Department of Children, Youth & Families

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 when providing Family Voluntary Services (FVS) to families, a program which allows parents and guardians to engage voluntarily in services that improve their protective capacities to meet the safety, health, and well-being needs of children and youth.

Scope

This policy applies to child welfare (CW) employees.

Laws

RCW 13.32A.140 Out-of-Home placement-Child in need of services petition by Department-Procedure

RCW 26.44.030 Reports–Duty and authority to make-Duty of receiving agency-Duty to notify-Case planning and consultation-Penalty for unauthorized exchange of information

RCW 26.44.056 Protective detention or custody of abused child-Reasonable cause-Notice-Time limits-Monitoring Plan

RCW 26.44.195 Negligent treatment or maltreatment-Offer of services-Evidence of substance abuse-In-home services-Initiation of dependency proceedings

RCW 43.185C.315 Youth services-HOPE centers-Establishment-Requirements

RCW 43.185C.320 Youth services-HOPE centers-Eligibility-Minors

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

Chapter 74.14C RCW Family Preservation Services

PL 105-89 Adoption and Safe Families Act

PL 113-183 Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act

Policy

FVS supervisors must assign FVS caseworkers to the following cases:
1. Non-Child Protective Services (CPS) intakes when:
  1. Families are requesting services from the department.
  2. Intakes are screened-in on runaway children or youth under age 12 and they are at any of the following:
    1. Crisis Residential Center (CRC)
    2. Hope center
    3. Overnight youth shelter
  3. Additional considerations exist as outlined in the CPS Service Delivery policy.
2. CPS investigations or risk-only cases, per the Case Assignment policy, when the family has agreed to participate in services and any of the following exist:
  1. A moderately high or high risk score on the Structured Decision Making Risk Assessment (SDMRA) tool.
  2. The Safety Assessment/Safety Plan DCYF 15-258 form identified a safety threat that can be managed with a safety plan.
  3. Children or youth are placed in out-of-home care on a Voluntary Placement Agreement (VPA) due to a safety threat that cannot be managed in the home.
FVS caseworkers must:
1. Determine if there is reason to know children are or may be Indian children, per the Indian Child Welfare (ICW) Reason to Know policy.
2. If there is reason to know children are or may be Indian children, follow ICW policies:
  1. Tribal State Memoranda of Agreements if there is a MOA in place with the tribe.
  2. Active Efforts and Tribal Collaboration.
FVS supervisors must assign a risk-only intake to a CPS investigation caseworker if the case is co-assigned to FVS and CPS investigations, per the Child Protective Services Investigation policy.

