Effective Date: 11-17-23
This Chapter contains the following subsections
Chapter 4 – Working with Children
4.2.1 Legislative Basis
4.2.2 Definitions
4.2.3 Best Interest Determination (BID) Process
4.2.4 Best Interests Determination (BID) Meeting Outcomes
4.2.5 Transportation
4.2.6 Role of the Family Support Team
4.2.7 School Transfer/Enrollment
4.2.8 Documentation Requirements
4.2.9 Free Nutritional Food Access
4.3 – Medical and Behavioral Health Planning
4.3.1 – Legal Basis for the Provision of Medical/Mental Health Services
4.3.2 – Medical and Mental Health Case Management
4.3.3 – Informed Consent
4.3.4 – Medical Service Alternatives/Planning
4.3.5 – Identification of Children in the Custody of the Children’s Division Solely for the Purpose of Accessing Mental Health Services
4.3.6 – Custody Diversion Protocol
4.3.7 – Voluntary Placement Agreement
4.3.8 – Pregnancy of Child in Out-of-Home Care
4.3.9 – Chemical Dependency Treatment
4.3.10 – HIV/AIDS Issues
4.3.11 – Life Support/Sustaining Therapies and Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR) or Removal of Life Support for the Child in the Legal Custody of the Division
4.3.12 – Death of a Child in Out-of-Home Care
4.4.1 – Indian Child Welfare Procedure and Process
4.4.2 – Native American Child Services
4.4.3 – Determining Child’s Indian Status
4.4.4 – Procedures for Refugee and Cuban/Haitian Unaccompanied Minor Placement Program
4.4.5 – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Issues
4.4.6 – Human Trafficking
4.5 – Children with Elevated Needs (Moved to 2.4.3 Elevated Needs Foster Care)
4.6 – Medical Foster Care (Moved to 2.4.2 Medical Foster Care)
4.7 – Children of Youth in Alternative Care (CYAC)
4.7.1 – CYAC Procedures
4.8 – Missing Person Report Procedure
4.8.1 – Understanding Missing Youth with a Trauma Based Focus
4.8.2 – Definition
4.8.3 – Missing Youth Protocol
4.8.4 – Youth in Known but Unapproved Placements
4.8.5 – Return or Recovery of a Missing Youth
4.8.6 – Failure to Locate a Youth
4.8.7 – Missing Child/Youth Not in Children’s Division Custody
4.9 – Division of Youth Services Co-Custody
Working with children in custody requires the family practitioner to be mindful of many different aspects of case management. This chapter focuses on issues involved in supporting the child and ensuring their well-being.
Understanding the child’s perspective through understanding the full frame of their lives and the possible traumas that have occurred are instrumental in building this relationship. Supporting resource parents that care for the child on a consistent basis will allow the practitioner to help the child is a well-rounded manner.
The following information is general and applicable to working with children in any placements. More information regarding specific situations is contained later in this chapter.
Note on Communications of Children
Children in out-of-home care often send/receive correspondence or communicate with friends, parents, grandparents, and other family members. The Division’s rule regarding communication is that in the absence of a court order to the contrary, outgoing and incoming mail and private phone calls of persons who are served in any form of out-of-home care are not to be censored, intercepted or restricted.
Incoming correspondence should be given to the addressee ASAP. However, there may be occasion when the Children’s Service Worker, the child’s counselor, parent, and/or other individuals involved in the child’s Family Support Team (FST) believe that sending/receiving mail or allowing private telephone calls from certain parties would not be in the best interest of the child. This may occur when the general content, content of a specific piece, or the psychological impact of the communication from a particular person is harmful to a child in some manner.
These decisions should be discussed with the supervisor and Family Support Team. The reason for the decision should be documented in FACES.
Note on Transportation of Children
The Division has the capability and responsibility to transport children that are in its custody. Case Managers are allowed to transport child to and from activities such as medical appointments, visitations, FSTs, and court hearings. This responsibility should be shared with placement providers and other safety network members as appropriate.
When a child presents an extreme behavioral challenge and possible safety risk to his or her self or others, the behavioral transportation CTS contract can be used (see Section 8 of this manual for details). If a child needs to be restrained during a transport, permission shall be obtained from the court and documented in FACES.
Related Practice Alerts and Memos:
1-10-20 – CD20-05 – Children’s Treatment Services
2-7-20 – CD20-09 – Parent Engagement and Visits with Children Webinar Recordings