Immediately Inform the Supervisor and Attorney

CPS may not place a child in a home with a denied home assessment. However, if the court orders the placement despite knowing that the home assessment is denied, the child’s caseworker must immediately do the following:

• Inform his or her supervisor.
• Inform the attorney representing CPS.
• Provide the supervisor and attorney with a copy of the home assessment.
• Consult with the supervisor, program director, program administrator, and attorney within 10 business days about next steps, including:
  • Identifying additional potential caregivers.
  • Discussing how the negative assessment may affect eligibility for Kinship Monthly Reimbursement Payments and the child’s permanency goal.
• Create a developmental plan to address any identified safety or risk issues and to ensure the child’s safety. The plan must be shared with the kinship development worker and the local permanency specialist, if applicable.
• Refer the kinship caregiver to the Kinship Program.

If a court orders a child to a placement where CPS believes the child is unsafe, the case must be staffed between the child’s caseworker, supervisor, program director, and program administrator the day of the order or the day the safety concerns are identified to determine the next steps to ensure child safety.

Inform Other Parties

After informing the supervisor and CPS attorney about the court-ordered placement, the child’s caseworker must inform the other parties to the suit, including the:

• Attorney ad litem for the child.
• Attorney for the parents.
• Parents, unless their whereabouts are unknown.
• Court appointed special advocate (CASA).
• Guardian ad litem for the child, if the guardian ad litem is not one of the parties listed here.