Policy

The Department shall provide in-home instruction to foster parent(s) who are asked to care for children with special care needs.

Cross-Reference: Chapter 41, "Family Training and Support."

Purpose

The purpose is to facilitate foster parent’s understanding of special needs conditions and their recognition of the implications for caretaking.

Methods will include the provision of training tapes and other material for loan to foster parents and specialized instruction by trainers, Regional Resource Group members, community consultants or experienced foster and adoptive parents with the relevant specialized skill.

Methods may include any other means reasonably calculated to assist foster parents in being aware of special care issues or concerns.

Definition

Special Needs means children with: medical problems which include, but are not necessarily limited to, substance withdrawal, sickle cell anemia, blindness, learning disabilities; behavior problems which include, but are not necessarily limited to, conduct disorder aggression; psychological/emotional problems which include, but are not necessarily limited to, sexual abuse trauma and racial identity issues.

Training Material Content

Training materials shall include information on, but not necessarily limited to, topics described in the special needs definition.

The Training Academy, in conjunction with regional Family Training and Support managers or designees, shall maintain a system for loaning training materials to foster parents. These materials will be available to staff working with special needs children as well.

Placement Restrictions

Three (3) months after the Training Information Management System (TIMS) is completed and all records are updated, the Department shall not place a child with special needs with a foster parent unless either training materials or face to face instruction are provided within two (2) working days after the placement, unless such training has been provided to that foster parent within the past sixty (60) days.