In-Service Training for Resource Parents

The Child Welfare Academy prepares child welfare professionals and resource parents to effectively provide services and care for children and families in the child welfare system through education and training, information and technical assistance.

Code of Maryland Regulations

The Code of Maryland Regulations, often referred to as COMAR, is the official compilation of all administrative regulations issued by agencies of the state of Maryland. Links to relevant sections of COMAR for Resource Parents and Child Welfare providers are provided in the COMAR Resourcessection below.

COMAR is arranged in Volumes with title number marked on each volume. Each title number represents a State department, e.g., Title 7 is the Department of Human Resources. COMAR regulations are arranged in one numeric sequence by codification number throughout the entire set. Elements in each number represent the department and its agencies and subdivisions responsible for each regulation.

An example of a COMAR regulation number is COMAR 07.02.25.01
07 Title – Department of Human Resources
02 Subtitle – Social Services Administration
25 Chapter – LDSS Resource Home Requirements
01 Regulation
These numbers are expanded when greater detail is required.

COMAR RESOURCES

The Maryland Register is the temporary supplement to the Code of Maryland Regulations, printing all changes in regulations as soon as they occur. This bi-weekly publication, which started in 1974, is also the official source of information about many other activities within State government. The Maryland Register is issued every other Friday.

The Department of Human Resources provides vital services to Maryland’s children and those who are most vulnerable among us. We simply cannot do this important work without partners like our resource parents, who help us provide safety, well-being, and permanence for children in out-of-home care.

To help support the efforts of our resource parents, the Department of Human Resources and the Social Services Administration has established a website where foster care policies and other important information may be easily found in one place. New and updated information will be added regularly, so be sure to check in often.

Maryland DHR Homepage for Adoption and Foster Care.

Contains links to useful information for Adoption, Foster Care, Providers and Other Services.

Adoption

Foster Care

Child Welfare Policies

Foster Parent Policies

To help support the efforts of our resource parents, the Department of Human Resources and the Social Services Administration has established this website where foster care policies and other important information may be easily found in one place. New and updated information will be added regularly, so be sure to check in often.

DHR Resources

Documents to Download

• Family Centered Practice Guide (80.5 KiB) Family Centered Practice (FCP) assures that the entire system of care engages the family in helping them to improve their ability to adequately plan for the care and safety of their children. The safety, well-being and permanence of children are paramount. The strengths of the entire family are the focus of the engagement. The family is viewed as a system of interrelated people where action and change in one part of the system impacts the other. A commitment is made to encourage and support the family’s involvement in making decisions for their children. A climate of community collaboration is nurtured as a way to expand the supportive network available to children and families. Refining the assessment and evaluation of practice standards and promoting performance expectations to assist caseworkers, supervisors and administrators in facilitating child welfare interactions will improve the outcomes for children and their families.
• Maryland Youth Matter Practice Model (3.1 MiB) The Youth Engagement Practice Model is specifically designed to focus on addressing the needs, and ensuring involvement of youth (ages 14-21) who come to the attention of Maryland's Child Welfare System. As an extension of Maryland's Family Centered Practice Model, the Youth Engagement Model is centered on assuring the safety, well-being, and permanency of every child, while building on the strengths of family and community to meet the child's needs. The Social Services Administration hopes this Model will be the catalyst for child welfare administrators, staff and providers to pay close attention to the lens used to view young people, and the role we play in supporting them as they launch into adulthood.

Links

Foster Care Reimbursements and Allowances Foster parents receive a monthly rate for the care of foster children. The regular foster care rate is provided to children who do not require unusual care and supervision. The foster parents would provide basic physical care, well-balanced meals, maintenance of home, clothing, supervision of child’s health and dental care and offer the attention and affection appropriate to the child’s age. Some children may require unusual care and supervision in a foster home. These children may exhibit extraordinary physical, emotional or behavioral issues. These might include physical handicaps, emotional disturbances, severe learning disabilities, etc. Foster parents that receive intermediate rates are required to participate in various treatment plans, trainings, provide prescribed physical care, and other tasks as deemed appropriate. Maryland StateStat StateStat is a performance-measurement and management tool implemented by Governor Martin O’Malley to make our state government more accountable and more efficient. This pages lists StateStat reports by Department. Click on the most recent Department of Human Resources link to see the latest Child Welfare statistics.

