SERVICE DEFINITION

Traditional Foster Care

This substitute care program provides casework services to children and families for whom the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is legally responsible and for whom the courts and the Department has determined that the needs of the children may be best met by relative or Traditional Foster Care services.

Children served in this program may be either male or female and are ages birth through 21 years of age. Each child within the program is assigned a caseworker. Typically, the children accepted within this program do not exhibit any severe behavioral or emotional difficulties. Any children unknowingly admitted into the program with such problems are promptly referred to other settings more equipped to handle their special needs including Specialized Foster Care.

The children receive, at a minimum, one-time per month caseworker contact. This contact is face-to-face and occurs within the foster home. Increased caseworker contact is provided as necessary and as requested. The caseworkers and foster parents work cooperatively to ensure that each child’s medical, emotional, educational, recreational, and social needs are met. The caseworker also writes all court reports and service plans, as well as attends all court hearings and semi-annual case reviews on behalf of the children. Ultimately, it is the program and caseworker’s responsibility for coordinating and monitoring all the necessary services to provide for the needs of the children. The typical caseload for an individual caseworker is 15 children.

In addition to providing services to the children within the program, casework and advocacy services are provided to their families. Caseworkers work closely with families to help identify and correct the problems that brought their children into care. Parents and caseworkers cooperatively develop a service plan outlining what tasks and services are necessary in order to reunite the families in a timely and safe manner. The primary goal is to aid parents in achieving at least the minimum parenting standards required to care for their children. The caseworkers are responsible for monitoring the parents’ progress with such services and meet at least monthly with the parents within the parents’ home.

In addition, caseworkers ensure ongoing and appropriate contact between children and their families. This includes the scheduling and monitoring of both parent and sibling visitations.

Caseworkers also provide casework and monitoring services to family members after reunification has been achieved (Aftercare Services). The purpose is to continue to problem solve and advocate on behalf of the family and to monitor and ensure the safety of the children.

Occasionally, reunification of the family is not an option. It is then the program’s responsibility to seek out other options for permanency regarding the children (e.g., adoption, guardianship, or subsidized guardianship). In some instances, independence is considered to be in a child’s best interest and the caseworkers and children work closely and cooperatively to obtain the necessary services to achieve this goal.

In summary, the Traditional Foster Care Program provides case management and advocacy services to children and families within the program for as long as a substitute care setting is necessary. The safety and permanency needs of the children are paramount and the program responds accordingly.