Ongoing Safety Management
True of False: A safety plan should be updated when there is a change in parent visitation/contact.
TRUE
What DCS document should a compelling reason for not seeking TPR be listed on?
Case Plan
How often does policy indicate a Parent Locate needs to be completed when a parent's whereabouts are unknown?
No less than every 6 months and prior to key decision points in the life of a case (i.e. change in permanency goal, case plan staffing, PPH/ Disposition Hearings /Permanency Hearings etc.).
What is a compelling reason?
A compelling reason is the Department’s justification for not filing for TPR.
Federal law requires a TPR motion when a child has been in care for a certain timeframe (15 of the most recent 22 months) or the court has determined any of the following:
-The child is an abandoned infant
-The parents have committed felony assault that resulted in serious bodily injury to a child
-The parent has been convicted of murder or voluntary manslaughter of a child
-The parent aided, abetted, attempted, conspired or solicited to commit murder of voluntary manslaughter of a child
When does an FFA need to be completed?
- w/in 60 days of a child's removal or opening a case for ongoing services and a child is unsafe (whichever is earlier)
- minimally every 90 days
- at case plan reassessment and revision
- when there is indication a child may be unsafe
- when a substantial change has occurred or is anticipated to occur w/in the family such as considering changing the permanency goal, considering unsupervised visits, considering reunification and considering case closure
True or False - The following is a compelling reason for not seeking TPR:
Mia (age 12) has expressed and continues to express she does not want to be adopted after thorough exploration of adoption as a goal.
TRUE
What is not a compelling reason is:
- The child's age
- the need to learn skills to support a transition to adulthood (youth can learn these skills with any permanency goal)
-the inability to reunify with a parent (as this is a valid reason for TPR)
Name 3 ways you might gather information about the continuation of the safety threats for a family?
In-depth conversation with the parents
Observing the home
Observing parenting time
Speak with the out-of-home caregiver
Reviewing records - public records, service provider reports, SVO reports
Collaterals - relatives, probation officer, service providers
Name Checks
Conversations with the child
When should a concurrent goal be established if the prognosis for reunification is poor?
Within six months of actively working with the family on both the reunification plan and concurrent planning activities, a final concurrent permanency goal must be established.
Name 2 circumstances in which a safety plan should be updated.
- change in Responsible Adult
- safety actions required to manage safety threats have changed
- parent/child contact restrictions or level of supervision described in the safety plan has changed
-parents have made changes to behavior sufficient to make a plan less intrusive
- safety plan is insufficient and must become more restrictive
What extended family members shall the Department search for when a child is not in a relative placement? (Hint: Policy indicates 8 relationship types)
Grandparents
Great-Grandparents
Adult Siblings
A person who has custody of any sibling
Aunts
Uncles
First Cousins
Persons who have a significant relationship with the child