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Effective: 7/1/2020

4.6 Parenting Youth in Foster Care

Legal Authority

Introduction

​​​​​​​​Parenting Youth Supplement
 
To best support parenting youth who are in out-of-home care (OOHC), and their children, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (Cabinet/CHFS) will ensure there are supports and services available that incorporate the research on optimal development and promote a youth’s health and development.

There are occasions when a parenting youth could enter foster care with their own biological child.  The parenting youth may be committed to the Cabinet; however, if there are no concerns or safety threats surrounding the parenting youth’s ability to care for the child, the child remains in the parenting youth's custody.  The parenting youth may be eligible for services through the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) for a child who remains in their custody.  The parenting youth supplement provides a payment to the foster parent or caregiver to help meet the everyday needs of the parenting youth’s child.  In retaining custody of their child, the parenting youth, with the support of their foster parent, will be able to apply for services such as child care assistance through the Division of Family Support (DFS).


Practice Guidance

Procedure

The SSW: 
 
  1. Ensures that the parenting youth and their child, covered under the parenting youth supplement, remain together in placement.  The SSW will explain to the placement that the parenting youth has retained custody of their own child and will sign all future parental forms and/or applications;
  2. Completes the DPP-116 Parenting Youth Supplement Contract within seventy two (72) hours of placement, and will distribute copies to the following:
    1. Original to the regional billing clerk;
    2. Copy to private child care (PCC) facility or DCBS  foster home (if applicable);
    3. Copy to recruitment and certification (R&C) worker;
    4. Copy to children’s benefit worker (CBW);
    5. Copy for case record; and
    6. Copy to foster parent and/or caregiver.
  3. Assists the parenting youth in applying for child care assistance and other services,  for their dependent child through DFS at:  https://benefind.ky.gov/;
  4. Assists the parenting youth in applying for WIC services;
  5. Assists the parenting youth in obtaining a birth certificate and/or Social Security card for their child;
  6. Facilitates the Parenting Together Plan (PTP) within the first thirty (30) days of placement.  SSW will invite parties that are relevant to the parenting youth, such as the independent living coordinator, case managers, foster parent(s), therapist, etc.  A PTP will be updated by the ongoing worker every six (6) months thereafter, or if circumstances change. 
    1. The PTP will discuss the rights and responsibilities of the parenting youth, including but not limited to:
      1. Creating a schedule for the parenting youth and provider (who is responsible and daily routines/expectations) and expected parenting skills of child;
      2. Linking the parenting youth with a local parenting program (i.e. HANDS if applicable or other local program);
      3. Creating a plan if there is a disagreement with a parenting decision; and
      4. Implementing interventions (if necessary).
  7. Makes a report to centralized intake (CI) if there are any concerns about abuse, neglect, or dependency regarding the parenting youth and their child;
  8. Will conult with the FSOS, to ensure that safety measures for the parenting youth’s child are in place if a parenting youth is removed from a foster home, private child placing (PCP), or PCC, based on behaviors, medical needs, or other identified issues;
    1. If the child can successfully be placed with the parenting youth, the child will continue to reside with the parenting youth; 
    2. If there are concerns for the safety of the parenting youth’s child, the SSW will follow procedure outlined in SOP 2.1.  The SSW will report to CI to determine if the alleged abuse or neglect meets acceptance criteria.  If it does meet acceptance criteria, the SSW will assist the investigator in completing the DPP-1275 Relative Exploration Form or determine if a child can continue to remain in placement with the parenting youth; 
    3. If the report does not meet acceptance criteria for investigation of abuse, neglect, or dependency, the SSW will implement additional resources for the parenting youth to successfully parent the child; and
    4. If the parenting youth leaves a placement without their child, does not have an identified plan in place, and/or becomes AWOL, the SSW makes a report to CI.
  9. May refer the parenting youth for Family First prevention services if their child is at risk of removal and an evidence-based practice may mitigate this risk.  Refer to Chapter 6 for further details.  Additionally, a parenting youth may be referred to other services in the community.


Documents

Revisions