CARE TX Foster Care Program Plan Effective Date: 02/02

Transcription

1 AGENCY PHILOSOPHY OF CARE Arizona's Children Association (AzCA) offers a variety of regular, kinship, and therapeutic foster care services throughout the State of Arizona. The Department of Economic Security (DES) regular and kinship foster care services are provided in the same way so the following procedures will apply to both. However, Kinship and Adoption Resource & Education (KARE) Family Centers are addressed in a separate policy and procedure. Regular/kinship foster care programs throughout the State provide recruitment, licensing recommendations, training and supervision for foster families. Home Care Training to Home Care Client (HCTC)/Therapeutic Foster Care provides case management and clinical support to meet the social, emotional and physical needs of children in need of temporary placement. Both foster care and HCTC programs provide services in compliance with Arizona Revised Statutes and applicable DES Regulations and Policies. Arizona s Children Association works in collaboration with DES and behavioral health providers who are responsible for permanency planning, placement decisions and coordinating the provision of services to the biological families of those children who are placed in foster care. Arizona's Children Association ensures that the rights of all foster children,, families of origin, foster and kinship families are respected. All of Arizona s Children Association programs follow the Arizona Vision as a core philosophy and driving force. Services shall therefore include collaboration with the child and guardian(s), have functional outcomes, collaboration with others, have accessible services, be based on best practices, be conducted in the most appropriate setting, be timely, include services that are tailored to the individual and or family, provide stability, at all times respect the individual s and family s unique cultural heritage, support independence and connection to natural supports. Foster Care falls under the subclass of Permanency Planning within the agency and supports the philosophy that children experience optimal growth and maturation in the foster care system when provided with a safe and structured environment. The Foster Care program recruits capable foster parents who provide care, nurturing, behavior and skills teaching, and plan for permanency through family reunification, independent living, or adoption. 01 RECRUITMENT A. Recruitment planning, which is specific to the needs of the region and local community is done on a continual basis. AzCA staff partner with current and previous foster parents, as well as leaders within their local community, and various organizations throughout the community to develop recruitment plans, or strategies, that will enlist a diverse group of perspective foster Page 1 of 16

2 families who are able to meet the needs of children entering the system. The recruitment plans are coordinated with the agency marketing/and development department. Plans are evaluated on their effectiveness in targeting specific groups as identified by DES, effective collaboration with the community, and the number of activities. The approach toward interested prospective foster parents is a marketing approach that is customer-friendly. 02 SCREENING AND INTAKE A. Prospective foster parents enter the program on a self-referral basis. After an interested family (inquiry) has contacted the office, a return phone call must be attempted and documented as occurring within 48 business hours. The return call assesses which level of care the family is most appropriate for and reviews basic screening questions. At this point, if the staff assess, after the basic screening questions, that the family is appropriate to move forward an orientation and/or initial home visit is scheduled. The initial home visit allows the staff to meet the family in person and assess that the family has the experience, personal characteristics, and temperament to work with children in foster care, as well as the children s biological families. Families must be willing and able to provide care, protection, and experiences that enhance healthy child development. The primary caretaker(s) within the family must be 21 years of age to provide regular foster care. The primary caretaker, and all adults living in the home, must pass a criminal history background check and CPS records/fingerprint clearance. The family must have stable finances as evidenced by their expenditures must being consistently lower than their combined income. All adults have to provide a physician s clearance, which indicates that they are physically and emotionally fit to care for children. The home must pass a safety inspection by Office of Licensing, Certification and Regulation (OLCR) to address any safety concerns. The family must also be willing to divulge private information including, but not limited to, profession, education, marriage, and childhood background. Character references and input from any adult children is also taken into consideration. Families also have to be willing to attended 30 hours of preservice training. B. Furthermore, families will be asked about their willingness to: be a team member, open their home to all involved workers, have a flexible schedule, provide transportation for the child, coordinate care for the child, accept other cultures into their home, support the case plan of the child, provide specific examples of their background/experience with special needs/behaviorally challenged children, disclose any behaviors or emotional issues that they would be unwilling to deal with, and confirm that they will be able to attend ongoing advanced trainings in order to remain in compliance with state standards. Page 2 of 16

