4526. Placement and Support for Licensed Relatives, Licensed Suitable Persons, and Foster Parents

Original Date: September 1995

Revised Date: July 1, 2024

Sunset Review Date: July 31, 2028

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

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance on placing with and supporting licensed caregivers, including relatives, suitable persons, and foster parents.

Scope

This policy applies to Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) employees

Laws

RCW 13.34.065 Shelter care-Hearing-Recommendation as to further need-Release

RCW 13.34.096 Right to be heard-Notice.

RCW 13.34.130 Order of disposition for a dependent child, alternatives-Petition seeking termination of parent-child relationship-Placement with relatives, foster family home, group care facility, or other suitable persons-Placement of an Indian child in out-of-home care-Contact with siblings.

RCW 13.34.260 Foster home placement-Parental preferences-Foster parent contact with birth parents encouraged.

RCW 74.13.031 Duties of Department

RCW 74.13.290 Fewest Possible Placements for children-Preferred Placements

RCW 74.13.332 Rights of Foster Parents

RCW 74.13.335 Reimbursement-Property Damage

RCW 74.13.710 Prudent Parent Standards

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

RCW 74.15.020 Definitions

Policy

Caseworkers must:
1. Place children or youth with foster parents only if one of the following is met:
  1. No licensed or unlicensed relatives or suitable persons are available or approved prior to establishing dependency, and it is necessary to prevent imminent physical harm to a child or youth due to child abuse or neglect.
  2. If the efforts to reunite the parent and child or youth will be hindered by placement with the relative or suitable person.
2. Follow the:
  1. Placing with and Supporting Unlicensed Relatives and Suitable Persons policy to initiate initial licenses for unlicensed relatives and suitable persons.
  2. Out-of-Home Placements policy to document placements with licensed caregivers in the FamLink Child Locator to initiate the foster care reimbursement payment.
3. Provide services and supports to both licensed and unlicensed relatives and suitable persons to maintain and stabilize placements.
Fiduciaries must authorize payments for licensed:
1. Relatives
2. Suitable persons
3. Foster parents

Procedures

Placing with Licensed Relatives, Licensed Suitable Persons, and Foster Parents
Caseworkers must:
1. Follow these policies:
  1. Relative Search and Notification.
  2. Indian Child Welfare (ICW) Tribal Inquiry if there is reason to know children are or may be Indian children to:
    1. Verify whether children are recognized as Indian children with the tribes.
    2. Identify tribal relatives.
  3. Placing with and Supporting Relatives and Suitable Persons for the initial license process for relatives and suitable persons.
  4. Notification of Court Hearings, Providing Reports to Court, and Information Sharing with Out-of-Home Caregivers and provide the required information on the children or youth to caregivers, including but not limited to the:
    1. Physical and mental health information.
    2. Court hearing information.
    3. Caregiver's Report to the Court DCYF 15-313 form or the Caregiver's Report to the Court (Abbreviated) DCYF 15-313A form.
  5. Follow the DCYF Administrative 6.04 Supporting LGBTQIA+ Individuals policy when considering placement of children and youth wo are exploring or identify as LGBTQIA+.
2. Provide:
  1. The placement packet.
  2. All known safety, permanency, and well-being information including health and education information about the children or youth to their caregivers.
  3. Support through services and concrete goods throughout the life of the case to maintain and stabilize placement.
3. Complete the following within seven calendar days of placement:
  1. The initial health and safety and ask the caregivers privately:
    1. How the children or youth are adjusting?
    2. Do they:
      1. Need additional services to provide appropriate care and supervision to meet the children’s or youth’s health, safety and well-being needs?
      2. Have any immediate needs or if there are any barriers to maintaining placement?
  2. Collect and document identifying information for children or youth, per the Emergency Planning for Children in Out-of-Home Care policy.
4. Conduct monthly health and safety visits with children or youth and caregivers.
5. Provide notice to the caregiver if the children or youth will be moving to a different placement, per Placement Moves policy.
Initiating the Caregiver Support Level and Foster Care Reimbursement Level
1. Caseworkers must:
  1. Follow the Caregiver Support Level and Foster Care Rate Assessment Determination policy.
  2. Immediately notify fiduciaries if they learn of a foster care overpayment or underpayment.
  3. Request area administrator approval and obtain caregiver agreement to authorize payment for children or youth who are returning to their home after an absence of 15 calendar days or less. Reasons for absences, include, but are not limited to children or youth:
    1. Receiving medical or mental health care services.
    2. Who are missing from care.
    3. That are in runaway status.
2. Fiduciaries must review the prepopulated placement date in FamLink within 24 hours of the children’s or youth’s placement change. If a:
  1. Placement discrepancy is identified, fiduciaries must contact both the:
    1. Caseworker
    2. Placement desk
  2. FamLink error is identified for the provider, e.g., issues related to licenses, services, or address, they must notify clerical for the office the case is assigned, to correct the error.
Closing Licensed Placements in FamLink
1. Caseworkers must follow the Timely & Accurate Placement Entry User Guide document when closing the out-of-home placement within three calendar days of children or youth leaving a placement to avoid overpayments. Caregivers are not reimbursed for the last day children or youth are in their care. End and begin dates for the change of placement must be the same.
2. Fiduciaries must review the prepopulated placement date in FamLink within 24 hours of the children’s or youth’s placement change. If a:
  1. Placement discrepancy is identified, fiduciaries must contact both the:
    1. Caseworker
    2. Placement desk
  2. FamLink error is identified for the provider, e.g., issues related to licenses, services, or address, they must notify clerical for the office the case is assigned, to correct the error.
Supporting Caregivers
Caseworkers must:
1. Refer caregivers to the Licensing Division (LD) workers when they have licensing questions.
2. Connect caregivers with the:
  1. Alliance Caregiver Retention, Education, and Support (CaRES) program for:
    1. Peer support
    2. Support groups
    3. Referrals to community resources
  2. Alliance for training opportunities.
3. Follow these policies, when applicable:
  1. Approving Client Travel and Transportation Activities when reimbursing caregivers for children and youth related transportation.
  2. Child Care when needed for caregivers.
  3. Administrative Approvals when there is exceptional cost or service payment to provide supports or reimburse caregivers.
  4. Respite for Licensed Foster Parents, Unlicensed Relative Caregivers, and Other Suitable Persons when respite is needed for children or youth in placement.
  5. Guardianships policy when caregivers are interested in pursuing guardianships.
  6. Identifying Adoptive Families when caregivers request information about adoption.
  7. Concrete Goods when goods, services, or clothing are needed to support children’s and youth’s safety, stability, and permanency.
  8. Foster Parent Liability Plan when items belonging to caregivers are damaged or destroyed by children or youth in out-of-home care.
4. Allow caregivers to make decisions about normal children and youth activities following the:
  1. RCW 74.13.710
  2. Prudent Parenting Guide DCYF CWP_0078 publication
Placement Concerns
Caseworkers must complete the following when placement concerns arise in licensed relatives or suitable persons’ homes:
1. Consult with their supervisor.
2. Follow the Placement Moves policy.
Documentation
Caseworkers must follow the Documentation policy and document:
1. The child’s or youth’s placement.
2. In a FamLink case note:
  1. Conversations with licensed caregivers about the supports they need or have requested to maintain or stabilize placement.
  2. What supports were needed or requested to maintain or stabilize the placement.
  3. How the caregivers have been supported or why DCYF was unable to provide the support needed or requested.
3. Exceptional costs, if applicable, in both:
  1. FamLink case note.
  2. Administrative Approval Request DCYF 05-210 form.
4. The caregiver’s email address in the FamLink Provider Page.