CHILD WELFARE MANUAL

Section 4, Chapter 7 (Family Support Teams), Subsection 7 – FST Meeting Goals

Effective Date:  1-30-2026

 

4.7.7 FST Meeting Goals

 

Initial and Goal Planning FST Meeting

The Initial and Goal Planning FST meetings occur within the initial 30 days of case opening. As such, similar activities occur in both meetings, but each has a distinct purpose.

Information gathered or decisions made during the Initial FST meeting should carry over to the Goal Planning FST meeting to reduce duplication.

During these meetings additional documents will be needed which the worker must prepare before the meeting. Those documents include the FST Brochure, Learn Your Rights Brochure (CD-287), Social Service Plan (SSP), Parent-Child Visitation Plan (CD-85) and Diligent Search Efforts Reporting Tool. When not previously provided, the Indian Ancestry Questionnaire (CD-116), Indian Child Welfare Act Checklist (CD-123) and Indian Child Welfare Act Brochure (CD-133).

The Family Support Team Meeting Agenda (FST-1) leads the team through the process of permanency planning, diligent search, assessing placement, establishing or assessing visitation, safety assessment and planning, establishing conditions for return and, when applicable, conditions for case closure.

 

Initial FST Meeting

When circumstances support the possibility that the child could immediately be returned to the care of a parent or guardian, hold the Initial FST meeting prior to the Protective Custody (PC) Hearing.

Holding the FST meeting prior to the PC hearing allows the team opportunity to:

  • determine if a recommendation can be made, at the PC hearing, to safely return the child’s physical and/or legal custody to the parent or guardian, and
  • determine if court action needs to occur to ensure or maintain safety for any child(ren) who remain in the parent or guardians’ home.

When the child entered care solely for the purpose of accessing mental health services, refer to CWM 4.4.3.5 Identification of Children in the Custody of the Children’s Division Solely for the Purpose of Accessing Mental Health Services.

The primary goals of the Initial FST are to:

  • identify the least restrictive placement for the child,
  • identify back-up/alternate placement options should the court deny the placement recommendation, or the placement disrupts,
  • establish the child’s permanency goal,
  • begin the case planning process by completing the Permanency Planning and Assessment (section 2) of the FST-1, and
  • process with the family any orders from the court.

Permanency Planning Notes:

  • The child’s permanency goal must be established during the Initial FST meeting.
  • The child’s concurrent goal must be established within 30 days of the child’s entry into care.
  • A concurrent goal is required when the permanency goal is reunification. The permanency goal and concurrent goal must be realistic and achievable.
  • If the child entered care from a guardianship, and the intent is for the child to return to the care of the guardian and the guardianship remains intact, the permanency goal is Reunification.

If the guardianship is dissolved but the intent is for the child to return to the care of the guardian, a new legal guardianship should be established and therefore the permanency goal is Guardianship.

    • When the intent is to return the child to the care of a guardian, reasonable efforts (i.e., SSP goals, home visits, guardian-child visits, etc.) apply to the guardian as if they are a parent.
  • There are times when efforts are made simultaneously to reunify with multiple parents or guardians. Specify all potential reunification resources in the FST Information screen, Primary Permanency Plan for the Child section.
  • There is no requirement that an adoptive resource be identified or that the child be placed with an adoptive resource before the court may find adoption to be the permanency goal that is most appropriate for the child and order the filing of a petition for termination of parental rights.
  • There is no requirement that the child be placed with a guardianship resource prior to the court ordering guardianship as the child’s permanency goal. Consideration should be given whether guardianship is in the child’s best interest if a potential guardian has not been identified.
  • When the team is considering changing the youth’s goal to APPLA, the worker must document for the court why all other permanency options are not in the youth’s best interest.
  • When the team is considering changing the youth’s goal to Placement with a Fit and Willing Relative, the worker must document for the court why reunification, guardianship and adoption are not in the youth’s best interest.

Refer to CWM 4.8 Permanent Outcomes for more guidance.

 

Goal Planning FST Meeting

The Goal Planning FST meeting is held at approximately 2 weeks, but not to exceed 30 days following the child’s entry into care to ensure the team has opportunity to make decisions and the worker has sufficient time to:   

  1. File with the court the initial Social Service Plan and Diligent Search Reporting Form within 30 days of the child’s entry into care, and
  2. File recommendations via the court report for the Dispositional Hearing within the timeframe expected by the court.

The primary goal of the Goal Planning FST meeting is for the team to finalize the Permanency Planning and Assessment (section 2) of the FST-1 to ensure child safety; identify the reasons the child entered care; ensure all parents are identified, confirmed and contacted; ensure relatives are identified and contacted; establish the concurrent permanency goal; assess the child’s placement; determine placement provider needs; assess the parent/guardian-child and sibling visitation plans; finalize the conditions for return; and when applicable, finalize the conditions for case closure.