Procedures

FVS supervisors must:
1. Follow the case transfer policy.
2. Consult with the area administrator (AA) when there is a disagreement about an intake screening decision or the transfer of a CPS investigation to FVS.
3. Conduct monthly clinical supervision reviews and document in FamLink.
4. Review and approve cases for case closure if the family:
  1. Has completed or is no longer in need of services and there is no present danger or identified safety threat.
  2. Is requesting case closure and there is no present danger or identified safety threat.
  3. Is unable to be located.
5. Review cases that remain open and:
  1. Verify whether the:
    1. Case plan has been initiated within 15 days and completed if it has been open beyond 45 calendar days from the date of transfer.
    2. Family is actively participating in services.
    3. Caseworkers are following the monthly Health and Safety Visits with Children and Youth and Monthly Visits with Parents and Caregivers policy.
    4. Safety plan has been developed and monitored if the children or youth remain in the home and a safety threat exists.
  2. Work with caseworkers to resolve any issues or barriers identified in the review.
  3. Continue reviewing cases every 90 calendar days from the FVS case assignment to verify whether continued services are needed.
  4. Request AA approval to keep cases open beyond 180 calendar days from the FVS case assignment and every 90 calendar days thereafter, if services are still needed and document in a FamLink case note. If the AA does not approve, determine:
    1. Whether the case will be closed.
    2. If a dependency petition will be filed.
    3. If additional information needs to be gathered to decide on closing the case.
FVS supervisors may refer to the Guidelines for Reasonable Efforts to Locate Children and/or Parents DCYF 02-607 form as a resource when victims or identified children or youth cannot be located.
FVS Cases Transferring from CPS Investigations
When cases transfer from CPS investigations to FVS, FVS caseworkers must:
1. Upon assignment to the case:
  1. Contact families within seven calendar days.
  2. Follow DCYF Administrative policies:
    1. 6.02 Access to Services for Clients and Caregivers who are Limited English Proficient (LEP) when working with families with LEP. This includes also following the DCYF Administrative 11.19 Dual Language Employee Pay policy when caseworkers are dual language employees, as they may provide the language services.
    2. 6.03 Access to Services for Individuals with Disabilities policy.
  3. If a safety threat is being monitored through a safety plan, contact:
    1. The family within 72 hours.
    2. All safety plan participants within seven calendar days.
  4. Review the case file, Safety Assessment/Safety Plan DCYF 15-258 in FamLink, and all other case information as it becomes available.
2. Complete the following during the initial contact and subsequent meetings or contact with children or youth and families:
  1. Provide the following, per the DCYF Administrative 6.03 Access to Services for Individuals with Disabilities policy:
    1. Qualified interpreters to individuals, as needed.
    2. All parents or guardians with the Public Notice of Nondiscrimination DCYF HR_0012 publication.
  2. Assess for present danger.
  3. Take immediate protective action if a child or youth is in present danger.
  4. Identify all individuals living in the home and assess for safety threats and risk.
  5. Document when the Public Notice of Nondiscrimination DCYF HR_0012 publication was provided to the parents or guardians in a case note in FamLink, per the DCYF Administrative DCYF 6.03 Access to Services for Individuals with Disabilities policy.
  6. Assess, identify, and refer to appropriate services.
  7. If a safety threat exists and is being monitored through an in-home safety plan, review the safety plan with the family and confirm they have a copy.
  8. Review cases with the supervisor and assess whether to place the child or youth in out-of-home care when there is an identified safety threat that cannot be managed with an in-home safety plan, per the Safety Assessment policy.
3. Participate in meetings to discuss the case, including the following:
  1. Safety, permanency, and well-being needs of the children or youth.
  2. Family’s progress in services.
  3. Any other identified service needs.
4. Obtain releases of information from parents or guardians or youth age 13 years and older, prior to contacting or sharing any information about a family with collateral contacts and service providers. This includes information being shared about any of the following:
  1. Mental health treatment
  2. Substance abuse treatment
  3. Access to reproductive services
  4. Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD)
  5. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
5. Follow the Infant Safety Education and Intervention policy for all infants in the household birth to one year and anytime a new infant enters the home.
6. Complete a new Safety Assessment/Safety Plan DCYF 15-258 form when necessary at key decision points, per the Safety Assessment policy.
7. Conduct routine and universal domestic violence (DV) screenings at key points in a case, i.e., a new intake, case transfer, and reassessment of safety to identify if DV is present.
8. Complete the Commercially Sexually Exploited Child (CSEC) screening tool DCYF 15-476 when there is suspicion, indication, or confirmation that children or youth may be victims of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE).
9. Complete the Comprehensive Family Evaluation DCYF 10-480 form in FamLink within 45 calendar days of the FVS case assignment and every 90 calendar days after the CFE is approved. If a case is ready for closure prior to the updated CFE completion, input information into a FamLink Transfer/Closing Summary case note.
10. Complete an investigative assessment in FamLink within 60 calendar days when assigned a CPS risk-only intake and follow the Child Protective Services (CPS) Investigation policy.
11. Provide concrete goods and supports that strengthen the family’s ability to safely care for and meet their children’s needs, when necessary.
12. Conduct monthly health and safety visits:
  1. For children age five and younger twice a month.
  2. With both parents or guardians, caregivers, and children six and older once a month.
13. Complete the following case planning and service referral activities for children and youth, including those placed out-of-home on a VPA:
  1. Conduct a Case Plan Contact involving the parents or guardians, caregivers, children and youth as developmentally appropriate, tribal representatives, if there is reason to know a child is an Indian child, family supports and other applicable providers. This can occur in an FTDM meeting or Shared Planning Meeting (SPM) if the case plan is initiated as part of that meeting.
