Policy & Practice
Minimizes the trauma of placement and reunification may happen more quickly
Benefits of Shared parenting
Completed prior to placement with kin or fictive kin
The Initial Provider Assessment
DSS-5203
Developed with the parent and child
Family Time and Contact Plan
The timeframe of initial contact with the child
Within 7 days of placement
Initiated within 30 days of custody to begin the child's story
Life Book
Completed within 30 days of the child entering care or within 30 days of the child being placed with kin or fictive kin
The Kinship Care Comprehensive Assessment
DSS-5204
The preferred setting for family time
Least Restrictive
The timeframe of initial contact with the parents
Within 7 days of placement
This standard now requires that youth be allowed to play sports, participate in other activities, take pictures, etc.
Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard
Notification sent together to identified family members of children in DSS custody
Relative Interest Form DSS-5316
Relative Notification Letter DSS-5317
Held in addition to Family Time requirements
Sibling Visits
The frequency of contacts made with both placement providers who reside in the home
Quarterly (every 90 days)
Plan, Prepare, Support
Prevents Placement Disruption/Promotes Placement Stability
The record of monthly contacts
Monthly Permanency Planning Contact Record
DSS-5295
Allows unsupervised visitation against agency recommendations
The Court
The number of visits with the child that must be made in the child's residence (placement provider)
4 out of every 6
Youth in LGBTQIA+ community, substance affected infants, medically fragile children, children with disabilities, pregnant and parenting teens
Youth in Special Populations
Provides the type, level of supervision, frequency, duration, and location of visits for each child
The Family Time and Contact Plan
DSS-5242
Reassurance, Assessment, Education, Supporting and building Protective Factors, Documentation and court information
The purposes of Family Time
The frequency that the placement provider's home must be assessed
Quarterly (every 90 days)