3 C. The family is made aware that recommendation of licensure and placement of foster children is dependent upon successful completion of all paperwork, training and assessment that the family is good fit for the foster care program. Families are informed, as well that the assessment process continues informally during the pre-service trainings, as facilitators watch for active participation and gain a more intimate knowledge of the potential foster parent. D. If the family and the staff mutually agree after the initial home visit that the family is appropriate to move forward in the licensing process, the family is signed up for pre-service training. Depending on the area of the state, the family will attend a Paperwork Night prior to the pre-service training or an additional home visit will be scheduled where all of the required licensing paperwork with be provided and reviewed in detail with the family. E. If the inquiry is a transfer from another agency, a release of information is required to obtain the records from another agency before the initial home visit. All transfer files and results of the initial home visit must be reviewed with the Program Supervisor or Program Director prior to approval of the transfer. F. Should the family not meet the program s needs, the family receives a call and/or letter and is referred to an agency or level of care more suitable. G. AzCA s foster care programs maintain an inquiry log of those families who have contacted the agency with an interest in providing care: this log documents contact dates with the family, how they heard about the program and outcome of the call, i.e. home visit set, orientation dates provided, etc 03 TRAINING A. Training is required for all prospective families. The training is generally offered in a group setting, but can be presented on an individual basis, if approved by the appropriate regional staff with DES. Arizona s Children Association uses the evidence based Partnering for Safety and Permanency-Model Approach to Partnership in Parenting (PS-MAPP) and provides advanced training as needed. PS-MAPP was created out of consultations with the National Foster Parent Association Board of Directors and is based on years of experience with the Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting family programs. This model ensures that foster parents work as part of a team with child welfare agencies to assure safety, wellbeing and timely permanence for children and youth who have been neglected or abused. In addition, families receive information on a review of Federal Law regarding adoption, foster care and special education including the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), and the Multi- Page 3 of 16

4 Ethnic Placement Act (MEPA). Thirty hours of PS-MAPP training is provided to every family prior to licensing. In addition to the required 30 hours of PS-MAPP training an additional session is included to review medication administration and agency specific information. PS-MAPP training covers: 1. Their rights and responsibilities as caregivers and their partnership role with the agency in providing care and protection to the child and to support and service to the biological family; 2. The needs of children placed in their homes including the needs of abused and neglected children and the importance of the cultural and ethnic contexts for service; 3. Sensitive and responsive practices to use with biological parents including how to involve them in decisions about their children s lives, encourage visits and maintain the parent-child relationship, unless contraindicated by the case plan; 4. The importance of managing behaviors, understanding the reasons for behaviors, and supporting the children through behaviors triggered before and after visits; and 5. The use of foster care as a temporary intervention, except when permanent planned living arrangements have been clearly determined to be the appropriate plan or when adoption or guardianship by the foster parents has become the plan. Experienced foster parents can volunteer to be trained to provide PS-MAPP training to other families. The additional session of pre-service training regarding agency specific information includes: 1. Comprehensive coverage of AzCA s mission, philosophy, policies and practices of AzCA and the State of Arizona 2. Describes the role of the foster family and how their family integrates the child into their home (S 16.03) 3. DES Discipline Policy 4. Complaint and grievance procedures 5. The special needs of children in care 6. Emergency procedures 7. Information on the availability of insurance provided through the state for compensation for damages caused by children placed in their care. 8. Specialized topics such as caring for victims of sexual abuse, caring for children with emotional and behavioral issues and caring for teens involved in the Independent Living Program. 9. Circumstances that will result in closing a home. Page 4 of 16