New DHR Policies

Documents to Download

• SSA 12-34 Post-Adoption Permanency Program Services (1.9 MiB) The purpose of this policy is to report to local departments of social services the allocation of funds for the Post-Adoption Permanency Program for the remainder of SFY 2012. The program function remains the same, i.e. providing families access to funds for post-adoption services. As of this announcement, $50,000 is available for program expenditures due to a decrease in requests during FY 2011.
• SSA 13-1 Adoption Assistance Program (4.8 MiB)
• SSA 13-12 Marylands Tuition Waiver Program And Education And Training Voucher Program (819.0 KiB) This policy directive seeks to provide case workers with information that will assist foster care and former foster care youth with how to access Maryland's Tuition Waiver for Foster Care Recipients and the Education and Training Voucher (ETV) programs. This policy directive also provides direction on how to apply the Education and Training Voucher.
• SSA 13-2 Case Planning Concurrent Permanency Planning (3.2 MiB) The purpose of this policy directive is to provide guidelines to the local departments of social Services (LDSS) on case planning for all children in out-of-home placement with a concentration on concurrent permanency planning. Maryland currently utilizes concurrent permanency planning, however most jurisdictions do not routinely identify both plans in case planning and court reports. This policy will assist in establishing appropriate concurrent plans and provide information to LDSS staff concerning documenting reasonable efforts to achieve both plans at the same time. The local departments of social services (LDSS) must engage in concurrent permanency planning with all children with a permanency plan of reunification with the parent or legal guardian, placement with a relative for adoption or custody and guardianship or adoption by a non relative (prior to termination of parental rights).
• SSA 13-7 Identity Theft Credit Report And Repair For Youth (101.4 KiB) The purpose of this policy directive is to establish the requirements for providing Identity Theft Prevention, Credit Report Services, and assistance with Credit Repair for youth age 16 and older
  who are committed to the local departments of social services. This policy directive provides instructions to local departments of social services to obtain a foster youths' credit report with
  each of the three major Credit Reporting Agencies annually, review the three reports with the youth, and if necessary, correct any erroneous information.
• SSA12-26 Educational Stability (65.5 KiB) This Policy Directive establishes guidelines to ensure the educational stability of children awaiting foster care as well as the children and youth that are in an out-of-home placement. This policy directive supersedes SSA Policy Directive 12-13 and Supplements SSA Policy Directive #10-21, Caseplan Documentation Clarification).
• SSA12-32 APPLA Policy (29.2 KiB) The purpose of this policy directive is to provide guidelines to the local departments of social services on updated procedures for youth with the permanency plan of Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA). This policy provides the requirements for selecting APPLA as a permanency plan and services to provide for youth with the permanency plan of APPLA. This policy directive supersedes Policy Directive SSA-07-07.

KHAN Academy is a must have FREE resource!!!!!!

Maryland DHR Homepage for Adoption and Foster Care.

Contains links to useful information for Adoption, Foster Care, Providers and Other Services.

Adoption

Foster Care

Child Welfare Policies

Foster Parent Policies

To help support the efforts of our resource parents, the Department of Human Resources and the Social Services Administration has established this website where foster care policies and other important information may be easily found in one place. New and updated information will be added regularly, so be sure to check in often.

DHR Resources

Documents to Download

• Family Centered Practice Guide (80.5 KiB) Family Centered Practice (FCP) assures that the entire system of care engages the family in helping them to improve their ability to adequately plan for the care and safety of their children. The safety, well-being and permanence of children are paramount. The strengths of the entire family are the focus of the engagement. The family is viewed as a system of interrelated people where action and change in one part of the system impacts the other. A commitment is made to encourage and support the family’s involvement in making decisions for their children. A climate of community collaboration is nurtured as a way to expand the supportive network available to children and families. Refining the assessment and evaluation of practice standards and promoting performance expectations to assist caseworkers, supervisors and administrators in facilitating child welfare interactions will improve the outcomes for children and their families.
• Maryland Youth Matter Practice Model (3.1 MiB) The Youth Engagement Practice Model is specifically designed to focus on addressing the needs, and ensuring involvement of youth (ages 14-21) who come to the attention of Maryland's Child Welfare System. As an extension of Maryland's Family Centered Practice Model, the Youth Engagement Model is centered on assuring the safety, well-being, and permanency of every child, while building on the strengths of family and community to meet the child's needs. The Social Services Administration hopes this Model will be the catalyst for child welfare administrators, staff and providers to pay close attention to the lens used to view young people, and the role we play in supporting them as they launch into adulthood.

Links

Foster Care Reimbursements and Allowances Foster parents receive a monthly rate for the care of foster children. The regular foster care rate is provided to children who do not require unusual care and supervision. The foster parents would provide basic physical care, well-balanced meals, maintenance of home, clothing, supervision of child’s health and dental care and offer the attention and affection appropriate to the child’s age. Some children may require unusual care and supervision in a foster home. These children may exhibit extraordinary physical, emotional or behavioral issues. These might include physical handicaps, emotional disturbances, severe learning disabilities, etc. Foster parents that receive intermediate rates are required to participate in various treatment plans, trainings, provide prescribed physical care, and other tasks as deemed appropriate. Maryland StateStat StateStat is a performance-measurement and management tool implemented by Governor Martin O’Malley to make our state government more accountable and more efficient. This pages lists StateStat reports by Department. Click on the most recent Department of Human Resources link to see the latest Child Welfare statistics.

