GAHSC

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT EMERGENCY FOSTER CARE

1- Are there any policies in place about who can provide emergency foster care? The Office of Regulatory Services Licensing standards for care will apply to all services. Group homes have regulations specifically for emergency shelters. No such standards are found in the child placing standards (foster care), but still must comply with child placing standards. Foster Care or child placing agencies must demonstrate that they can appropriately care for the child that they take. A home study will accurately describe the type of child the family can accept and whether the agency provides documentation of the placement matching notes.

2- Can it be a foster parent who currently has regular placements? Yes, but the matching notes should address the other children in the home and how this placement may affect the other children in the home.

3- If so, are the stipulations the same, such as two children under the age of two, and no more than two LOC children in one home? In other words, will there be set numbers for a household? Will the number still be six children as it is with ORS? The Office of Regulatory Services has been very clear that ORS licensing standards will apply for all care. The Levels of Care Descriptions do not address the number of children in a home, but this should be discussed for further inclusion in the description. The present limit is two children currently is regarding “LOC” (not to be confused with the new LOC system) children and Level 1 Match children. A family can currently have only one placement if the child is a level 2Match child.

4- If the foster parents are at home and have the necessary assistance or supports in place to provide care to more than two medically fragile children with LOC's, can the agency determine if they can handle another LOC child? This seems to be an issue that would require a waiver from the Treatment Unit of DFCS.

5- If a foster parent wants to have a home separate from their own to provide day respite for other foster homes, are their any set policies in place? ORS standards for day care would apply.

6- Will there be set timelines such as 30, 60, 90 days? I assume that you are asking about how long emergency care can last. The ORS standards limit the time to less than 90 days. For emergency care in Fulton County, the guidelines are 14 days. After 90 days, the child would need to be on either foster care placement or group home placement and all required information is needed from that point forward to meet the CCI regulations. But, the information required for Emergency shelters is still needed according to the time frames indicated in the Emergency Shelter section of the CCI rules.

7- If we would like to start working with the birth families, what would be the guidelines? Is there a contract that we need to work out or a separate license? An agency would need to have their roles described in some form of contract or at least in the placement agreement of what type work the agency is doing with the birth family. Any work done with the birth family would need to be well documented and approved as a service by the custodian on a case by case basis. It would need to be very individualized for each family and child in care. Otherwise their going to get into the Left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.

8- If we are a First Placement Best Placement provider, can we work with the family and child as well as do the FP/BP? It depends on how they are defining "work with the family" If they are doing any foster care or adoption services, they certainly need to be licensed as a Child Placing Agency. Are they talking about Counseling services or what???

9- Will we be provided with a blanket contract by DFCS for the emergency placements stating that we are working as an 'agent of' or 'in conjunction with' DFCS so that we can provide services to the child should an emergency happen throughout the night prior to the case being assigned a DFCS worker? Yes, we are developing a blanket contract, which will address these issues.

10- Will we have an emergency placement contact person at DFCS if something is urgently needed? Yes, the Family Service Center will be staff 24/7.

11- Will the standards continue to be followed even though in an emergency situation such as the clothing allowance? I do not understand the question. Could you be more specific about the standards that you refer to.

12- Will a temporary Medicaid card or letter written letter on DFCS letterhead regarding third party billing or Medicaid info for these placements for physicals, medications, etc.? This will be an issue that I am sure will be worked out for placement.

13- Will there be a standard or set rate for emergency placements for 30 days or until an appropriate LOC can be set? If so, what will that rate be? The rates have been set which will be determined by levels of care. This plan can be found on our web site. http://gahsc.org/nm/pp/2002/fulton/fuindex.html

Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children