Children in foster care need attentive workers to help meet their needs
Economic conditions, abuse, neglect, loss of parent/guardian and behaviors are some of the reasons why children enter foster care. The custodial agency, by law, must ensure that the safety, medical, emotional, social and physical needs of the children are met. Foster care workers, responding to state mandates, complete assessments, develop treatment plans, monitor placements, make referrals, provide life-skill tools, present judicial summaries, provide transportation and complete other tasks in order to adhere to the state laws regarding children in foster care and out-of-home placements.
Assessments
Foster care workers gather information to complete assessments on the child and family
When a child comes into care, the CPS or Child Protective Services worker completes the initial assessment. The assessment helps the worker identify family dynamics, the child's needs, the specific reason the child entered care and any services required. The foster care worker assigned to the child will complete an assessment to include information from the initial assessment, as well as any new and pertinent information. The assessment of needs is a guide to help foster care workers identify services to make appropriate referrals.
Treatment Plans
Every child in foster care must have a treatment plan
Treatment plans, sanctioned by the local Family Court, consist of goals and objectives for needs, which were identified in the assessment. For example, if the reason the child entered care was the result of domestic violence in the home, the treatment plan would address this issue. The treatment plan would include a referral to anger management classes and possibly relationship/marital counseling. The treatment plan would include who must attend the sessions, stipulations regarding the completion of the sessions, a time frame for completion and the person would have to demonstrate an understanding of the nature of the sessions. Failure of the client to adhere to the treatment plan could result in disciplinary actions by the court.
Monitoring
Foster care workers must monitor the placement of the child in care. Federal legislation stipulates that children must be placed in licensed facilities. The requirements of licensing are state specific, as long as they meet the federal statues. Foster care workers must visit the child regularly. What is considered "regularly" depends on the custodial state's requirements. Monitoring the placement also consists of monitoring the child's academic progress in school, monitoring counseling referrals, behaviors, social skills and medical issues. Foster care workers, as ordered by the Family Court System, must request medical, dental, academic, counseling and records from other service providers in order to determine the progress of the services needed.
Transportation
While foster parents and group home providers are required to facilitate transportation of the child, it is the ultimate responsibility of the custodial agency. If for some reason the foster parent or the group home provider cannot transport a child, the foster care worker must transport the child or arrange for alternate transportation. The foster care worker, an agent of the agency, is responsible for ensuring that the child is transported to medical appointments, dental appointments and other necessary appointments and meetings.
Court Reports
Another requirement of foster care workers is court summaries. The Family Court judge hears the case at least annually. Depending on the treatment plan and the progress, the judge hears the case frequently. A foster care worker can request a court hearing within the year, or a judge can order the case to come back to the bench within a certain amount of time. The Family Court hears testimony regarding the progress or lack of made towards meeting the goals of the treatment plan. If the parents or custodial parents are not adhering to the plan, the judge can order that the child remain in foster care. If the parents continue to show no effort, the judge can order a plan of adoption, and the foster care worker will make a referral to the appropriate adoption office. The foster care worker will continue to monitor the physical placement of the child, as well as services for the child. If the child is placed adoptively, the foster care worker's case is closed.
Tags: care worker, care workers, foster care worker, treatment plan, foster care, Family Court