Foster Care Association of Oklahoma

Resourse Family Training

Save Yourself Some Frustration
Books Resource Families May Find Helpful
New Placement, Questions to Ask
National Resource Center For Youth Services Info
Oklahoma PRIDE/Bridge Concept
Attachment & Truma
Autism
Sibling Placement
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Alters Brain Activity in the Frontal-Striatal Areas
About Kinship Placements

1. SAVE YOURSELF SOME FRUSTRATON

If you get to know you foster child’s team early in the placement you WILL save your family quite a bit of frustration. Early communication and establishing relationships has proven to make a big difference for most foster families. What should you do?

INTRODUCE YOURSLF DURING THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THE PLACEMNT TO:

Permanent Planning Worker “Child’s worker” AND Supervisor
Guardian Ad Litem “Child appointed court attorney”
CASA “if assigned or available”

If you don’t know who they are – ask. Ask the caseworker, ask the supervisor, and call CASA call the court- but find out!!! Get to know the child’s Attorney Ad Litem. Call him/her and introduce yourself and I even send them pictures of the child so that they can have a face for their case. Send them the summary of calls from family and any developmental reports that will provide him with the information that he will need to represent the child with the child’s best interest in mind.

Caseworkers are often over worked and overwhelmed. Don’t assume that they will be able to get everything that you provide to the attorney. You are that child’s advocate as far as making sure the court has everything that they need to make a responsible decision that will determine this child’s future. You don’t have to call every week just set a routine.

DOMUMENT FACTS ABOUT THE CHILD’S CASE

Your observational and factual notes and documentation will prove invaluable.

· Keep factual notes about the case as they happen. (Visit times, dates, who showed, who didn’t, DNA tests, doctor visits, injuries).

· Keep records of contacts with the biological parents(s). Reactions pre and post visits. Don’t interpret – just record.

· Keep good records of contacts with your caseworker. Caseworkers make notes from each call – you should too! Get important information in writing.

· Send update letters to your team (include pictures of the child) every 8 weeks. Let them know how the child is doing developmentally, medically, psychologically, educationally, etc. Include appropriate notes from your documentation.

· Attend all PPR’s and court hearings. You have the timeline in you Foster Parent Handbook. Keep you own timeline so that you can call you child’s worker at least 2 weeks before there “should be” a PPR or court hearing. They can check the schedule. If not, your home worker can. You should be receiving written notification of all court hearings. If not are not – contact your teammates.

Your best friend in foster care is you paper work. I cannot emphasize enough how important this is. Write down everything. When social workers call, when you call social workers, family calls. What time, the date, what was said. Keep a journal as to the daily activities that occur with each child.

You don’ need to write a book but you certainly want to be able to protect yourself and provide valuable information that could be very significant to the long-term placement decisions of the child.

Oklahoma Attorney listings:

To file complaints-

http://www.okbar.org/

All complaints against judges are handled by the Council on Judicial Complaints. To obtain a required form, contact the council at 1901 N. Lincoln Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4999, (405) 522-4800.

Prepare A Court Report--Here are some tips for you.

Some things to remember when preparing a court report are:

Complete all identifying information
Try NOT to use the words \"think, feel or believe\" for those are emotional words. You want your report to be FACTS, not emotion.
Attach any documentation that backs up your statements. For example, if your report discusses a visit at the Child Study Center, attach a copy of the Child Study Center\'s Report.
YOU are the expert on the child. Report as much information as you can.
Have copies ready for all parties. Parties include the case worker, Asst District Attorney, child\'s attorney, Judge, parents\' attorney(s), CASA worker (if applicable). Don\'t forget to get a copy of the case worker\'s Court Report (and the CASA, if applicable)
When you go to court and approach the bench, hand out your court report.
If you are not able to attend, make sure you fax your report to the Judge or child\'s attorney 5 days prior.

Good Luck--If you have any questions regarding your court report, contact one of FCAO\'s board members (see \"Meet the Board\" on this site). FYI--You can get the court number (JF number), court date, and Judge\'s name from the case worker.

FOSTER PARENT REPORT TO THE COURT
Child\'s Name:
JF Number:
Judge\'s Name:
Court Date:

This child has been in my home since ___________________.
How is the child adjusting in your home?
When was the child\'s last medical appointment?
What was the outcome of the appointment?
Do you feel the need for additional medical services? (such as neurologist, counseling, developmental assessment)
What grade is the child in? How is the child doing in school?
Is the child in any special classes?
Does the child receive special services? (Soonerstart, school services)
Are there any discipline problems with the child?
Is the child having visits? With whom? How often? Please document whether the parents are showing up for visits or not.
Do you have any concerns about the visits?
What are the child\'s strengths?
What are the child\'s needs beyond basic care?
What important relationships or events have influenced the child?
Is there anything about the parents behavior or progress that you would like the court to know?
Do you have concerns about any of the goals of the treatment plan? Please explain.
What additional information would you like the court to know?

