Discuss the alternatives that CPS explores before placing children in foster care.

Discuss

Explain the rationale for foster care, including the use of kinship homes with their advantages and disadvantages.

Explain

Describe how foster care is meant to be therapeutic and what some of the problems might be.

Describe

Discuss the role of birth parents whose children are in foster care.

Discuss

Outline what is expected of foster parents with children in their care.

Outline

Explain the other forms of substitute care other than foster care.

Explain

• Positive qualities & strengths
• Negative qualities & problems

Family Reactions

• Controversial issue throughout intervention
• Involuntary vs. voluntary placement

Custody of children

• Medial team, legal team, educational team, mental health team, community, church staff

Professionals Involved

• What will happen next, authority, having children removed or family breakup, feelings of helplessness

Fear

• Could be responsible for problems in the first place, and lend to ongoing concerns with ability to care for children appropriately

Poor judgment

• Blaming other people or the system for their issues

Projection of problems onto others

• Missed appointments, refusal to talk, efforts at self protection and control

Withdrawal or hostility

• Feelings of failure and hopelessness

Depression

Infants/Toddlers

• Consistency in caregivers for bonding
• Comfort in expressing individuality and autonomy

Preschoolers

• Pursuit of identity through continuity and feeling loved by the caregiver

School Age

• Seeks stability in order to form healthy conscious and self concept
• Seeks relationships outside the family

Adolescents

• Need to know they can return to dependency on primary caregiver

Family’s cultural background

Parent’s ability to handle stress

Past history of substance abuse or child abuse

Input from other agencies who are involved with the family

Available resources and ability to utilize them

Cooperation

• Parents realize they must do what is requested/required of them in order to get their children back

Withdrawal

• Parents view removal as the ultimate failure and withdraw from the relationship and services
• Total noncooperation or even flight

Medical

• Physicians
• Nurses
• Medical social workers

Legal

• Police
• Courts

Educational

• Teachers
• Administrators
• Pupil Services

Mental Health Team

• Psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical social workers, therapists

Community

• Available individuals, resources, service providers

Clergy/Church Staff

• Religious communities

Team Approach

• Racial and cultural representatives
• Cooperation of all parties

• When cases of child maltreatment are discovered
• Hesitation when unsure if condition is attributed to abuse

Reporters

• Aid in validation of maltreatment – skeletal abnormalities, unexplained fractures, multiple fractures
• Little faith in social service system because of lack of knowledge or past situations were not handled well

Diagnosticians

• Planning treatment
• Hesitation due to concerns regarding doctor/patient relationships being inhibited and outcomes for the child and family

Consultants

Clues can be gathered from family during intake process

Engage, comfort and put the child at ease – set tone for further interviews

Engage parents; secure important information

Risk factors present at delivery can be noted by a nurse

Teaching role with parents; child abuse prevention

Coordination between medical providers, protective services providers, family, and the feelings and responses that each individual deals with and needs to cope with – accesses resources for all parties.

Supportive Responsibility

If the child returns home, medical social worker may be instrumental in making sure the family receives services they need to be successful in protecting the child.

Treatment Planning

A liaison between the medical provider and social service system; well versed in the medical procedures and also the protective services system.

Information Coordinator

Teachers

Detects abuse and neglect, monitor child’s progress, prevention of child abuse by working with families, influence on and importance to children.

Administrators

Training for teachers, supportive of protection of all children within their educational community, effective communication with community agencies

Pupil Personnel

Professionals involved in enhancing the child’s education: school nurse, guidance counselor, psychologist, other support staff.

Juvenile patients may disclose information

Make referrals for additional support or testing and evaluation

May provide services to parents and share information

Apply their skills to appropriate treatment for any of the parties involved

• Youth organizations, church communities, other mandated reporters and service providers for families

Community

• Religious communities often have protocols for prevention, reporting and also provide services and support to families

Church/Clergy

• The most effective method of intervention is for all professionals to coordinate to provide services

Team Approach

Parents may have difficulty giving up their children; feel like a failure in involuntary placements

In voluntary placements, parents may think because they are helpful or appeasing the social worker, placements will be short term or temporary

May sabotage the placement of the child due to feeling powerless and resentful

Separation is traumatic for children:

• Causes conflicts and resistance

Uncertainty about where they belong; which influences emotional development and attachments.

30% of children who are returned to birth parents reenter care at a later date

Foster parents can request the removal of foster children at any time with a 7 day notice

Instability of their life and situation causes uncertainty and awareness of the difficulties

Adjustments and changes for children

Separation

Different lifestyle/cultural background

New surroundings

New school

Other children in the home

Neighbors and friends are different

• Informal support systems may be utilized.
• Extended family, neighbors, school, religious affiliations, community groups.
• Finding the resources and utilizing them is time consuming.

Be creative in examining means to protect children in their own homes.

• Examine family’s potential for providing adequate child care.
• Can issues be addressed therapeutically without removing the children?

Exact reason for placement must be analyzed.

Opportunity for diagnostic screening

Distance from fears and conflicts

Positive modeling

Controlled environment

Birth parent involvement

Foster Parent Training

Continued and regular contact with the child lets them know their parents are still there and they care for them.

Facilitate positive relationship with the foster parents and support child’s development.

Interact with child during visits to lay a new and positive foundation for relationship.

Help child process feelings of separation and loss.

Work with social worker to participate in treatment plan.

Work together with other team members for the benefit of the child.

Avoid criticizing the birth parents; see them in a positive light and as part of the team working together.

Maintain open communication and cooperation with birth parents if possible.

Ease transition by allowing children to express feelings and being supportive of them.

Advocate for children and their parents; support the needs of the family.

Model behaviors for birth parents.

Integral part of treatment for the child.

KNOWLEDGE & TRAINING

EXPERTISE IN THE FIELD

CODE OF ETHICS

PROFESSIONAL CULTURE

OBLIGATION TO PERFORM COMPETENTLY