Policy and Procedure Training

Policy and Procedure Training A Recap of Regulatory Guidelines and Maintaining Foster Family Compliance By: Family Home Developer Department

Admissions Process-Placement Protocol • Referrals reviewed by the Program Director • Potential Families are contacted • Interview • Day Visit • Over night visit • Weekend • Transition

Admissions Process-Emergency Admissions • Referral is Reviewed by the Program Director • Family Contacted with Relatively little information • Child is placed • If this is an emergency subsequent placement within the program, the information should be substantial, though the transition will still be shorter than a usual admission.

AFS Visitation • According to the Code of Maryland Agency Regulations, Treatment Foster Care Case Managers must have at least TWO face to face visits with both child and parent in the home each month. • The other two weeks during the months, the case managers must make phone contacts with both child and parent.

On-Call Supports • After normal business hours (evenings and weekends) TFC has an on-call support system • On-Call is to be used to inform the agency promptly of any emergency issues that must be reported. • On-Call can assist with deescalating situations, helping parents with crisis, identifying respite, facilitating the transportation to respite if needed, hospitalizations, and emergency removals if warranted. • Baltimore Office On-Call: 443-722-9007

REMINDER • AWOLs should be reported to the police 1 hour after the set curfew time. • On-call should be notified immediately AFTER police come to your home and they take a report of a child that has AWOLed (runaway). • Must provide to On-call: • The police officer’s name and badge number • The report number • What caused the youth to AWOL if anything • Last time you saw or had contact with the youth **Failure to report will result in a corrective action**

Arrow Supports to Parents • Case Management Services • Access to Treatment Team • In-Service Trainings • Transportation Assistance • Biological Family Visit Supervision • 24/7 On-Call Support • Foster Parent Support Group • Closed Facebook Group

Treatment Planning • Regulations require that ALL TFC clients have quarterly Treatment Plan Reviews and Goal setting (includes; ITP, Behavior plans, therapy, education, psychiatric services, AFS visits, bio-family visits) • The assigned AFS is responsible for coordinating the ITP meeting, facilitating the discussion and gathering the input of all Treatment Team Members • All Treatment Team members (AFS, Parent, Child, DSS, Therapist, etc.) are responsible for implementing the goals and interventions agreed upon during the ITP meeting.

Biological Family Involvement andPermanency Plans • Each Child in Foster Care has a Permanency Plan dictated by the Court • Involuntary Placements- CPS involved or DJS involved and child(ren) are removed from parent(s). Parent(s) are unwilling or unable to care for the child(ren) • TPR-Termination of Parental Rights • Voluntary Placements- parents willingly/voluntarily place children in foster care • Visitation-DSS informs Arrow of biological Family Visitation Specifications • Family Information Meeting/Family Team Decision Making Meetings, etc. (Place Matters)

Foster Parent Requirements – Parent Specific • Home Owners (yearly) • Auto Insurance (yearly or every six months) • Physical & TB (every two years must be completed together) • Driving Record (every two years) • Driver’s license (when expired) • Payroll Verification (one time only) • CPR & First Aid (every two years) • Pet Vaccinations • Pet Registrations ( county specific)

State Mandated Treatment Foster Parent Responsibilities The foster parent shall: • Assist the case manager and other team members in the development of treatment plans for a child or youth in their care; • Attend team meetings and training sessions; • Keep a systematic record of a child’s behavior and progress in targeted areas on at least a weekly, or preferably daily basis; • Ensure a child access to medical and dental care, including accompanying the child to medical and dental appointments and carrying out treatment prescribed by health care providers; • Coordinate recreational and leisure time activity;

State Mandated Treatment Foster Parent Responsibilities (cont…) • Monitor a child’s school attendance and progress, and attend parental conferences and activities • Provide transportation services • Maintain a medical passport • Attend and provide information at court hearings as specified in the treatment plan • Assist a child in maintaining contact and visitation with the child’s biological family unless otherwise indicated in the child’s treatment plan or court order

Weekly Parent Notes Monthly Medication Logs Yearly Medical Exams for foster youth Twice per year dental exams for foster youth Yearly Vision exams for clients Therapy Attendance School Compliance Consistent Contact with Treatment Team Safety, Structure, financial responsibilities, recreation, spiritual needs, etc. Foster Parent Requirements – Client Specific

Foster Parent Requirements • Failure to meet the state requirements/job duties can result in sanctions starting with a corrective action and leading potentially to home closure.