New DHR Policies

Documents to Download

• SSA 12-34 Post-Adoption Permanency Program Services (1.9 MiB) The purpose of this policy is to report to local departments of social services the allocation of funds for the Post-Adoption Permanency Program for the remainder of SFY 2012. The program function remains the same, i.e. providing families access to funds for post-adoption services. As of this announcement, $50,000 is available for program expenditures due to a decrease in requests during FY 2011.
• SSA 13-1 Adoption Assistance Program (4.8 MiB)
• SSA 13-12 Marylands Tuition Waiver Program And Education And Training Voucher Program (819.0 KiB) This policy directive seeks to provide case workers with information that will assist foster care and former foster care youth with how to access Maryland's Tuition Waiver for Foster Care Recipients and the Education and Training Voucher (ETV) programs. This policy directive also provides direction on how to apply the Education and Training Voucher.
• SSA 13-2 Case Planning Concurrent Permanency Planning (3.2 MiB) The purpose of this policy directive is to provide guidelines to the local departments of social Services (LDSS) on case planning for all children in out-of-home placement with a concentration on concurrent permanency planning. Maryland currently utilizes concurrent permanency planning, however most jurisdictions do not routinely identify both plans in case planning and court reports. This policy will assist in establishing appropriate concurrent plans and provide information to LDSS staff concerning documenting reasonable efforts to achieve both plans at the same time. The local departments of social services (LDSS) must engage in concurrent permanency planning with all children with a permanency plan of reunification with the parent or legal guardian, placement with a relative for adoption or custody and guardianship or adoption by a non relative (prior to termination of parental rights).
• SSA 13-7 Identity Theft Credit Report And Repair For Youth (101.4 KiB) The purpose of this policy directive is to establish the requirements for providing Identity Theft Prevention, Credit Report Services, and assistance with Credit Repair for youth age 16 and older
  who are committed to the local departments of social services. This policy directive provides instructions to local departments of social services to obtain a foster youths' credit report with
  each of the three major Credit Reporting Agencies annually, review the three reports with the youth, and if necessary, correct any erroneous information.
• SSA12-26 Educational Stability (65.5 KiB) This Policy Directive establishes guidelines to ensure the educational stability of children awaiting foster care as well as the children and youth that are in an out-of-home placement. This policy directive supersedes SSA Policy Directive 12-13 and Supplements SSA Policy Directive #10-21, Caseplan Documentation Clarification).
• SSA12-32 APPLA Policy (29.2 KiB) The purpose of this policy directive is to provide guidelines to the local departments of social services on updated procedures for youth with the permanency plan of Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA). This policy provides the requirements for selecting APPLA as a permanency plan and services to provide for youth with the permanency plan of APPLA. This policy directive supersedes Policy Directive SSA-07-07.

The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act (H.R. 6893) (the FCA or Fostering Connections Act) was signed into law on October 7, 2008, as Public Law 110-351.

FCA amended parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act to connect and support relative caregivers, improve outcomes for children in foster care, provide for Tribal foster care and adoption access, improve incentives for adoption, and for other purposes.

The National Foster Parent Association is a champion for the thousands of families that open their heart and their home to the over 400,000 children in out-of-home placement in the US.

NFPA believes in the importance of family-based care for foster children and that every child deserves a permanent family.

Graphic Resource From the National Foster Parent Association and the FASD Network

“Individuals with FASD may be over or under-sensitive to certain sensory inputs, meaning that they may be so focused on what they hear, see, or feel that they can’t focus on other things. Sensory processing impairments can affect an individual’s learning, physical functioning, and behavioural development. Here are just some of the sensory disabilities individuals with FASD may experience.”

The content on this page is reproduced from the COMAR Online pages on the website of the Maryland Office of the Secretary of State:

.08 Responsibilities of a Resource Parent.

A. Responsibilities to a Foster Child.

A resource parent shall:

(1) Participate in the child’s mental, physical and dental health care and add the documentation from each health care visit to the child’s abbreviated health care record within 72 hours of receipt;

(2) Provide parental supervision and guidance appropriate to the child’s age and developmental level;

(3) Provide daily essentials that are required for the health, comfort, and good grooming of a child, including:

(a) A nutritionally balanced diet adequate for the child’s needs in growth and development,

(b) Adequate shelter, and

(c) Clothing proper for the season;

(4) Help the child cope with the anxiety of being away from the child’s birth family, and promote the child’s self-esteem and positive self-image;

(5) Respect the child and the child’s family;

(6) Be sensitive to and respect the child’s individual needs, tastes, and values, and support the child’s religious beliefs and cultural customs;

(7) Involve the child in family activities;

(8) Establish clear expectations for and limits on behavior, understand and deal with negative behavior in a positive way, and reward good behavior;

(9) Provide or arrange transportation to appointments, sports, and social and cultural events;

(10) Participate in the child’s educational process;

(11) Give at least 10 working days notice when requesting removal of a child except in circumstances that are critical to the health and safety of the child or resource family;

(12) Report any suspected incidence of a child’s physical or sexual abuse or neglect to the local department as soon as the incident becomes known to the resource parent;

(13) Notify the local department of any criminal charges, investigations, or findings related to any crime committed by a household member;

(14) Assist in preparing the child to accept the permanency plan and any move from the resource home;

(15) Preserve the child’s rights and to have information about the child kept confidential; and

(16) Provide an environment for foster children free from exposure to secondhand smoke.

