Although family dynamics can make it a difficult task, the child welfare professional must practice in a way that fosters family engagement. The case plan must be co-constructed by the child welfare professional with parents, legal guardians, and children when appropriate. Per Chapter 39 the case plan must be developed in a face-to-face conference with the parents or legal guardians of the child, any court-appointed guardian ad litem, and if appropriate, the child and current custodian of the child. Families are more likely to succeed in making behavior changes when they are well-engaged in the case planning process.
The child welfare professional should assist the parents and caregivers in developing a productive relationship that includes meaningful communication and mutual support. The case plan must include the responsibility of the parents and caregivers to work together when it is safe to do so including:
- Ongoing collaboration to successfully implement the case plan.
- The right to notify the court or the child welfare professional if ineffective communication takes place that negatively impacts the child.
Case Planning Needs:
- In cases involving intimate partner violence, the child welfare professional must discuss with the survivor any safety precautions necessary for the case plan conference, including whether it should be held jointly with the perpetrator.
- The child welfare professional should discuss with the family who they would like to invite to the meeting, including the possible benefits of having any of the children in the family participate in the meeting.
- Children, when age appropriate, must be allowed to actively participate in the development of their own case plan, as well as any revision or addition to the plan. Their participation in the actual case plan conference should be based on discussions and feedback from the child and parent or legal guardian.
- Prior to a case plan conference, the child welfare professional should discuss with the parent or legal guardian, caregivers, and children, if attending the conference to prepare them:
- What will occur during the conference.
- What the team hopes to accomplish in the conference.
- Conflicts that may arise to ensure everyone can freely participate.
- The date, time, and location of the case plan conference.
- The team should work with the parents to identify the services and activities that the parents believe are the best match for them, and what is the best set of first steps they are ready to tackle. Discussions should include barriers, language, cultural considerations, special considerations such as locations, work schedules, transportation, child care etc. and discuss solutions.
- The team will determine appropriate case plan actions, tasks and services, and completion dates to achieve outcomes. The child welfare professional will explore with the parents the choices, if any, for interventions (e.g., supports, treatment providers, other services) that are available and that may be helpful to achieving the outcomes established.
- In cases that include incarcerated parents, child welfare professionals are to confirm with a point of contact of the institution, a list of available and unavailable services. A confirmation of communication and list of services or lack thereof should be attached to the case plan.
- The case plan must be signed by all parties, except the signature of a child may be waived if the child is not of an age or capacity to participate in the case-planning process. The refusal of a parent to sign the case plan does not prevent the court from accepting the case plan if the case plan is otherwise acceptable.
- The child welfare professional must make continuous efforts to engage the parents in judicial and non-judicial cases. Case planning should continue at least monthly with families by reviewing progress, monitoring, discussing strengths and barriers, goals, resources, change process, conditions for return, and permanency timeframe. Documentation of these conversations with families is “case planning”.
RESOURCES: CFOP 170-9, Chapter 5, s. 39.6011(1)(a), F.S.
