The Division of Family and Children Services recognizes the need for a systematic process of expression, examination, and resolution of foster parent grievances. Through the course of strengthening our partnership and working together to support children and families, conflicts unfortunately may arise that threaten to deteriorate our established relationships. These differences, if left unsettled, have the potential to negatively impact the quality of service provided. We encourage all caregivers to reach out to their local DFCS County offices first to attempt resolution, in an effort to preserve and strengthen the partnerships with the local county staff and leadership. When such informal attempts to resolve the matter are unsuccessful, each foster parent has the right to file a grievance when he/she has an irreconcilable difference.

Timely responsiveness is paramount to good customer service. Mandated timeframes have been established to ensure foster parents have a clear expectation of when their concerns will be addressed. By implementation of this policy, foster parents have the right to file complaints and discuss concerns with County Directors, the foster parent liaison, the DFCS staff liaison, supervisors, case managers, advocates appointed by the Adoptive and Foster Parent Association of Georgia, the Office of the Child Advocate, or the State Mediation Committee, without being considered in violation of the rules of confidentiality. Care should always be taken to mention only case situations, not case names. Care should also be taken to avoid discussion with other individuals not listed above as this might be considered to be in violation of the rules of confidentiality.

Foster parents should never feel alone in the process of filing a complaint. DFCS is required to ensure that every source of support for the foster parent is arranged. The foster parent can request assistance from the local county department liaison and the Office of the Child Advocate. Additionally, the Adoptive and Foster Parent Association of Georgia provides trained advocates to assist and support foster parents throughout the process. Foster parents can contact the Adoptive and Foster Parent Association of Georgia at 1-877-804-6610 or at www.afpag.net to make an advocate request.

NOTE: Foster parents may choose not to have an AFPAG advocate, but rather a personal support person of their choosing. These individuals are not provided the same access to confidential information, and will belimited to portions of the grievance process which does not violate confidentiality laws.

Actions taken by the Department when a complaint is filed should never be retaliatory/punitive in nature. No person who files a grievance, complaint, or concern will be punished, discriminated against, threatened, or retaliated against in any way for filing such action. Caution should be taken to prevent this from becoming the agency vs. the foster parent situation. Foster parents are partners in the planning for children and have every right to have their opinions and concerns heard as well as the right to be considered as a valuable part of the professional treatment team. 

To read the State of Georgia’s complete Foster Parent Bill of Rights and the grievance procedure process, please refer to Appendix C.

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