Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Children and Families
DCF 021-99 - Safety and Permanence
Chapter DCF 54 - Child-Placing Agencies
Section DCF 54.04 - Social services
Universal Citation: WI Admin Code ยง DCF 54.04
Current through August 26, 2024
(1) GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.
(a) The agency shall provide services to
children who need and seek its care without discrimination on the basis of race
or cultural identification, sex, sexual orientation, age, creed, ancestry,
disability, political affiliations, religious beliefs, color, or national
origin.
(b) Each agency shall:
1. Develop and follow written intake policies
that include asking the referring person or agency to indicate if the child or
at least one of the child's biological parents is of American Indian
descent.
2. Secure and record
information which substantiates the planning for the child.
3. Accept a child for placement only when
legally authorized to do so.
4.
Obtain from the parent or guardian of every child accepted for care a written
authorization for emergency surgical care, for necessary vaccinations and
immunizations, for routine medical examinations and treatment.
(c) The agency shall substantiate
that continuing social services to the child, to his parents and to the foster
parents on a planned basis are provided while the child is in
placement.
(d) Adopt written
policies for placement and discharge from service.
(e) When the agency is terminating its
responsibility to the child release the child only to a person or agency
authorized to accept the child.
(f)
Requirements to be met by licensee in order to place children in boarding care.
A child welfare agency with authority to place children in licensed foster
homes and to license foster homes (s.
48.61(3) and (7), Stats.) shall:
1. Have a social service supervisory staff of
one or more persons who meet the requirements of s.
DCF 54.03(2) (c)
2. and have at least one year's experience in
the study of foster homes, licensing, placement and supervision of foster
care.
2. License only homes which
meet the foster home rules.
3.
Place children only in homes which meet the foster home rules.
4. Place and/or supervise a minimum of 5
children a year in foster care, exclusive of adoptive placement.
5. Assign the responsibility for supervision
to one staff person when there are fewer than 20 children in foster
care.
6. Place no child under the
care of the agency in the home of a staff person employed by the agency or a
member of the board of directors. This does not pertain to persons whose only
employment by the agency is in the foster parent role.
7. Maintain individual foster home records
for each home used by the agency which includes signed applications and
agreements.
8. Establish an
administrative plan for periodic review of children in boarding home
placement.
(g)
Requirements to be met by licensee in order to accept guardianship. A child
welfare agency with authority to accept guardianship and place children for
adoption under ss.
48.43(1),
48.61(5) and
48.70(4),
Stats., shall:
1. Furnish evidence of
providing a service to cover a geographic area with no less than a 50 mile
radius or 200,000 population base.
2. Have a social service supervisory staff of
one or more persons available, who, in addition to meeting the requirements of
s.
DCF 54.03(2) (c)
2., have one year's experience in the study,
placement, and postplacement services in an agency authorized to place children
for adoption.
3. Place at least 15
children in adoption a year.
4. If
fewer than 20 children are under supervision or placed within one year, assign
this responsibility to one staff person.
5. Assign to one worker no less than 5
placements a year.
6. Accept
applicants only from the geographical area covered by the license.
7. Develop and follow written intake policies
for the acceptance of children and prospective adoptive families. Intake
policies shall include asking the referring person or agency to indicate if the
child or at least one of the child's biological parents is of American Indian
descent.
8. Establish an
administrative plan for a periodic review of children in the agency's
guardianship.
9. When a child is
determined ready for placement the child shall be placed within 3 months by the
guardianship agency or referred to another agency or resource for
placement.
10. Provide
postplacement services to the adoptive family for the purpose of effecting a
successful integration of the child into the family.
11. Maintain a record of the study of the
adoptive home and of the placement and postplacement services.
12. Require workers to inform prospective
adoptive parents interested in adopting a special needs child about the
subsidized adoption program and that they may submit an application for an
adoption subsidy.
