89 Ill. Adm. Code 315.120
Family Meetings
Section 315
Section 315.120 Family
Meetings
Family meetings are a tool
intended to engage the family in the planning process. Therefore, caseworkers
shall make intensive efforts to persuade and encourage parents, including
non-custodial parents, to attend the family meetings, especially during the
first 90 days, by explaining to them the importance of the family meeting and
of attending and cooperating with the process. Casework staff should make
every effort when planning family meetings to be flexible and attempt as much
as possible to schedule meetings at a time and place where parents can attend,
preferably in the parent's home. Staff shall take into consideration parents'
work schedules, transportation issues, availability of interpreters (if the
parents' primary language of communication is other than English), and any
other barriers that might prevent parents from participating. Parents shall be
reminded of the court admonishment to cooperate with the Department and that
refusal or chronic failure to attend family meetings may be considered by the
Department and the court as a lack of reasonable progress. After reaching
agreement with the parents on the date, time, location, and participants of the
family meeting, the caseworker shall send a confirmation letter to the
parents. Caseworkers shall document in the case file all attempts to include
parents in the family meetings. Failure to attend family meetings shall also
be documented in the case file.
a) Initial Family Meeting
1) The initial family meeting must occur in time to ensure
submittal of the service plan to the juvenile court no later than 45 days after
the child's placement and includes at a minimum:
A) the caseworker;
B) the child's custodial parents;
C) the non-custodial parent with the following conditions:
i) there is no danger of violence between the parents; and
ii) no confidential information concerning the custodial parent,
such as mental health information, may be shared with the non-custodial parent,
unless the custodial parent consents in writing to the sharing of such
information as provided in 89 Ill. Adm. Code 431 (Confidentiality of Personal
Information of Persons Served by the Department of Children and Family
Services). If the custodial parent does not consent to the release of
confidential information, the meeting shall be conducted in segments, with the
non-custodial parent excluded from any discussion that includes the information
about the custodial parent that is confidential;
D) the casework supervisor.
2) In addition, at the supervisor's discretion and with the
signed consent of the parent, the following may be invited:
A) appropriate extended family members including non-custodial
parents who are not interested in seeking custody;
B) foster parents and relative caregivers (see subsections (f),
(g), (h) and (i));
C) service providers; and
D) the child, if emotionally and developmentally appropriate.
b) Purpose of Initial Family Meeting
The purposes
of the initial family meeting, to be conducted by the casework supervisor, are
to:
1) share information among all participants;
2) review the initial and comprehensive assessments;
3) develop Visitation and Contact Plans;
4) discuss and prepare the initial service plan; and
5) determine the permanency goal.
c) Ongoing Family Meetings
1) Following the initial family meeting, family meetings will be
conducted on a flexible schedule, but no less than on a quarterly basis (at
least four times a year approximately three months apart). The ongoing family
meeting shall include at a minimum:
A) the caseworker;
B) the child's custodial parents;
C) the non-custodial parent with the same conditions as specified
in subsection (a)(1)(C);
D) the casework supervisor at the supervisor's discretion.
However, the supervisor must attend if the non-custodial parent will be
attending the meeting when the non-custodial parent presents a safety concern.
2) In addition, at the supervisor's discretion and with the
signed consent of the parent, the following may be invited:
A) appropriate extended family members, including non-custodial
parents who are not interested in seeking custody;
B) foster parents and relative caregivers (see subsections (f),
(g), (h) and (i));
C) service providers; and
D) the child, if emotionally and developmentally appropriate.
d) Purposes of Ongoing Family Meetings
The purposes
of the ongoing family meetings are to:
1) assure disclosure of the expectations of all parties;
2) assess reasonable efforts on behalf of the Department or the
purchase of service agency;
3) assess reasonable progress on behalf of the family;
4) assess whether the plan is serving the health, safety, and
best interests of the child;
5) provide support for decision making that recognizes the
child's sense of time, including whether the permanency goal and time frames
for achieving the goal should be continued, and whether services and service
providers are effective;
6) share information among the participants;
7) evaluate whether the identified behaviors and conditions are
being addressed and whether the parents are engaged in the change process;
8) review, modify or develop Visitation and Contact Plans;
9) engage in planning that involves addressing the needs of the
child with appropriate services and establishing realistic time frames for
achievement of tasks and goals; and
10) review clinical material by various service providers. Clinical
reports should be obtained and collateral contacts completed prior to the
staffing. Professionals should have discussed findings and recommendations with
the client/family prior to the meeting to promote open and honest discussion.
e) Prior to inviting foster parents/relative caregivers to the
initial family meeting, the caseworker must consider the statutory requirement
that protects foster parents'/relative caregivers' names, addresses and
telephone numbers from disclosure. Such information regarding the foster parents/relative
caregivers shall not be disclosed to the child's parents at the initial family
meeting that occurs in time to ensure submittal of the service plan to the
juvenile court no later than 45 days after placement.
f) In deciding whether to invite the foster parents/relative
caregivers to the meeting, the caseworker shall take into consideration the
level of violence or tendency toward violence displayed by the child's
parents. This shall be assessed as the caseworker is conducting the
comprehensive assessment in accordance with Section 315.100. The caseworker
shall use information from:
1) Department safety and risk assessments;
2) the social history, including information such as the parents
arrest history, history of domestic violence, and court records; and
3) the caseworker's own observations.
g) Information concerning the level or tendency toward violence
of the parents may be shared with the foster parents/relative caregivers to
help them decide whether to attend the initial family meeting. In no event
shall the address and telephone number of the foster parents/relative
caregivers be disclosed at the initial family meeting.
h) For all subsequent family meetings the same violence factor
shall be considered when determining whether the foster parent/relative
caregiver should attend and whether there is any danger to the foster
parent/relative caregiver by attending the family meeting.
i) The participants in the family meeting will attempt to reach
decisions and agree on recommendations by consensus. If a consensus cannot be
reached, the final decision rests with the supervisor on all meetings.
j) Documentation of the meeting and report of the
recommendations/decisions is to be made and included in the case record.
k) Parents have the right to appeal decisions with which they
disagree in accordance with 89 Ill. Adm. Code 337 (Service Appeal Process).