  2. Initiate a case plan based on the assessment of the family’s needs within:
    1. Fifteen calendar days of assignment.
    2. The CFE in FamLink.
  3. Refer children or youth and families to service providers or community resources, when needed and available. This includes referring children or youth with complex behavioral health needs for a Wraparound with Intensive Services (WISe) screen, per the WISe policy.
  4. Conduct a Family Team Decision Meeting (FTDM) prior to placement and returning children or youth home, per the VPA policy.
  5. Develop a family time and sibling and relative visit plan that includes visits in the least restrictive setting based on risk factors, existing danger, safety threats and protective factors, per the Family Time and Sibling and Relative Visit policy.
14. Transfer cases to Children and Family Welfare Services (CFWS) Unit when a dependency petition is filed. If a case is co-assigned and it is within two weeks of case assignment, CPS caseworkers will file the dependency petition.
15. Report to intake when any child or youth in an open case is believed to be at imminent risk of serious harm or there is a new allegation of child abuse or neglect, per the 2.01 Mandatory Reporting Requirements policy.
16. Submit cases to FVS supervisors for closure when the family:
  1. Has completed or is no longer requesting services and there is no present danger or identified safety threats.
  2. Is requesting case closure and there is no present danger or identified safety threat.
  3. Is unable to be located.
For non-CPS FVS cases assigned from intakes, caseworkers must:
1. Prior to initial contact with families, review the intake history and all other case information.
2. Follow DCYF Administrative policies:
  1. 11.19 Dual Language Employee Assignment Pay policy, as they may provide language services.
  2. 6.03 Access to Services for Individuals with Disabilities.
3. Complete initial contact with youth or family members within the following timeframes, excluding weekends and holidays:
  1. Seventy-two hours for a request for services.
  2. Twenty-four hours for intakes on runaway youth under age 12 who are currently located at a CRC, Hope Center, or overnight youth shelter.
4. Complete the following during the initial contact with children or youth and families and subsequent meetings, as needed:
  1. Provide the following, per the 6.03 Access to Services for Individuals with Disabilities:
    1. Qualified interpreters to individuals as needed.
    2. All parents or caregivers with the Public Notice of Nondiscrimination DCYF HR_0012 publication.
  2. Assess for present danger. Take immediate protective action if a child or youth is in present danger.
  3. Identify and verify all individuals living in the home and assess for safety threats and risk.
  4. Assess, identify and refer to appropriate services.
  5. Follow the Infant Safety Education and Intervention policy for all infants in the household birth to one year and anytime a new infant enters the home.
  6. Document when the Public Notice of Nondiscrimination DCYF HR_0012 publication was provided to the parents or guardians in a case note in FamLink, per the DCYF Administrative 6.03 Access to Services for Individuals with Disabilities policy.
  7. Obtain releases of information from parents or guardians or youth age 13 years and older, prior to contacting or sharing any information about a family with collateral contacts and service providers. This includes information being shared about any of the following:
    1. Mental health treatment
    2. Substance abuse treatment
    3. Access to reproductive services
    4. Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD)
    5. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
  8. Initiate referrals to service providers or community resources, when needed and available. This includes referring a child or youth with complex behavioral health needs for a Wraparound with Intensive Services (WISe) screen, per the WISe policy.
  9. Complete an investigative assessment when assigned a CPS risk-only intake and follow the Child Protective Services (CPS) Investigation policy.
  10. Complete the CSEC Screening Tool DCYF 15-476 form when there is suspicion, indication, or confirmation that the child or youth may be a victim of CSEC.
  11. Provide concrete goods and supports that strengthen the family’s ability to safely care for and meet their children or youth’s needs, when necessary. Concrete goods must be directly related to the issues of safety and risk identified in the assessment.
  12. Complete the CFE in FamLink by 45 calendar days of the intake and update it every 90 calendar days if the case remains open. If a case is ready for closure prior to the updated CFE completion, input information into a FamLink Transfer/Closing Summary case note.
  13. Inform the parents or guardians that the following activities will occur and complete the following:
    1. Conduct monthly Health and Safety Visits with Children and Youth and Monthly Visits with Parents and Caregivers.
    2. Schedule and participate in a Case Plan Contact involving the parents or guardians, caregivers, and children and youth as developmentally appropriate, representatives of the Indian child’s tribe or designee of that tribe, family supports and other applicable providers. This can occur in an FTDM or SPM if the case plan is developed as part of that meeting.
    3. Initiate a case plan, within 15 calendar days of assignment, based on the assessment of the family’s needs.
    4. Complete routine and universal DV screening and re-assessment of safety to identify if DV is present.
5. Complete the following additional case planning and service referral activities for children or youth placed out-of-home on a VPA:
  1. Conduct a FTDM prior to placement and returning children or youth home, per the VPA policy.
  2. Develop a parent, child, sibling, and relative visit plan, per the Family Time and Sibling and Relatives Visits policy, that includes visits in the least restrictive setting based on:
    1. Risk factors
    2. Existing danger
    3. Safety threats
    4. Protective factors
6. Submit cases to supervisors for closure when the family:
  1. Has completed or is no longer requesting services and there is no present danger or identified safety threat.
  2. Is requesting case closure and there is no present danger or identified safety threats.
  3. The family declines services upon contact. If this occurs a CFE is not required and the information must be documented in a case note.
  4. Is unable to be located.