Foster Parent Handbook :
This document is provided as a resource, and has many sections. These quick links will get you to frequently asked topics, however, this list is not an exhaustive table of contents for this handbook.
Welcome to the SRS Foster Parent Handbook! In the pages that follow, you will gain practical information on a number of issues of interest to foster parents around the state. The Division of Children and Family Policy (CFP) is dedicated to an ongoing process of communication with one of our most precious assets---the families who provide care to the children in our custody. The children in our care benefit tremendously when foster parents, the agencies they work for, and SRS communicate effectively as a team.
Foster parents should find this handbook to be a source of specific, detailed information that will help to avoid the pressures that often arise from being unclear about significant agency policies and expectations. However, this manual will not answer many of the questions you might have, as each foster parent sponsoring agency may have differing policies and procedures. This manual is intended to compliment any manuals your sponsoring agency might have.
As foster parents, you play a vital role in the permanency planning process for children. A permanent home is the ultimate goal for all children in the custody of the Secretary of SRS. Foster care is intended to provide children with a temporary residence until they can return to the home of their parents; be placed with relatives; find permanent, adoptive homes; or enter into adult self sufficiency. One of your roles is to provide daily care, understanding, and support aimed at promoting healthy physical and emotional growth while the child is separated from his or her family. Foster parents posses the qualities that enable them to open their homes to unknown children on a temporary basis and provide a loving and caring atmosphere. It takes a very special person to form an attachment to the child and at the same time be able to let go of him or her when the placement is ended. In addition, many foster parents are able to be supportive of the child’s family, both during and after the child has left their home.
An equally important role is your membership on the child’s case planning team. As a foster parent you possess unique and relevant information on the child’s growth, development, and needs. A case planning conference is held on each child in the custody of the Secretary to support the family and child during the time they are separated. Please see Page 3 for additional information on case planning conferences.
We hope you will find these pages a worthwhile reference guide to foster parenting in the State of Kansas.
THE SRS MISSION STATEMENT
The SRS mission statement is “To Protect Children and Promote Adult Self-Sufficiency.” We seek to accomplish this mission through a process of partnering with community services in cities and towns across Kansas.
PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE
In 1995, Kansas took a bold new step to revamp the delivery of services to children and their families by awarding contracts to private child welfare agencies for family preservation, foster care, and adoption services. The services provided by private agencies include assessment, case management to provide or coordinate physical and mental health services, educational services, family supports, and services necessary for reintegration and aftercare or for movement to adoption or alternative permanencies. These services are more comprehensive than those provided by SRS in the past. Decreased caseloads for private child welfare agency staff have resulted in a system which provides better safety for children in foster care and after reintegration, fewer moves for children while in placement, and better rates for reintegration of children back into their homes.
Currently there are five foster care contract agencies delivering services in the five foster care regions of the state. Foster care contractors are Child Placing Agencies licensed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). Foster parents may affiliate with any of the foster care contractors in order to provide care for children placed in the custody of the Secretary of SRS.
Please See Appendix B for a map of the five foster care regions.
THE FOSTER CARE TEAM
As foster parents, you are considered an integral part of the foster care team providing services to the children in our care. Other members of the team include the child’s biological parents, the Guardian Ad Litem, the juvenile court judge, the SRS social worker, the contractor case manager/social worker, and any professionals in the community, such as therapists, psychologists, medical doctors, teachers, etc. who are involved in the life of the foster child.
Foster parents are to be treated with respect and courtesy as members of this very special team. You should be invited to each case planning conference held regarding the child.
Case Planning for Children in Foster Care
A case planning conference is a special meeting of key persons who are responsible directly or indirectly for problem solving and decision-making in regard to a foster child’s case. The end result of a case planning conference is the development of a child and family’s case plan.
The case plan is a sort of “map” that parents, the child, social workers, case managers, and other treatment professionals will follow with the goal of removing the child from temporary care and into a more permanent setting. The plan lists out the problems that caused the child to be put into foster care in the first place, what actions are necessary to address those problems, what might happen to the child if the case plan is not followed, and a recommendation for a permanent family for the child.
Contractor case managers/social workers have the responsibility for convening the initial case planning conference within 20 calendar days from the foster child coming into care and no more than every 170 days thereafter.
Options for a more permanent placement include reintegration with biological parents, placement with a relative, guardianship with a responsible adult, living independently, and adoption.
The Role of the Foster Parent/Family
Foster parenting is one of the most challenging roles an individual can undertake. You will be providing parenting to children who are not your own. Your foster child will come to you with his/her own personality traits, habits (both good and bad!), family history, attitudes, and fears. Foster children especially need love, safety, and stability. You will be called upon to be more loving, understanding, accepting, and persevering than at practically any other time in your life.
