Applies To: This policy applies to Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) employees.
Policy Number & Title: 4250. Out-of-Home Placements
Effective Date: July 1, 2024
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance on:
- Using:
- Active efforts to prevent the children’s removal or promote the timely reunification of Indian families when there is reason to know children are or may be Indian children.
- Reasonable efforts in determining when to place children or youth in out-of-home care.
- Prioritizing:
- Parent’s, guardian’s, child’s, or youth’s placement preferences.
- Relative and suitable person placements.
- Tribal placement preferences.
- Providing:
- A placement that meets the children’s and youth’s safety, health, stability, and well-being needs and is in their best interest.
- The children’s or youth’s health care information at time of placement.
- Monitoring children’s and youth’s safety, health, stability, and well-being.
- Obtaining vital records.
Authority
P.L. 103-382 Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA) of 1994
Chapter 13.34 RCW Juvenile Court Act-Dependency and Termination of Parent-Child Relationship
Chapter 13.38 RCW Indian Child Welfare Act
Chapter 26.44 RCW Abuse of Children
RCW 71A.28.010 Person-centered service plan-Intent
RCW 74.14A.020 Services for emotionally disturbed and mentally ill children, potentially dependent children, and families-in-conflict
RCW 74.15.020 Definitions
RCW 74.15.090 Licenses required for agencies
Policy
- Caseworkers must:
- Follow these policies when there are placement decisions:
- Indian Child Welfare (ICW) Dependency Cases when there is reason to know children are or may be Indian children.
- Family Team Decision Making (FTDM) meeting.
- Relative Search and Notification.
- Have legal authority for the placement and care authority (PCA) of children or youth before placing them in out-of-home care.
- Prioritize placing with siblings, relatives, and suitable persons.
- Obtain and provide the following information to caregivers, the children’s or youth’s:
- Healthcare information.
- Birth certificates.
- Social security numbers (SSN) and cards.
- Follow these policies when there are placement decisions:
- Licensing Division (LD) workers must notify caseworkers when there is an open case and foster children or youth are placed in a licensed home and the caregiver’s biological, adopted, or guardianship children or youth are removed by:
- Law enforcement (LE).
- Hospital hold.
Resources
Family Team Decision Making (FTDM) Meeting policy
Indian Child Welfare (ICW) Dependency Cases policy
Out-of-Home Placements procedures (Located in the DCYF Policies & Rules SharePoint)
Relative Search and Notification policy
Original Date: October 20, 2013
Revised Date: July 1, 2024
Review Date: July 31, 2028
Approved by: Natalie Green, Assistant Secretary of Child Welfare Division