Thank you for your consideration.

CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR'S

GETTING INVOLVED

Contact your State Representative, or Senator, and request a copy of "A CITIZEN'S GUIDE TO STATE GOVERNMENT“.www.okonline.com/government.html What this guide has:

How to contact your state officials:

1. Call a Senator, or Representative, directly and request to speak to the Congressional Aide that handles Children's Rights Issues for that elected Senator, or Representative.

2. Ask to speak to that person only. If that person is unavailable when I call, wait until that person is available, or wait until that person returns your call.

3. Never ask to speak to the elected official but write directly to that elected official. Sometimes after speaking with the elected official's aide you may receive a letter from the elected official.

4. Most aides are wonderful people and very efficient and experienced at what they do for their boss and they can get a lot done.

CHILDREN:

One of the things that keeps you from dropping them in the nearest volcano is that you had to work too hard to get them. You had to cry, you had to scream, you had to sweat, you had to cuss out health care officials, and when that's all over with, you'll be willing to put up with a lot more from your kids.

Barbara Hall, Northern Exposure, Baby Blues, 1994

2. Books Resource Parents May Find Helpful

 "Children: the Challenge" by Rudolf Dreikurs

 "Adopting the Hurt Child" by Dr. Keck and Regina Kupecky

 "Parenting the Hurt Child" l Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk" by Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish

"When Love is Not Enough" by Nancy Thomasby Dr. Keck and Regina Kupecky

 3. NEW PLACEMENTS  -  QUESTIONS FOSTER PARENTS SHOULD ASK

 Foster Parents often wish they had asked more questions before accepting a child into their home.

The checklist below is designed to assist you in your discussion with the placing worker.

(Not all questions apply to emergency placements, or CPS basic homes.)

1.  Why is this child being placed?

2.  What is the previous placement experience(s) of the child?

3.  What is the child's legal status?

4.  What is the family situation?

5.  What is the plan for the child?  Expected length of placement?

(most probably will not know the answer to these questions upon initial placement)

6.  What will my role as foster parent be in the reunification plan?

(Should always be to support reunification in every way possible – if adoptive placement,

ask about mediated agreement visitation/contact with birth family)

7.  What is the child's understanding of why he has been moved/separated from his birth parents

and/or prior placement?

8.  Will there be a pre-placement visit? (Usually not if coming directly from the birth home).

9.  Where are the birth parents & possible relative/kinship placements?

10.  Give me a clear understanding of the rights of the child's birth parents and the plan for visitation.

Who may visit?  Who may not visit?  Where does visiting take place? When? How often?

Who transports? (Usually 1 visit/week supervised by a CPS staff member at a CPS office)

11.  Have the birth parents been dangerous or threatening in the past?

12.  Have the birth parents made complaints against other foster parents?  I

f so, what was the complaint?

13.  Has the child made complaints against other foster parents?

If so, what was the complaint?

14.  Are there brothers and sisters?  If so, where are they and what is the visitation plan,

or plan to reunify them while in care?

15.  Is the child in good health?  Allergies, immunizations, dental care?

What are the plans for current and immediate future medical and dental care?

When was the last physical?  Are there any food, medication, or animal/general allergies?

16.  Is the child taking any medications at this time?  Will there be written instructions regarding them?

17.  School - What grade?  Prior School Name/Address? School problems?

Achievement level and/or any special problems?  Enrolled in Special Ed or other special classes

(GT, Speech, Alternative Education Setting)?

18.  Does the child have any special behavior problems, unusual habits, or dangerous propensities? –

Ask about fear of animals if you have them in or around your home.

19.  What will make the child feel most at home?  What are the child's food likes and dislikes?

Favorite toys, sleep habits, etc.

20.  Religious affiliation?  Is it important?

Does foster parent need to make special arrangements to have child attend services,

education classes, etc?

21.  Does the child qualify for a special care rate?  If so, when is the effective date?

22.  Does the child have adequate clothing?  Will there be a clothing allowance?

If so, when can foster parent expect to receive the clothing allowance check?

Ask the placement worker for details.  Save all receipts for reimbursement up to the current limit.