5 After training, families will be able to understand their roles and duties as a temporary care provider, as well as know how to report neglect and abuse. Families will also be knowledgeable of the reimbursement provided for their services through the state of Arizona, at a rate determined by state and federal guideline; these reimbursements are not paid through AzCA, nor are the rates determined by AzCA. Families will also know how to participate in foster care review boards, and other court hearings related to their foster placements. Families will be further trained in the area of emergency response and critical incident reporting using the organization's protocols and including notification of missing children and allegations of mistreatment. Foster parents are expected to report any critical incidents to their AzCA worker within 48 hours or sooner depending on the nature of the incident. B. Additional training guidelines for prospective foster parents can be viewed in section R Training and Development of Article 58 Family Foster Parent Licensing Requirement the On-going education is available to licensed foster parents on a regular basis. Regular Foster Care Families are required to complete six (6) hours of advanced training per year. Examples of the training topics include infection control, administration of medications, emergency procedures, specific behavioral issues of children that jeopardize health and wellbeing and community services/resources. The following are further guidelines when considering a foster care renewal: C. Medically fragile licensing is available to foster parent that expresses interest in become licensed to accept medically fragile children. Foster parents will attend 18 hours of training that will focus on the areas of medical interventions and equipment usage, as well as recognizing signs and symptoms that puts the child health and well being at risk. D. CPR and First Aid is required for foster parents who have a pool, for all therapeutic/hctc foster parents and for foster parents who provide care to medically fragile children. 04 LICENSING A. Foster parents are licensed in accordance with Administrative Code Article 58 Family Foster Parent Licensing Requirements, and Article 7 Life-Safety Inspection. Arizona s Children Association provides licensing recommendations to the Department of Economic Security/Office of Licensing, Certification and Regulation who issues the actual license. Licensing is not the responsibility of AzCA. Home studies are completed by the assigned resource family specialist within 30 days from submission of a complete application packet, which includes the application form, physical Page 5 of 16

6 examinations, fingerprint clearances, financial statements, references, verification of completion of pre-service training requirements and associated documents. The home study documents that the foster parents ability to comply with the standards for health and safety, provide for age appropriate sleeping arrangements, have fire extinguishers, and vaccinations for dogs in the residence. Also that the foster parents are able to provide transportation for children and therefore have proof of Arizona drivers license (s), valid vehicle insurance and vehicle registration. Families are further evaluated on an individual basis in order to assess suitability for placement and to facilitate appropriate matching with children. The assessment includes the family s motivation, expectations, and experience and ability to provide a nurturing stable environment for abused, neglected and/or abandoned children. The assessment tools include questionnaires, individual and family interviews. Families are assessed for their ability to work cooperatively with natural parents/family of origin and the agency as a member of a professional team. Families must demonstrate, or be able to learn parenting skills which enhance a child s self-esteem and self-control while maintaining or improving his/her self-sufficiency. Families must be able to demonstrate the willingness and ability to meet the child s developmental needs, address developmental delays willingness to provide care for a child or youth of a different race, ethnicity, culture, or sexual orientation, cultural sensitivity and a willingness to support the child's cultural ties. Families must demonstrate that they are able to provide for the nutrition, health, well being, an orderly daily schedule, basic personal needs including distribution of allowances, and safety of the children in their care. Families must also have the capacity to accept and support the child s significant relationships from the past and his/her cultural identity, as well religious practices. Families will also be assessed on their personal characteristics, as well as their marital relationship, mental health status, parenting skills, support network, and home environment. All of these factors, in addition to Article 58 licensing standards, determine the recommendation to Office of Licensing Certification and Regulation (OLCR) for the maximum number of children to be placed within the home, the types of children appropriate for the home, including gender, age range, and types of behaviors. The written home study recommending approval or denial for licensing is sent through the State Quick Connect system to the designated OLCR licensing liaison for review and issuance of the license. Applicants will be notified by the resource family specialist, in advance, when the recommendation will be made that they not be approved for licensure. Families will be advised of the grievance procedure with Arizona s Children Association and appeals procedure for OLCR. B. All foster parents sign a statement that indicates they agree to identify and report abuse and neglect and missing foster children according to state policy, employ supportive discipline techniques and refrain from using corporal or any degrading type of punishment with any foster children placed in their care as well as with their biological and/or adoptive parents Page 6 of 16

