Commissioner's Designated Format for Completion of an Adoption And
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DHS-4258-ENG 4-17 Commissioner’s Designated Format for Completion of an Adoption and Foster Care Study All county and child placing agencies are required to Foster care licensure has requirements in addition complete adoption and foster care home studies and to completion of a home study. Other forms that are updates using the commissioner’s designated format. required include: For child welfare practice, the commissioner’s one ■■Complaint and Grievance Procedure study format for foster care and adoption is intended ■■Drug and Alcohol Policy to facilitate concurrent planning and reduce barriers to ■■Discipline Policy timeliness and permanency. ■■Child Foster Care Addendum The designated format is a home study assessment that ■■Foster Parent Agreement form summarizes information gathered during the initial home ■■Statement of Intended Use study and annual update process. Below are the three forms that must be completed to be compliant with ■■Home Safety Checklist the required Commissioner’s Designated Format for ■■Emergency Procedures. Completion of an Adoption and Foster Care Study: A study may be completed for the purpose of: ■■Minnesota Adoption and Foster Care Application ■■Foster care and adoption of a child or siblings (DHS-4258A) in foster care ■■Minnesota Adoption and Foster Care Individual Fact ■■Adoption of a child or siblings in foster care Sheet (DHS-4258B) ■■Domestic infant adoption ■■Minnesota Adoption and Foster Care Home Study Assessment (DHS-4258D) or Minnesota Adoption and ■■International adoption Foster Care Assessment Update (DHS-4258E). ■■Other. I. Minnesota Adoption and Foster Care Application Instructions (DHS-4258A) The application is completed by prospective foster make contact with, and provide information on, next steps. and/or adoptive parent(s), including relative custodians, All information on the application must be addressed. and submitted to a county or child placing agency. Any areas not addressed by an applicant must be An application must be completed for an initial home completed. study and home study update, which includes relative Note: An applicant may have the right to withdraw an or pre-kinship placements. The application collects application under certain circumstances. Contact a information about the applicant(s) and all household Minnesota Department of Human Services Family Systems members. An agency that receives an application must licensor for more information. II. Minnesota Adoption and Foster Care Individual Fact Sheet Instructions (DHS-4258B) The individual fact sheet includes questions of a personal ■■Any new adult household member who moves into nature. The purpose of this information is to allow the a licensed foster home or home with an approved agency to fully understand the prospective foster/ adoption study. adoptive parent’s experiences, assessing strengths and needed supports. If the prospective foster/adoptive Fact sheets must be submitted with the application for an parent has specific concerns regarding these questions, initial foster care or adoption home study, adoption home it is encouraged to discuss them openly with the agency study update, or foster care re-licensure. completing the home study. Foster children of any age living in a home do not An Individual Fact Sheet must be completed by: complete an Individual Fact Sheet. The applicant must report health assessment information on behalf of an ■■The applicant(s) applicant’s minor children living in the home on one of ■■Adult household members age 18 and older the applicant’s Individual Fact Sheets. -1- III. Minnesota Adoption and Foster Care Home Study Assessment Instructions (DHS-4258D) A home study assessment must be completed for an initial When an applicant is approved for foster care, meeting foster care license or adoption. the requirements for foster care licensing, they met or exceeded the standards for an approved adoption home The home study assessment documents information study for a child under guardianship of the commissioner. gathered throughout the study process, including: This dual recommendation is the foundation of a combined ■■Orientation and/or training home study format for foster care and adoption that ■■Required background studies facilitates concurrent planning and timely permanency. ■■Assessment visits that include interviews with When a family’s interest and preference is foster care applicant and others only, indicate that preference in the text box under the ■■Summary of information received from references recommendation, including the reasons a family was ■■Collection of collateral information. approved and the type of child(ren) for whom they wish The home study is an individual assessment of the to provide care. Information should accurately reflect a prospective foster/adoptive family’s capacity to foster family’s intentions and readiness by noting that while an and/or adopt, or care permanently for a child (in the applicant is not yet ready to commit to adopting a child, if case of a permanent relative custodian). Each section is they change their mind, they meet the adoptions standards outlined below, with suggested topic areas to address for adoption. Do not select “not approved for adoption” as during agency interviews. An assessment also allows an the professional recommendation when the only basis for agency to identify and consider needed services and family that recommendation is a family’s readiness to commit to supports to ensure stability and permanency. adopting a foster child, or the permanency goal is Transfer of Permanent Legal and Physical Custody (TPLPC). Home study assessment information provides county and child placing agencies with information needed A prospective family’s understanding and concerns about to determine if a prospective parent/custodian is permanency planning, adoption issues or transfer of an appropriate match for a foster or adoptive child. permanent legal and physical custody should be described Minnesota Statutes require individual placement decisions in detail in the permanency planning section of the home be made based on best interests of a child. A child foster study assessment. care license or approved home study does not guarantee a Family strengths and needs child will be placed in the home. This assessment of a prospective family’s strengths and Period of validity for a home study is as follows: needs should accurately reflect their current functioning ■■An adoption only home study is valid for one year. and capacity for development of skills necessary for ■■An initial foster care/adoption home study is valid for successful foster or adoptive parenting and should one year. An exception to this would be for an applicant consider: who has previously been licensed for child foster care. ■■Motivation and expectations The agency may choose to allow the home study and ■■Personal maturity foster care license to be approved for a maximum of ■■Stability and quality of interpersonal relationships two years. ■■Resilience, coping skills and stress management Information included in a home study may be subject to ■■Openness of family system the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act and/or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ■■Parenting skills and hands-on parenting (HIPAA). ■■Perspective and empathy Additional information about specific sections of the home ■■Commitment and responsibilities. study form include the following topic areas. Training plan Recommendation Describe the training plan developed with an applicant. Based on the interview, collateral contacts, background The plan should build on the identified family strengths and study, and other information gathered and assessed during address needs to enhance skills and improve capacity to the home study process, a caseworker is expected to be a foster, adoptive parent, or relative custodian. Include select one of four recommendations: training opportunities such as skill development, education and experimental activities. ■■Approval for child foster care licensure and adoption of a foster child The final page of the document summarizes completion of required foster care training. Minnesota Statutes do ■■Approved for domestic, infant or international adoption not require an applicant to complete specific training for ■■Not approved for adoption approval of an adoption study, but many adoption agencies ■■Denial of foster care license. require training as part of their process. -2- Adoptive and foster parent history Children, including adult children, If applicable, summarize applicant’s previous adoptive or living out of the home foster parent history, including: If an applicant has children who do not live in the home, ■■Results of previous application or home study include information about each child, including age; quality of relationship with applicant; attitude about adoption, ■■Number of years applicant has provided foster care foster care or TPLPC; and how often child visits. ■■History as a foster or adoptive parent. If an applicant has adult children living out of the home, Personal history for applicant one and applicant two these individuals may be good resources for providing A separate history summary must be completed for each information on an applicant’s parenting skills. applicant. Personal characteristics and resilience This section summarizes an applicant’s personal history, including: A separate personal characteristics and resilience summary must be completed for each applicant. ■■Date and place of birth, ethnicity This section highlights