Conditions for Return

Conditions for return are developed within the first 30 days when the permanency goal is reunification with a parent or guardian. Conditions for return are the conditions which must be met before a child can be placed in the care of a parent or guardian. The conditions are established by the team and/or court and address threats to the child’s safety and well-being. The team collaborates with the parent/guardian to determine actions the parent/guardian will take to meet those conditions.

The conditions for return do not apply when the child is already in the care of the parent or guardian or factors exist which would cause the child not to return to the care of the parent or guardian, for example, TPR, death, prohibitive criminal factors or being relieved of reasonable efforts.

Conditions for Case Closure

Conditions for case closure are not established until a child is in the care of the parent or guardian, a recommendation will be made to the court to place a child in the care of a parent or guardian or when a child’s permanency goal is not reunification.

When the permanency goal is reunification, conditions for case closure are the things the parent/guardian must demonstrate or accomplish while caring for the child(ren) so the team will feel confident to recommend termination of jurisdiction and close the case.

When the permanency goal is not reunification, conditions for case closure are the things the team must accomplish to finalize the child’s permanency goal.

Conditions must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound. Conditions should not include general expected case activities such as allowing for scheduled and unscheduled home visits, providing updated contact information, signing releases of information, attending court hearings and complying with the visitation plan. If lack of compliance with any of these general expectations becomes a barrier to assessing a child’s safety or achieving the child’s permanency goal, notify the court.

 

​Resources

 

Placement Planning FST Meeting

While placement assessment and planning occur in every FST meeting, there are times circumstances arise outside the normal cadence of FST meetings when the team needs to convene to assist with securing a child’s placement or make a placement decision.

The primary goal of Placement Planning FST meetings will vary based on the circumstances and child’s need. The worker should be clear about the decisions or plans that need to be made during the meeting by documenting such in the Permanency Planning and Assessment (section 2) of the FST-1 to ensure relevant discussion occurs and next steps are identified to maintain or secure a safe and stable placement for the child.

Effort should be made to stabilize the child’s current placement whenever safe and possible by fully assessing the circumstances leading to a potential placement disruption, remedying factors contributing to the issue and providing support to both the child and placement provider.

When a placement change is necessary, the team must determine the next placement for the child while considering the child’s needs, relative hierarchy, sibling relationships, religious preferences, educational stability, ICWA and child’s wishes. The team must also be proactive in addressing circumstances which led to the placement disruption to avoid a repeating issue, when possible.

First consideration should be given to the back-up placement option the team previously identified, if that placement is in the child’s best interests. When a back-up placement is utilized, the team must identify another back-up placement option or continuously make efforts to do so when a back-up option has not been identified.

When No Adoption or Guardianship Resource Has Been Identified

When 30 days has passed following the final judgment of termination of parental rights (TPR) or a permanency goal change to guardianship and an adoption or guardianship resource has not been identified, the team must hold a Placement Planning FST meeting to determine and assign action steps to identify permanent placement options. Efforts must continue until a permanent placement is secured.

Positive Placement Change

When a placement change is necessary to support the child’s permanency goal, or the child is leaving a temporary placement and returning to their primary placement, these circumstances are not automatic triggers for a Placement Planning meeting but should be considered and held at the team’s discretion.

When transition planning has not otherwise occurred in the normal course of FST meetings, consideration should be given to whether a decision needs to be made or team collaboration could help support the transition.

The primary goal of the Placement Planning meeting in these circumstances is transition support. The team should consider what actions need to be taken to prepare the child and current caregiver for the move and the support the child and receiving caregiver will need.

Examples of a positive placement change may include:

  • A youth makes a lateral placement change. (e.g., ILA to ILA).
  • A temporary placement is ending, and the child is returning to the care of the previous caregiver. (e.g., hospital to relative care).
  • When a child changes placement to support their permanency goal. (e.g., Trial Home Visit, Pre-adoptive placement).

Resources

 

Hearing Preparation and Permanency Finalization FST Meeting

The Hearing Preparation and Permanency Finalization FST meetings lead the team through assessment and decisions regarding the child’s safety, placement, placement provider support, parent/guardian-child and sibling visitation, permanency planning, reasonable efforts, Older Youth goal planning, Older Youth exit planning, conditions for return and conditions for case closure.

The primary goal of both meetings is for the team to make decisions and take action to achieve child safety, stability and finalization of the child’s permanency goal.

During these meetings additional documents will be needed which the worker must prepare before the meeting. Those documents include the FST Brochure, Learn Your Rights Brochure (CD-287), Social Service Plan (SSP), completed and blank Parent-Child Visitation Plan (CD-85), Older Youth Individual Action Plan (CD-94 IAP), Older Youth FST Guide (CD-94), court orders and previously assigned Team Members Next Steps.

Hearing Preparation FST Meeting

The Hearing Preparation FST meeting occurs approximately 30 days prior to each hearing. This provides opportunity for the team to gather information, prepare recommendations and evidence to support those recommendations, which the worker will submit to the court via the court report along with an updated Social Service Plan. The team will utilize the Permanency Planning and Assessment (section 2) of the FST-1 to guide the discussion.