7 C. Amendments: Families are required to report substantial changes in home composition for example, families must report when any additional household members begin residing in their home. Section R of the Arizona State Foster Care Licensing Requirements outlines details regarding how to initiate and follow through with reporting changes in household composition. When such reports are received a follow-up home study is completed within two weeks of notification. D. Renewal: Families are renewed every two years and are assessed on the same qualities, characteristics and compliance as noted above for initial licensing. However, families must complete six (6) of advanced training each year and maintain a valid fingerprint clearance in addition to maintaining compliance expiration dates for drivers licenses, vehicle registration, insurance and dog rabies. 05 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS AzCA s resource family specialist completes a development plan with each foster family at the time of their initial license and annually thereafter, or more frequently if there has been a substantial change in circumstances. This plan evaluates the family s strengths, needs, and overall performance. The plan identifies areas for growth and development for the next year. This plan is assessed and reviewed on a quarterly basis with the family, as well as the program supervisor to ensure that the is family making progress towards meeting their goals. The plan may also address, when appropriate, any areas of concern that have been brought up through a licensing inquiry, or notification from DES/CPS. 06-PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN A. Arizona's Children Association staff work in conjunction with Child Protective Services (CPS) staff to identify appropriate placement options for children presented by the department for placement in foster care and wherever possible works with CPS to identify foster parents who can effectively communicate in the language of the child to be placed. Arizona's Children Association staff are not involved in the decision to place children in outof-home care, or in identifying Indian Children, but do play a role in advising CPS and behavioral health staff, based on experience and expertise, on the best placement options for each child. AzCA staff, as they receive information from CPS, ensure that each foster family is supplied with the information necessary to care for the child, including medical needs, behavioral health needs, educational needs, and any other specialized needs. B. Foster homes will have no more than 5 foster children at one time, Ratios for children in foster homes will be as follows, and is in compliance with new ARS Statutes R which, in summary, states: Page 7 of 16

8 A. A foster parent shall limit the number of children in the home as prescribed in subsections (A) (1) and (2). As used in this Section, children in the home means any child in the foster home, including children placed for respite care, child care services, or baby-sitting, the foster parent s own children, and children residing in the foster home. 1. At all times, the total number of children in the home who are 5 years old or under shall not exceed more than four in the care of one adult. 2. At all times, the total number of children in the home who are less than 1 year old, shall not exceed more than two in the care of one adult. B. A foster parent shall not care for more foster children than allowed and identified on the foster parent s license, and shall not exceed five foster children in addition to other children in the home. C. A foster parent shall abide by any terms or conditions placed on the foster parent s license when accepting a child for placement. 07 FAMILY FOCUSED SERVICE PLANNING A. CPS holds the legal right to all information regarding the child and his/her birth family and shares information with AzCA staff and foster parents as appropriate. CPS is responsible for the visitation plan to include preparing biological family for the visit, supervising the visit and providing feedback to the biological family regarding observations of interaction between the child(ren) and family.. AzCA communicates with CPS staff concerning the child and family of origin s case plan, and ensures that the foster family is also aware of the case plan and receives a copy whenever it is made available by CPS. AzCA ensures that the foster family is adhering to the case plan through monthly home visits, and communication with CPS staff. AzCA staff, along with foster parents, will work together with CPS case managers to prepare the child, as well as plan, for the CPS case plan. The AzCA staff educate the foster family regarding the importance of shared parenting and encourage foster families to dedicate their efforts to the reunification process. AzCA will highly encourage the foster families, to work closely with biological families and AzCA will provide resources and support the foster families in the process of establishing permanency for the foster children. This includes guiding and educating families in regards to: assisting youth in developing and maintaining supports, encouraging and ensuring regular sibling contact occurs (when it is part of the case plan), encouraging youth to maintain connections with biological family and their community or origin (when appropriate and safe), and advocating for services and resources for children in care. When services are not readily accessible, the AzCA licensing worker advocates for greater availability and works with CPS, the foster family, and Child and Family Team (CFT) to consider alternatives, which can include informal support services. Page 8 of 16

