|
Child Attorney Trial Notebook for Deprivation Cases in Georgia’s Juvenile Courts |
Mary
Hermann Child Attorney Consultant Carl Vinson Institute of Government |
For
print copies, please contact the Supreme Court of Georgia's Committee
on Justice for Children www.gajusticeforchildren.org Phone: 404.657.9219 |
A. FOR CHILDREN ENTERING PLACEMENT AFTER THE ENTRY OF THE CONSENT DECREE.
|
DFCS SERVICE |
TIMING |
|
Comprehensive Child & Family Assessment (CCFA) |
Within 24 hours of a Detentional Hearing DFCS will make a referral to CCFA provider |
|
Family Team Meeting (FTM |
Within 3-9 days after a child enters FC |
|
Physical Health Screen |
Within 10 days of a child's entry into FC |
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Dental Health Screen |
Within 10 days of a child's entry into FC |
|
Multidisciplinary Meeting (MDT) |
Within 25 days of a child's entry into FC |
|
Case Plan |
Within 30 days of a child's entry into FC |
|
CCFA |
Within 30 days of a child's entry into FC, CCFA due. |
|
Mental Health Screen (Child: 4 yrs. & older) |
Within 30 days of a child's entry into FC |
|
Developmental Assessment (Child: 4 yrs. & under ) |
Within 30 days of a child's entry into FC. CAA recommends Babies Can't Wait (BCW) referral be made immediately. |
B. FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE REACHED THEIR 6th MONTH IN FC
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DFCS SERVICE |
TIMING |
|
Judicial Citizen Plan Review (JCPR) |
Within 6 months of a child's entry into FC, & every six months thereafter. |
C. FOR CHILDREN WHO REACH THEIR 13th MONTH IN FC
|
DFCS SERVICE |
TIMING |
|
Family Team Meeting (FTM) |
By the end of the 13thmonth after a child's entry into FC |
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Permanency Report |
By the end of the 13thmonth after a child's entry into FC, DFCS will forward the Permanency Report to the State Social Services Director. |
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Director Review of Permanency Report |
Within 5 days after receipt of Permanency Report the Director or his designee shall either concur with the report or refer the case for a county/state staffing |
D. FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE ALREADY REACHED THEIR 13TH MONTH IN FC
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DFCS SERVICE |
TIMING |
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Permanency Report |
Within 120 days from the entry of the Consent Decree, DFCS will submit a Permanency Report to State Social Service Director for a permanency review as provided above.
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E. FOR CHILDREN WHO WILL REACH, & HAVE REACHED,
THEIR 18TH MONTH FC.
|
DFCS SERVICE |
TIMING |
|
Specialized Case Manager |
Within 60 days of the entry of this consent decree, all children who have reached & will reach their 18th month in care will have a Specialized Case Manager. |
Family Team Meeting:
FTM participants shall include:
DFCS case manager
DFCS supervisor
Parents (DFCS must reasonable efforts for their attendance)
The child if 12 or older (DFCS must make reasonable efforts)
The FTM participants may include:
CCFA provider
Relatives
Other persons significant to the family
A meeting shall not be cancelled solely because of the absence of any participant as long as the required determinations can be made without them.
Efforts to ensure the attendance of participants shall be documented in child's file.
Participant's in the meeting will identify:
the needs of the child & parents
Goals for meeting those needs
Steps for meeting the goals.
Strengths of the family member in meeting the needs of the child.
At the meeting DFCS must make the following determinations & ensure the provisions of necessary services to achieve them:
Whether the child can safely returned home.
Whether any evaluations are necessary of child/parent to ensure development of case plan.
If child has siblings in placement & the siblings are not placed together, DFCS must identify the necessary steps to place the siblings together & necessary steps to ensure visitation.
If child is of school age, DFCS must identify steps that can be taken to ensure that the child:
Remains enrolled in school; does not miss extensive school days; &
Does not have to change schools if at all possible.
The frequency with which visiting the child will take place between child & parent/significant family members.
If DFCS is unable to secure the parents' attendance, the meeting will go on but, DFCS must make reasonable efforts to notify & review with the parents the goings-on at the meeting.
Multidisciplinary Meeting:
The MDT participants shall include:
DFCS case manager
DFCS supervisor
Parents (DFCS must reasonable efforts for their attendance)
The child if 12 or older (DFCS must make reasonable efforts)
The MDT participants may include:
Foster Parents/ Placement Providers
DFCS representatives
School representatives
Therapists
Mental heath professionals
Representatives from Public Heath
Judicial Representatives
A meeting shall not be cancelled solely because of the absence of any participant as long as the required determinations can be made without them.
Efforts to ensure the attendance of participants shall be documented in child's file.
An MDT will:
Review the CCFA & make recommendations concerning the case plan & the services to be provided to the child & family, included but not limited to the issues addressed at the FTM.
The appropriateness of education (including special education)
The creation & appropriateness of independent living plans & services for children 14 & older
An appropriate permanency goal for the child & the services necessary to implement that goal.
The Case Plan shall be an outgrowth of the CCFA assessment & shall be developed at the MDT meeting.
DFCS Shall identify & ensure the provisions of necessary services to achieve the determinations made at the MDT meeting, & contained in the child's case plan, unless & until altered by the superior court.
Judicial Citizen Plan Review
Participants in JCRP or Juvenile Court Review shall include:
the parents
the child
pre-adoptive parents or relatives providing care for the child
foster parents/placement provider
DFCS case manager
the private provider case manager (if applicable)
the case supervisor
other DFCS representatives
the CCFA providers
medical & mental heath professionals
representatives from Public Health & the child's school
other professionals having specific knowledge or information relative to the child's case.
JRCP or Juvenile Court Review shall not be cancelled solely because of the absence of any participant as long as the required determinations can be made with the participant's who are in attendance.
At each six month case plan review, the JRCP &/or Juvenile Court shall evaluate the following.
The necessity & appropriateness of the child's placement
Whether reasonable efforts have been made to obtain permanency for the child.
The degree of compliance with the specific goals & action steps set out in the case plan.
Whether any progress has been made in improving the conditions that caused the child's removal from the home.
Whether changes need to be made to the case plan, including a change in permanency goal & the projected date when permanency for the child is likely to be achieved, or changes or the addition of any services needed by the child.
Permanency Report
The Permanency Report shall include:
a profile description of the child
the case plan
a list of impediments for achieving permanency
the CCFA
a list of steps to be taken by the county to achieve permanency
County/State Staffing
The staffing shall include:
DFCS case manager
DFCS supervisor
regional adoption coordinator
regional field specialist
county program administrator
state social services director or his designee
Specialized Case Manager
The Specialized Case Manager provided for in this paragraph shall do the following as appropriate for the children:
convene meetings
access funding
make independent decisions in order to:
determine the continuing appropriateness & effectiveness of the child's permanency goal & to seek court approved change of the goal if appropriate.
determine the continuing appropriateness & effectiveness of the services being provided to the child; whether new or different services are necessary for the child; &, if so, by whom & when they will be provided.
partner with the county Independent Living Coordinator to determine whether adequate independent living services & plans are being provided for all children age 14 or older.
evaluate the continuing appropriateness & effectiveness of services to biological parents & relatives, & determine whether new or different services are necessary to assist the biological parents & relatives in achieving the child's permanency goal.
consult with public & private professionals & take all steps necessary to ensure the provision of services leading to the child achieving permanency.
No sooner than 30 days prior to discharge, convene a special discharge planning meeting that shall be held to ensure that appropriate services & plans are in place to ensure a successful discharge.