Wisconsin Administrative Code › Department of Children and Families › DCF 021-99 - Safety and Permanence › Chapter DCF 56 - Foster Home Care For Children › Section DCF 56.09 - Care of foster children

Current through June 24, 2024
(1) PRINCIPLES FOR NURTURING CARE. The foster
				parent shall provide nurturing care to each child placed in a foster home.
				Nurturing care is care that does all of the following:
(a) Ensures that the child is provided a
				humane physical and psychological environment.
(am) Socializes the child into family living
				and teaches social and community living skills, including accepting tasks and
				responsibilities.
(b) Is respectful
				of the child as a person.
(bm)
				Increases the child's opportunities to develop decision-making skills and to
				make informed choices.
(c) Gives
				the child room to grow and the maximum of personal and physical freedom
				appropriate to the child's age and maturity.
(cm) Increases the child's independence in
				performing tasks and activities by teaching skills that reduce dependence on
				caretakers.
(d) Does not deny a
				foster child access to confidential family planning and reproductive health
				services.
(dm) Educates the child
				regarding human sexual development, as appropriate.
(e) Does not discriminate against the child
				because of the child's race or cultural identification, sex, age, sexual
				orientation, color, creed, ancestry, national origin or disability.
(em) Promotes cultural understanding and
				sensitivity in the child and respects the cultural traditions of the child's
				family.
(f) Lets the child
				participate in community activities of the child's choice, including sports and
				activities of school, community, social and religious groups, with this
				participation restricted only by reasonable curfew hours, cost considerations,
				a court order or for a reason agreed upon by the foster parent and the
				licensing and supervising agencies.
(fm) Increases the child's opportunities to
				interact with diverse community populations.
(g) Gives the child reasonable opportunity to
				voluntarily participate or not participate in religious practices, activities,
				and services of the child's choice or the choice of the child's parents. Any
				discrepancy between the child's choice and the choice of the child's parents
				shall be resolved by the child's caseworker.
(gm) Teaches the child life skills in
				situations where the skills are used.
(h) Allows a foster parent to conduct a
				search without the foster child's consent if the foster parent believes a
				search is necessary to prevent harm to the foster child or another person or
				because the foster child is violating a law. The foster parent shall share the
				information about the search with the child's supervising agency caseworker.
(hm) Provides daily schedules,
				routines, environments, and interactions similar to those of other children of
				the same age and in accordance with the child's case plan, permanency plan, or
				treatment plan.
(i) Lets a child
				keep and wear the child's own clothing as appropriate to the season or setting
				unless the clothing is too small for the child, is prohibited by the child's
				case manager, or is otherwise unsuitable for wear.
Note:
An example of clothing unsuitable for wear
				  is clothing infested with lice.
(j) Permits a child to receive mail, to make
				and to receive a reasonable number of telephone calls and to visit with family,
				friends and others unless a visit is contraindicated by the child's case plan,
				by a court order or by another controlling document.
(k) Does not inflict or tolerate infliction
				of physical or verbal abuse, physical punishment, ill treatment or harsh or
				humiliating discipline of the child.
(l) Does not require a child to perform labor
				that financially benefits the foster parent without the child's agreement,
				approval of the child's parent or guardian and approval of the supervising
				agency.
(m) Allows the child access
				to clothing and written and recorded materials and other items appropriate to
				the child's age and comprehension. None of these materials may be permanently
				withheld from the child without the specific consent of the child's caseworker.
				Any withheld material shall be given to the child's caseworker who shall
				determine whether the material should be returned to the child or given to the
				child's parent or guardian. A foster child's personal belongings may not be
				damaged or destroyed.
Note:
The primary intent of par. (m) is to allow
				  a foster child to have clothes, books, recorded music, and similar items that
				  the child enjoys. If a foster parent does not wish to have certain types of
				  materials in the foster home, the foster parent should communicate that in
				  writing to the licensing agency.
(n) Does not permit a child to be
				mechanically restrained or locked or confined in any enclosure, room, closet or
				other part of the house or premises for any reason, except as provided under
				sub. (5) (i).
(o) Responds
				appropriately to disruptive behavior.