Current through Reg. 50, No. 187; September 24, 2024
(1) The child welfare professional making the
placement shall:
(a) Provide or arrange for
the transport of the child to the placement;
(b) Advise the caregiver as to the reason or
circumstances that caused the child to be placed;
(c) Facilitate the adjustment of the child to
the placement. The child welfare professional shall be aware of, and attend to,
the child's emotional needs;
(d)
Ensure that the child's special physical, medical, developmental, educational
or emotional needs are met as specified in Rule
65C-28.004, F.A.C. A behavior
management plan is required for children with the following behaviors:
1. Juvenile sexual abuse;
2. Aggressive behaviors;
3. Wounding or killing animals; or
4. Property destruction.
(e) Provide information about the out-of-home
caregiver to the child, as age or developmentally appropriate;
(f) Provide any formal assessment of the
child to the child's parent, out-of-home caregiver, Children's Legal Services
attorney, and guardian ad litem and child's attorney, if appointed;
(g) Encourage and provide necessary support
to the parent and out-of-home caregiver in participating in the assessment or
medical evaluation process;
(h)
Provide service referrals whenever a physical, medical, developmental,
educational, or emotional need is suspected;
(i) Document in the Florida Safe Families
Network (FSFN) any notification provided to parents and others regarding a
child's assessment and any referrals made as a result of the
assessment;
(j) If there is any
potential that a child may qualify for social security survivor benefits,
social security disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income due to
disability, or other benefits, ensure that an application is made for the
benefits on behalf of the child and documented in FSFN;
(k) Arrange for services for the child and
supports for the out-of-home caregiver, if a disability is determined and a
need for services is identified;
(l) Ensure that the needs of the child for
emotional safety and recovery are addressed and that precautions are taken in
regards to the safety of other children in the same setting, if a child is
identified as a victim of sexual abuse and needs to be placed in out-of-home
care; and
(m) Provide the
caregivers with written, detailed, and complete information regarding the
circumstances surrounding the child's behavior so that they can avoid any
unwitting replication of those circumstances, if a child who is known to have
exhibited any behaviors that may result in harm. Information given provided to
caregivers shall include the dates of all known incidents; the nature of the
relationship between the child and victim; the types of behavior exhibited; a
brief narrative outlining the event; the types of treatment needed or provided;
and any current treatment outcomes.
(2) Continuation of Medical Care and
Treatment. The child's medical care and treatment shall not be disrupted by
change of placement. To the extent possible, the child welfare professional
making the placement shall arrange for transportation in order to continue the
child with his or her existing treating physicians for any on-going medical
care. If this is not possible, the child welfare professional shall secure a
copy of the child's medical records from the treating physician within three
(3) working days of the change to a new provider. The child welfare
professional is responsible for the following tasks relating to on-going
medical care and treatment:
(a) Discuss with
the caregiver all known health care facts regarding the child;
(b) Review with the caregiver all health care
and Medicaid information contained in the child's resource record;
(c) Obtain any prescription medication
currently taken by the child. To continue medication as directed, the child
welfare professional shall obtain the medication in labeled medication bottles,
inventory the medications provided, and transport the medications to the
child's caregiver. The inventory shall include:
1. The child for whom the medication is
prescribed,
2. The condition and
purpose for which the medication is prescribed for this child,
3. The prescribing physician's name and
contact information,
4. The
pharmacy from which the prescription was obtained and the contact information,
5. The prescription number,
6. The drug name and dosage,
7. The times and frequency of
administration, and if the dosages vary at different times,
8. Any identified side effects,
9. Any other specific instructions regarding
the medication; and,
10. A space
for the caregiver to sign and date the medication inventory to indicate receipt
of the child's medication.
(d) If the child is taking unlabeled
medications or prescription information is insufficient, the child welfare
professional shall contact the prescribing physician, if available, to ensure
the proper identification and labeling of the medication or to arrange for a
medical evaluation in order that treatment not be interrupted; and
(e) If a child uses medically assistive
devices, the child welfare professional shall ensure that these devices are
taken with the child to the out-of-home placement and that the caregiver
receives instruction concerning the use of the devices from the child's health
care provider.
(3) The
Child's Resource Record. A child's resource record shall be developed for every
child entering out-of-home care. The child welfare professional making the
placement is responsible for the initial development, monitoring, updating and
transporting of the child's resource record.
