7.12.1 The Reunification Staffing | 7.12.2 The Family Meeting
Certain conditions and behavioral indicators must be present before reunification can be considered and safely achieved. The critical decision to return home must be made in consultation with the caseworker's supervisor and documented in the case record. The decision should be based on the assessment described above in the Section 7.10, "Assessing Progress." This involves a consideration of reasonable progress on the part of the parents, reasonable efforts on the part of the caseworker, best interests of the child and other pertinent factors.
In deciding whether to recommend to a court that children in placement should be returned home to the parents' care, the caseworker must consider whether the parents have demonstrated the following:
· an understanding of the child's developmental needs demonstrated during visits and in discussions with the caseworker, therapist and other service providers;
· a willingness to meet the child's needs demonstrated during visits and in discussions with the caseworker, therapist and other service providers;
· consistent and active participation in visits; demonstration of improved parenting skills during visits as documented in visiting logs;
· an ability to care for themselves so they can meet the needs of the child;
· improved parental choices, decisions and relationships which lead to a safer and healthier environment for their children;
· a better understanding of themselves resulting in an ability to identify warning signs;
· learning to ask for and accept help;
· an ability to assure the health, safety and development of the child;
· the development of an ongoing support network consisting of other family members, neighborhood or community, church, etc.;
· if substance abuse was the reason for removal, parent has completed recommended treatment or is making progress in treatment; parent has completed or is participating in relapse prevention program; progress reports from the therapist were obtained;
· appropriate expression of anger which does not amount to physical violence or threats of violence;
· an acceptance of responsibility for maltreatment of the child and a demonstration of empathy for the impact of the effects of the maltreatment on the child;
· if mental illness is present, this condition does not affect the parent's ability to provide for the care and safety of the child; the condition is appropriately managed through the use of medication, parent is appropriately engaged in recommended treatment and is adhering to the treatment regime; progress reports from therapist were obtained;
· resolution of any ambivalence relating to the care of the child as demonstrated by spontaneous affection for the child, active planning for the child, involvement in child's activities and other concrete, positive actions toward the child.
· active engagement in the service plan as demonstrated by completion of services (or consistent, ongoing progress in services), consistent appearances in court, attendance at, and active participation in, family meetings and ACR's.
· a willingness to develop a service plans that assures the safety of the child at home.
Whether the family is ready to be reunified is a topic that should be addressed directly and openly at every family meeting. If the caseworker and supervisor, based on concrete demonstrations by the parent and clinical reports by service providers, believe that the family is ready for reunification, the caseworker MUST hold a reunification staffing consisting of the caseworker, supervisor and persons who have provided services to the family within the past year. The focus of the staffing shall be on whether those involved with the family believe that it is in the bests interests of the child(ren) to return home and whether the return home can be safely accomplished. The inquiry should include but not be limited to the following:
· Has the problem that led to the maltreatment been sufficiently addressed and resolved, and how has it been addressed and resolved?
· Have the parents adequately completed the tasks required of them in their service plan? Were the tasks relevant to the family's problems and risk/safety concerns?
· What are the characteristics, needs and behaviors of the children returning home? Have the parents been educated about these characteristics, needs and behaviors? Have they demonstrated that they will be able to manage them?
· What special services will the children need when they return home and are the parents aware of the special services? Have the parents been given an opportunity to demonstrate behavior consistent with providing and participating in the special services while the children were in care?
· Do the parents have their own support system? Will they realistically use this support system, especially in times of crisis? Who does the support system consist of? Are those persons aware of their role in providing a safety net for the family?
· In what manner will the children be returned home? If the family has more than one child in care, will they all be returned home at the same time or will they be returned in gradual stages, thereby allowing an adjustment period of both children and parents?
· What basic necessities does the family need before the children return home and does the family need assistance in obtaining these services?
· What support services must be in place before the children are returned home? Who will provide these services?
· Is the family aware of community resources that are appropriate for and available to them?
When the child is returned home, whether to retain guardianship will be in the discretion of the supervisor. In determining whether to retain or discharge guardianship, the worker, supervisor and others present at the staffing will consider any risk factors still present in the family situation, the child's age and the case dynamics (i.e., whether parents have been cooperative and honest, presence of other responsible adults in the home, etc.) If those present at the staffing decide not to retain guardianship of the child after return home, the caseworker must request more frequent court reviews and a court order allowing DCFS to obtain medical and school records.
If the reunification staffing concludes that reunification can safely be achieved, a family meeting as described in Sections 7.13 and 7.16 ____ shall be convened. At the family meeting, the parents will be invited to discuss their perception of their progress, whether they are ready for reunification and any issues or concerns. If the family decides they are ready for reunification, the target date for reunification will be set and a reunification service plan will be developed. See section 7.17__ on the Reunification Service Plan.
The decision to reunite a family requires consideration of key factors of safety and risk. The caseworker and family will need to explore these factors before reunification can be considered. The single most cited reason for failed reunification is failure to address the reason why the child was unsafe at the time of placement. It is vital that the caseworker conduct a thorough assessment of safety prior to reunifying a family. CERAP and the RiskAssessment Protocol are important instruments to use in making this assessment. Factors associated with risk and safety must be looked at dynamically; i.e., the caseworker needs to see these factors as inter-relating and interacting with each other.
Refer to Chapter 3, Assessment and Service Planning, for a more detailed description of risk and safety assessment.
7.12.1 The Reunification Staffing | 7.12.2 The Family Meeting