Life Books • A life book is a valuable means of establishing “roots” for a child as they move through and out of foster care • It may be a folder, packet, picture album, a decorated box • The Life book may include • Letters, birthday cards, pictures, educational history, placement history, etc.

Foster Home Safety Requirements • Initial and Yearly Home /Fire Inspections • Swimming Pool Compliance • Trampoline Safety Compliance • Medication Storage Compliance • Weapons Storage Compliance

Regulations re: CPS, FBI and State Clearances • According to COMAR, All adults aged 18 or older residing in the foster home must receive all Background clearances; including CPS, FBI and State • If there is a possible Flag on either the prospective parent’s report or a household member’s report, the parent cannot be licensed until the matter has been further investigated and resolved • The determination to license the family or reject the home will depend on the outcome of the in depth investigation and request for additional information

Regulations re: CPS, FBI and State Clearances -cont… • When a biological child of a foster family turns 18, requests for clearances are submitted to the State/FBI/CPS jurisdiction within two weeks of the 18th birthday. • It is the Foster Families responsibility to notify the FHD of a household members upcoming 18th birthday.

Regulations re: CPS, FBI and State Clearances-cont… • Arrow foster care must be notified within 24 hoursof an emergency new entrant into the foster home. Arrow foster care should be notified within 14 days (2 weeks) of the move of a planned new entrant (non-emergency). The new entrant, emergency or planned, has 30 days to complete clearances and medicals.

Regulations re: CPS, FBI and State Clearances-cont… • If an Arrow foster care family is having a visitor, Arrow should be notified ahead of time. If the visitor remains in the home for 30 days, they then become a new member of the home and clearances and medicals need to be completed within 30 days of becoming a new member of the home. • Arrow foster care will not complete recertification if clearances and/or medicals are not completed by the time of recertification. The home will be placed on suspension and Arrow will proceed with the home revocation process.

According to COMAR, the agency cannot license a home if any resident has an indicated Child Abuse finding, a felony conviction for child abuse or neglect, spousal abuse, a crime against children, rape, sexual assault, or homicide Also COMAR states that the agency is unable to license a home where any resident in the previous 5 years before applying to be a foster parent has a felony conviction- for physical assault, battery, or a drug related offense *(If someone moves into a foster home and has the aforementioned issues on their report, the situation will be further investigated and could result in the child being removed should the parent be unwilling to have the identified person leave the home) Regulations re: CPS, FBI and State Clearances-cont..

Discipline Policy • All foster Parents and staff must adhere to the agency’s policy of No Physical Discipline

In-Service Requirements (Arrow and COMAR) • Arrow requires 20 in-service hours per licensure year, including PCM, Policies & Procedures, and Medication Management. • Parents are able to obtain hours in the community, here at Arrow offered trainings, online and via book/movie reviews. (However; the 3 mandatory trainings must be met yearly & at least 10 of the total 20 hours must be in a class/Seminar setting)

In-Service Requirements (Arrow and COMAR) • Online Training • www.fosterparentcollege.com • www.fosterparents.com • www.childtraumaacademy.com • www.arrow.org

Must pass Fire and Health Inspections Children must have beds, which cannot be cots, sofa beds, sofas, bunk beds, double tiered beds or any type of portable beds Girls and Boys (except infants) cannot share rooms Children must have their own dressers and closet space Home must be furnished Pets are to be vaccinated and current vaccinations are required to be in the chart Homes with swimming pools must have completed and have filed in their chart the swimming pool safety plan (outlines all COMAR requirements) All firearms must be documented on the Weapons Inventory and ammunition must be kept separate from the weapon. Both are to be locked away from the children Prescription and non prescription medications, household cleaning supplies, tools and other potentially hazardous items are to be locked away from children Facility Regulations

Quarterly Foster Parent Chart Reviews • Completed every 90 days after licensure. • Arrow mails audit letters to the families when items are out of compliance • Arrow follows up with all items that are out of compliance using the new “Compliance Process” (Started 8/01/2014) • Assures that entire chart is in compliance with COMAR and Arrow standards

Compliance Process • 1. Quarterly Audits- Completed by Arrow • 2. Compliance letters – You will have 20 days from the date of the notification to turn in non-compliant items to Arrow. • 3. Suspension Letters- This letter informs you that your home is on suspension and gives you 60 days to turn in items to Arrow. (during suspension no additional children can be placed in the home). If items are not turned in at the end of the 60 days, you will receive a closure letter. If you have a placement, that child will be removed.

