Effective Date: 7-2-2021
Meeting/Working with the Family
It is recommended the Children’s Service Worker meet in the parents’ home (or each parent’s home if not living together) one time per week during the first 30 days of custody. The worker then must meet with the parent a minimum of one time per month thereafter. During the first 30 days, staff will the Initial Family Assessment (CD-301) and, if necessary, the Initial Family Assessment Attachment (CD-301a), to assess the family. After the first 30 days, the case worker will utilize the Monthly Contact Form (CD – 300).
By completing these forms, staff can develop a better understanding of the family’s needs and can begin to plan for appropriate interventions on an individual, family, and community basis.
Both announced and unannounced visits should be utilized. The majority of visits should occur in the parent’s home environment. The parent’s home is the place they are living, as defined by the parent.
Examples of the majority include:
- If a case has been opened 6 months during October 1 thru September 30, 4 out of the 6 required visits during that time frame must be in the parent’s home.
- If a case has been open for only 2 months during the Federal Fiscal year, 2 visits must occur in the home as the majority of the visits are required in that setting.
- If a case has been opened 5 months, 3 of the visits held with the parent must be in the parent’s home
During these visits the worker should discuss, through use of the Social Service Plan, the progress of the case, the safety of the child (including safety networks and how they are being utilized), and the parent’s own situation. Updates about treatment activities such as therapy and other services should be discussed and documented using the Monthly Contact Form (CD-300).
Notes about parent home visits:
- If a parent’s rights have been terminated, they no longer are required to be visited. However, there may be situations such as with older youth, that visitation or contact with the that parent is warranted
- When a parent is incarcerated either locally or through the Department of Corrections, a phone call (including video calls) will count as a visit in that parent’s home
- If a parent is living in a county outside of the case manager’s county, the parent still must be visited in the home the majority of the time. This visit can be completed by a service worker if that arrangement has been made between the circuits.