13. Comply with
ch. DCF 53 regarding adoption information search and disclosure to adoptees and
disclosure of medical, genetic and non-identifying social history information
to the courts, adoptees, adoptive parents or birth parents.
(h) An agency shall complete all
components of a standardized assessment tool prescribed by the department to
conduct the home study required for approval of a placement for adoption,
recognition of a foreign adoption, and issuance of a license to operate a
foster home. Completion shall include dates and signatures where specified by
the tool.
Note: The standardized assessment tool prescribed by the department is the Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE) tool. Contact the department's Division of Safety and Permanence for further information at P.O. Box 8916, Madison, WI 53708-8916.
(2) PROGRAM OF CHILD CARE.
(a)
Education. The agency
shall be responsible for providing opportunities for academic and vocational
training.
(b)
Health
care. The agency shall:
1. See that
each child has a thorough health appraisal and a rehabilitative health program
as indicated.
2. Have on file the
written authorization from parent or guardian as required in sub. (1) (b)
4.
3. Provide for consultation to
staff in the areas of medical, dental, psychological and psychiatric
need.
4. Obtain, when needed,
psychiatric and psychological services including tests and
examinations.
(c)
Admission examination-health qualifications. Each child shall
have a physical examination from a qualified physician within 90 days prior to
the initial acceptance for placement. If the foregoing has not occurred, the
examination shall be given within 48 hours after acceptance.
1. Prior to placement the child shall have
been observed by a person competent to recognize common signs of communicable
diseases.
2. It shall be determined
that each child is adequately immunized against the following diseases:
a. Diphtheria
b. Polio
c. Tetanus
d. Whooping cough (if under 5
years)
e. Measles
(rubeola)
f. German measles
(rubella)
g. Mumps
3. Each child shall have been
given a tuberculin test, and chest X-ray if indicated, within 6 months prior to
acceptance.
4. All medical reports,
i.e., physical examinations, tests and recommendations shall be in writing and
filed with the agency.
(d)
Medical examinations.
Each agency shall provide for each child annually a health examination covering
the areas included on a department-prescribed form.
Note: A health examination form may be obtained by writing or telephoning any field office listed in Appendix A.
(e)
Medical
care.
1. Each agency shall have a
plan and make provisions for prompt treatment in illnesses and for carrying out
corrective measures and treatment of remedial defects or deformities.
2. Procedures for hospitalization shall be
established.
(f)
Dental care.
1. Each agency
shall provide for regular dental examinations and treatment including necessary
prophylaxis, repairs and extractions.
2. Each child over 3 shall have a thorough
dental examination as soon as practical after acceptance for care and at
intervals thereafter not exceeding 6 months after the last examination or
completion of treatment.
(g)
Eye care. Children who
are in need of glasses shall have refractions at a minimum of once every 2
years and shall be supplied with glasses as required.
(h)
Special care. Foster
parents shall be informed of the expected precautions to be taken in the care
of sick children and in the handling of medicines and prescriptions.
(i)
Medical records. A
health record shall be maintained for each child covering the following health
history:
1. Pre-natal and birth
history.
2. Developmental
history.
3. Previous illness,
injuries and surgery.
4.
Immunizations and tests.
5. Social,
emotional and environmental history of the child.
6. Height and weight record.
7. Health history of the child's family
including mental, or emotional problems.
(j)
Clothing. The agency
shall furnish each child with clothing which is individually selected and
fitted, appropriate to the season and comparable to that of other children in
the community.
(k) The licensee
shall be knowledgeable of and ensure that staff members and volunteers observe
the patient rights and grievance resolution procedures in s.
51.61, Stats.,
and ch. DHS 94, for each resident that receives services for treatment of
mental illness, a developmental disability, alcoholism or drug dependency.
Residents that are not specifically identified as coming under s.
51.61, Stats.,
and ch. DHS 94 shall have rights and access to grievance resolution procedures
that are comparable to those found in s.
51.61, Stats.,
and ch. DHS 94.
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