HEARINGS
Seventy Two Hour Hearings- A Hearing scheduled by the Family Court within seventy-two hours after a child is removed from the home and placed in a shelter of foster care. The purpose of this Hearing is to allow the Court a chance to determine whether or not there was probable cause to remove a child from the home. The Court will rely on information obtained by the DSS caseworker and/ or law enforcement officer involved in the investigation. The parents must be notified of the Hearing and have the right to attend. The parents may also contest the child’s removal.
Merit Hearing (Thirty Five Day Hearing)- This Hearing has to be scheduled within thirty five days of the child’s initial removal. The purpose of this Hearing is to prove the finding DSS wants and to define the nature and extent of DSS involvement within the family.
Permanency Planning- These Hearings must be held within twelve (12) months after the foster child comes into care, unless otherwise indicated in the Merit Hearing. The purpose of the Hearings is to make sure that the child does not get lost in the Foster Care System. At the Hearings, the Court reviews work done on the case by DSS, the level of cooperation from the parents, and whether the child can be reunited with the family or whether there should be some other more permanent disposition such as termination of parental rights and adoption. Although DSS scheduled reviews, any party (Guardian ad Litem, parent, etc.) may move that the Court schedule a Review Hearing.
Termination of Parental Rights Hearing (TPR Hearing)- This Hearing takes place after a separate action is initiated by the filing of a new petition. Termination may occur as follows:
1) where the child has been repeatedly or severely abused,
2) where the child has been out of the home of either parent and has not been supported or visited by the parent for a period of six months,
3) where the child has been removed form the parents and cannot be returned home, even after six months of assistance from DSS,
4) where the parent has a mental, emotional, or physical disorder that prevents him/ her from adequately caring for the child,
5) where the child has been in foster care fifteen (15) of the last twenty-two (22) months,
* (After a foster child has been in a foster home for six months, the foster parents have the right to petition the Court to have the birth parents’ rights terminated (TPR) and adopt the child. This type of adoption is known adoption is known as an “irregular adoption.” Foster parents who wish to purse this action must hire an attorney at their own expense. The attorney then files the petition with the Court, and the Agency would be a party to the action. The Court would determine whether or not the TPR and adoption will be granted. Although this process may “speed up” adoption, it also involves greater monetary costs for the foster parents. Also, this process may be somewhat “riskier” since the foster parents are basically pursuing the TPR adoption on their own. If foster parents are interested in pursuing an irregular adoption, they should first discuss this with the child’s caseworker and/ or an adoption specialist at the Regional Office located in Greenville, South Carolina. The telephone number for the Greenville Adoption Office is toll free, 1-800-868-6595.
TPR (TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS)
TPR is the legal process which ends a parent’s rights to their child. Both parents’ rights must be terminated to make the child free for adoption.
FOSTER CARE REVIEW BOARD (FCRB)
FCRB is a committee of private citizens appointed by the SC Legislature to review the cases of every foster child at six month intervals. Foster parents should receive invitation to these meetings when a foster child is in their home is being reviewed. Others who may attend the meeting are the biological parents, the caseworker, foster children age 10 and older who aren’t severely mentally challenged impaired, attorneys representing the foster children, therapists involved with the children, any other professionals involved with the case. The FCRB was established to insure that DSS has an appropriate plan for each foster child and that it is carried out in a timely manner.
V.P. (VOLUNTARY PLACEMENT)
V.P is the process by which parents decide to place their child in Foster Care without Court intervention. Typically a child placed in Foster Care by V.P. can remain in care no longer than 90 days. DSS must obtain Court-ordered custody of a child if the placement is to extend beyond 90 days. Common reasons for placing a child voluntarily include a parents’ inability to provide shelter and other basic needs for their child, a parent’s hospitalization with no alternative care giver available, and a parent’s fear of abusive behavior directed toward their child.
P.F.C (PERMANENT FOSTER CARE)
P.F.C. is a case plan involving a mutual agreement between foster parents, the foster child and DSS whereby the foster child is allowed to remain in a specific foster home until they reach the age of independence.
GUARDIAN AD LITEM (GAL)
The Guardian AD Litem is a community volunteer who is appointed by the Court to represent an abused or neglected child’s best interests in every case which results in a judicial proceeding.
E.P.S.D.T. (EARLY AND PERIODIC SCREENING, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT PROGRAM
E.P.S.D.T. is a program at the County Health Department that provides free health benefits for children under 21 years of age who are eligible for Medicaid. E.P.S.D.T. services will help prevent and cure health problems before they cause serious illness. An E.P.S. D. T. caseworker at the Health Department schedules appointments and notifies the foster parent of the appointment by mail. If you cannot keep the scheduled appointment, please contact the E.P.S.D.T. worker at the Health Department.