Foster parents should be persons who:
P Care about others and can respond to their needs;
P Love a child unconditionally;
P Enjoy being parents;
P Give love and affection, expecting little in return;
P If married, have a stable and fulfilling marriage
P Respect and honor diversity, and care for children from different cultures;
P Support the child’s biological family and be supportive when the child leaves your care to be reintegrated back home, live independently, be placed into adoptive care, or leave care to live with another family member;
P Adapt to constantly changing conditions in your home.
Foster parents assume many responsibilities in providing for the daily needs of foster children. These responsibilities include:
P Providing a child with a home, meals, and in many cases clothing;
P Transporting him/her to school if transportation is not otherwise available;
P Obtaining emergency medical treatment if needed;
P Keeping scheduled medical/dental/therapy appointments;
P Notifying your case manager/social worker or worker’s supervisor immediately in the event of an emergency;
P Participating with the contractor case manager, SRS worker, and birth parents in case planning for the child;
P Working together with the contractor case manager to schedule visits with the child’s parents and siblings;
P Working together with the contractor case manager to build a “Lifebook” for each foster child;
P Maintaining the Child Information Folder on each foster child in care and assuring it is given back to the contractor case manager when the child leaves care. (Further information is provided in a later section.)
P Providing the child with opportunities for religious development according to family wishes.
P Reporting to the court every six months on forms provided by the contractor.
P When possible, provide support, mentoring, and modeling for biological parents when reintegration is the goal for the foster child.
P Working with the child’s school to facilitate the child’s continued education during the time the child is in out of home placement.
The Role of the SRS Social Worker
SRS maintains standards the contractors must comply with as they provide foster care services to the children in the custody of the Secretary. SRS social workers closely monitor the work of the contractor to ensure that these standards are met. SRS social workers are also active members of the child’s case planning team.
The main responsibilities of the SRS social worker include:
P Attending each case planning conference for the foster child and determining what the eventual outcome is for the case, whether that outcome is reintegration with parents or another relative, living independently, adoption, or permanent guardianship with a responsible adult;
P Tracking the progress of the child and family toward meeting the goals of the case plan;
P Consulting with the contract worker when there appears to be little to no progress being made toward meeting the goals of the case plan.
The Role of the Contractor Case Manager/Social Worker
Your child’s contractor case manager or social worker is the main contact for your foster child. He or she is the one responsible for the everyday tasks involved in the provision of services for the child in your care.
The main responsibilities of the contractor case manager or social worker include:
P Accepting physical custody of the child at the time of referral;
P Choosing a foster home for the child which best suits his/her needs;
P Transporting the child to the initial foster home placement;
P Informing SRS where the child is placed;
P Providing foster parents with a copy of the booklet “Medical Card Benefits for Foster and Adoptive Parents”;
P Providing information to the foster parent about how and when agency reimbursement for the child’s needs will be made.
P Arranging visits with the foster child and his/her family.
P Initiating case planning activities within one week of the child’s referral into foster care. A case planning conference is held on all foster children within 20 calendar days of their placement into foster care and at least every 170 days thereafter as long as the foster child is in the custody of the Secretary of SRS. Foster parents should be invited to every case planning conference for children they provide care for, as their input is necessary and valuable to the case planning process.
P Working with the foster child’s family to address the problems/issues that made it necessary for the child to be removed from the parents’ care. This may include making referrals for therapy, scheduling drug/alcohol assessments, supervising visits with the foster child and his/her family if necessary, and keeping track of parents’ progress.
P Making sure that foster children receive a Kan Be Healthy health screening and are scheduled for medical/dental visits as needed.
P Ensuring that the Child Information Folder on each child in care is constantly updated by foster parents. The Child Information Folder is passed on to each new care provider, including group facility staff, with each new placement. (Further information is provided in a later section.)
P Ensuring a smooth transition between the foster a care contractor and the adoption contractor if the parental rights to your foster child are terminated.
P Providing information regarding the foster child’s case to SRS for monitoring purposes and so that SRS can write reports to the court.
P Working with the foster child’s school to ensure that the child’s educational needs are being met.
P Providing medical, educational, and mental health information to foster parents at the time of a foster child’s placement.
P Completing the Educational Enrollment Information Form (EEIF) when a child moves to a new school.
P Providing necessary child care resources for foster children and for the infants of teenaged mothers child care is not available from other sources.
P Providing the foster parent with information about the foster parents’
responsibility to provide a report to the court every six-month time period of the child’s placement in their home.
