10A NCAC 70G .0503      PLACEMENT SERVICES

(a)  The agency shall assist the parents or guardian to assume or resume their parental roles and responsibilities as specified in the out-of-home family services agreement or person-centered plan.

(b)  The agency shall assist the parents or guardian to gain access to the services necessary to accomplish the goals and objectives specified in the out-of-home family services agreement or person-centered plan.

(c)  The agency shall encourage contacts between parents or guardian and children after placement, in accordance with the visitation and contact plan.

(d)  The agency shall have a signed agreement with the parents, guardian, or legal custodian of the child in care that includes the expectations and responsibilities of the agency and the parents, guardian, or legal custodian for carrying out the steps to meet the out-of-home family services agreement or goals of the person-centered plan, the financial arrangements for the child in care, and visitation and contact plans.

(e)  The agency shall select the most appropriate form of family foster care or therapeutic foster care for the child consistent with the needs of the child, parents, and guardian. The agency shall provide for any services the child may need and, when placing the child, shall select the least restrictive and most appropriate setting closest to the child's home.

(f)  The agency shall document any need to place a child in a family foster home or therapeutic foster home that is beyond a radius of 150 miles from the agency and the child's parents or guardian.

(g)  The agency, when selecting care, shall maintain the child's connections to their neighborhood, community, faith, extended family, tribe, school, and friends.

(h)  The agency shall involve the parents or guardian in the selection of the placement. In accordance with G.S. 7B-903.1(d), when the supervising agency intends to change a child's placement, it shall give the parent or guardian notice of its intention unless precluded by emergency circumstances. Where emergency circumstances exist, the supervising agency shall notify the parent or guardian within 72 hours of the placement change.

(i)  Each family foster home or the therapeutic foster home in which a foster child is placed shall be licensed by the Division of Social Services.

(j)  The agency social worker for the child shall become acquainted with the child and family prior to placement, except when a child is placed on an emergency basis or if the child is an infant.

(k)  The agency social worker shall help the child understand the reasons for placement and prepare him or her for the new environment. The social worker shall, except when placing under emergency conditions, arrange at least one preplacement visit for the child and shall be available to the child, the parents or guardian, and the foster parents for supportive services.

(l)  The agency shall supervise the care of the child and shall coordinate the planning and services for the child and family, as stated in the out-of-home family services agreement or person-centered plan.

(m)  Children in family foster homes and therapeutic foster homes shall have a monthly face-to-face contact by the social worker or case manager or more if specified in the out-of-home family services agreement or person-centered plan. The parents or guardian of children in family foster care and therapeutic foster care shall have a monthly face-to-face contact by the social worker or case manager unless the out-of-home family services agreement or person-centered plan indicates a different schedule of face-to-face contacts.

(n)  The agency social worker or case manager shall meet with the children and the parents, guardian, or legal custodian, either separately or together based on the out-of-home family services agreement or person-centered plan, to assess and work on the following:

(1)           progress in resolving problems which precipitated placement;

(2)           parent and child relationship difficulties;

(3)           adjustment to separation;

(4)           adjustment to placement;

(5)           achievement of out-of-home family services agreement goals or person-centered plan goals; and

(6)           the reasonable and prudent parent standard.

(o)  The agency shall refer the child's parents or guardian to other agencies in the community if they require services the agency does not provide and these services are specified in the out-of-home family services agreement or person-centered plan. The agency shall receive reports from the agency providing services regarding the parents' or guardian's progress or lack of progress.

(p)  The agency shall make provisions for social work, mental health, and health care, as stated in the out-of-home family services agreement or person-centered plan.

(q)  The agency shall give foster parents assistance, training, consultation, and emotional support in caring for children and in resolving problems related to their role as foster parents. Foster parents shall have one face-to-face contact per month by the social worker or case manager unless the out-of-home family services agreement or person-centered plan indicates a different schedule of face-to-face contacts for each foster child placed in the home. Phone support and 24-hour on-call support shall be provided to foster parents. Therapeutic foster care parents shall have at least 60 minutes of supervision by a qualified professional as defined in 10A NCAC 27G .0104 on a weekly basis for each therapeutic foster child placed in the foster home unless the person centered plan indicates a different schedule of supervision for each therapeutic foster child placed in the home. At least 50 percent of the supervision shall be face-to-face in the foster home unless specified differently in the person centered plan. Therapeutic foster parents providing treatment to children or youths with substance abuse treatment needs shall receive supervision from a qualified substance abuse professional as defined in 10A NCAC 27G .0104. The agency shall provide each foster parent with a Foster Parent Handbook that outlines agency procedures, requirements and expectations.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 131D-10.2; 131D-10.2A; 131D-10.5; 143B-153;

Eff. October 1, 2008;

Amended Eff. August 1, 2017; November 1, 2009;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. October 3, 2017.