Policy
Manual
In
Re: (children's names, in order of age) Superior
Court for Juvenile Matters at: (address) SOCIAL
STUDY IN SUPPORT OF Date: 1.
Child for Whom Petition is Filed/Children for Whom Petitions are Filed
Note:
Dates of birth need to be verified through birth certificates. Please put "verified" next to any date of birth
that has been verified by a birth certificate. 2.
Parents
3.
Siblings Not Named in Petition
4.
Reason for Petition
[This should be a brief (one-paragraph) statement of the issues that
caused DCF to file the neglect petition. There
is no need to repeat the Summary of Facts verbatim. Include previous court
history, if any.] 5.
Family History A.
Mother
B.
Father [use separate section for each father]
[Parents' family history should include the following information:
1.
Birth name, date of birth, place of birth, citizenship, birth order,
relevant information regarding parents’ parents and siblings
2.
Nationality or ethnic background or Indian tribe
3.
Education
4.
Early social history
5.
Employment history
6.
Marital history
7.
Health history, both physical and psychological.
Include any hospitalizations, or chronic illnesses, substance abuse
problems.
8.
Military service
9.
Police record
10.
Anything else that is relevant to the allegations before the court] 6.
Child for Whom Petition is Filed/Children for Whom Petition is Filed
A.
[Discuss each child individually:
1.
Date of birth
2.
Developmental history
3.
Illnesses and operations
4.
Immunizations
5.
School history
6.
History of previous placements
7.
Interests and attitudes
8.
Results of physical and psychological exams 9.
Relationship with parents and siblings 10.
Other significant persons in the child’s life] B.
Siblings [for whom neglect petitions have not been filed] [Note
any information relevant to the allegations before the court. For example:
sibling was also placed in foster care; parent abused sibling, sibling sexually
abused child named in current petition, etc.] 7.
Planning for Independence
[This section only needs to be included if the child is over sixteen (16)
years of age. Describe efforts to
prepare child for adulthood.] 8.
Family Resources
[Give names and relationships of all relatives, paternal and maternal,
who have been proposed as or may be available as placement resources for the
child. Describe their interest and interaction with the children, and summarize
their suitability to care for the children. If a relative has been assessed and
rejected, state specifically the reason for the rejection.] 9.
Religion
[Denomination, church attended, and any significant religious
milestones.] 10.
Other Agencies [Name
and describe services offered by other agencies and degree of compliance by
family members.] 11.
Present Situation
[Describe the parents’ situation including financial and interpersonal
relationships, parents' cooperation with DCF, children’s placement and how
they are adapting. Discuss
stepparents or other third parties who have or will have access to children in
the home.] 12.
Strengths and Weaknesses
[List the strengths and weaknesses of the family which relate to the
parents' ability to care for the children.] 13.
Reasonable Efforts [List
services offered to prevent placement or, after placement, services offered to
facilitate returning the child to the home. State date when next treatment plan
is due.] 14.
Recommendations [State
DCF’s recommended disposition, e.g., commitment, protective supervision, transfer of guardianship,
refer to specific steps, and state any other recommended court action. For
example:] The
Department of Children and Families recommends that:
[The
recommendation can include alternate dispositions, such as “commitment, unless
mother complies with ___________, in which case Protective Supervision may be
appropriate.” If Protective
Supervision is recommended, the Social Study shall not state a specific time
frame.] Submitted
by: (Social Worker) Reviewed
by: (Social Work Supervisor) Approved
by: (Program
Supervisor) |