The Role of the Guardian Ad Litem
The Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) is an attorney appointed by the juvenile court judge to represent the child in court and to make recommendations to the court regarding the foster child’s best interests. The Guardian Ad Litem has a responsibility to meet with the child before each court hearing and determine the wishes of the child. He or she usually also hears recommendations from the foster care team. The Guardian Ad Litem’s role is somewhat different from that of an attorney for the foster child. He or she considers the child's wishes, but also is required to make an independent judgment of what is in the best interest of the child, even if that is not what the child wants.
The Role of the Juvenile Court Judge
The juvenile court system, as it pertains to Children in Need of Care (see below) is based on the goal of protecting children, preferably in their own homes, and the goal of providing stability or permanency. Juvenile court proceedings are seen as civil actions, not criminal trials. The Supreme Court once stated that “The Juvenile Court is engaged in determining the needs of the child and of society rather than adjudicating criminal conduct.”
The juvenile court judge has the authority to act as a parent when it is determined that the parent is unable to fulfill these duties. The judge is able to determine if a child should be taken into the custody of the Secretary of SRS, if a child should be committed to an institution, if a child can be returned home or placed into another responsible adult’s custody, if the rights o the biological parents are terminated, whether a child can be placed in an adoptive setting, and if a child can be released from the custody of the Secretary of SRS.
CHILDREN COMING TO THE ATTENTION OF SRS
Any child placed into a foster home by SRS will have been placed in the custody of the Secretary of SRS by a local judge with jurisdiction. The child will be referred to by the court as a “child in need of care,” commonly referred to as a “CINC” (pronounced sink).
A child in need of care as defined in K.S.A. 38-38-1502 (a) is a child less than 18 years of age who:
1. is without adequate parental care, control, or subsistence and the condition is not due solely to the lack of financial means of the child’s parents or other custodian;
2. is without the care or control necessary for the child’s physical, mental, or emotional health;
3. has been physically, mentally, or emotionally abused or neglected or sexually abused;
4. has been placed for care or adoption in violation of law;
5. has been abandon ed or does not have a known living parent;
6. is not attending school as required by K.S.A. 72-977 or 72-1111 and amendments thereto;
7. except in the case of a violation of K.S.A. 41-727, subsection (j) of K.S.A. 74-8810 or subsection (m) or (n) of K.S.A. 79-3221, and amendments thereto, or, except as provided in subsection (a)(12) of K.S.A. 21-4204A and amendments thereto, does an act which, when committed by a person under 18 years of age, is prohibited by state law, city ordinance, or county resolution but which is not prohibited when done by an adult;
8. while less than 10 years of age, commits any act which if one by an adult would constitute the commission of a felony or misdemeanor as defined by K.S.A. 21-3505 and amendments thereto;
9. is willfully and voluntarily absent from the child’s home without the consent of the child’s parent or other custodian;
10. is willfully and voluntarily absent at least a second time from a court ordered or designated placement, or a placement pursuant to court order, if the absence is without the consent of the person with whom the child is placed, or if the child is placed in a facility, without the consent of the person in charge of such facility or the person’s designee;
11. has been residing in the same residence with a sibling or another person under 18 years of age who has been physically, mentally or emotionally abused or neglected, or sexually abused; or
12. while less than 10 years of age commits the offense defined in K.S.A. 21-4204a and amendments thereto.
Each SRS area office employs a Medicaid Liaison who can assist with questions regarding the use of medical cards for foster children. They can also direct you to doctors and dentists who accept the medical card.
At the time of this writing, the Medicaid Liaisons are:
Hays Area Office Gayle Hanson (785) 628-1066
Garden City Area Office Mary Calzonetti (620) 272-5839
Hutchinson Area Office Cindy Proett (620) 663-5731
Manhattan Area Office Kayla Paige (785) 826-8000
Wichita Area Office Emily Gagnebin (316) 337-6350
Mark Madden (316) 337-6123
Lawrence Area Office Michelle Swain (785) 832-3885
Topeka Area Office Kirk Maher (785) 296-0396
Emporia Area Office Beth Gates (785) 321-4200
Kansas City Area Office Monica Sipple (913) 279-7689
Overland Park Area Office Danny Hewett (913) 826-7577
Chanute Area Office Rita Stapleton (620) 431-5098
You may check your local information for more current phone listings.
There is a toll-free hotline to assist in locating doctors and dentists who accept the medical card. For information about Medicaid questions, please call the hotline at 1-800-766-9012.