W.I.C. (WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN)
W.I.C. is a special supplemental food program for women, infants, and children. If a foster parent has a foster child who is under (5) years of age, the child may be evaluated for eligibility to participate in the WIC program. An appointment can be set up with the WIC Coordinator at 596-3305. There is a good probability that foster children could meet income guidelines and nutritional needs assessment qualifications. (A foster child is considered a family of one, and his/her income would be the monthly board payments received.) The screening process usually takes 1 ½ to 2 hours and is done through the Health department. If the foster child is eligible, foster parents then receive vouchers for milk, cheese, cereals, eggs, juice, etc, which can be redeemed at the grocery store.
LIFE BOOKS
A scrapbook about the child’s life which may include pictures, developmental milestones, information about birth parents, foster parents, schools, places the child lived, important events, etc. Life Books help foster children understand their background, see how they got the way they are, and proceed with their lives by accepting their pasts. Ideally every foster child should have a Life Book. Life Books are available through the caseworker and should go with the child when s/he leaves the foster home. Foster parents can assist the child by taking pictures and recording milestones and special events.
I.E.P. (INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM)
I.E.P. is a written plan devised by a team of people to set academic goals and objectives for students with special needs. Foster parents may be asked by the school to attend the meeting in which the I.E. P. is developed.
CHARLES LEA CENTER
The Charles Lea Center is a service program for mentally, physically, and emotionally handicapped children and adults in Spartanburg County. Charles Lea provides evaluation, counseling, speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, classroom educational instruction, and vocational training. Transportation is provided by the center for all areas of Spartanburg County. Early intervention specialists work with infants- age 2 years in the home. The preschool provides services on campus for ages 2-4 years. McCarthy School and Teszler School on campus provide educational services as part of the public school system. McCarthy provides services for mentally handicapped students ages 5-21 years and includes a vocational program for older students. Teszler provides educational services for emotionally handicapped students ages 5-12 years old.
HAIRCUTS/PERMANENTS
Foster parents are allowed to get a foster child’s hair cut or permed. Very major or radical haircuts/hairdos are not appropriate unless the caseworker obtains prior approval for the child’s biological parents.
EAR PIERCING
Foster parents must have prior permission from the caseworker, who gets approval from the birth parents in order to get a foster child’s ears pierced.
VISITATION
Please remember that all visits that foster children have with their birth families should be scheduled through the child’s caseworker at DSS. Visits that have not been arranged through the caseworker are not permitted. Please refer to the DSS Visitation Policy for further details.
GUN SAFETY
If you keep a gun(s) in your home, please be advised that it should not be kept loaded and the ammunition and gun should be kept in separate places. Guns should be kept in locked cabinets or drawers or trigger locks should be used.
FIRE DEPARTMENT REGULATIONS
According to county fire department safety regulations, a smoke detector should be placed in each bedroom that a foster child occupies, and the hallway or area just outside of these bedrooms. If you are renting an apartment, townhouse, or house for which a landlord has been charged with upkeep, smoke detectors should be provided by the landlord for your home. If you have a problem with a landlord not agreeing to provide you with smoke detectors please contact a Licensing Worker at 596-3001, ext 3061 or 3601. Smoke detectors may be available in our office. A fire extinguisher rated at least 2A-10BC should also be obtained and placed in the kitchen of each foster home. Fire extinguishers are sometimes available in our office.
FIRE INSPECTIONS
The Department of Social Services will schedule a yearly fire inspection of your home. The fire inspection is done at the 9 month quarterly visit. Your home will be visited by a Licensing Worker along with the local fire inspector. Usually, we are only given 1-2 days a month from the fire inspector to schedule these visits so your cooperation is greatly appreciated with being at home at your scheduled time.
MEDICAL STATEMENTS
In order to meet initial (first Year) licensing requirements, each foster parent is required to obtain some type of medical statement signed by a doctor or nurse practitioner that affirms the foster parent is in reasonably good health and is physically able to be a foster parent. We have received numerous calls recently from foster parents who have had significant problems obtaining such a statement. The following options are available to you:
1) A doctor may sign the brief typed statement which you received from a licensing worker during the initial home visit.
2) A foster parent may submit a copy of his/her recent physical examination results to one of the licensing workers.
3) A foster parent may go to the County Health Department and request the basic tests be done for communicable diseases that the Health Department routinely checks for. A copy of these results should be sent to one of the licensing workers.
LEAD PAINT CHECKS
Prior to being licensed, your home will be checked for lead paint by the County Health Department. Lead paint chips may be picked up by small children and placed in their mouths, which represents a hazard to them. If you move to a new residence we will have to request the Health Department to come and check your new residence for lead also. If the health inspection shows evidence of lead paint in your home you will not be licensed to care for children under the age of six years old, unless the problems cited are corrected. Your Health Department will be able to answer additional questions concerning lead pain hazards.
PHOTOGRPAH AND FINGERPRINTS
Foster children cannot be photographed for TV, newspapers, or other media without permission from the Family Court. A foster child’s name or other identifying information should not be given to the media. A Judge’s Order must be obtained in order to fingerprint a foster child. The precautions, which are law in South Carolina, help to protect foster children during the time they are in DSS custody.
