5800. Approving Client Travel and Transportation Activities

Original Date: September 27, 1995

Revised Date: July 25, 2021

Sunset Review Date: July 31, 2024

Approved by: Jody Becker, Deputy Secretary

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance about approving travel or transportation activities for clients.

Scope

This policy applies to child welfare (CW) employees.

Laws

RCW 74.13.710  Out of Home care – Childhood Activities – Prudent parent standard

Policy

1. Caseworkers must complete the following, as soon as they receive travel and transportation activity requests that don’t fall within the Prudent Parenting Standards, per the Prudent Parenting Guide DCYF CWP 0078 publication.
   1. Approve requests only if travel or transportation activities for clients are related to preventing, making, or supporting an out-of-home placement and part of the child or youth’s case plan. Clients include:
      1. Children or youth
      2. Parents or guardians of children or youth
      3. Relatives and suitable others
      4. Prospective adoptive placements
      5. Licensed or unlicensed caregivers
   2. If requests are approved:
      1. Attempt to obtain assistance from other resources before committing to or approving requests requiring DCYF funding. Other resources include, but are not limited to:
         1. Parents, guardians, relatives, or suitable others.
         2. Volunteers.
         3. Resources from another state if children or youth are not from Washington State.
         4. Schools for education-related transportation needs
         5. Apple Health for transportation related to accessing Medicaid eligible services and treatment. Pre-approval is not required for emergency transportation such as ambulances.
      2. Follow the approval and documentation requirements, per the Client Travel Approval Quick Reference Guide DCYF 07-085 publication.
      3. Coordinate out-of-country travel, per the　Notification to Foreign Consulate　policy, if the child or youth is a citizen of another country.
      4. Follow the Reimbursing Caregivers for Transportation Expenses policy when reimbursing for travel and transportation expenses
      5. Adhere to the following DCYF Administrative policies when traveling with clients:
         1. 7.01 Travel Roles and Responsibilities
         2. 7.02 Travel

Procedures

When approving travel or transportation activities for clients, caseworkers must:

1. Document the caregiver's notification of travel in a case note in FamLink prior to travel and no later than 10 calendar days after notification.
2. Verify travel or transportation activities:
   1. Comply with court orders and the following policies:
      1. DCYF Administrative 07.01 Travel Roles and Responsibilities
      2. DCYF Administrative 7.02 Travel
      3. Office of Financial Management (OFM) travel
   2. Are approved according to the Client Travel Approval Quick Reference Guide DCYF 07-085 publication.
   3. Are approved by the regional administrator (RA) for children and youth being placed out-of-state through Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC) and approved in writing by the receiving state.
3. Document travel and transportation activities per the Client Travel Approval Quick Reference Guide DCYF 07-085 publication and:
   1. For all children:
      1. Notify, the court, guardian ad litem, and the child or youth’s attorney, if applicable, as soon as possible after receiving notification of any travel over 72-hours.
      2. Scan and upload in FamLink:
         1. Travel-related documents
         2. Court orders
         3. Completed Child Welfare Travel Authorization DCYF 03-478 form and attachments, as applicable.
   2. For children who are not legally free:
      1. Notify the parents as soon as possible after receiving notification of any travel over 72-hours. If the parent cannot be located, document the efforts to notify in a case note in FamLink.
      2. Indicate the parent’s written approval on the Child Welfare Travel Authorization DCYF 03-478 form, if required and attach the written approval to the form. Document the parent’s approval or refusal in a case note in FamLink.

Forms

Child Welfare Travel Authorization DCYF 03-478 (located in the Forms repository on the DCYF intranet)

Resources

Child Welfare Policy and Procedures Caregiver Transportation Reimbursement policy

Child Welfare Policy and Procedures Notification to Foreign Consulate policy

Client Travel Approval Quick Reference Guide DCYF 07-085 publication

DCYF Administrative 7.01 Travel Roles and Responsibilities policy

DCYF Administrative 7.02 Travel policy

Prudent Parenting Guide DCYF CWP 0078 publication

State Administrative and Accounting Manual (SAAM) chapter 10