Permanency Finalization FST Meeting

A Permanency Hearing generally occurs at 12 months, and a Permanency Review Hearing generally occurs at 18 months which creates a significant gap of time between FST meetings. As such, holding the Permanency Finalization FST meeting at 14 months provides the team opportunity to make a timely decision regarding termination of parental rights or identify alternate steps to finalize the child’s permanency goal. The team will utilize the Permanency Planning and Assessment (section 2) of the FST-1 to guide the discussion.

When reunification is the permanency goal

The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) requires, with certain exceptions, the filing of a petition for termination of parental rights by the end of the 15th month when a child has been in foster care for 15 of the most recent 22 months, or within 60 days of a judicial determination that the Children’s Division is not required to make reasonable efforts to reunify the family because a parent has committed a statutorily identified crime which prohibits reunification found in sections 210.117 RSMo and 211.038 RSMo.

    • If the team determines termination of parental rights is in the child’s best interest, the worker must submit a TPR referral to DLS or the Juvenile Office within 30 days and assign action steps needing to be taken by other team members in the Team Member Tasks (section 3) of the FST-1.
    • If the team determines termination of parental rights is not in the child’s best interest, the team must determine if the conditions for return have been met.

When reunification is not the permanency goal

    • When the child’s permanency goal has been changed to something other than reunification prior to the Permanency Finalization meeting, the purpose of the meeting is to assess progress of the teams assigned tasks to achieve the conditions for case closure.

When a child has been on a Trial Home Visit (THV) for 3 months

Throughout the duration of a THV, the team must continually assess if the conditions for case closure have been met and take action to recommend case closure at the earliest determination the conditions have been met. When a FST meeting is not otherwise scheduled and the child has been on a THV for 3 months, the team must hold a Permanency Finalization FST meeting to:

    • Determine if a recommendation can be made to the court to terminate jurisdiction.
    • Determine if conditions for case closure need modification.
    • Determine if barriers exist which are preventing the parent from meeting the conditions for case closure. If barriers exist, the team should help the parent identify what services or supports may assist them to address the barrier.

Resources

 

Older Youth Exit Planning FST Meeting

Older Youth Exit Planning FST meetings are held:

  • within 30 days before and not to exceed 30 days following the youth’s 15th, 17th, and 20th birthdays, regardless of permanency goal, and
  • before a recommendation is made to the court to release jurisdiction when the youth is aged 17+ and the youth’s permanency goal is not reunification.

Exception: When the youth is determined to be incapacitated and therefore unable to participate in their own exit planning, the team may decide not to hold Older Youth Exit Planning FST meetings. Permanency planning activities can be accomplished in other FST meetings. Evidence of the youth’s incapacitation must be documented in the electronic case record.

If a youth refuses to participate in the Older Youth Exit Planning FST meeting, the worker is responsible for meeting with the youth, in coordination with the Older Youth Transition Specialist (OYTS), at the same cadence in which the FST meetings would be held. Documentation of the youth’s reasons for refusal must be documented in the electronic case record Contact Communication Log, purpose ‘FST’.

Meetings are held in alignment with the youth’s age due to benefits that may become accessible to the youth at certain ages. When the youth’s permanency goal is not reunification, meetings are held before a recommendation is made to release jurisdiction to ensure the youth is aware of the benefits available to them, is fully prepared to implement their Exit Plan and receives their Exit Packet. The Older Youth Transition Specialist (OYTS) will aid in this process.

Regardless of the youth’s permanency goal, the teams focus should be preparing the youth with the skills for adulthood. When the youth’s permanency goal is not reunification, the team’s purpose is to ensure the youth’s readiness to exit care by helping the youth develop, assess and implement their Exit Plan. All team members should consider how they can contribute support to the youth.

The worker must invite the Older Youth Transition Specialist to Exit Planning FST meetings. The purpose is for the OYTS to educate the youth and team on eligibility of benefits, and for the OYTS to help the team determine the cadence of future meetings to best meet the youth’s needs and support their exit plan. When determining the cadence of future meetings, consideration should be given to the youth’s level of readiness to exit, what actions need to be taken to prepare the youth, and the timeframe in which the youth is anticipated to exit care.

Tools:

  • The team will utilize the Adolescent FST guide (CD-94) to assess the youth’s preparedness to exit care. The youth’s Exit Plan should be documented in the comments section.
  • The team will assess the youth’s Individual Action Plan (IAP CD-94) goals to determine progress and identify how team members can provide support to the youth to aid them in accomplishing their goals. The youth’s IAP goals must support the youth’s Exit Plan.

Each meeting should be facilitated in a manner which positively supports and encourages the youth; allows the youth a level of independence to facilitate their own meeting; brings the youth’s voice to the center of the meeting; and focuses on youth well-being, stability, connections and permanency.

The youth shall be encouraged to share their experiences, needs, wishes regarding placement, and permanency and concurrent plans, and identify what support would be most helpful for them to reach their goals.

Resources