9 AzCA fully supports the mission of CPS, to develop and maintain connections with the foster child s natural family. Although AzCA foster care staff do not have authority to determine child and parent visits, as well as sibling visits, or any services needed for the biological parents of the children, families are made aware of expectations to facilitate and support visits and contact. AzCA educates the foster families regarding the importance of children maintaining their connections to family and community and cultural heritage. Maintaining connections should not be limited to family members, but include significant persons from the child s past. It is the expectation that foster families seek and establish cultural connections for the children in their care. This is taught throughout PS MAPP, as well as ongoing advanced training for foster families. AzCA staff further supports this process by providing support and guidance to families and assistance with problem solving and communication skills that help the families advocate for the needs of the child, while at the same time respecting the family bond with the biological family. B. AzCA staff and foster parents work with CPS case managers to promote permanency and to promote any case plan involving reunification with the family. Foster parents attend court hearings, Foster Care Review Board meetings, Child and Family Team meetings and any staffings as part of the permanency planning process. Through regular communication and the monthly monitoring process, AzCA staff members assist CPS in the ongoing assessment of safety, placement appropriateness and visitation efforts with siblings and other family members deemed appropriate. 08 RESPITE SERVICES A. Although foster parents utilize relatives and close friends, approved by CPS to provide short term care for foster children, Respite Services are also available. The process of utilizing respite hours can be initiated by foster families. It can also be recommended by the foster care worker to avoid burn out with current foster placement, as well as to support the foster family in times of stress. In the event that respite is generated due to a crisis in the home, the AzCA foster care worker will recommend a CFT, to ensure that the child is receiving appropriate interventions from their mental health provider to assist in developing coping skills. B. Respite needs will be reported to each foster families worker with sufficient enough notice to allow the worker to find a respite home that is able to meet the needs of the individual children in need of respite, as well as locating a respite family that can address any medical, emotional, cultural, language needs, and any other special accommodations as noted by the current foster parent. C. All respite homes that are utilized for foster children are licensed foster and/or respite providers, which indicates that these respite providers will be equipped to address, in an age Page 9 of 16

10 appropriate manner, the direct needs of the child placed for respite. Respite providers are encouraged to provide activities for the children placed in respite, in order to assist the child in adjusting to this temporary transition, as well as to provide an environment that is age appropriate and welcoming. D. Respite home providers will adhere to the same ratios as a regularly licensed foster home, as listed in above section E. Any unusual or critical incidents that occur while a child is in respite will be reported immediately to the CPS Case Manager, as well as the AzCA foster care worker. All critical incident report processes apply while children are in respite care. F. Respite care providers will ensure that children are only returned to the foster family with whom the foster child resides, or any other person as approved by the foster family. Respite providers will adhere to any special safety needs that have been identified to protect the children from risky situations. G. The AzCA foster care program does not provide transportation services, recreational activities, child care, or peer support for foster children, as these are separate contracted services that are the responsibility of the child s CPS case manager, as well as the child s mental health provider. 09 ON-GOING MONITORING AND UTILIZATION REVIEW. A. The resource family specialist maintains ongoing monitoring reports and contact notes to remain current with the general assessment on the wellbeing of the child, family, and household. Strengths and progress are noted, as well as resources or supports needed. The resource family specialist visits the foster home within seven (7) days of a new placement. If the home has been licensed within the last six (6) months there will be weekly visits for the first month of that placement. The resource family specialist shall then visit the home once per month when a foster child is in placement and more frequently as circumstances warrant. The licensing worker will communicate with the placements and foster parents separately during the monthly home visit. Foster homes are visited once per quarter when there are no children in placement. A visit will be conducted prior to placement to ensure full compliance if there has been no home visit within the previous three months. Placement records are available to authorized personnel through AzCA s electronic medical record. The following is a list of some of the things that the resource family specialist will assess while conducting scheduled monitoring visit: 1. Cleanliness (to ensure sanitary conditions) 2. Functioning smoke detectors 3. Adequate lighting and ventilation throughout the house 4. Safety issues such as, exposed wires, broken windows and doors, holes in the ceiling, excessive debris in the walkways, rodent and insect infestation, etc. Page 10 of 16

11 5. Ensure all hazardous and/or dangerous materials, supplies, and equipment is appropriately stored and locked B. The resource family specialist will also complete the Child and Family Monitoring Report during each visit, this tool will be made accessible to the foster child s CPS case manager upon request. The resource family specialist will document and report on the following items, as reported by the foster parent or foster child: 1. Medical and Dental Issues 2. School and Daycare Updates 3. Social/Behavioral & Discipline Issues 4. Update on Children s services and Supports Available 5. CPS Changes in Case Plan or Updates 6. Visitation, Sibling Contact, and Shared Parenting 7. Foster Licensing Issues 8. Placement Availability 9. Changes in the Home 10. Upcoming Events and Needs of the Foster Family 11. Training Needs 12. Observation of Interactions between Foster Parents and Children 13. Any Follow-Up Plan if Necessary C. Foster families are expected to report critical incidents as they occur. AzCA collaborates with all members of a Child and Family Team in response to the critical incidents. D. All other monitoring in regards to the child and the biological family is the responsibility of CPS. Details of the on-going worker contact and monitoring of CPS can be found in the CPS Children s Services Manual: Chapter 6-7 under Legal Basis, as well as Family Centered Approach. 10 DISCHARGE PLANNING A. When a family is to be discharged from the program, an attempt is made by the agency to discuss with the family any reasons for discharge and come to an understanding regarding the circumstances surrounding the discharge. B. Within ten days of discharge from the program, the resource family specialist prepares a discharge summary which includes a summary of the family s service to the agency and recommendations for future licensure. C. AzCA staff notifies OLCR upon discharge of a family by completing the license withdrawal process in Quick Connect. Page 11 of 16

