Missouri Code of State Regulations › Title 13 - DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES › Division 35 - Children's Division › Chapter 35 - Alternative Care › Section 13 CSR 35-35.050 - Case Plan

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 14, July 15, 2024
PURPOSE: This amendment will change language to
				  reflect the proper division, and move the regulation into the correct
				  chapter.
PURPOSE: This rule requires the establishment of a
				  case plan for every child in the custody of Children's Division or receiving
				  social services from the Children's Division. It also provides a definition of
				  a case plan as well as describing the required content and time periods for
				  development and review of the case plan.
(1) Every child in the care and custody of,
				or receiving social services from, the division shall have a case plan
				developed for the purpose of preventing removal of the child from the care of
				the parents, reunifying a child separated from parent(s) or securing a
				permanent placement for a child if it is determined the child cannot be
				reunified with his/her parents.
(2)
				Every case plan must be developed with- in thirty (30) days from the date if
				has been determined a child should receive protective services or from the date
				that a judicial determination has been made that the child should be placed in
				the care and custody of the division. Thereafter, each case plan shall be
				reviewed and modified, as necessary, every six (6) months. The purpose of the
				review is to determine the extent of compliance with the case plan and
				determine what changes, if any, should be made.
(3) The term case plan means a written
				document which describes social and child welfare services and activities to be
				provided by the division and other local community agencies for the purpose of
				achieving a permanent familial relationship for the child.
(4) This case plan shall include, at a
				minimum, the following information:
(A)
				Identifying information about the child and his/her immediate and extended
				family;
(B) A description of the
				factors and conditions, including the psychological needs of the child, which
				caused the division to determine that protective or alternative care services
				were needed or a copy of the judicial determinations made regarding the child
				is placement in the custody of the division;
(C) A description of what efforts were made
				to prevent removal from the custody of
(D) A statement of the intended plan for
				permanency for the child which shall consist of one (1) of the following:
1. Maintain the child with the biological
				parents;
2. Reunify the child with
				his/her biological family if a judicial determination has been made for the
				child to be removed from the custody of the parent(s) and placed in alternate
				care;
3. Place the child for the
				purpose of guardianship or adoption; or
4. Maintain the child in a long-term
				separation from his/her biological parents with an agreed upon plan with the
				care provider. This provision applies only if a child is over sixteen (16)
				years of age;
(E) A
				description of how the plan is designed to maintain or reunify the child with
				his/her biological parent(s) or achieve a permanent substitute placement for
				the child including:
1. A description of the
				social services to be provided and a description of the services needed to
				carry out any requirements of a judicial determination proceeding or order with
				a designation of the responsible parties for the provision of any
				services:
2. A description of the
				responsibilities of the parent(s); and
3. A description of parental behaviors which
				determine that services are no longer necessary or that alternative care is no
				longer needed;
(F) A
				description of the appropriateness and necessity for placement away from the
				biological parents if the court has ordered placement, including at a minimum,
				the following:
1. The least restrictive
				characteristics of the alternate care placement facility correlated to the
				condition and best interests of the child;
2. The degree of proximity of the alternate
				care placement facility to the location of the biological parent(s)
				residence(s);
3. A description of
				how the needs of the child will be met while in placement; and 4. A parental
				visitation schedule including frequency, location, arrangements and a method of
				documentation for actual visits; and
(G) An evaluation of case plan achievement by
				all parties including a time period for case plan
				achievement.