4250. Out-of-Home Placements

Applies To:  This policy applies to Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) employees.

Policy Number & Title:  4250. Out-of-Home Placements

Effective Date:  July 1, 2024

Purpose 

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance on:

  • Using:
    • Active efforts to prevent the children’s removal or promote the timely reunification of Indian families when there is reason to know children are or may be Indian children.
    • Reasonable efforts in determining when to place children or youth in out-of-home care.
  • Prioritizing:
    • Parent’s, guardian’s, child’s, or youth’s placement preferences.
    • Relative and suitable person placements.
    • Tribal placement preferences.
  • Providing:
    • A placement that meets the children’s and youth’s safety, health, stability, and well-being needs and is in their best interest.
    • The children’s or youth’s health care information at time of placement.
  • Monitoring children’s and youth’s safety, health, stability, and well-being.
  • Obtaining vital records. 

Authority 

P.L. 103-382  Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA) of 1994

Chapter 13.34 RCW  Juvenile Court Act-Dependency and Termination of Parent-Child Relationship   

Chapter 13.38 RCW  Indian Child Welfare Act

Chapter 26.44 RCW  Abuse of Children

RCW 71A.28.010  Person-centered service plan-Intent

RCW 74.14A.020  Services for emotionally disturbed and mentally ill children, potentially dependent children, and families-in-conflict 

RCW 74.15.020  Definitions

RCW 74.15.090  Licenses required for agencies

Policy 

  1. Caseworkers must:
    1. Follow these policies when there are placement decisions:
      1. Indian Child Welfare (ICW) Dependency Cases when there is reason to know children are or may be Indian children.
      2. Family Team Decision Making (FTDM) meeting.
      3. Relative Search and Notification.
    2. Have legal authority for the placement and care authority (PCA) of children or youth before placing them in out-of-home care.
    3. Prioritize placing with siblings, relatives, and suitable persons.
    4. Obtain and provide the following information to caregivers, the children’s or youth’s:
      1. Healthcare information.
      2. Birth certificates.
      3. Social security numbers (SSN) and cards.
  2. Licensing Division (LD) workers must notify caseworkers when there is an open case and foster children or youth are placed in a licensed home and the caregiver’s biological, adopted, or guardianship children or youth are removed by:
    1. Law enforcement (LE).
    2. Hospital hold. 

Resources 

Family Team Decision Making (FTDM) Meeting policy

Indian Child Welfare (ICW) Dependency Cases policy

Out-of-Home Placements procedures (Located in the DCYF Policies & Rules SharePoint)

Relative Search and Notification policy

Original Date:  October 20, 2013

Revised Date:   July 1, 2024

Review Date:   July 31, 2028

Approved by:  Natalie Green, Assistant Secretary of Child Welfare Division