To More information on Medical Forms for children in foster care, visit:
For More information Medical Card Benefits for children in foster care, visit
Foster parents have long been concerned that not enough information is provided to them regarding the children in their care. Foster care contractors are being advised of the necessity of a “child information folder,” a packet of information that will follow a foster child from placement to placement. The folder can be arranged in any number of ways, but should include the following information:
Placement Section Medical section
Child’s history Medical card
Past/Current Goals Consent for Medical Treatment
Daily schedule Immunization Records
Behavioral Emotional concerns Private Insurance Information
Positives/Negatives Kan Be Healthy information
Inventory: clothing, toys, books, etc. Doctor’s Reports (including any diagnoses)
Current case plan/discharge plan Medical and dental history
Legal Section School Information Section
Social Security card Grade level and grade cards
Birth Certificate Individual Education Plan (IEP)
Ex-Parte Order Assessment tests/information regarding
CINC petition testing process
Journal entries School’s address, phone number, school district, updated EEIF form
Notes from previous caregivers
SRS emphasizes the importance of empowering families to identify services needed to
maintain and preserve their family unit. Further emphasis is placed on families playing
a key role in developing their case plans. Case plans are written for all children in the
custody of the Secretary of SRS in order to outline or document the changes needed to be made in the family situation that would allow children to return home and remain there safely.
Children should grow up with their own parents whenever possible. Parents give their children life, assume financial responsibility for their children’s care, and have legal authority over their children, including the right to make major decisions on their children’s behalf. They generally also provide love and discipline, meet daily needs, teach life skills, and transmit values and spiritual guidance. All aspects of parenting are critical to the growth and development of children and should be provided by the children’s parents whenever feasible.
When parental care is not available or appropriate at the time of removal, a relative shall first be sought to provide care for the child. This is much less traumatic for a child being removed from his/her family to be with people he or she knows who can provide continuity.
Regardless of the circumstances of the child’s removal from parental care, the child’s case planning team should support the relationship between the children in their case and their families. A level of respect MUST be given to children’s ties to their parents, siblings, and kin and should include visits by and with parents, siblings, and kin unless contraindicated for safety reasons.
Research indicates that children who visit frequently with parents achieve reintegration more rapidly than those who don’t. Regular, successful visits can provide evidence that parents have learned now skills and are motivated to have their children returned to their care.
Whether the case plan is for reunification or other permanency option, the child’s relationship with his or her parents will be an important factor throughout the child’s life.
Foster parents are able to support the child/parent relationship in the following ways:
· facilitating visits as appropriate;
· facilitating other types of contact, including telephone calls and letters as appropriate:
· helping children create and maintain Lifebooks to help them keep positive memories alive and cope with separation;
· speaking of the parents in a positive manner;
· serving as a role model for the child’s parents; and
· presenting themselves as supportive caregivers who are in no way a replacement for the child’s parents.
When a child is placed in the custody of the Secretary, the child’s parents maintain many legal rights until and unless a determination is made by a court with legal jurisdiction that those rights should be terminated. Additionally, best practice or good child welfare practice requires respect for the right of parents to continue, to be greatest extent possible, acting as the parent. These rights include:
· reasonable, ongoing visitation with the child;
· requesting a certain religious upbringing;
· consenting to medical services or surgery;
· consenting to the marriage of a child under the age of 18;
· consenting to the adoption of a child;
· consenting to the military service of a child under the age of 18;
· making educational decisions for the child;
· participating in the development of the child’s case plan.
The Bill of Rights for Foster Children was ratified in Congress Hall, Philadelphia, on Saturday, April 28, 1973. It states the following:
Even more for other children, society has a responsibility along with parents for the well being of foster children. Citizens are responsible for acting to insure their welfare.
EVERY foster child is endowed with the rights inherently belonging to all children. In addition, because of temporary or permanent separation and loss of parents and other family members, the foster child requires special safeguards, resources, and care.
EVERY foster child has the inherent right:
Article the first: to be cherished by a family is his own, either his family helped by readily available services and supports to reassume his care, or an adoptive family or by plan, a continuing foster family.
Article the second: to be nurtured by foster parents who have been selected to meet his individual needs, and who are provided services and supports, including specialized education, so that they can grow in their ability to enable the child to reach his potential.
Article the third: to receive sensitive, continuing help in understanding and
accepting the reasons for his own family's inability to take care of
him, and in developing confidence in his own self-worth.
Article the fourth: to receive continuing loving care and respect as a unique
human being ....a child growing in trust in himself and others.
Article the fifth: to grow up in freedom and dignity in a neighborhood of people who accept him with understanding, respect and friendship.
Article the sixth: to receive help in overcoming deprivation or whatever distortion in
his emotional, physical, intellectual, social and spiritual growth may
have resulted from his early experiences.
Article the seventh: to receive education, training, and career guidance to prepare him
for a useful and satisfying life.
Article the eighth: to receive preparation for citizenship and parenthood through
interaction with foster parents and other adults who are consistent
role models.
Article the ninth: to be represented by an attorney at law in administrative or judicial
proceedings with access to fair hearings and court review of
decisions, so that his best interests are safeguarded.