Recertification quarterlies are to be completed annually and/or when a foster family has a change in residence, marital status or household composition. There must be at least one home visit specifically to recertify the foster family at least 60 days prior to the expiration date of their current certification. (or when one of the aforementioned changes to the home occurs.) Recertification Requirements (Recertification evaluations)

Recertification Quarterly (Continued) • Assess families strengths/weaknesses throughout previous 12 months. Makes decision to continue licensure or discontinue licensure • Offers suggestions for improvement • Parent Interview • Walk-through of the home

Respite/Supervision Provider Requirements- • Arrow Licensed Respite Providers must complete the entire licensing process • If the person is not an Arrow foster parent, background clearances must be submitted prior to approval • Overnight visits with non-Arrow approved providers (Discussion)

Updated Respite Policy • Respite Care Approval Form- Completed by Foster Caregivers (must be submitted to Arrow two weeks in advance of requested respite) • Respite Care Form and Medical Authorization – To be completed by foster parents and given to the respite provider. • Documentation of Respite Stay _ to be completed by respite providers to give to foster parents. Foster parents will submit to Arrow with their monthly notes.

Cont. Respite Policy – Length of stay • Respite care may last up to 14 consecutive days (approval is needed by DSS/Arrow for a longer stay) • Clients are not placed in respite during the first 30 days of placement in a new home. • Clients are not placed in respite care for 10 days after returning from respite care. • Clients do not spend more than 40 days in respite care during any 12 month period, unless the result of an investigation.

Prudent Parenting • Foster Parents can use a person they trust for respite without going through the licensure process or obtaining clearances • Must provide name, address, phone number and dates the child will be staying with the person to the AFS in advance

Budgeting Guidelines- Treatment Foster Parents • Per Diem Payment of $56.58 is paid to Treatment Foster Care Parents. Based on a 30 day month, the foster care stipend equals $1697.40. This will be paid a month later on the 25th of the month via Direct Deposit. • The stipend is broken down into 2 categories:

Budgeting Guidelines- Difficulty of Care Payment • Difficulty of Care Payment: $28.63 of the $56 is Difficulty of Care Payment- this is for taking into your home a treatment level child. This is the portion of the stipend that is paid to the parent for their service. Thus $858.90 of the $1697.40 monthly stipend goes directly to the parent for their service.

Budgeting Guidelines- Room and Board • Room and Board: $27.95 of the $56 is Board Payment- this is for “Room and Board of the child.” This is the portion of the stipend that goes directly to the care of the children which includes food, clothing, allowance, social activities, day care, hygiene etc. Thus $838.50 of the $1697.40 monthly stipend goes directly towards the children’s care.

Foster Parent Reimbursement- “Proposed Budget Breakdown”

Foster Parent Incentive • Qualifications include: • Full verification of the referred foster parent • Maintenance of compliance with all state regulations and Arrow policy standards. • Successful placement of a child in the home of the new foster parent • Maintenance of a minimum of one foster child in the home of the new foster parent for 90 days. • Placement may be one child consecutively for 90 days; or more than one child amounting to 90 days of placement in the home within a 6 month period. • An exception may be made in the case of successful out of home adoption or reunification

All homes must either have a landline phone or children in the home Must have access to a phone when the parents are not in the home All pets in the homes must be registered each year according to county or city requirements All foster home must have Medications, prescription and non-prescription locked and stored out of the reach of all clients, regardless of age Driving records for each parent must be requested every two years Fire evacuations plans must be visibly posted in each home and foster home must practice/discuss fire drills regularly Foster Parents must keep weekly logs and monthly medication logs on the children in the home and submit them at least monthly to the assigned case manager Additional Reminders

Policy and Procedure Training