23.  What are your (placement worker) expectations of me (foster parent)?

24.  What is the name and phone number of the supervisor of the unit overseeing the child?

25.  Who is the attorney/CASA/GAL for the child?  Name & Phone numbers.

26.  What do I do and who do I call in case of a weekend or evening emergency?

(BIG one if you don't have any thing that shows medical coverage for child)

27.  When will I receive the following placement information?

Medical Consent Form

Medicaid Card

Placement Agreement Form (must include name of social worker, supervisor,

payment rate, effective date, case number, and signatures.)

I took this from a form called "Preventative Actions That Can Help Foster Parents",

and added a few clarifications and comments.

National Resource Center For Youth Services http://www.nrcys.ou.edu/

 Independant Living/Life Skills*Adolescent Issues*Adventure*Etc

4.  National Resource Center for Youth Services Info

http://www.nrcys.ou.edu/

Effective Teaching and Learning

Effective Teaching and Learning (ETL) provides training for public and private providers of services to individuals

with developmental disabilities in Oklahoma. The program is funded by the Oklahoma Department of Human

Services Developmental Disabilities Services Division.

The following courses are available:

ETL I ( Orientation) is a 2-day curriculum (1.2 CEU’s). 
ETL II ( Advanced ) is a 3-day curriculum (1.8 CEU’s). 
ETL III (Vocational)– a 2-day curriculum (1.2 CEU’s) 
ETL Refresher classes (ETL I & ETL II Refreshers) are a 1-day curriculum (0.6 CEU’s).

You can access the ETL training schedule and enrollment form at http://www.nrcys.ou.edu/etlschedules/

If you have questions pertaining to this training or if your agency is 60 or more miles from where the trainings

on the previously set schedules are located, please call Laura Holcomb at 918/660-3702 or email

lholcomb@ou.edu.

We can set up ETL trainings in your area.

To enroll in the ETL trainings please contact Mary King at 918/660-3743

mlking@ou.edu for Areas I and III, or Jorjann Plumlee at 918/660-3753 jplumlee@ou.edu for Area II.

An enrollment form may be also be faxed to (918) 660-3799.

Here is also a link to ETL’s website: http://www.etl.org/

Here is a link to DDSD’s website: http://okdhs.org/ddsd/

OK NRCYS Resource Family Training

Who We Are

The staff of the Resource Family Training Program at The University of Oklahoma National Resource Center

for Youth Services is comprised of masters-degreed child welfare professionals and a support staff. The Program

Supervisor is Sherri Finik, sfinik@ou.edu, (918) 660-3724.

What We Do

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services contracts with The University of Oklahoma National Resource

Center for Youth Services to provide consultation and training for the OKDHS Children and Family Services

Division.

Pre-Service Training Workshops

One of the services provided is the on-going series of Resource Family Training pre-service workshops for

prospective resource parents – kinship or prospective foster and adoptive parents who will be caring for children

in the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

On-line Training

After Oklahoma resource parents complete the 27-hour pre-service workshop training, they may complete

some of their continuing education requirements through on-line training.

For more information about the program, please contact Sherri Finik at (918) 660-3724.

5. Oklahoma PRIDE/Bridge Concept

In OK PRIDE, a Bridge Resource Family is a family willing to be whatever the child needs:

1. Provide temporary care, love and nurturance to the child and serve as a mentor actively

helping the parent improve their ability to safely care for their children.  (This definition covers

kinship and foster families.)

·         Stay connected and assist in the transition to reunification, legal guardianship or adoption

to another family, and/or

2. Serve as the legal guardian for the child while maintaining a child’s connection to kin, culture and

community.  (Sometimes the court places legal custody with individuals.  These individuals must still

help that child maintain important connections.) and /or

3. Adopt the child while maintaining a child’s connection to kin, culture and community.

4. Think of a Bridge Resource Family as one who helps a child maintain connections as they go from

one place to another, OKDHA believes that Bridge families. Working together with the child’s birth family,

provides better quality services for children and youth in the child welfare system.

Three different roles Bridge Resource Families can play:

Kinship families

Foster families

Adoptive families

 6. Attachment Disorder

Attachment & Truma Network http://www.radzebra.org/

What is Attachment Disorder?

