REVISIONS TO THE FOSTER PARENT BILL OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

To: REGIONAL EXECUTIVE STAFF, CIRCUIT MANAGERS, AND CHILDREN’S DIVISION STAFF
From: PAULA NEESE, DIRECTOR

REFERENCE: CHILDREN’S DIVISION

DISCUSSION:

This memorandum is to inform staff that the Foster Parent Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, contained in RSMo 210.566, were revised by the General Assembly in Senate Bill (SB) 25 during the 2007 legislative session and those revisions become effective August 28, 2007. The revisions resulted in several changes in the Child Welfare Manual and in the “Missouri Resource Parent Handbook”.

FOSTER PARENT BILL OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The revised provisions in the Foster Parent Bill of Rights and Responsibilities are listed below, followed by its impact to changes in the Child Welfare Manual.

210.566. 1. (1) The children’s division and its contractors recognizing that foster parents are not clients but are colleagues in the child welfare team and should be treated in a manner consistent with the National Association of Social Workers’ ethical standards. Foster parents shall treat the children in their care, the child’s birth family and members of the child welfare team in a manner consistent with their ethical responsibilities as professional team members.
IMPACT: Section 1, Chapters 3.1, 3.2, 3.3; Section 6, Chapter 2; Section 6, Chapter 7.2
210.566. 1. (2) The children’s division and its contractors shall provide written notification of the Foster Parent Bill of Rights and Responsibilities at licensure and at each licensure renewal following the initial licensure.
IMPACT: Section 1, Chapter 3.2
210.566. 2. (1) Provide regularly scheduled opportunities for preservice and inservice training as determined by the Missouri State Foster Care and Advisory Board.
IMPACT: Section 1, Chapter 3.2; Section 6, Chapter 2.
210.566. 2. (2) The children’s division and its contractors shall provide to foster parents and potential adoptive parents prior to placement full disclosure of all medical, psychological, and psychiatric conditions of the child, as well as information from previous placements that would indicate that the child or children may have a propensity to cause violence to any member of the foster family home. Provide information regarding the child or child’s family, including but not limited to the case plan, any family history of mental or physical illness, sexual abuse of the child or the child’s family, fire-setting or other destructive behavior by the child, substance abuse by the child or child’s family, or any other information which is pertinent to the care and needs of the child and to protect the foster or adoptive family. Knowingly providing false or misleading information in order to secure placement shall be denoted in the caseworker’s personnel file and shall be kept on record by the division.
IMPACT: Section 1, Chapter 3.2; Section 4, Chapter 4.4.5; Section 4, Chapter 5.1; Section 5, Chapter 2.7.
210.566. 2. (5) Foster parents shall be informed in a timely manner by the children’s division and its contractors of all team meetings and staffings concerning their licensure status or children placed in their homes.
IMPACT: Section 1, Chapter 3.2
210.566. 2. (6) Foster parents shall follow all procedures established by the children’s division and its contractors for requesting and using respite care.
IMPACT: Section 1, Chapter 3.3; Section 4, Chapter 17.5.
210.566. 2. (7) Provide information necessary for the medical and psychiatric care of the child to the appropriate practitioners/school personnel in order to secure a safe and appropriate education for the child. Foster parents shall share information/concerns they learn about the child/child’s family with the caseworkers and other members of the child welfare team.
IMPACT: Section 1, Chapters 3.2 and 3.3.
210.566. 3. (1) Visitations should be scheduled at a time that meets the needs of the child, the biological family members, and the foster family whenever possible. Recognizing that visitation with family members is an important right of children in foster care, foster parents shall be flexible and cooperative with regard to family visits.
IMPACT: Section 1, Chapter 3.2; Section 4, Chapter 6.1, Section 4, Chapter 7 Attachment A.
210.566. 3. (2) The children’s division and its contractors shall provide foster parents with training that specifically addresses cultural needs of children, including but not limited to, information on skin and hair care, specific religious or cultural practices of the child’s biological family and referrals to community resources for ongoing education and support.
IMPACT: Section 1, Chapter 3.2; Section 6, Chapter 2.
210.566. 3. (3) Foster parents shall use discipline methods which are consistent with children’s division policy.
IMPACT: Section 1, Chapter 3.3; Section 4, Chapter 6.1.
210.566. 4. (2) Except in emergencies, foster parents shall give two weeks advance notice and a written statement of the reasons before a child is removed from their care. When requesting removal of a child from their home, foster parents shall give two weeks advance notice, consistent with division policy, to the child’s caseworker, except in emergency situations.
IMPACT: Section 1, Chapters 3.2 and 3.3.
210.566. 4. (3) Recognizing the critical nature of attachment for children, if a child reenters the foster care system and is not placed in a relative home, the child’s former foster parents shall be given first consideration for placement of the child.
IMPACT: Section 1, Chapter 3.2; Section 4, Chapter 4 Attachment B, Section 4, Chapter 29.3.
210.566. 4. (5) If a foster child becomes free for adoption and the foster parents desire to adopt the child, they shall inform the caseworker within sixty days of the caseworker’s initial query. If they do not choose to pursue adoption, foster parents shall make every effort to support and encourage the child’s placement in a permanent home, including but not limited to providing information on the history and care needs of the child and accommodating transitional visitation.
IMPACT: Section 1 Chapter 3.3; Section 4, Chapter 6.1; Section 4, Chapter 27.4; Section 4, Chapter 28.9, Section 4, Chapter 29.3.
210.566. 5. Foster parents shall be informed by the court no later than two weeks prior to all court hearings pertaining to the child.
IMPACT: Section 1, Chapter 3.2.
210.566. 6. The children’s division and their contractors shall provide access to a fair and impartial grievance process to address licensure, case management decisions and delivery of service issues.
IMPACT: Section 1, Chapter 3.2; Section 6, Chapters 7.1 and 7.2; and Section 8, Chapter 1.
210.566. 7. The children’s division and their contractors shall provide training to foster parents on the policies and procedures governing licensure of foster homes, the provisions of foster care and the adoption process. Foster parents shall, upon request, be provided with written documentation of the policies of the children’s division and their contractors. Per licensure requirements, foster parents shall comply with the policies of the child placement agency.
IMPACT: Section 1, Chapter 1.2; Section 1, Chapters 3.2 and 3.3; Section 6, Chapter 2.

To review the Foster Parent Bill of Rights and Responsibilities in its entirety staff can link to RSMo 210.566.

MO RESOURCE PARENT HANDBOOK AVAILABILITY

The MO Resource Parent Handbook is available for printing from the Children’s Division website and a limited number of copies of the English version will be made available to Regional Directors. A Spanish version of the “MO Resource Parent Handbook” will be available in the near future.

NECESSARY ACTION: