4305. Permanent and Concurrent Planning

Applies To: This policy applies to child welfare employees.

Policy Number & Title: 4305. Permanent and Concurrent Planning

Effective Date: July 1, 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance for Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) caseworkers regarding the importance of permanency planning starting at first contact with the family and continues until a permanency goal is achieved. Concurrent planning provides for timely reunification services while anticipating and preparing for an alternate permanent plan.

Authority

PL 105-89 Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997

Chapter 11.130 RCW Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship, and Other Protective Arrangements Act

Chapter 13.34 RCW Juvenile court act-Dependency and termination of parent-child relationship

Chapter 13.36 RCW Guardianship

Chapter 26.33 RCW Adoption

RCW 74.15.020 Definitions

Policy

A permanency planning goal must be identified for all children or youth in out-of-home care no later than 60 days from the Original Placement Date (OPD).
Permanent plan options must be discussed in shared planning meetings (SPM). This includes discussing both the chapter 13.36 RCW guardianship and the chapter 11.130 RCW guardianship of a minor using the Permanency Planning Matrix DCYF CWP_0088 publication with the child’s or youth’s parents and caregivers, as an alternative to termination of parental rights (TPR) and adoption, per the Guardianships policy.
A written report to the court must identify concurrent plans. A permanent plan includes how the department is working towards securing a safe, stable and permanent home for the child or youth. The court report must address the following:
1. Primary and alternate permanent plans being pursued concurrently. Permanent and alternate permanent plan options only include:
  1. Return home to the child's or youth’s parent, guardian or legal custodian
  2. Guardianship
  3. Guardianship of a minor
  4. Adoption
2. Reasonable efforts to return the child or youth to their birth or adoptive parents.
3. How the permanency plan is in the best interest of the child or youth.
4. How the agency has worked toward securing a safe, stable and permanent home for the child or youth as early as possible.
Long-term foster or relative care is not a permanent plan. It is only considered when other permanent plans are determined not to be in the best interest of a youth age 16 and older as the results of a shared planning decision making process. Continued efforts must be made to achieve legal permanency, unless determined to not be in the child’s or youth’s best interest.
Caseworkers must:
1. If there is reason to know children are or may be Indian children, follow Indian Child Welfare (ICW) policies:
  1. Active Efforts and Tribal Collaboration
  2. Placement Preferences
2. Consider a permanent plan that allows the parent to maintain a relationship with the child or youth when a parent meets the following criteria:
  1. Is sentenced to long-term incarceration
  2. Has maintained a meaningful role in the child's or youth’s life
  3. There is no court order limiting or prohibiting contact
  4. It is in the child's or youth’s best interest.
Citizenship and immigration status of the child or youth should be determined early in the case and should be re-confirmed prior to establishing a permanent plan per Notification to Foreign Consulates policy.