Article the tenth: to receive a high quality of child welfare services, including
involvement of the natural parents and his own involvement in
major decisions that affect his life.
SRS is committed to the belief that foster parents are an integral part of permanency planning. The foster parents of the State of Kansas are a crucial resource in the mission of SRS to provide for child safety, permanency, and well being. They are to be awarded the same level of respect as other members of the child’s team.
POLICY STATEMENT ON DISCIPLINE
Discipline is an essential part of child rearing and when used positively it contributes to the healthy growth and development of a child, establishing positive patterns of behavior in preparation for adulthood. The object of discipline is to promote behaviors beneficial to the child’s development and welfare and to change and/or eliminate behaviors that are injurious to his or her well-being. Therefore, SRS encourages positive discipline as a most important aspect of child rearing practices for children and youth for whom SRS purchases and/or provides services and care.
Positive discipline, used for purposes of guiding and teaching the child, provides the child with encouragement, a sense of satisfaction, and helps the child understand the consequences of his/her behavior. Effective, positive discipline imposes behavioral limitations on the child which can provide the child with a sense of security, engender a respect for order, and effectively enlists the child’s help rather than locking the child and adult into a power struggle or adversarial, punishing relationship. Positive discipline also promotes the child’s discovery of those values that will be of the greatest benefit to the child, both now and in the future.
There are laws that protect adults against actions which many children must endure and suffer daily under the guise of “discipline.” Many children who are in the custody of the Secretary have previously suffered too much physical pain, fear, humiliation, and emotional stress. We cannot perpetuate this negative pattern when we assume responsibility for their care.
Therefore, SRS does not view as acceptable discipline any action administered in a fashion which may cause any child to suffer physical or emotional damage. Disciplinary acts which cause pain, such as hitting, beatings, shaking, cursing, threatening, binding, closeting, prolonged isolation, denial of meals, and derogatory remarks about the child or his/her family are not acceptable.
While the foregoing statement is not inclusive in terms of unacceptable forms of discipline, it does provide a guideline for the establishment of the following statement of policy:
IT SHALL BE THE POLICY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AND REHABILITATION SERVICES THAT WE NOT PURCHASE OR CONTINUE TO PURCHASE SERVICES FROM PROVIDERS WHO USE DISCIPLINARY ACTS WHICH CAUSE PAIN SUCH AS HITTING, BEATINGS, SHAKING, CURSING, THREATENING, BINDING, CLOSETING, PROLONGED ISOLATION, DENIAL OF MEALS, AND DEROGATORY REMARKS ABOUT THE CHILD OR HIS/HER FAMILY. NOR SHALL SUCH DISCIPLINARY ACTS BE TOLERATED WHEN PRACTICED BY SRS EMPLOYEES IN REGARD TO CHILDREN IN THE CARE OF THE AGENCY.
The National Foster Parent Association (NFPA) has published what it believes to be the “Basic Rights of Foster Parents.” These rights as updated on June 21, 2002 are:
Foster Parents have the right to:
a. Be treated with consideration, respect for personal dignity, and privacy.
b. Be included as a valued member of the service team.
c. Receive support services which assist in the care of the child in their home including an open and timely response from agency personnel.
d. Be informed of all information regarding the child that will impact their home or family life during the care of the foster child.
e. Have input into the permanency plan in their home.
f. Assurance of safety for their family members.
g. Assistance in dealing with family loss and separation when a child leaves their home.
h. Be informed of all agency policies and procedures that relate to their role as foster care giver.
i. Receive training that will enhance their skills and ability to cope as foster care givers.
j. Be informed of how to receive services and reach personnel on a 24 hour day, 7 days a week basis.
k. Be granted a reasonable plan for relief from the role of foster care giver.
l. Confidentiality regarding issues that arise in the foster family home.
m. Not be discriminated against on the basis of religion, race, color, creed, sex, national origins, age, or physical handicap.
n. Receive evaluation and feedback on their role of foster care giver.
SRS considers these rights as basic and reasonable. If you feel you are not being treated with the respect you deserve as part of the child’s team, please discuss your concerns with your worker or the worker’s supervisor. Contact telephone numbers for each foster care contractor can be found in this manual.
NATIONAL FOSTER PARENT ASSOCIATION CODE OF ETHICS
Each foster parent has an obligation to maintain and constantly improve the practice of fostering; to examine, use and increase the knowledge upon which fostering is based; and to perform the service of fostering with integrity and competence.
