4519. Concrete Goods

Original Date: May 1, 2014

Revised Date: July 1, 2024

Sunset Review Date: July 31, 2028

Approved by: Vickie Ybarra, Secretary for Partnership, Prevention, and Services Division

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance on the use of concrete goods. Concrete goods are to assist children and families with goods or expenditures to support children’s and youth’s safety, reduce risk of abuse or neglect, prevent or support out-of-home placement, or facilitate safe reunification.

Scope

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

Policy

Caseworkers:
1. Must:
  1. Provide concrete goods for children, youth, parents, guardians, relatives, and suitable persons that are in-home, placed in out-of-home care, or to remove barriers for a trial return home, when:
    1. Funding is available and approved.
    2. Purchases are made that are economical and reasonable.
    3. The goods or services meet the identified need to maintain safety, well-being, stability, or placement.
  2. Not use concrete goods for the following:
    1. Items or services that may be paid through a DCYF service contract.
    2. As an ongoing means of support.
    3. For licensed placements, including relatives and suitable persons, unless is meets the criteria outlined in the Concrete Goods Guide document.
  3. Obtain approval for:
    1. In and out-of-home concrete goods, for children or youth placed in-home, as follows:
      1. $501 to $1000 must be approved by supervisors.
      2. $1001 to $2000 must be approved by area administrators.
      3. $2001 or more must be approved by regional administrators or designees.
    2. Additional clothing vouchers for children or youth up to $400 per year when a child or youth demonstrates an exceptional clothing need, per the Concrete Goods Guide document.
May approve:
1. Purchases of concrete goods up to $500.
2. Clothing vouchers for up to $400 when children are initially placed (regardless of placement type, in-home or out-of-home), at case closure or reopening, and when a child enters or exits a trial return home.
LD workers may purchase concrete goods for relatives and suitable persons for goods needed to either:
1. Support their home study completion.
2. Assist in meeting licensing requirements, prior to becoming licensed or ongoing.
Caseworkers and LD workers must follow these when accessing gift and stored value cards:
1. DCYF Administrative 1.01.05 Gift Cards and Stored Value Cards policy.
2. Concrete Goods Guide document.

Procedures

Using Concrete Goods for Parents, Guardians, Relatives, and Suitable Persons
1. Caseworkers must:
  1. Use concrete goods for children or youth placed with their:
    1. Parents or guardians to:
      1. Maintain safety
      2. Reduce risk
      3. Promote their well-being
      4. Prevent out-of-home placement
      5. Support family time
      6. Remove barriers for trial return homes
    2. Relatives and suitable persons who are unlicensed or have a pending foster care license to:
      1. Eliminate barriers to placement by providing goods necessary to meet the children’s and youth’s needs.
      2. Purchase goods required for home study or licensing approval. Purchases may be completed by caseworkers or LD workers.
      3. Support or maintain placement stability through available services.
  2. Collaborate with parents or guardians, relatives, and suitable persons to assess and identify the goods or services needed.
  3. Follow the Concrete Goods Guide document to verify the goods needed may be purchased.
  4. Obtain a signed Consent DCYF 14-012 form from the parents or guardians, or relatives or suitable persons allowing DCYF to release their address to Amazon to deliver goods directly to their home.
  5. Verify parents or guardians, relatives, and suitable persons:
    1. Are willing and able to cooperate with the services.
    2. Have a plan that will continue to maintain the support provided temporarily by the concrete goods.
  6. Request the identified goods or services by:
    1. Completing the Service Referral DCYF 10-492 in FamLink.
    2. Obtaining the appropriate level of approval based on the total amount of the goods or services to be purchased.
    3. Emailing the Service Referral DCYF 10-492 to the designated child welfare (CW) administrative support workers to purchase the goods.
2. CW administrative support workers must follow the Concrete Goods Guide document to process and order the goods approved for purchase.
3. LD workers must:
  1. Collaborate with the relatives and suitable persons to assess and identify the goods needed to support their home study completion or ongoing licensing requirements.
  2. Obtain a signed Authorization and Consent to Share Records DCYF 15-824 form from the relatives or suitable persons allowing DCYF to release their address to Amazon to deliver goods directly to them.
  3. Complete their section of the Support Funds DCYF 06-135 form to request a concrete goods purchase.
  4. Send the Support Funds DCYF 06-135 form to the designated LD administrative support workers.
4. LD Administrative support workers must complete the following when they receive a Support Funds DCYF 06-135 form:
  1. Complete their section of the Support Funds DCYF 06-135 form in consultation with the LD supervisor.
  2. Obtain signatures as required on the form based on the total amount of the purchase.
  3. Order the goods that have been approved for purchase.
  4. Document the purchase order number on the online retailer’s website for payment reconciliation.
  5. Send the following to DCYF Finance:
    1. Completed Support Funds DCYF 06-135 form.
    2. Authorization and Consent to Share Records DCYF 15-824 form.
    3. Receipt for purchase.
    4. Confirmation of delivery.
Documentation
1. Caseworkers must document the following in FamLink case notes, how the concrete goods:
  1. Maintained or increased the children’s or youth’s safety.
  2. Promote the children’s or youth’s well-being.
  3. Stabilize placement or prevent out-of-home placement.
  4. Supported family time.
  5. Promoted the plan for reunification.
2. LD workers must document the following in the licensing provider portal, how the concrete goods for relatives or suitable persons:
  1. Supported and maintained placement.
  2. Assisted in:
    1. Completing their:
      1. Home study
      2. Foster care license
    2. Maintaining their foster care license.