B. Responsibilities to a Child’s Birth Family.

A resource parent, as required by a child’s case plan, shall:

(1) Assist the local department in maintaining and improving the child’s relationship with the birth family, and support this relationship by helping with birth family visits, which may include visits in the resource home;

(2) Maintain an attitude of respect and understanding towards the birth parents and family of the child;

(3) Tell the child’s birth parents about events and happenings in the child’s daily life;

(4) Serve as a role model for the birth parent; and

(5) Transmit information about the child’s birth family only to the local department or its representatives.

C. Responsibilities to Local Department.

A resource parent shall:

(1) Participate in training required or approved by the Administration;

(2) Work as a team member in assessing a child’s strengths and needs, and in implementing the child’s case plan;

(3) Keep the local department aware of the child’s development and adjustment;

(4) Attend case reviews and meetings as requested by the local department;

(5) Maintain the standards of resource family care required by these regulations; and

(6) Immediately notify the local department of changes within the resource family, such as:

(a) Employment and child care arrangements;

(b) Composition of the household;

(c) Residence and telephone;

(d) Health status; and

(e) Stressful conditions which may affect the placement.

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES SOCIAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

311 WEST SARATOGA STREET
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21201
DATE: October 1, 2009

Policy # SSA # 10‐13
TO: Directors, Local Departments of Social Services, Assistant Directors of Social Services, Local Department of Social Services

FROM: Carnitra D. White, Executive Director, Social Services Administration

RE: Transitional Planning for Youth‐ Benchmarks

PROGRAMS AFFECTED:

Out‐of‐Home Placement Services (Permanency) and Transitioning Youth Services

ORIGINATING OFFICE: Child Welfare Practice & Policy
ACTION REQUIRED OF: All Local Departments
REQUIRED ACTION: Core areas of service to be provided to foster youth
ACTION DUE DATE: Immediately
CONTACT PERSON: Deborah Ramelmeier, Director Child Welfare Practice & Policy, (410) 767‐7506

Background

Transition from adolescence to adulthood is often complex and complicated. Many youth, particularly those in the state’s care, need extra assistance in order to successfully navigate this path. To help address some of the unmet needs of foster youth, specific strategies and action steps needed to be developed to assist youth in meeting their goals.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy directive is to provide local departments with a comprehensive plan of action that focuses on preparing 14-21 year olds as they transition to adulthood.

Transitional planning for youth shall begin at age 14. The plan shall include: the agreed upon steps to be taken to meet the goals; the youth’s responsibility for aspects of the plan; the responsibility of the agency and other persons who shall assist the youth to accomplish those steps; the date of the plan; the date when the plan was reviewed or updated; and signatures of the youth, DSS representatives, and other participants responsible for the plan and activities. The Ansell-Casey Assessment Tool shall also be administered to youth, on a yearly basis, beginning at age 14.

During the course of transitional planning, it is the responsibility of the caseworker to ensure that the youth has acquired skills and has overcome barriers to completing school, obtaining and maintaining gainful employment, finding adequate and affordable housing, financial literacy, identifying family/friend support, self care, and accessing health and mental health care. The caseworker shall ensure that the core areas of service, in the transitional plan, are reviewed and have been achieved by the youth. In order to ensure this, the caseworker shall be aware of the youth’s level of learning. The Casey Family’s Life Skills Guidebook identified four levels of learning: Awareness; Knowledge & Understanding; Knows How; and, Can or is Able to. Level one, awareness, focuses on the youth’s familiarity with a particular area of service. Level two, knowledge & understanding, focuses on the youth’s ability to describe or explain the subject matter being taught. Level three, knows how, refers to the youth’s ability to somewhat apply what is learned through instruction. And finally, level four can or is able to do, refers to the youth’s ability to apply learned knowledge outside of the teaching environment.

All information shall be recorded in the youth’s case record. The core areas of service shall include: Education, Employment, Health/ Mental Health, Housing, Financial Literacy/ Resources, and Family/Friends Support.

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https://www.mrpa.org/download/mrpa/Ready-By-21-Manual-07-2016.pdf

http://dhr.maryland.gov/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/education_IS.pdf