| Policy |
The regional FASU workers shall respond to inquiry calls from
the public regarding foster care and adoption in a timely and appreciative manner. |
| Telephone Coverage |
There shall be a FASU Social Worker or contracted
staff assigned to telephone coverage at all times during office hours. |
| Response Time |
Inquiries shall be responded to on the same
day of the call. |
| Recording of Inquiry Information |
The FASU worker shall record inquiry information
- on DCF-699, "Foster/Adoption Inquiries", and
- in LINK.
Exception:
Inquiries are not entered in LINK when the caller requests information regarding a type
of foster care or an adoption which DCF cannot process; e.g., therapeutic foster care, an
identified adoption or international adoption. The caller shall be referred to a
private child placing agency for such information. |
| Sharing Information with the Caller |
The FASU worker shall inform the caller that
- an informational brochure will be sent
- a follow-up telephone call will be made to answer questions and to further discuss the
family and their interest, or if unable to reach the family by telephone, a letter of
contact will be sent, and
- the caller has the option of a personal meeting with the Social Worker.
|
| Assignment to FASU Worker |
Within (1) one day of an inquiry call, the FASU supervisor shall assign a FASU
worker to each caller except for those callers that are referred to a private child
placing agency, as noted above. |
| FASU Worker Follow-Up |
Within three (3) days of the
initial inquiry call, the assigned FASU worker shall make a follow-up telephone call to
- further support the person's interest
- answer any new questions
- obtain further information to set up a personal interview, if requested, or
- invite the family to an informational open house.
|
| Personal Interview |
A personal interview will be offered to callers within ten (10) working days if an inquiry if an open house is not
scheduled or cannot be attended within that timeframe. Interested persons may choose to
attend the informational open house prior to scheduling a personal interview.
Cross-References:
41-16-4, "Open House"
41-16-5, "Personal Interview" |
| Monthly Inquiry Log |
All inquiry calls for each month shall be logged on
DCF-346, "Monthly Inquiry Log", by the FASU worker who answers the call. Monthly,
data from this log shall be forwarded to the Office of Foster and Adoption Services. |