Symptoms of Attachment Disorder:

·         Poor peer relationships

·         Poor eye contact

·         Lack of Cause and Effect Thinking

·         Absence of guilt, no remorse

·         Chronic, nonsensical lying

·         Self-injurious behavior

·         Vandalism and destructiveness

·         Cruelty to animals and/or children

·         Stealing /hoarding food

·         Indiscriminate affection towards strangers

·         Refusal to answer simple questions

·         Provoking of anger in others on an almost continual basis

·         Theft

·         Fire setting

·         Theatrical displays of emotion

·         Denial of accountability, always blaming others

·         Learning disorders

·         Toileting issues

·         Lack of ability to give and receive affection

·         Preoccupation with  blood, fire, or gore

·         Unusual speech patterns or problems--mumbles

7. Autism Treatment Center

http://www.autismtreatmentcenter.org/contents/other_sections/contact_us.php

Our training programs are comprehensive, in-depth, challenging and highly personalized.

Each training program emphasizes the personal growth and change of the student.

As a result, our training programs are among the most powerful experiences in personal growth

available and produce superb facilitators, counselors, coaches and trainers.

8. Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Compliance
http://www.nicwa.org/Indian_Child_Welfare_Act/
The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) provides technical assistance and training to
help child welfare agencies comply with the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA).
What is the ICWA?
ICWA is a federal law that seeks to keep American Indian children with American Indian families.
Congress passed ICWA in 1978 in response to the alarmingly high number of Indian children being removed
from their homes by both public and private agencies. The intent of Congress under ICWA was to "protect the
best interests of Indian children and to promote the stability and security of Indian tribes and families" (25 U.S.C. § 1902). ICWA
sets federal requirements that apply to state child custody proceedings involving an Indian child who is a member of or eligible for
membership in a federally recognized tribe.