Principles:
1. I regard as my primary obligation the welfare of the child served.
2. I shall work objectively with the agency in effecting a plan for the child in my care.
3. I hold myself responsible for the quality and extent of the services I perform.
4. I accept the reluctance of the child to discuss his/her past.
5. I shall keep confidential from the community information pertaining to any child placed in my home.
6. I treat with respect the findings, views, and actions of fellow foster parents, and use appropriate channels, such as the Foster Parent Association, to express my opinions.
7. I shall take advantage of available opportunities for education and training designed to upgrade my performance as a foster parent.
8. I respect the worth of all individuals regardless of race, religion, sex, or national ancestry in my capacity as a foster parent.
9. I accept the responsibility to work toward assuring that ethical standards are adhered to by any individual or organization providing foster care services.
10. I shall distinguish clearly in public between my statements and actions as an individual, and as a representative of a foster parent organization.
11. I accept responsibility for working toward the creation and maintenance of conditions within the field of foster care that enable parents to uphold the principles of this code.
LICENSING OF FAMILY FOSTER HOMES
Family foster homes in Kansas are evaluated by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) in cooperation with sponsoring child placing agencies. Homes must meet expectations set out in Kansas laws and regulations. Please see Appendix A for a list of the regulations. A copy of Kansas licensing laws, K.S.A. 65-501 et seq., can be obtained from KDHE. K.A.R 28-4-311 through 28-4-317 and 28-4-118.
In addition to the requirements of statute and regulation, the following tasks are also required:
• Complete the 30-hour “Model Approach for Partnerships in Parenting”
curriculum offered by private child welfare agencies statewide. Provide
the Certificate of Completion to the sponsoring agency employee assisting the family with the licensing process
• Obtain, with the assistance of the sponsoring agency, a criminal history background check through the Kansas Bureau of Investigation on each family member aged ten years and over.
• Obtain, with the assistance of the sponsoring agency, a child abuse history background check through the Division of Children and Policy, SRS on each family member aged ten years and over.
In addition, the sponsoring agency social worker must complete a detailed home study on each family desiring licensure. The home study includes important information such as each foster family member’s history, the physical structure of the home, characteristics of the neighborhood, and recommendations regarding whether or not a license should be issued to the family.
Yearly Review of License
Some time between nine months and one year after a license is issued, a social worker from your sponsoring agency will visit your home and assist you in completing paperwork for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The agency social worker will make a recommendation as to whether your license should be continued or revoked. These review visits occur yearly as long as you hold your foster home license.
FOSTER HOME TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
SRS requires that all foster parents complete the Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP) training curriculum before the foster home license will be issued by KDHE. MAPP is a 30-hour pre service training provided by several child welfare agencies around the state. Please refer to the contractor map provided in Appendix B to find out whom to contact to determine when MAPP classes are offered in your area.
Additionally, KDHE requires that each foster parent in the home receive a minimum of six (6) hours of training each year in order to maintain the foster home license. The training must be one of the approved topics as defined by KDHE.
Most training regarding child safety, child psychology, and child care qualifies for the six hours each foster parent needs for relicensure. If you have questions as to whether the training you receive will count for the six hours of training, please call your sponsoring agency or KDHE at (785) 296-1270.
DEFINITIONS OF CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT
Definition of Physical Abuse
State regulations define Physical Abuse as “non accidental or intentional action or inaction which results in bodily injury or which presents likelihood of death or bodily injury.”
Examples of situations which SRS would probably investigate include: current fractures, burns, or other marks in which the explanation is inconsistent with injuries; child with internal injuries possibly due to caregiver actions; child given alcohol, drugs, or tobacco products with harm to the child; hair pulling resulting in bald spots, caregiver bites child resulting in injury; bizarre or brutal discipline; confined or locked in area; care giver demonstrates a lack of control which places a child at risk: throwing a child across a room, pushing child near stairs, shaking a child; care giver hitting child with an object including belts, combs/brushes, hangers, cords, fly swatters, etc.
Definition of Sexual Abuse
State regulations define Sexual Abuse as “any contact or interaction with a child in which the child is being used for the sexual stimulation of the perpetrator, the child, or other person. Sexual abuse shall include allowing, permitting, or encouraging a child to engage in prostitution or to be photographed, filmed, or depicted in obscene or pornographic material.”
Examples of situations which SRS would probably investigate include: child of any age disclosing sexual abuse; or incest (any age).
Definition of Emotional Abuse
State regulations define Emotional (Mental) Abuse as “acts or omissions which impair a child’s social, emotional, or intellectual functioning or present a likelihood of such impairment.” It includes terrorizing a child by creating a climate of fear or engaging in violent or threatening behavior toward the child or toward others in the child’s presence which demonstrates a flagrant disregard for the child; emotionally abandoning a child by being psychologically unavailable for the child; demonstrating no attachment to the child; or failing to provide adequate nurturing for the child; corrupting a child by teaching or rewarding the child for unlawful, antisocial, or sexually precocious behaviors or engaging in any behavior of substantially the same nature or having substantially the same effect on the child.
