Alaska Administrative Code
Title 7 - Health and Social Services
Part 4 - Children's Services and Juvenile Justice
Chapter 67 - Foster Home Licensing Standards
Article 3 - Care and Services for Children in Foster Homes
7 AAC 67.240 - Behavior guidance

Universal Citation: 7 AK Admin Code 67.240

Current through August 30, 2024

(a) A foster parent shall demonstrate the ability to develop and use appropriate discipline strategies to address the challenging behaviors of a child in care that may be the result of the child's trauma, grief, or past experiences.

(b) A foster parent shall provide for positive reinforcement, redirection, the setting of realistic expectations, and clear and consistent limits.

(c) A foster parent is responsible for behavior modification practices for a child in care, as follows:

(1) this responsibility may not be delegated to a child;

(2) behavior modification must be based on an understanding of the child's needs and stage of development;

(3) behavior modification must be fair, reasonable, consistent, and related to the child's behavior;

(4) a child in care may not be (A) spanked with a hand or object, or be subjected to any form of corporal or physical punishment, including biting, jerking, kicking, hitting, pulling the child's hair, or shaking or throwing the child;
(B) assigned strenuous exercise or work as a form of punishment; this excludes age and developmentally appropriate chores or exercise;

(C) threatened with physical harm;

(D) threatened to be expelled from the foster home or intimidated;

(E) subjected to verbal abuse and derogatory remarks about the child or the child's family characteristics, physical traits, culture, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, or traditions;

(F) placed in a locked room;

(G) placed under a cold water shower;

(H) forced to eat or have hot sauce, soap, or other burning or foul tasting substances placed in a child's mouth;

(I) subject to the use of a physical restraint, except when necessary to protect a child from injury, or to protect property from serious damage; a physical restraint permitted under this subparagraph may be passive physical restraint only; the foster parent shall report the use of any physical restraint to the department;

(J) subject to the use of a mechanical restraint, except for a protective device such as a seatbelt;

(K) subject to the use of a chemical restraint; or

(L) disciplined in a manner that is cruel, humiliating, or otherwise damaging to the child.

(d) A foster parent may not use methods of behavior modification that interfere with a child's basic needs, including

(1) depriving the child of sleep;

(2) providing inadequate food, clothing, living space, or shelter;

(3) withholding food or other items essential to the protection, safety, or wellbeing of a child in care;

(4) restricting a child's breathing;

(5) forcing a child to shower or bathe as a form of punishment;

(6) interfering with the child's ability to take care of their own hygiene and toilet needs; or

(7) providing inadequate medical or dental care.

(e) A foster parent may not deprive or deny a child of necessary services or contacts, including

(1) the child's caseworker or assigned legal representative;

(2) the child's parents or other family members who are identified in the family contact plan; or

(3) individuals providing the child with therapeutic activities as part of the child's case plan.

Authority:AS 44.30.020

AS 47.14.120

AS 47.32.030

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Alaska may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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