9. Sibling Placement
Many of the 126,000 children waiting to be adopted from the foster care system have
brothers and sisters who are also waiting. There are no national statistics that tell us how
many of these children do belong to sibling groups, or how many are being planned for
either together or separately.
In recognition of the special difficulty of placing more than one child at a time in an
adoptive home, every state and the District of Columbia includes membership in a sibling
group as one category of “special needs” that may qualify for adoption assistance. In 1998,
20% of the 29,764 special needs adoptions in the United States were reported to be due to
the child’s status as a member of a sibling group (U.S. House of Representatives, 2000).
The sibling relationship is unique among all the relationships we have in our lifetimes, yet its
importance has only been recognized and researched within the last two decades. While it
was once assumed that the parent-child relationship was the most important determinant of
adult behavior, there is a growing body of evidence that indicates that interaction among
siblings also plays an important role in defining who we are.
Sibling relationships are longer lasting and more influential than any other, including those
with parents, spouse or children. Over the course of a lifetime, siblings can be comforters,
caretakers, role models, motivators, faithful allies and best friends, as well as competitors and
tormentors. Our earliest lessons in learning how to deal with other people in a variety of
social settings come from our experiences with our brothers and sisters.
This sibling bond may be even stronger between children whose parents have been unable
to meet their needs (Bank & Kahn, 1982), and many of the children who enter the foster
care system are among those with the strongest need to support one another in the face of
abuse or neglect on the part of their parents.
Children placed in out-of-home care suffer many losses. First and foremost, they are
separated from their parents and possibly other family members. Unless the placement is
within the community, they are separated from neighbors, friends, schoolmates, teachers,
and the security of a familiar environment. Additional losses may include those of pets,
possessions, extended family, babysitter or child care workers, and other trusted adults in the
community.
Separating siblings in foster care or through adoption adds to their emotional burden. They
have already had to cope with the separation and loss of their parents. When separated from
siblings, they experience the grieving process all over again and may lose the one person with
whom they still have a lifetime connection. Yet the early ties siblings form remain even when
they are separated. Today more adults who were in foster care as children are searching for
siblings than are searching for their biological parents.
It is essential that both child welfare professionals and the families who foster and adopt
children with siblings understand the importance of these relationships, and take steps to
help preserve sibling groups and the bonds children have with their brothers and sisters.
10. Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Alters Brain Activity in the Frontal-Striatal Areas
According to an article on Science Daily's website on July 27, 2007, heavy prenatal alcohol exposure does
not always lead to a diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS); a person may not have the craniofacial
features needed to make an FAS diagnosis, but prenatal alcohol exposure can still be very damaging. It can
lead to cognitive and behavioral deficits. A new study has found that children and adolescents prenatally
exposed to alcohol have altered responses in frontal-striatal areas, brain regions that may inhibit behavior
"Prenatal alcohol exposure is a major public health concern, both here in the U.S. and internationally,
" said Susanna L. Fryer, a fourth-year graduate student in the San Diego State University/University of California,
San Diego joint doctoral program in Clinical Psychology. "Experts estimate that nine per 1000 births in this
country show evidence of clinically significant effects of prenatal alcohol exposure."
Inattention and behavioral dis-inhibition are considered hallmark features of prenatal alcohol exposure,
added Fryer, also the study's corresponding author.
"Anecdotal observations from parents, other caregivers, and teachers of individuals with prenatal alcohol
exposure tell of poor behavioral regulation," said Fryer. According to the study, individuals with FASD are at
greater risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other psychiatric diseases linked with poor
inhibitory control. "Also, in a possible reflection of poor behavioral regulation, individuals with histories of
prenatal alcohol exposure are thought to be over-represented in the criminal-justice system," she said.
Fryer said that this study supports 30 years of previous research. "Prenatal alcohol exposure can cause
damage to the brain that results in significant problems with regulating behavior and optimal thinking and
learning," she said.
These results are published in the August issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. Co-authors of the ACER paper,
"Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Affects Frontal-Striatal BOLD Response during Inhibitory Control," were: S.F. Tapert and M.P. Paulus
of the
and E.P. Riley of the Department of Psychology& the Center for Behavioral Teratology at San Diego State University; & A.D. Spadoni
of San Diego State University & the University of California, San Diego.
11. How Many Children Are in Kinship Foster Care?
In contrast to the 2002 NSAF estimate of 405,000 children in kinship foster care, the Adoption and Foster Care
Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), the federal system for collecting data from states on the number of
children in foster care, estimates that approximately 131,000 children lived in kinship foster care in September
2001. The federal estimate counts only those children who are also in the custody of the state, while the NSAF
estimate includes all children for whom a court has made a relative responsible
DATA AT A GLANCE
405,000 CHILDREN LIVED IN COURT-INVOLVED KINSHIP FOSTER CARE IN 2002.
50 PERCENT OF CHILDREN IN KINSHIP FOSTER CARE LIVE IN LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS COMPARED
WITH 24 PERCENT OF CHILDREN LIVING WITH NON-KIN FOSTER PARENTS.
In many states, the child welfare agency may, under certain circumstances, help arrange for a relative to care for
a child without involving the court. Relatives may agree to care for children before a court becomes involved to avoid
further entanglement with the child welfare system or having custody of the child taken from the parent. When these
children are included, the NSAF estimate of the kinship foster care population rises to 542,000 children in 2002.
Hardships and Services
Children in kinship foster care face substantial hardships—even greater than the hardships of children in foster care
with nonrelatives. Children in court-involved kinship foster care are more than twice as likely as children living with
non-kin foster parents to live in families with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty thresholds (50.2 percent
versus 23.8 percent, as shown in figure 2). They are also more than twice as likely to live with a single caregiver (55.1
percent versus 27.3 percent). Differences in the shares of children who live with older or less-educated caregivers are
not statistically significant.
Child welfare policies and services are generally directed to children in state custody. Yet, as the difference between
the NSAF and AFCARS estimates show, most children in kinship foster care are not in state custody. Only children
in state custody are eligible for federally reimbursed foster care payments. Moreover, child welfare agencies only have
to oversee cases of children in state custody. For example, in cases where the court is involved but the state does not
take custody, the kin caregiver is not required to become a licensed foster parent. This situation could jeopardize the
child's safety if living conditions are not assessed carefully. Similarly, children who are not in state custody typically
do not receive permanency planning services to help reunite them with their parents or find them an adoptive home.
Finally, children placed by the child welfare agency without court involvement often are not monitored as frequently,
which could also jeopardize their safety.
Discussion
Many abused and neglected children today are placed with relatives rather than in traditional non-kin foster homes.
Experts believe there are substantial benefits to placing children separated from their parents with relatives rather
than with unrelated foster parents. Relatives can provide family support and frequent contact with birth parents and
siblings (Chipungu et al. 1998; Dubowitz et al. 1994). In fact, relatives are the preferred placement option of child
welfare agencies, and placements with relatives have become more common than non-kin foster placements in many
states.
Kinship foster families, however, often face hardships that can make caring for abused or neglected children difficult.
Fewer than half the children in kinship foster care are in state custody, to which receipt of foster care payments and
further monitoring by the child welfare agency are generally tied. Many children in kinship foster care, therefore, may
not be receiving the services needed to ensure the safety of their placements.
About 5.5 million children in American are being raised by grandparents.
That is1 out of every 10 children under 18 in American is raised in a
grandparent-headed household.

FCAO Contact Info
FCAO
2934 SW 6th
Newcastle OK 73065