Or. Admin. R. 419-440-0210

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 9, September 1, 2024

Section 419-440-0210 - Foster Care Agencies: Information About Children in Care Placed in Physical Custody of the Foster Care Agency

A foster care agency must comply with all of the following requirements:

(1) Case files for children in care. For each child in care the foster care agency accepts for placement, the foster care agency must maintain an individual record that includes a summary sheet containing all of the following information:

(a) The name, gender, date of birth, religious preference, and previous address of the child in care.

(b) The name and location of the child in care's previous school.

(c) The date of admission to the program.

(d) The status of the child in care's legal custody, including the name of each person responsible for consents and authorizations.

(e) The name, address, and telephone number of:

(A) The parents of the child in care.

(B) The legal guardian of the child in care, if different than parents, and their legal relationship to child.

(C) Other family members or other persons identified by the child in care, child in care's family, and parent or guardian as significant to the child in care.

(D) Other professionals to be involved in service planning, if applicable.

(f) Any required signed consents and authorizations.

(2) Service planning.

(a) All documentation, including, but not limited to service plans, daily notes, assessments, progress reports, medication records, and incident reports, must be written in terms that are easily understood by all persons involved in service planning.

(b) Intake documentation. A foster care agency must complete a written intake document containing screening information on the date the foster care agency accepts a child in care except in the case of an emergency placement, when the intake document must be completed within 48 hours of admission.

(c) Each child in care must be served according to an individual written service plan developed by staff of the foster care agency and including, whenever possible, the child in care, the child in care's family, and other professionals involved with the child in care or family. This document must outline goals for services and care coordination.

(d) Assessment. A comprehensive assessment must be completed within the first 45 days of placement. This assessment must include relevant historical information, current behavioral observations, any identified needs for services, and a description of how the foster care agency will provide or coordinate services.

(e) Service plan and review.

(A) Within 60 days of placement, a formal service plan must be developed by staff of the foster care agency in conjunction with the child in care and their parents or legal guardians, and any other persons who are actively involved with the family, as appropriate.

(B) The service plan must reflect how the foster care agency will address the child in care's issues, describe the anticipated outcomes of the placement, and be reviewed and approved by the child in care and the legal guardian or parent, unless contraindicated.

(C) The service plan must be reviewed by the foster care agency at least quarterly.

(D) Service plans must be revised at any time additional information becomes available indicating that other services should be provided.

(3) Case management.

(a) The foster care agency must document services provided, as necessary, to track and monitor progress toward the achievement of service plan goals.

(b) Discharge. The foster care agency must identify how a child in care's progress will be evaluated, and how the determination is made of readiness for discharge or unsuitability for continued stay.

(c) Discharge planning. Discharge planning for a child in care must be a participatory decision-making process between the child in care, staff of the foster care agency, the parent or legal guardian, and significant others. As used in this rule, "significant others" means relatives, friends, or interested members of the community who are approved by the parent or legal guardian. The discharge plan must include:

(A) Identification of the child in care's individual needs.

(B) Identification of natural and community supports available upon discharge.

(C) Identification of resources needed to assist the child in care to continue to work on identified goals.

(d) Discharge instructions. The foster care agency must provide the child in care and the child in care's guardian with discharge instructions on or before the discharge date, including current medications, name of the doctor who prescribed each medication, any outstanding medical or other appointments, and other follow-up instructions as needed.

(e) Follow-up services. The foster care agency must identify any transitional or aftercare services or service coordination that will be offered by the program.

(f) Incident reporting. A written description of any injury, accident, or unusual incident involving a child in care must be placed in the individual child in care's record.

(4) Financial records. A foster care agency must keep a separate written record for each child in care itemizing all money received or disbursed on behalf of the child in care. The record must include all of the following:

(a) The date of each receipt and disbursement and the amount of each.

(b) The source of income.

(c) The purpose of each disbursement.

(d) The signature of the person making each entry.

(e) The signature of the child in care for each entry.

(5) Personal possessions records. An individual written inventory must be maintained for each child in care of all personal possessions belonging to the child in care. The record must be updated as needed.

(6) The foster care agency will ensure, in policy, that:

(a) Disallowable items are either stored, or returned to the parent or legal guardian; and

(b) All money and personal belongings are returned to the child in care, child in care's parent or legal guardian at the time of discharge, or an account provided of any missing items.

Or. Admin. R. 419-440-0210

SCF 6-1995, f. 12-22-95, cert. ef. 12-29-95; Renumbered from 413-210-0460, CWP 31-2008, f. & cert. ef. 10-17-08; CWP 12-2016(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 7-1-16 thru 12-27-16; CWP 22-2016, f. & cert. ef. 12-1-16; CWP 57-2018, amend filed 06/29/2018, effective 06/29/2018; CWP 52-2019, amend filed 11/25/2019, effective 12/01/2019; Renumbered from 413-215-0396 by CWP 26-2022, filed 11/28/2022, effective 12/1/2022

Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 409.050, ORS 418.005, ORS 418.248 & ORS 418.240

Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 418.205 - 418.325