Ky.gov
Effective: 8/9/2023

13.18 Pre-Placement Visits

Legal Authority

Introduction

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Practice Guidance

​​The SSW follows these guidelines in planning visitation:
  • The timeframe and number of visits are based on the age, development,  and needs of the child; 1 
  • The first few visits are for brief periods and increase in duration as the child becomes more comfortable; 
  • The first meeting should occur in the current foster home or other appropriate setting where the child feels comfortable and should last between one (1) and three (3) hours; 
  • The recruitment and certificatin (R&C) worker or the SSW should monitor a portion of the first visit if possible and depending on the child's comfort with the pre-placement process; 
  • If siblings are placed in separate foster homes, coordination of the most appropriate visitation location for all of the children is considered when the plan is for the siblings to be placed together in the adoptive home; 
  • An overnight or weekend visit should never occur on the first visit or until the child has shown positive signs of adjustment. Overnight visits are increased gradually in duration and frequency before the actual placement; and 
  • In compliance with Kentucky Revised Statutes 189.125, all children must be transported in an approved car seat or booster seat. 

Procedure

​​The SSW and/or Child Focused Recruitment Model (CFRM) specialist:
  1. Talks with the child and caregiver after each visit with the prospective adoptive family; 
  2. Requests that school records be transferred in advance of the placement move; and 
  3. Secures the current medical records and immunization records for the adoptive parents and the R&C worker if .
The R&C worker:
  1. ​Contacts the prospective adoptive family after each visit to discuss the family’s needs and concerns; 
  2. Identifies and assists the family with  securing appropriate resources the family and child may need after placement; and 
  3. ​​Begins to establish a relationship with the child.
The SSW and R&C worker:
  1. Documents all services and contacts with the prospective adoptive family and child during the visitation process within thirty (30) working days.
​

Related Information 

Travel expenses:

  • The Kentucky SSW cannot incur any travel expenses other than the SSW’s expenses on a personal credit card. If the SSW does so, there is no assurance that the SSW will be reimbursed. 
  • The SSW cannot use a personal credit card for any of the prospective family's expenses. 
  • The prospective family must obtain, save, and submit all receipts for covered expenses. No expense will be reimbursed without a receipt, regardless of the amount even if it is less than ten dollars ($10). This includes, but is not limited to children’s meals and parking. 
  • The travel request for the prospective adoptive family includes all anticipated trips (dates of departure and return), destinations, and an itemized list of all expenses to be reimbursed. 
  • The final approver of the travel request is the director of the Division of Protection and Permanency (DPP).
The child's SSW: 
  1. ​​Completes the following tasks when the prospective adoptive family needs some or all of their travel expenses paid by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS/Cabinet):
    1. ​​Negotiates the request directly with the family; 
    2. Contacts a local hotel for costs; 
    3. Prepares a travel request memorandum and submits it at least two (2) weeks before the expected date of travel to the service region administrator (SRA) or designee;
    4. Makes lodging reservations at a hotel or motel convenient for visitation with the child when necessary; 
    5. Arranges for the local or regional office to be billed for lodging expenses; 
    6. Informs the prospective family that if needed, a reservation for a rental car must be made through their credit card;  and 
    7. Notifies the prospective family’s SSW and the family directly of all travel plans and reservations.
  2. ​Explores other funding sources such as Thursday’s Child; and 
  3. Follows procedures outlined in SOP 10.27 Travel Expenses for the Out-of-State Family​. 

Footnotes

  1. More frequent visits are needed for a younger child.​

Documents

Revisions

​8/9/2023

  • The first meeting should occur in the current foster home or other appropriate setting where the child feels comfortable  (with the exception of PCC facility or hospital placement) and should last between one (1) and three (3) hours; 
  • The recruitment and certification (R&C) worker or the SSW should monitor a portion of the first visit if possible and depending on the child's comfort with the pre-placement process; 
  • ​If siblings are placed in separate foster homes, coordination of the most appropriate visitation location for all of the children is considered when the plan is for the siblings to be placed together in the adoptive home; ​
  • In compliance with Kentucky Revised Statutes 189.125 all children must be transported in an approved car seat or booster seat. all children under forty (40) inches must be transported in an approved car seat.

Travel expenses:

  • The Kentucky SSW cannot incur any travel expenses other than the SSW’s expenses on a personal credit card. If the SSW does so, there is no assurance that the SSW will be reimbursed. 
  • The SSW cannot use a personal credit card for any of the prospective family's expenses. 
  • The prospective family must obtain, save, and submit all receipts for covered expenses. No expense will be reimbursed without a receipt, regardless of the amount even if it is less than ten dollars ($10). This includes, but is not limited to, children’s meals and parking. 
  • The travel request for the prospective adoptive family includes all anticipated trips (dates of departure and return), destinations, and an itemized list of all expenses to be reimbursed. 
  • The final approver of the travel request is the Division of Protection and Permanency (DPP) director.
The child's SSW: 
  1. ​​Completes the following tasks when the prospective adoptive family needs some or all of their travel expenses paid by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS/Cabinet):
    1. ​​Negotiates the request directly with the family; 
    2. Contacts a local hotel for costs; 
    3. Prepares a travel request memorandum and submits it at least two (2) weeks before the expected date of travel to the service region administrator (SRA) or designee;
    4. Makes lodging reservations at a hotel or motel convenient for visitation with the child when necessary; 
    5. Arranges for the local or regional office to be billed for lodging expenses; 
    6. Informs the prospective family that if needed, a reservation for a rental car must be made through their credit card;  and 
    7. Notifies the prospective family’s SSW and the family directly of all travel plans and reservations.
  2. ​Explores other funding sources such as Thursday’s Child; and 
  3. Follows procedures outlined in SOP 10.27 Travel Expenses for the Out-of-State Family​.

  • During the pre-placement conference (or at any point during the referral process) the chair/SSW discusses reimbursement of travel expenses. 
  • Expenditures of $500 or less are approved by the FSOS. 
  • Expenditures over $500 are approved by the service region administrator (SRA). 
  • Some families may wish to be reimbursed up front for travel expenses. The following steps may be taken to process travel expense requests: 
  • The child’s SSW submits one (1) written request to the FSOS or SRA to cover all estimated expenses. 
    • The request includes the estimated cost of travel, lodging and food for the estimated duration of the visitation; 
    • A copy of the approval is forwarded to the R&C worker, the regional billing specialist and the adoptive family; 
    • The R&C worker assists the adoptive family in keeping an itemized record of each visit, including mileage, lodging and food receipts; 
    • Receipts must be submitted for all expenses, regardless of the amount (even if the amount is under $10). This includes, but is not limited to, children's meals and parking; 
    • Original invoices are submitted to the regional billing specialist for reimbursement.