs, etc.;
* DFCS policy regarding discipline: Corporal punishment is
					 not allowed on any child for any reason;
* Reporting incidents of abuse and neglect;
* Conditions which may result in discharge or removal from
					 the Agency of Service and the time frame for notice of removal and discharge;
* Provisions for meeting the child's needs and rights
					 (i.e., nutrition, physical care, supervision, emotional security, religion,
					 social and recreational activities, etc.).
3.
Psychotropic Medication
If a child in DFCS custody has been prescribed a
					 psychotropic medication by a qualified mental health professional or licensed
					 medical professional with expertise in children's mental health, the COR Worker
					 shall obtain in writing the following information before approving the use of
					 the medication:
* The prescribed psychotropic medication;
* The amount of the dosage;
* The dosage recommended by the manufacturer or the United
					 States Food and Drug Administration;
* The reason for the medication;
* The efficacy of the medication;
* The side effects of the medication;
* Whether this medication has been approved by the FDA for
					 use by children.
Resource parents, child care provider, group
								home, residential facility or hospital staff may not give a child in foster
								care any psychotropic medication without the permission of the child's COR
								Worker, the COR supervisor and consultation with the DFCS Nurse (located in the
								Resource Development Unit).
a)
Worker's Responsibilities:
* The DFCS COR Worker shall staff with the supervisor any
					 request for psychotropic medication before giving any approval for said
					 medication; and the approval should be documented in the child's case record;
* A "Consent Form" must be signed by the COR Worker and
					 approved by the COR supervisor before this medication may be dispensed; (see
					 Appendix H)
* The child's parent(s)/guardian should be notified
					 regarding the recommended medication, unless the parent's parental rights have
					 been terminated.
b)
Resource Parent's Responsibilities:
* The resource parent shall not provide consent for
					 psychotropic medication to be administered for any foster child;
* The resource parent shall notify the COR Worker or COR
					 supervisor if a foster child in their care has been prescribed a psychotropic
					 medication.
4.
Pre-placement Visits
Following the decision to place the child, at least one
					 pre-placement visit of the child to the Resource Home or child caring facility
					 should be arranged as a means of helping the child, the biological family, and
					 the Resource Parents or DFCS staff move more comfortably into the placement
					 situation. Ideally, a FTM should be conducted in which the child, the
					 biological parents, and the Resource Parents are all in attendance in order to
					 facilitate the placement and reduce the trauma of removal and separation from
					 family.