Relative Safety, Needs, and Caregiver Assessment

TITLE 89: SOCIAL SERVICES CHAPTER III: DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES PART 415 RELATIVE HOME CERTIFICATION SECTION 415.190 RELATIVE SAFETY, NEEDS, AND CAREGIVER ASSESSMENT Section 415.190  Relative Safety, Needs, and Caregiver Assessment As part of the process to become a certified relative caregiver, the placing worker shall complete a safety and needs assessment of the home as well as a caregiver assessment. Only a Department-issued official form with a CFS number in the top left-hand corner shall satisfy the requirements of 225 ILCS 10/3.4 and this Part. The form shall consist of the following elements: a)         The title of the first part will be "Relative Caregivers: Safety and Needs Assessment". b)         An explanatory introduction, which will contain the following text: 1)         "The goal of this assessment is to prepare a caregiver's home for children. The intention is to support and strengthen families, not deny them for lacking these safety measures. Exercise flexibility for what each child needs based on age, maturity, history, and ability of children. 2)         If "no" is checked for any standard listed on the assessment, the agency will create a plan with the family to resolve issues by an agreed upon date." c)         There shall be five sections of the form (conditions of the home, hazardous material storage, emergency preparedness, sleeping arrangements, and items and support), which will contain the safety measures outlined in Section 415.40(d)(2)(A)(i) through (xvi). d)         A place for additional needs for the safety and well-being of the children, which shall include, but is not limited to: 1)         Food, including any food allergies and dietary restrictions; 2)         Child care; 3)         Clothes, undergarments, pajamas, shoes, and coats; 4)         Medications, including any prescriptions the child takes; 5)         Basic first aid supplies such as thermometers, children's pain or fever reliever, bandages, etc.; 6)         Toiletries such as toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, hair products, and menstrual products; 7)         School supplies; 8)         Formula and bottles; 9)         Diapers and wipes; and 10)       A place to enter other needs such as personal items the child would like from their parents' house. e)         A section entitled "Resources for Caregivers", which serves as a place for the placement worker to note they shared and reviewed resource information with the family. f)         The title of the second part will be "Relative Caregivers: Caregiver Assessment". g)         An explanatory introduction to the caregiver assessment, which will contain the following text: 1)         "The goal of the caregiver assessment is to consider the caregiver's ability to make careful and sensible parental decisions based on the youth in care's age, maturity, health, safety, and best interest in accordance with the reasonable and prudent parenting standard. The caregiver's ability to care for all physical, emotional, medical, and educational needs shall be considered. 2)         The caregiver assessment will document the caregiver's plans, utilization of available resources, and reactions to situations to ensure the children will have needs met. Questions are meant to prompt the caseworker when interviewing the caregiver and help form a narrative of the caseworker's observations and the caregiver's responses." h)         A separate box for each standard shall also contain prompts for that standard and a place for the caregiver's responses. The form shall include, but will not be limited to, the following standards and shall incorporate the requirements set forth in Section 415.40(d)(3): 1)         The caregiver recognizes threats to the children. The caregiver has situational awareness and is alert to people and circumstances in the environment that could potentially pose a threatening or dangerous condition to the children. The caregiver is adaptive and adjusts behaviors to respond to safety threats that arise. The caregiver adjusts their ways of behaving to maintain child safety in evolving circumstances. 2)         The caregiver recognizes the children's needs. The caregiver has sufficient basic parenting knowledge to meet the children's developmental needs, as well as to identify and understand a child's individual strengths, capabilities, temperament, behaviors, emotions, and limitations. 3)         The caregiver meets own emotional needs. As demonstrated by having a sense of, security, autonomy, belonging, and meaning in aspects of life without compromising their ability to ensure child safety. The caregiver is able to separate own needs from needs of the children. 4)         The caregiver is resilient, having the ability to withstand periods of stress challenging situations, and significant life events without losing the ability to meet caregiving responsibilities and ensure child safety. As demonstrated by the caregiver identifying effective coping strategies, creatively using resources available to solve problems. The relative is emotionally stable and able to intervene to protect the children. The caregiver demonstrates enough control over feelings and emotions to act on behalf of the children. The caregiver is mentally alert, rational, and able to focus. 5)         The caregiver is emotionally connected to the children and sensitive to their experiences, feelings, and thoughts. The relative values the relationship with the children and is responsive to the children's feelings, needs, and wants. The caregiver is invested in ensuring the children's care and protection. The caregiver considers how decisions and actions affect the children. 6)         The caregiver will ensure the children are taken to all medical, dental, and mental health appointments. The caregiver will engage and involve the children's parents when appropriate regarding the health and well-being of their children. The caregiver will notify the parents of the children's appointments. The caregiver will notify the caseworker in a timely manner if the caregiver is unable to take the children to required appointments. 7)         The caregiver will enroll children who are of age in school. The caregiver will take all reasonable and necessary action to ensure the children attend school regularly, and to attend all required meetings with teachers and school officials. The caregiver will engage and involve the children's parents when appropriate regarding the education of their children. The caregiver will notify the parents of required meetings with teachers and school officials. 8)         The caregiver understands that the Department may approve and arrange supervised visits between the birth parents, siblings, and the children. The caseworker will notify the relative of the frequency, dates, and locations of visits and will notify the relative when visits must be supervised. i)          A section entitled "Placement Recommendation", which will contain additional notes, what the placement recommendation is for the caregiver, and a place to document the reason for the placement recommendation, what items need to be addressed, or why a placement is being denied. The recommendation includes a place for the caregiver to sign and date and the agency staff to sign and date. j)          Instructional guidance will be included with the following text:  "Before conducting the assessment, if possible, share this document with caregivers ahead of the home visit so that they know what to expect and can have their home as ready as possible. 1)         During the assessment: A)        Assume good intent at the start that the caregiver is going to create a safe environment for the child. B)        What "good" or "safe" looks like varies significantly across families in different cultures. Use your professional judgement and exercise flexibility for what the children need based on age, maturity, history, and abilities of the child (including: cognitive, social, and emotional development). Do the same to evaluate the conditions of the home and what's practical for that case. C)        Support the caregiver by offering solutions for all issues identified: i)          Pay for safety improvements, or identify outside support for the caregiver. ii)         Safety improvements need to be as simple as possible and within reason (e.g., not requiring them to move to a new home). D)        Share with the caregiver why each safety measure is important, especially ones that the caregiver has not readily met. E)        Not meeting a standard does not constitute failing the assessment. 2)         In filling out this form: A)        "Yes" indicates that the caregiver meets each standard. B)        "No" indicates there is an outstanding need or the need for assistance. C)        "N/A" indicates it is not relevant or does not pertain to the family or home."