12 11 TRANSFERS Should a foster family transfer from one AzCA region to another, the family s file would be sent to the receiving AzCA office. The receiving resource family specialist contacts the sending worker to obtain information regarding the foster family, reviews the initial home study, most recent renewal home study any licensing concerns. 12 STAFF COMPOSITION, RESPONSIBILITIES, QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING A. Staff providing foster care recruitment, training, licensing and supervision services are selected in compliance with educational and experience requirements for their position, which include a Master s or Bachelor s degree in social work or a comparable human service field. Staff is required to demonstrate through prior experience competence in child development, assessing family strengths, assessing placement resources, facilitating permanency, and assisting foster families in providing a safe and nurturing environment. In addition, they must be able to recruit foster parents and evaluate their suitability as caregivers, help foster parents and kinship caregivers effectively parent children who are not their own, and work cooperatively using a team approach. B. Staff also receives specialized training in the following areas: 1. Review of State Law and Department policy regarding adoption, foster care and the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC) 2. A review of Federal Law regarding adoption, foster care and special education including the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), Multi-Ethnic Placement Act (MEPA-IEP) 3. The role of the Office of Licensing, Certification and Regulation 4. The CPS Intake and Investigation process including applicable State Law regarding reporting responsibilities 5. The dependency process including the role of the case manager, juvenile court, Attorney General s Office, CASA and Foster Care Review Board,, foster parents and the child s team 6. The adoption certification and placement process including the role of the case manager, juvenile court, Attorney General s Office, and the child s team 7. The provision of health services for foster children including the Comprehensive Medical and Dental Program, Kid s Care and Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. 8. The provision of children s behavioral health services in Arizona including the process for accessing services and key behavioral health services staff in each community 9. In order to provide services that reflect best practices in cultural competency, Arizona's Children Association staff receives on-going training in cultural diversity, sensitivity, and competency. Program services and delivery systems are based on strength-based models that are family-centered and family-driven. Service delivery models build on individual and Page 12 of 16

13 family assets and enlist the individual and family in the service design. Additionally, resource family specialists receive on-going and/or mandatory training required by DES and OLCR, as required, in order to maintain contract compliance. 10. Foster care staff will receive training in PS-MAPP, which addresses the following: how to work with and teach foster families about transitions and transition planning; assessing risk and protective factors and identifying strengths and needs of foster families and children; shared parenting and maintaining family connections; creating a safe, nurturing and healthy environment that meets the needs of foster children; identifying and working with foster families in regards to barriers or challenges they may have in regards to caring for foster children; helping parents improve their ability to care for their child ; and developing professional relationships with a team of child welfare professionals, as well as the foster family. 11 Foster care staff will be educated in, and understand the dynamics of, foster parent recruitment and the need for recruiting families with special skill sets including, caring for teens, caring for sibling groups, and caring for children with special needs. 12 Foster care staff will be trained in the area of professional and positive collaboration and communication with foster parents, as well as all other child welfare professionals 13 Foster care staff will understand and demonstrate a commitment to children and families and understand that all children have a right to permanency and to belong to a family system. 14 Foster care staff will be educated on how to evaluate the continued need for placement C. Arizona's Children Association is committed to continually improving the knowledge, skills and abilities of our employees. This commitment to training provides staff with the opportunity to stay abreast of best practice models in foster care, adoption and related fields as well as exchange ideas for new programs or performance improvements with other professionals in the Child Welfare field. Employees are required to attend a minimum of forty-eight (48) hours of training during their first year of employment and twenty-four (24) hours of training in each subsequent year. Training opportunities are provided internally and staff may also attend training from external sources including the Department, Child Welfare League of America and other State or nationally-recognized organizations in the child welfare or behavioral health field. The above mentioned will ensure AzCA employees are qualified and receive support to promote the safety and well-being of children, youth, and families, and facilitate permanency within established timeframes. D. Staff is evaluated after 90 days of employment and annually thereafter to ensure that they continue to demonstrate: 1. An ability to understand and assist with the role changes that occur in foster care, 2. An ability to counsel regarding issues of separation and loss for the child, family and caregiver, 3. A commitment to a child s right to belong to a family, Page 13 of 16