(a) The out-of-home caregiver shall be
provided with the child's resource record. The child's resource record from
previous placement(s) shall be reviewed with the out-of-home caregiver upon the
child's new placement. The child welfare professional shall discuss with the
out-of-home caregiver the caregiver's role in maintaining and updating the
child's resource record. If the caregiver reports that materials are missing
from the child's resource record, the child welfare professional shall be
provided all available materials within five days.
(b) The child welfare professional shall
review confidentiality requirements with each caregiver. The caregiver is
responsible for maintaining confidentiality of the child's resource record
documents.
(c) The resource record
shall accompany the child during any change of placement.
(d) Since some of the information necessary
in the child's resource record is not available immediately upon initial
removal, the documents required in the child's resource record shall be placed
in the record as available. The child's resource record shall include the
following information:
1. Medical, dental,
psychological, psychiatric and behavioral history,
2. Copies of documentation regarding all
on-going medical, dental, psychological, psychiatric and behavioral services,
including child health check-ups provided through Medicaid,
3. Parental consent for treatment or court
order,
4. Copy of the Medicaid
card,
5. Copy of the Shelter
Order,
6. Copy of the court order
or "Voluntary Placement Agreement" placing or accepting the child into
out-of-home care. The "Voluntary Placement Agreement, " CF-FSP 5004, October
2005, is incorporated by reference and available at
http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-06451,
7. Copy of the Case Plan,
8. Copy of the most recent
Judicial Review Social Study Report,
9. All available school records,
10. An envelope for storing pictures,
11. The most recent photograph
available,
12. Copy of the child's
birth certificate or birth verification certified by the Office of Vital
Statistics, as appropriate,
13.
Documentation of immigration status, including certificate of citizenship, if
available; and,
14. The names and
phone numbers of staff to be contacted in emergencies.
(e) Where the Department or contracted
service provider has originals of documents required to be included in the
child's resource record, the original documents shall be placed in the child's
case file and the copies shall be kept in the child's resource
record.
(f) Where medical or
educational information is not available and accessible, written documentation
of the efforts made to obtain the information shall be documented in
FSFN.
(g) The child's resource
record shall be physically located with the caregiver, whether the child is in
licensed care or placed with a relative or non-relative. The child's caregiver
shall ensure that the child's resource record is updated after every health
care, psychological, psychiatric, behavioral and educational service or
assessment provided to the child.
(h) The case manager shall ensure that
medical and court-related documentation are kept current at each visit that is
made at least every 30 days. If additional information is needed in the child's
resource record, the case manager and the caregiver shall work together to
ensure that the child's resource record is updated.
(4) Transportation. The caregiver shall have
the primary responsibility for ensuring the transportation of children in
out-of-home care to and from hearings, visitation and other activities. If the
caregiver cannot arrange or provide transportation, he or she shall contact the
child welfare professional who shall be responsible for developing contingency
transportation plans. When the licensed caregiver refuses to perform these
required transportation responsibilities, the child welfare professional shall
notify licensing staff of the refusal.
(5) Review of Licensed Caregiver Performance.
At the time of license renewal for a licensed out-of-home caregiver, the case
manager shall complete a "Case Manager/Case Worker Review of Foster Parent, "
CF-FSP 5223, March 2013, incorporated by reference and available at
http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-06452.
(6) Completion and Review of the Partnership
Plan. The person making the placement shall complete the "Partnership Plan for
Children in Out-of-Home Care, " CF-FSP 5226, January 2015, incorporated by
reference and available at
http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-06453,
review with out-of-home caregivers the information provided on the form and its
relevance to their responsibilities, obtain a signature of the out-of-home
caregiver attesting acknowledgment of the requirements at time of placement,
and place in the child's case record.
(7) When a child is placed in a relative's or
non-relative's home, the child welfare professional shall inform the relative
or non-relative that he or she may seek licensure as a caregiver in accordance
with Chapter 65C-45, F.A.C., to be eligible for payment as a shelter or foster
parent and provide information regarding the Relative Caregiver Program,
including non-relative financial assistance.
Rulemaking Authority
39.012,
39.0121(2), (6), (12),
(13),
39.307(7),
409.145(4) FS.
Law Implemented 39.307(1)(b), 39.401(3)(b), 39.402(8)(h)6.,
39.407(3)(b),
409.145(2)
FS.
New 5-4-06, Amended 2-25-16,
8-2-21.
