Upon entry into care, the case manager must either take or obtain a photograph of each child. An updated photo should be taken at least every six (6) months for children six (6) years old or younger and then once a year for older children. An updated photo should also be taken whenever the child’s appearance changes. Staff should obtain a digital photograph whenever possible.

Tips for Child Photographs:

• Photo should be a head-and-shoulders color photo in which the child’s face is clearly seen, similar to a school portrait.
• The background should be plain or solid.
• The child should not be overly posed.
• There should be no other people, animals, or objects in the photo.
• The photograph should be taken indoors or out of direct sunlight.

Child Contact (all placements)

The child’s Children’s Service Worker shall meet face-to-face, individually and jointly, with the child and the resource provider, at the placement, no later than the next business day following initial placement and any time a child changes placement during out-of-home care, including trial home visits. Arrangements may be made for someone other than the case worker to complete this visit with supervisory approval.  The case manager should then meet face-to-face with the child a minimum of one time per month with the majority of the visits being in the placement to monitor and assess the safety of the child.  The case manager is required to have at least monthly contact with the placement provider, of which the majority should be in placement setting. 

Examples of the majority include:

• If a child is in foster care for 6 months during October 1 thru September 30, 4 out of the 6 required visits during that time frame must be in the child’s placement.
• If a child is in foster care for only 2 months during the Federal Fiscal year, 2 visits must occur in their placement as the majority of the visits are required in that setting.
• If a child has been placed in a foster home for 5 months, 3 of the visits held with the provider must be in the provider’s home.

The visit with the child is to continually assess:

• The child’s safety in the placement
• The child’s reaction to separation from his family
• The child’s perception/understanding of the problem and what he would like to see happen
• The child’s adjustment to placement
• The resource provider’s perception of the child’s adjustment to placement
• The Children’s Service Worker’s observation of the child’s adjustment to placement
• The resource provider’s response to the sibling group’s adjustment and
• The sibling group’s response to the resource provider.

The Children Service Worker must also provide and explain the Foster Care Bill of Rights to the child during the first visit.  This explanation should be done at a developmentally appropriate level and the case manager can include the foster parent or other support to the child in the discussion if needed.

Each visit should be of a high quality. Visits should be purposeful and provide a chance for the worker to engage with the child.  Some characteristics of a high quality visit include:

• Good Communication
• Informing the child on the status of the case (events, goals, dates)
• Asking what the child wants (getting the child’s voice)
• Speaking with the child alone
• Responding timely to previous requests

The Division has the authority to provide services to a child and parent when the child is not in custody but is under court ordered supervision by the Division. This includes visiting with the child. Face-to-face visits in the home should be done no less than once a month or more as needed to assure the safety of the child and to achieve the case goal.

Assessing Safety in the Placement

Safety of the resource home should be assessed to ensure the placement provides the necessary support to the child. The resource family should be engaged to involve them in meeting the needs of the child and his/her parents. The following activities can help ensure this occurs:

• Assist the resource family in understanding the circumstances and behavior of the parent
• Encourage the resource provider to be a model for good parenting. This will be beneficial to the foster youth and parents
• Encourage child care practices which promote and protect the psychological, physical, and emotional well-being of the child
• Ensure the placement resource understands the Division’s restriction on use of physical punishment

The Children’s Service Worker and placement provider will discuss:

• The child’s adjustment
• The child’s reaction to visits
• The child’s behavioral, emotional/mental, trauma history, education, dental and physical concerns, progress or needs.
• The child’s educational and developmental progress
• The child’s loss and grief issues
• Any unmet needs identified in the Social Service Plan
• Parent’s progress in resolving identified risk factors and safety concerns
• Resource provider’s adjustment to the child’s placement
• Additional services necessary to maintain the placement
• Any new needs not already identified in the Social Service Plan Child Section
• Any progress made toward addressing previously identified needs in the Social Service Plan Child Section
• Next steps to address any ongoing or newly identified needs of the child
• Next steps in determining ability of child to be reunited with siblings, after therapist recommendation

If the child is placed in a residential setting, safety should still be assured by meeting with facility staff and discussing progress and plans for the child at least monthly. See chapter 2 for more information on Residential Rehabilitation Services.