Examples of situations which SRS would probably investigate include: parental behavior which causes observable and detrimental effects on the child (isolating the child, not allowing the child to interact/live with the rest of the family, and excessive blaming of the child) and physical violence of regular care givers in front of the child.
Definition of Physical Neglect
State regulations define Physical Neglect as “acts or omissions resulting in harm to a child or which present a likelihood of harm.” It includes failure to provide the child with food, clothing, or shelter necessary to sustain the life or health of the child.
Examples of situations which SRS would probably investigate include: household with bug or rodent infestation to the point the child is impacted (example: roaches in ears, rat bites on child); significant weight loss indicating malnourishment (unrelated to a medical condition); home presents a health or safety hazard endangering a child (constant presence of feces, broken glass, exposed wiring accessible to the child), and methamphetamine labs present in the home with children.
Definition of Medical Neglect
Medical neglect is considered as a failure to use resources available or any behavior or omission of behavior designed to treat a diagnosed medical condition and such treatment that will (or would have) make a child substantially more comfortable, reduce pain and suffering, correct or substantially diminish a crippling condition, lengthen the life span or prevent the condition from worsening.
Examples of situations which SRS would probably investigate include: Critical or negative consequence on the health of the child due to missed medical appointments; parents refusing to learn new techniques to use with a high risk newborn requiring special care; and lack of medical treatment posing substantial likelihood of harm including illnesses, optical, or dental needs.
Definition of Abandonment
Abandonment is defined in the Kansas Code for Children as having given up, forsaken, or deserted with stated or apparent intent not to resume the relationship. The Code also refers to a child having been abandoned or does not know a living parent as a basis for a parental rights termination. SRS considers abandonment as a form of neglect.
Examples of situations which SRS would probably investigate include: infants/children left in a hospital, street, or other public place with no care giver located; credible information or criminal evidence of parents’ intent to abandon without any alternative provision for a period of time; parents have demonstrated a refusal to let a child return to the home or alternative living arrangement for reasons other than fear of the child’s behavior or a stated inability to protect the child from his/her reckless, runaway, or out of control behavior.
Definition of Lack of Supervision
State regulations define neglect as “acts or omissions resulting in harm to a child or which presents a likelihood of harm.” This definition includes the failure to provide adequate supervision of a child or to remove a child from a situation that requires judgments and actions beyond the child’s level of maturity, physical condition, or mental abilities and results in bodily harm or likelihood of harm to the child. SRS considers abandonment as a form of neglect.
Examples of situations which SRS would probably investigate include: the parent knows a child is at risk of harm from abuse and/or neglect and continues to allow access by the perpetrator; a child, age six or younger, left alone for any amount of time; a child left with a care giver who is mentally or physically unable to protect the child or meet the child’s needs; the care giver leaving a child to live without any adult supervision; the failure of a parent to make reasonable efforts to prevent a child from having a sexual relationship (example: a 13-year-old adolescent having sex with an 18-year-old youth who parents have allowed to move in and share a bedroom with the child); children under the age of 16 left without adult supervision overnight.
Child in Need of Care: Non Abuse/Neglect
Some children come to the attention of SRS for reasons other than abuse and/or neglect. Usually these are children in conflict with school, home, and/or the community. Examples of Non Abuse/Neglect cases include runaways, homeless families, criminal offenses by a child under the age of ten, overwhelmed parents, and children without proper parental control. SRS is the agency designated to assess all truancy reports of children 12 years and under.
SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT IN FOSTER HOMES
When SRS receives a report of suspected child abuse or neglect, a thorough investigation is conducted. KDHE and SRS may conduct the investigation together. Many people may be interviewed, including the foster child, you, your spouse, and members of your family. Findings are made when the investigation is complete.
A finding of “unsubstantiated” means that SRS considers that, based on the evidence, it is more likely than not the abuse did not occur. A “substantiated” finding means that SRS believes the report to be true and that abuse did occur.
An incident of abuse can be substantiated with or without a perpetrator being identified. When a perpetrator can be identified, a decision must be made as to whether to validate so the perpetrator’s name is listed on the SRS child abuse and neglect registry.
A perpetrator is found to be “substantiated” if the incident is found to have caused less than severe harm to the child. Corrective action plans are offered to foster parents who are substantiated. A corrective action plan is jointly developed by the SRS social worker, the alleged perpetrator and the foster parent’s sponsoring agency. The purpose of the plan is to improve the foster parents ability to care for children and avoid abusive or neglectful behavior.
