Foster Care

You are encouraged to complete and submit this form to the court clerk at least five days prior to the hearing court date. You have the Right To submit information you deem relevant to the court in writing (JV 290 form). You have a Right To be notified in advance of court hearings and you have the right to attend dependency court reviews and permanency hearings. The California First Five Commission (link removed) has information on day care and preschool resources.

It’s important that you let your child’s social worker know, at time of placement, that you need child care. It is best to speak to your foster child’s social worker and your foster child’s primary care doctor first to request that your foster child have a health assessment. It is best to speak to your foster child’s social worker and your foster child’s primary care doctor first to request that your foster child have a health assessment – see Health Passport .

Known as an attorney ad litem, this lawyer represents your child’s desires and/or best interest in court. The judge may think you do not care about your child if you do not appear at court hearings. You should always go to court when you get a legal notice or a phone call saying that there will be a hearing about your child. CPS may remove children from their homes in an emergency before going to court to ensure their immediate safety. CPS may go to court to remove children from their homes if it believes children have been abused or neglected or are at risk of future abuses or neglect and they need to be removed for their protection.

Overview of 12-Month Court Process for Child Abuse and Neglect Cases

The attachment and familiarity the child might have with you and your family is an important factor and will be given consideration. If a licensed, approved, or certified foster home is then sought for placement, your home will be considered. Other considerations include the needs of the child, relationships to siblings and other relatives to which a child has formed an attachment. A primary consideration is to keep siblings together and to keep children in homes where they have formed an attachment. Family members should request immediate visitation with the children and request to be invited to Team Decision Making (TDM) meetings or Family Group Conferencing (FGC) where they will have an opportunity to express their interests, hopes and concerns regarding the children. The county will not disclose the address of a foster parent unless ordered by the Juvenile Court.

It will be important that you are open and honest with the case social worker regarding your family’s values and culture so the social worker can determine if your home would be the best fit for the foster child. The caregiver has a Right To all information that the County is legally allowed to provide in order to enable the caregiver to appropriately meet the needs of children in your care. At the time of placement, you have a Right To  receive child information in order to provide for meeting the needs of the non gamstop casino children placed in your care. Will my family and I be able to review the foster child’s records before placement? Here is a letter written by a typical foster family to the parent of a child in foster care.

Elizabeth Berman

Your attorney can set a court hearing and try to resolve any disputes. However, if these problems lead to abuse or neglect or the risk of abuse or neglect, we might have to remove your child from your care again. You should think about this carefully and discuss it with your attorney because signing a relinquishment is a serious matter. Wherever your child lives, CPS will supervise the placement. CPS will contact the people on your list to find out if any of them would be appropriate and are willing to care for your child. However, your desires about the care of your child will be taken into account when possible.

• You may contest CPS in court if you disagree with the permanency goal recommended for your child unless the court terminates your parental rights to that child.
• If no one can be found, the court can give temporary legal custody to CPS, who then places the children in foster care (learn more).
• DCFS maintains an online listing with pictures and descriptions of children in need of a loving family.
• You can hire an attorney at your own expense or the court must appoint an attorney for you if you cannot afford one.
• After working with you for five months, your caseworker must make a decision about what recommendation to make to the court in order to resolve the legal case.

It’s important to have a medical evaluation first to rule out other causes of your foster child’s signs and symptoms. Basic foster care rates are set by the State and the county does not have authority to adjust them. The relative caregiver should immediately apply for California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) at the county CalWORKs office where the caregiver lives. The caregiver should contact the agency which issued the license, approval, or certification. Your foster care license can be suspended or revoked; however, a foster care license cannot be “on hold”.

CPS strives to ensure quality services for children in foster care. Information about your foster home contained in the child’s service case file, however, is under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court and, other than the information you have a Right To , information may only be released with a court order. This contains information such as a copy of your foster parent license, the capacity of your home, and other general information about your foster care license. Will I be informed of all case planning and decision making meetings concerning the foster child in my care? When making a “Prudent Parent” decision, the caregiver must consider the child’s age, maturity level, mental and physical health, and other relevant factors.