14 4. A commitment to preserving, whenever possible, a child s connection to the family of origin, 5. A commitment to reunifying a child with his/her biological family whenever possible. E. Arizona's Children Association determines the size of caseloads managed by foster care staff based on the number of existing foster homes, the number of new homes seeking licensure, and the number of foster homes requiring re-licensure. The geographic spread and number of children in each home is also taken into consideration. Caseloads range from 18 to 25 regular foster homes for a typical full-time foster care licensing worker. In some areas of the state, caseloads may include a mix of regular and therapeutic foster homes. Adjustments to caseloads are made as necessary to ensure the timeliness and effectiveness of service delivery and based upon case complexity, travel or other non-direct service time, and the range of family support services made available to complement the worker s role. When assigning caseloads, supervisors take into consideration the qualifications, competencies, specials skills, and resources available to each worker. Workers receive on-going supervision to ensure that they have support, to assist with continued professional development, and to evaluate and work with staff to continue to develop job specific competencies. F. Arizona's Children Association has established policies regarding staff supervision in the foster care program. Program Supervisors are responsible for the supervision of direct care staff. Program Supervisors are required to have a Master s or Bachelor s degree with extensive experience in the field. Experience in the foster care or child welfare field may substitute for a Master s degree. The Supervisor-to-staff ratio in the foster care programs is 1:6 for regular foster care and 1:5 for TFC. Program Supervisors are required to conduct supervision sessions with direct service staff a minimum of four hours per month for an average of one hour per week. The supervision sessions are regularly scheduled and may be conducted in an individual or group setting, although the majority of supervision each month must be in an individual setting. The supervision session includes a detailed discussion of the staff member s caseload, a discussion of the problems encountered and problem solving strategies. The employee is assisted in conducting an assessment of their performance in setting performance goals, meeting performance expectations, complying with position requirements, developing individualized training plans and meeting customer satisfaction expectations. Program Supervisors receive weekly supervision from either a Program Director, Senior Program Director or the Statewide Director. Supervision sessions for employees and supervisors are documented on the supervision notes form which is reviewed and signed by the employee and supervisor and filed in the employee personnel file. 13 RECORDS MAINTENANCE Page 14 of 16

15 A. Foster care records are maintained by the resource family specialist. The records are maintained according to AzCA policy. The case record will include, at a minimum, the following information: 1. Acknowledgement of receipt of the client rights and grievance procedures 2. Acknowledgement of receipt of the Confidentiality policies and procedures application forms 3. Results of background checks(including criminal history and CPS history) 4. Results of physical examinations for foster parents 5. Reference information 6. Health inspection 7. Home evaluation and recommendation 8. A copy of the foster care license 9. Training records 10. Contact notes 11. Visitation records 12. Records or documentation relating to CPS or licensing investigations 14 FEES No fees are charged for this program. 15 SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS A. The foster care program has bilingual Spanish-speaking staff on hand and actively recruits Spanish-speaking families. Pre-service training is also provided in Spanish when required. B. The accommodations made to the premises for individuals with a mobility impairment, sensory impairment, or other physical disability; 16 HOURS AND DAYS OF OPERATION AzCA administrative offices for foster care are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Appointments and trainings for potential foster families are made at times and locations convenient to the family including evenings and weekends. Staff are available to families through a rotating on-call phone for after hours, weekends and holiday assistance and support. This after hours on-call phone is also utilized for the purposes of receiving placement calls from CPS. Page 15 of 16

16 17 SERVICES PROVIDED OFF PREMISE Recruitment activities happen in venues throughout the community including at community events, meetings and religious gatherings. Trainings can occur in the family s homes or at agency facilities. Individual appointments with families can be scheduled in their homes or in AzCA offices, whichever is more convenient for the family. Page 16 of 16