A finding of “validated” is given to the perpetrator if the incident is deemed to be serious. The end result of a “validated” finding is that the person’s name, date of birth, social security number, and other identifying identification is kept on a registry with the names of other persons who have been validated as having committed child abuse. When this occurs, the foster home loses its license to provide foster care, and the perpetrator of the abuse is then unable to work, reside, or volunteer in child care facilities regulated by KDHE and may not be able to work in other care giving careers.
There is an appeal process for persons who have been validated. The finding is not considered final and inclusion on the child abuse and neglect registry does not occur until after the person has either:
1. Not appealed the finding on a timely basis, or
2. The validated finding has been sustained by the highest level in the appeal process.
Being the subject of an SRS abuse/neglect investigation is usually a very stressful process. In cases where the allegations involve sexual abuse or severe physical abuse, the foster children placed in your home may be removed from your care. It is good to have friends, family, and other foster parents available to you for emotional support, as the social workers involved in your foster child’s care have to maintain a neutral position while the investigation is being completed. This position of neutrality can be very confusing for foster parents.
The following are some tips if you are accused of abuse or neglect:
W Do not isolate yourselves, especially from other foster parents. Remember that foster families are at a high risk of being alleged of abuse/neglect.
W Maintain your professionalism as foster parents. Cooperate fully with the investigation, insisting that you be able to provide full input and on being treated appropriately.
There are some things you can do as a foster parent in order to reduce the risk of being suspected of child abuse. The following are some tips:
W Assume that allegations of abuse are going to happen. SRS will have to take the report seriously, no matter what your relationship may be with SRS, the private contractor, and your sponsoring agency.
W Maintain a journal of the daily events in your home. This journal is separate from the documentation you keep on the child. The journal should contain communication and contacts with SRS and the private contractor, your sponsoring agency, the foster child, the biological family, and others as appropriate.
W Select trusted individuals in your community, a minister, priest, or neighbor.
W If the foster child is sexually active, has a history of acting out sexually, has provocative behavior, or has a history of sexual abuse, family members should avoid placing themselves in situations where they are alone with the foster child for extended periods of time.
W Refrain from activities with the foster child that could be considered by the child as threatening.
W Never use physical discipline on foster children. Many are survivors of physical abuse. Your pre service training provides you with numerous alternatives to physical discipline.
W Never restrain a child unless you have been trained in proper restraint techniques. Get help from your social worker or from law enforcement as soon as you can.
QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN A FOSTER CHILD IS PLACED IN YOUR HOME
K.S.A. 38-1507 (d) (5) states that records and reports pertaining to a child in need of care received by the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services are to be disclosed to foster parents and other professionals as is reasonably necessary to carry out their lawful responsibilities to maintain their personal safety and the personal safety of individuals in their care or to diagnose, treat, care for or protect a child alleged to be in need of care.
This does not mean that foster parents are entitled to complete and full disclosures of information on foster children. It does mean that you are entitled to that information necessary to carry out your responsibilities as a foster parent to maintain your safety and the safety of those in your home.
You have every right to ask as many questions as you want of the persons who place the foster child in your home and those individuals who are responsible for the management of the child’s case. Some questions you might want to ask before accepting a foster child in your home are:
? Does the child take any medications?
? Does the child have enough medication on hand for the next few days?
? Does the child have any known allergies to animals, plants, food, medications, etc.?
? Does the child have any behavioral issues that might affect his or her safety or the safety of persons in my home?
? Does the child have any other behavioral issues I need to know about, i.e., sexual acting out, bed wetting, fire setting, stealing, and/or hoarding food?
? Does the child have any communicable or noncommunicable diseases I need to know about?
? What is the child’s medical history?
? Does the child have any special dietary needs?
? Does the child have any fears?
? Which persons are allowed to have phone contact with the child - school friends, the parents, other relatives, teachers, etc.?
? What is the child’s placement history? How many prior placements has the child had and with whom?
? Where did the child last attend school?
? What grade is the child in?
? Is the child in Special Education?
? Does the child have a mental health provider I need to make an appointment with?
WHEN TO CALL YOUR SOCIAL WORKER/CASE MANAGER
As vital members of a team, you and your foster child’s social worker/case manager will be working closely together, sharing information, problems, and successes. When you have a complaint or a problem, or otherwise need help, the first person to talk to is the contractor social worker/case manager assigned to you or foster child’s case. His or her role is to support you in every aspect of the very difficult job of foster parenting.
Making contact with your foster child’s social worker/case manager may at times be difficult as he or she has many duties away from the desk. Be persistent and patient. If you are unable to contact your foster child’s social worker/case manager or feel your needs are not being met, contact that worker’s supervisor.
Your foster child’s social worker/case manager can help you with the following: