CASE MANAGEMENT
Assessments (CBHAs, exit interviews, home studies, screenings, etc.):
Is it mandatory that the recommendations from the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Assessment (CBHA) must be included in the child’s Case Plan? ANSWER
When are exit interviews required to be completed? ANSWER
How often do relative or non-relative Home Studies need to be updated? ANSWER
Are exit interviews required for 18 year olds? ANSWER
The exit interview must be conducted within five days of the child’s exit from a licensed placement. What day constitutes the first day of the five day count? ANSWER
If a child is placed by a protective investigator, on an emergency basis, in a relative/non-relative placement when must the home study be completed? ANSWER
What is included in the home study? ANSWER
Are there forms for completing a Home Study that currently are being used that are considered the “standard" or "best practice”? ANSWER
Is there a Policy or Procedure for Comprehensive Behavioral Health Assessments (CBHA)? ANSWER
Do the Florida Statutes address “lifespan” of home studies for purposes of placement? ANSWER
When should a subsequent Comprehensive Behavioral Health Assessment (CBHA) be completed following the initial CBHA for a child in out-of-home care? ANSWER
What is Florida law for completing a dependency home study? ANSWER
Background Checks
What are the background check requirements for reunification with a parent, including other adults in that parent’s home? ANSWER
Are there any criminal offenses of household members that automatically disqualify reunification with the parent(s) in that household? ANSWER
What are the specific Background Screening Requirements and Home Study Requirements to grant unsupervised visitation to relatives other than parents, as this practice tends to be different across the state? ANSWER
Are there any specific Background Screening Requirements and Home Studies to designate a relative or nonrelative to supervise visitation for a parent? ANSWER
Which records does background screening consist of? ANSWER
If an ongoing case manager discovers, in the normal course of supervision of a child in a rel/non-relative setting, that there is a frequent visitor to the home, what level of background screening is to be completed? ANSWER
Case Plans/Case Planning:
Who should be involved in the preparation of the case plan? ANSWER
When a child is placed in out-of-home care, by when must a case plan be filed with the court? ANSWER
Within what timeframe must a post-placement case plan be filed with the court? ANSWER
When must the post-placement case plan be filed with the court when the court returns custody to the parent contrary to the department/agency recommendation? ANSWER
Is it mandatory that the recommendations from the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Assessment (CBHA) must be included in the child’s Case Plan? ANSWER
If a child, parent, or other participant in a case is diagnosed with a Chronic Immune Deficiency (such as HIV or AIDS) how would this be documented within the file? ANSWER
In preparing a case plan, in which the mother has designated a possible second father as the alleged father to her child; should the alleged father be included on the case plan with tasks when he has not been found or yet tested for paternity? ANSWER
Case plans frequently include a requirement for parents to obtain and maintain "stable housing." Is there a recognized definition of the term "stable housing," or any policy or procedure that requires or explains this task? ANSWER
Child Identification:
What forms of identification are required for children under in-home supervision? ANSWER
What forms of identification are required for children in out-of-home care? ANSWER
How often should photographs be updated? ANSWER
Do Voluntary Supervision cases need to have photos, fingerprints and birth certificates? ANSWER
Does F.A.C. or DCF Policy reference additional information regarding photos of children other than how frequently they must be taken (according to F.A.C.)? ANSWER
Is there any rule or policy that states a photo must only be of the child's head and shoulders? ANSWER
Confidentiality/Information-Sharing:
Where in Statute or Admin Code does it reference that children’s (under the care and custody of the state) names and photographs cannot be released to the media? ANSWER
Where is it written that we do not release the foster parents’ addresses? ANSWER
What are the guidelines and restrictions for publicizing photos of children in Foster Care? ANSWER
What are the guidelines for publicizing photos of children in Foster Care who have been freed for adoption and are in the permanent custody of the Department? What if the case is under appeal? ANSWER
Definitions:
What does the term “shelter status” mean? ANSWER
Who is considered a “child”? ANSWER
What is the “Red Flag Protocol”? ANSWER
What are some examples of Critical Junctures in a case? ANSWER
What is EPSDT and is there an official "EPSDT" or health screening form that is used by DCF or other agencies in the State of Florida? ANSWER
What is the normalcy plan? ANSWER
Dependency Case File:
Is there a state or federal requirement that speaks to whether legal documents (such as JR’s) must be kept as a hard copy in the case file? ANSWER
Where is it written that case chronological notes need to be entered within 48 hours in FSFN? ANSWER
ICPC (Interstate Compact on the Protection of Children):
According to the ICPC rules and regulations, which state (sending or receiving) is responsible for payment of a child placed in a licensed foster home? ANSWER
If a child is placed through the ICPC into a Foster Home, who determines the amount of the Board Rate to be paid, the sending state or the receiving state? ANSWER
Once a child has been placed in a Foster Home through an ICPC approval, can the receiving state bill the sending state for fees associated with the maintenance of the Foster Home? ANSWER
For a child being placed in a Foster Home through ICPC, if the placement resource needs additional supportive services to meet the needs of the child, can the receiving state negotiate a board rate above the statewide established rate? ANSWER
IL (Independent Living)
If a child was placed in Permanent Guardianship at the ages of 16-17, do they have to be in foster care for the 6 months immediately prior to their placement with a relative/non-relative to be eligible for full post 18 IL benefits? ANSWER
Are the Road to Independence scholarship funds taxable? Do the youth that receive the RTI funds as their only source of income need to file this as income for federal income tax purposes? ANSWER
Is the independent living staffing at the youth’s 16th birthday part of the Independent Living permanency staffing? ANSWER
Judicial Review:
What is the timeframe for the initial Judicial Review? ANSWER
Is the special Judicial Review to be held within 90 days of a youth’s 17th birthday a requirement? ANSWER
What is “a motion for judicial review” (as referenced in F.S. 39.701(5) which states that “[n]otice of a judicial review hearing or a citizen review panel hearing, and a copy of the motion for judicial review, if any, must be served by the clerk of the court upon all of the following persons”)? Does it mean the Judicial Review Social Study Report (JRSSR) or the court notice stating the next scheduled court hearing? ANSWER
Licensed Placements:
Can you please direct me to the statute that addresses children in foster care allowance and incidentals? ANSWER
What is the current foster care board rate? ANSWER
Are children in Emergency Shelters and Group Homes supposed to get allowance? Does the facility pay the allowance out of the room and board that they receive? ANSWER
How much should a child in care receive for allowance? ANSWER
What is the staff to child ratio requirement, for both awake and sleeping children, for a licensed residential program that cares for children ranging in age 6 to 12? ANSWER
What, if any, are the guidelines to follow when a child in foster care wants to have an abortion? ANSWER
What, if any, are the guidelines to follow when a child in foster care wants to be placed on birth control? ANSWER
Can the foster parent keep the clothes bought for the child during their placement? ANSWER
Can a foster parent spank a foster child? ANSWER
Does the foster parent have to transport the child to medical appointments? ANSWER
How many children can be placed in a foster home? ANSWER
What are the requirements for sleeping arrangements in a foster home? ANSWER
Can a foster parent have a babysitter care for the foster child? ANSWER
Who is responsible for paying an allowance to a child in foster care that is placed in a group home? ANSWER
Medication: (click here for additional psychotropic medication FAQ)
What do I need in writing from the prescribing doctor to indicate informed consent? ANSWER
Normalcy:
Are children in licensed out-of-home care allowed to spend the night away from their foster home with, for example, a friend’s family or with a church, club or school group on an overnight trip, without the persons with whom they are staying being background screened and/or having a home study completed? ANSWER
Is parental/guardian permission required prior to a child in out-of-home care receiving a haircut? ANSWER
OTI ("Out of Town Inquiry")/Out of County Services/Courtesy Supervision:
How long is an OTI (Out of Town Inquiry) home study good for after it has been approved by the receiving county? ANSWER
How long does the sending county have to place the child before an updated OTI (Out-of-Town Inquiry) home study is needed? ANSWER
When should an OTI home study be completed? ANSWER
Is there a process for resolving disagreements between counties involved in Out of County Services requests? ANSWER
If a child under courtesy supervision ran from their placement, is the courtesy worker responsible for entering the efforts to locate the child? ANSWER
Is the Courtesy Supervision worker responsible for attending court hearings for the child? ANSWER
Could a courtesy case be rejected if a request does not include an appropriate home study? ANSWER
If a judge overrules a denied home study and still places the child in our county, are we still obligated to accept the case? ANSWER
Can the Courtesy Supervision worker sign consents for ordinary medical treatment? ANSWER
Can the primary worker travel to another county to supervise the placement of a child without requesting courtesy supervision? ANSWER
In courtesy supervision cases, who should be completing the Supervisory Reviews; the primary unit or the courtesy unit? ANSWER
Parenting Issues:
Does the State of Florida specify an age at which it is legal to leave a child home alone – for example, when you go to the grocery store, or a part time job, or child gets home before you do, etc.? ANSWER
Are there any rules in law or administrative code surrounding unsupervised visitation, e.g. where they are allowed to go, what they may do, etc.? ANSWER
Permanency:
If a Case Plan with the goal of Reunification if filed with the court, can you also proceed on an expedited Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) petition? ANSWER
If the court has accepted the case plan with the goal of reunification, do you have to wait until the expiration date before you can file a petition to terminate parental rights (TPR)? ANSWER
Is there a specified time frame for filing an expedited TPR petition? ANSWER
When is the filing of a Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) petition required? ANSWER
What are the exceptions to the requirement to file a petition to terminate parental rights? ANSWER
Quality Assurance:
DCF Quality of Practice Standards #22-24 state to put "n/a" if #21 ("Case record contains a current case plan") was answered NO. If there was a CP in effect for most of the whole review period, but expired at the end of the review period, must "n/a" be entered for the visitation plan, appropriate goal, and appropriate tasks? ANSWER
Is DCF Quality of Practice Standard 33.0 (“An inquiry was made to determine if the child was of Native American or Alaskan Native heritage”) considered to have been met by virtue of a final judgment of TPR, or is additional verification required? ANSWER
Is DCF Quality of Practice Standard 33.0 (“An inquiry was made to determine if the child was of Native American or Alaskan Native heritage”) considered to have been met if the former child in care, once turned 18 years of age, verifies his or her own heritage? ANSWER
“Red Flag” Cases:
Which form should be used, the "High Risk Screening Tool" on FSFN or the "Red Flag Screening" checklist, to comply with the Red Flag Protocol? ANSWER
What is the difference between "Red Flag Protocol" and High Risk Tracking"? ANSWER
Who should attend a Red Flag Case Review? ANSWER
If a child victim is 8 years of age or older does the case require a High Risk Case Review and Tracking?ANSWER
Relative Caregiver Program:
What are the eligibility requirements for the relative caregiver program? ANSWER
If a home study is completed and denied, but the court places the child over our objections, is the relative still eligible for the Relative caregiver program? ANSWER
Can a relative get relative caregiver funds under the permanency goal “Fit and Willing Relative? ANSWER
Can a relative get relative caregiver funds if the parent of the child lives in the home? ANSWER
May a child’s grandparents, as legal custodians, release the child’s parent from paying child support? And if so, will doing so cause them to forfeit benefits paid to them under Florida’s Relative Caregiver Program? ANSWER
If a dependent child is legally placed with a relative and remains in this placement until he/she reaches 18 years of age are they eligible for post-secondary financial assistance? ANSWER
Relative/Non-Relative Placements:
What are the requirements to place a child in a relative/non-relative placement? ANSWER
What background checks are required to place a child in a relative/non-relative placement? ANSWER
If a child does qualify for services based on a placement with a relative/non-relative (Permanent Guardianship) at 16 or 17, do we need to continue performing the staffings every 6 months? Or do we just make them aware of the post 18 services available to them? ANSWER
Residential Treatment:
A dependent child is under post-placement supervision & is in the custody of the biological parent. It has been recommended, and the parent agrees, that the child requires residential treatment. Legally the child is in the parent’s custody. Is a Court order still required to place that child in a program? ANSWER
Staffings:
When would a case manager need to conduct a reunification staffing? ANSWER
Who must be present at a reunification staffing? ANSWER
Worker Contacts/Supervision:
How often must children under supervision be visited by the services worker? ANSWER
What is considered an “other location” where a child may be seen? ANSWER
Is a services worker required to make unannounced visits to see children? ANSWER
What is the required contact by the services worker with parent(s) or caregivers of a child under supervision? ANSWER
What are the required actions by a services worker when a new child is added in families under supervision? ANSWER
What is the time frame for the initial contact with children under supervision? ANSWER
How many contacts must a counselor have with a child in shelter status? ANSWER
How long must the counselor provide supervision after reunification? ANSWER
How often must a child be visited once reunification occurs? ANSWER