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7.16.1 Activities Related to Health | 7.16.2 Activities Related to Safety | 7.16.3 Activities Related to Education
The caseworker must convene a family meeting (after the reunification staffing with service providers), including all collaborating agencies, four to six weeks prior to a child's target return home date. The Team must address the child's developmental, educational and medical needs. This meeting may be the same family meeting referred to in Section 7.12.2, where a reunification service plan is developed.
The reunification service plan must be submitted to the court for approval prior to return home. If the court approves return home, a set of casework activities must be accomplished before reunification. These caseworker activities are summarized in Table 1 in Appendix A.
When children are returned to the custody of their parents, many times legal custody/guardianship of the child will be retained by DCFS for at least six months after physical reunification of the children with their parents. The caseworker can obtain necessary health, safety, and educational information to evaluate more accurately the children's health, safety, and well-being during the six months following return home. If DCFS does not retain guardianship, consents for release of information must be obtained from parents or and from the court prior to returning the child to his or her home.
· Medical Exam Prior to Return Home
Not more than 30 days prior to the actual return home of the child, the child must have a thorough medical examination, preferably by the health care provider the child will be using when returned home. If the child's new health care provider will conduct the exam, the caseworker shall ensure that the child's medical records have been transferred to the new medical provider before the health examination is conducted. If the child's previous health care provider conducts the exam, the worker shall ensure that the child's medical records are then transferred to the new health care provider. This examination shall be used as a baseline to evaluate future exams. The parent must be present at the time of the medical examination and discuss issues of the ongoing health care of the child with the health care provider. The caseworker must request the results of the medical examination and keep the report in the child's case record.
· Ongoing Health Care Needs
The caseworker shall discuss with the parent(s) how the child's health care needs will be met after return home. This plan for meeting the child's ongoing needs shall be documented in the service plan. The plan shall include the identification of a health care provider to serve the child after return home. If possible, the child's health care provider should remain the same as before the child's return home. The caseworker and parent(s) shall identify other resources the family can use to assist in meeting health care needs, such as home health care providers, Medicaid, Department of Public Health, local LANS network, etc.
The caseworker must make a face-to-face visit with the child and parent, in the home, within 24 to 72 hours following reunification of the child. After the initial visit, weekly or more frequent intervention and contact, as recommended by the supervisor, is required for the first month following reunification. At least two of these visits must be unannounced home visits. After the first month, in-person home visits shall be completed at least twice monthly until child welfare services through the Department or its provider agency are terminated.
During all home visits the caseworker must see the child outside the presence of the parent for a portion of the visit and assess the child's health, safety and well-being under the care of his or her parent.
· A safety assessment using the CERAP must be completed within 24 hours prior to the return home of the child and within five days after the child is returned home. A CERAP must then be conducted monthly until case closure.
· Conduct CANTS/LEADS check within 30 days prior to return home.
In planning for the educational needs of the child after return home, the following minimum steps shall be taken:
· Before return home during the school year, the caseworker will meet with the child's current teacher and discuss the child's school performance with the child's current teacher and obtain a school report. The teacher should be informed that reunification is imminent and to contact the caseworker with any concerns. Arrangements shall be made with the child's current school for the transfer of educational records, if the child will be attending a new school after reunification.
· The caseworker must include in the service plan a description of how the child's educational needs will be met after the child is returned home. Refer to Procedures 314, Educational Services, Section 314.50, Education Plan, for a description of the plan's contents.
7.16.1 Activities Related to Health | 7.16.2 Activities Related to Safety | 7.16.3 Activities Related to Education