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-F - Licensure Policy › Section 18-6-1-F-I - DFCS OVERVIEW

Current through June 25, 2024
The Mississippi Department of Human Services will
					 hereinafter be known as "MDHS" and its Division of Family and Children's
					 Services hereinafter will be known as "DFCS".
A.
Introduction
The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS),
					 Division of Family and Children's Services, (DFCS) is designated by MISS. CODE
					 ANN. §
											43-15-5(1)
					 to "administer and supervise the licensing and inspection of all private child
					 placing agencies" and "provide for the care of dependent and neglected children
					 in foster family homes or institutions. DFCS is responsible for setting and
					 developing standards for "single application" (foster, adopt, kinship care)
					 Resource Homes. This includes placing children in suitable foster and adoptive
					 homes approved by licensed child placing agencies in cases where restoration to
					 the biological family is not safe, possible or appropriate, thus creating
					 Resource Families, both temporary and permanent. In Mississippi many children
					 who are freed for adoption are adopted by their Resource Family.
MDHS is the designated agency to provide social services
					 under P.L. 93-647 (
Child Support Enforcement and Paternity
					 Establishment Program, CSE)
, Title XX of the
Social Security
					 Act
, (Social Services Block Grants, SSBG); Title IV-A
					 (
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, TANF),
, Title IV-B,
Child Welfare Services
, Title IV-E,
Foster Care and
					 Adoption Assistance
, and related programs of social services.
To qualify for federal funds administered through these
					 programs, a facility serving children must be licensed or certified by DFCS as
					 meeting the minimum standards; Compliance with all applicable state and federal
					 laws is required.
MISS. CODE ANN. §
											43-15-13(2)
					 states:
The Department of Human Services shall establish a
					 foster care placement program for children whose custody lies with the
					 department, with the following objectives:
a)
Protecting and promoting the
				  health, safety and welfare of children;
b)
Preventing the unnecessary
				  separation of children from their families by identifying family problems,
				  assisting families in resolving their problems and preventing the breakup of
				  the family where the prevention of child removal is desirable and possible when
				  the child can be cared for at home without endangering the child's health and
				  safety;
c)
Remedying or assisting in the solution of problems which may result in the
				  neglect, abuse, exploitation or delinquency of children;
d)
Restoring to their families
				  children who have been removed, by the provision of services to the child and
				  the families when the child can be cared for at home without endangering the
				  child's health and safety;
e)
Placing children in suitable
				  adoptive homes approved by a licensed adoption agency or family protection
				  specialist, in cases where restoration to the biological family is not safe,
				  possible or appropriate;
f)
Assuring safe and adequate care of
				  children away from their homes, in cases where the child cannot be returned
				  home or cannot be placed for adoption...; and
g)
Providing a family protection
				  specialist or Worker or team of such specialists or Workers for a family and
				  child throughout the implementation of their permanent living arrangement plan.
				  Wherever feasible, the same family protection specialist or Worker or team
				  shall remain on the case until the child is no longer under the jurisdiction of
				  the youth court."