MEMORANDUM
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES |
MEMORANDUM
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES |
The policy
regarding capacities for DFPS foster homes and foster group homes providing
Intermittent Alternate Care (IAC) services has been revised to be in compliance
with Minimum Standards for Child-Placing Agencies.
The children receiving IAC services are
counted towards the capacity of the foster home or foster group home providing
IAC services even though CPS does not consider IAC a placement
for the child because the child’s placement still remains with the foster
family requesting IAC services (this is documented in the IMPACT placement
logs).
Capacity
is defined as the number of children for whom a foster home is verified to provide
care. Both the foster parent(s) and the
FAD staff determine capacity during the home study process by making a
determination of what is the highest number of children for which the foster
parent(s) can provide safe and appropriate care. Therefore, when determining capacity
for placement and IAC services, all biological and adopted children of the
foster family, foster children receiving care, children receiving IAC services,
and children for whom the family provides day care are counted in order to ensure
that the foster parent(s) is (are) not overwhelmed by caring for too many
children.
DFPS foster homes
and foster group homes must adhere to the following capacities whenever
providing care to children:
·
The foster home or foster group home may not
exceed their verified (licensed) capacity.
Example:
If a foster family home is verified for three children, no more than
three children may receive any combination of types of care that include, but
are not limited to biological or
adopted
children and children receiving foster care, IAC, or day care services. In this situation, if the foster family
wishes to provide care for more than three children, they would need to be
re-verified for up to three additional children (up to six for a foster family
home) before they could provide care for more than three
children.
·
A foster home may not provide IAC services
for more than two infants less than 18-months-old. If two infants under 18-months-old are
already in care, then IAC cannot be provided for more than two other children
less than six-years-old.
A draft of the new policy is
attached.
Action:
Inform FAD
supervisors and caseworkers of the new policy.
Contact:
Leslie
Schuster, FAD Program Specialist
(512) 438-4666
CPS Draft May 8, 2006
Capacities
The
children receiving IAC services
are counted toward the capacity of the foster home or foster group home
providing IAC services. This applies even
though CPS does not consider IAC a placement for the child because the child’s
placement still remains with the foster family who requested IAC services and
who is documented as the child’s placement in the IMPACT placement log.
When determining
capacity for placement and IAC services, all biological and adopted children of
the foster family, foster children receiving care, children receiving IAC
services, and children for whom the family provides day care are counted.
Foster homes and foster group homes providing IAC services
must adhere to the following capacities:
· A foster home or foster group home may not exceed their verified (licensed) capacity.
· A foster home may not provide IAC services for more than two infants younger than 18 months old. If two infants under 18 months old are already in care, then IAC cannot be provided for more than two other children younger than six years old.
Sleeping Arrangements
Comfortable sleeping arrangements must be made for a child in intermittent alternate care. A child who is six year old or older must not share a bedroom with a person of the opposite sex. Children of the same sex may share a double bed unless they are known to have a history of sexual acting-out behavior.
Supervision
The foster home must provide appropriate supervision at all times to ensure the health and safety of children receiving intermittent alternate care.