FIELD TRIPS
Foster parents can approve any day or overnight field trips for a foster child with a school group, church groups, or another club/organization (i.e. scout troop, etc…) as long as the trips are in South Carolina. Any overnight out of state field trip must be approved by the DSS caseworker. Caseworkers should be given advance notification of such trips.
ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION
Foster parents should not sign the school’s standardized athletic participation forms which would allow their foster children to play organized sports. There is a statement on the form which says that the person signing the form authorizes a doctor to perform surgical procedures on the child if an emergency arises. Foster parents should never sign consent forms allowing surgical procedures to be performed on foster children. If your foster child wished to participate in athletics, call the caseworker so that s/he can contact the child’s birth parents for permission.
RULES FOR FOSTER HOMES WITH SWIMMING POOLS
If your foster home has an above ground pool or an in ground pool you must follow the precautions listed below for your safety and protection as well as for the child/ren placed in your home:
1) An adult must always be present when foster children age 18 years or younger are in or around the pool area.
2) All foster children must wear life vests until they have successfully completed swimming lessons.
3) All pool areas should be secure so that a child can not gain access to the pool without an adult present.
4) During the winter months, the pool should be properly covered with a child approved safety cover and above ground pools should have the ladder removed.
If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, you may call our 24 hour hotline number at 585-1445.
RESOURCES
WIC
Foster children age birth to five is eligible for WIC. WIC provides vouchers for nutrious foods such as milk and cheese to foster parents. You will need a copy of your foster parent contract if you to the Health Department. WIC representatives will be coming to all monthly foster parent association meetings so you can sign up for services there are as well. Call 596-3090 for more information.
Immunizations
Foster children can get free immunizations at the Health Department. Foster parents are responsible for insuring that foster children are kept up to date on immunizations once they are placed in your home. The health department should have a record of any previous shots the child has received. Appointments can be made for immunizations through the “Fast Lane” program when you call the health department. General Information: 596-3341.
Medical Check-Ups
All foster children are eligible for Medicaid and you should receive a new Medicaid card monthly. Medicaid allows for well checkups every six months as well as dental appointments. (These are called E.P.S.D.T.—Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Program—checkups). The doctor’s office is responsible for notifying you by mail when it is time to make an appointment for a checkup or dental appointment. Medicaid will also cover the cost of bills when a child is sick. If you have trouble finding a doctor or dentist who will accept Medicaid, please call DSS at 596-3053. We try to keep a current list of Medicaid providers.
Surgical Procedures
Neither foster parents nor caseworkers can sign a consent form to allow foster children to have surgery or be given anesthesia. Only birth parents and/ or family court judges may grant permission for these procedures. If a medical emergency arises, pleased call the caseworker or the 24 hour emergency number (585-1445) and see that the child is transported to the hospital for medical attention.
ABC Vouchers for Day Care
A limited number of vouchers for day care are available for foster parents who work at least 30 hours a week. Please check with your child’s caseworker regarding availability and eligibility requirements. Licensing has a list of day cares which accept ABC vouchers.
Counseling
If you feel that your foster child would benefit from therapy/counseling, please talk to the child’s caseworker about your concerns. Caseworkers can arrange for counseling if appropriate.
BabyNet
BabyNet services are available through the Charles Lea Center for children from birth to three. If your foster child appears to have any developmental delays, please contact your caseworker immediately. They will make a referral to BabyNet. BabyNet workers can come to the foster home to work with children or children may be eligible for daily services such as occupational, physical, or speech therapy at the Charles Lea Center. A doctor’s diagnosis or referral is often necessary when making a referral to BabyNet, so please talk with your foster child’s pediatrician about any concerns that you may have regarding development.
Clothing Vouchers
Foster children are eligible for a $100 clothing voucher when they first enter foster care and have been in a foster home for 15 days. After that, foster children receive $100 every quarter (February, May, September, and December) for clothing. A child has to wait until the second quarter after his/her initial clothing allotment before getting another check. The $100 is to be spent on the child for clothing. When a child moves form a foster home for any reason, the foster parent should pack up all the clothing that the child can still wear and sent it with that child, along with any other belongings, the to the next placement. Please be aware that Spartanburg County has to wait to receive the money from our State Office before we can disburse it to foster parents and often there is a delay of up to a month before foster parents received a check.
School Help
The Wofford College Twin Towers program offers after school tutoring to children needing help with school work. Please call 597-4000 for more information. If a child appears to be having significant problems in school, please talk with your caseworker. It may be necessary to ask for an I.E.P. (Individual Education Plan) evaluation at the school to see if the child may be eligible for resource classes or other help.
IF ANY PROBLEMS AND/OR NEEDS THAT ARISE WHILE A FOSTER CHILD IS LIVING IN YOUR HOME, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CASEWORKER FOR ASSISTANCE. CASEWORKERS CAN GUIDE FOSTER PARENTS TO OTHER COMMUNITY RESOURCES AS NEEDED.