At the time of a child’s discharge from substitute care, the child’s caseworker must provide transition services to:

  •  the child;

  •  the substitute caregiver; and

  •  either:

  •  the child’s family if the child is returning home; or

  •  the caregiver with whom the child is being permanently placed if the child is not returning home.

The purpose of these services is to ensure a smooth transition by helping the child, the substitute caregiver, and the child’s family or other permanent caregiver adjust to the child’s permanent placement. To that end, the caseworker meets with each person involved in the transition to assess and discuss everyone’s needs and determine how they will be met.

Ordinarily, the caseworker’s specific planning for the child’s discharge from substitute care begins 30 to 45 days before the child’s discharge date.

If the Child Is Being Placed in Another State

If the child is being placed out of state, the caseworker must secure the approval of the appropriate Interstate Compact authority before asking the court to discharge the child. See the ICPC Resource GuidePDF Document.