Children's Sanctuary, Inc.

Foster Home Rules and Responsibilities

Revised 10/01/07

ABUSE AND NEGLECT PROTOCOL: All foster parents will be trained in the State Abuse/Neglect Protocol and the reporting of critical incidents.  You must report any incidents or allegations of neglect, abuse, serious injury, serious illness, or death of a child immediately to the local authorities, the local Child Protection Hotline, and the Children's Sanctuary office or on-call case manager.

Important: Financial, sexual, or physical exploitation of a foster child, humiliation and retaliation are a violation of the child’s rights and will lead to removal of the child from the foster home and a report of abuse and neglect to the custodial agency and possibly law enforcement.

PLACEMENTS FROM OTHER AGENCIES: All placements must go through Children’s Sanctuary, Inc. CSI foster parents are not to accept direct placements from other placing agencies including the County Department of Child Services. If a county calls you about a placement, please refer them to your regional Children’s Sanctuary office.

ALCOHOL/TOBACCO: It is illegal for children to possess or use alcohol or tobacco products.  Foster parents will not allow a foster child to use alcohol or tobacco.  Foster parents will not provide a foster child alcohol or tobacco.

ALLOWANCES: Foster parents must provide an allowance for each child over age six.  The allowance will be paid from the foster parent's per diem.  Allowances are not to be based on a child’s behavior or willingness or ability to complete assigned chores.  With approval from the CSI case manager and public agency worker, a youth’s allowance may be withheld to pay for damages purposefully inflicted by the youth on another’s person or property to the extent of the damage.  A foster parent may require a child to bank at least 50% of the allowance.   With approval from the child's case manager or county worker, the foster parent may require a child to bank all of his allowance if the foster parent believes the child will use his allowance to purchase alcohol, tobacco products, or drugs.  Foster children will receive the following allowance per day: Age 6 to 11 - $0.50, Age 12 to 17 - $1.00.

CASE MANAGER AND PUBLIC AGENCY CASEWORKER VISITS: The Children’s Sanctuary case manager will visit your home at least every two weeks and contact you via telephone once each week.  The Children’s Sanctuary case manager will visit the child away from the foster home, at least once a month.  Foster parents should report any problems with the child to the Children’s Sanctuary case manager.  A CSI case manager and supervisor are on-call 24 hours a day 7 days a week for emergencies. Report all problems affecting the child’s life as soon as possible.  Examples:

Problems at school, i.e., detention, suspensions expulsion, any problems where a child needs help.

Behavior problems at home or school, i.e., stealing, destroying property, violence towards self or others.

Unusual, bizarre behavior, or comments, i.e., hoarding food, hearing voices, inappropriate comments or gestures.

Serious incidents, i.e., violence, sexual acting out or assault, injury, hospitalization, or physical intervention. (Report immediately. Same as protocol for reporting abuse and neglect above.)

Changes in medical or mental health services and problems with providers.

IMPORTANT: The child’s Public Placing Agency Caseworker, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), or (GAL) Guardian Ad Litem), or other agent appointed by the public placing agency may visit the foster home, respite home, or any place housing or caring for the child, including a baby sitter’s home at anytime unannounced. They have the right to interview the child (children) and inspect every area of the home where the child lives or has access.  Refusal to grant them access will result in the removal of the foster child (children) from your care and endanger your foster care license.

DAILY CARE: Foster parents provide supervision, structure, and age appropriate activities.  They inform the case manager each week of the child’s successes, failures, problems, and progress.  Foster parents may be required to keep a daily behavioral sheet and provide monthly written progress reports.

MEALS: Foster parents will ensure that each foster child receives three balanced, nutritious meals daily including special diets when required by a physician.  The foster child is included in all family meals.  He or she is not to be excluded or fed separately from the foster family and must receive the same food as the foster family.

CLOTHING: The public placing agency or Children’s Sanctuary may provide a clothing voucher for a new placement. The voucher is for clothing, only.  If a voucher is used for anything other than clothing, the foster parent will have to reimburse the public placing agency or Children’s Sanctuary.

The foster family is responsible for providing clothing for a child during placement.  Buy your foster child clothes regularly.   This eliminates large expenditures and allows you to take advantage of sales.  Children's Sanctuary, Inc. requires you to spend $50 per month or $600 per year on new clothing for your foster child.  Please keep receipts as this may be audited by CSI or your state worker.

DAYCARE CENTERS: Children's Sanctuary will not certify or license a foster home if the foster home is being used as a day care center.  If Children's Sanctuary determines that a foster parent is providing day care services in the foster home, the foster parent will be asked to discontinue the day care services immediately.  If the foster parent refuses, all foster children will be removed from the home and Children's Sanctuary will ask the state to close the foster home license.

DISCIPLINE: Foster parents must establish clear rules, expectations and behavioral limits including logical and natural consequences for negative behavior.  In disciplining a child, follow these guidelines:  

Match the discipline to the behavior.

Discipline a child only when it is necessary and be consistent.  Do not impose discipline randomly.

Before imposing discipline consider what need the child is expressing by his or her behavior.  

NEVER USE THE FOLLOWING FOR DISCIPLINE:  

Corporal punishment.

Verbal abuse of any kind.

Denial or limiting of food, sleep, shelter, phone contact or visits with family, case manager, or caseworker.

Assignments of extreme physical exercise or work.

Forcing a child to assume painful or uncomfortable positions.

Excessive periods of grounding or isolation.

Confinement to a locked room or bed.

Mechanical restraints, i.e., handcuffs, restraint jackets, tape or rope.

Washing a child’s mouth out with soap.

INCIDENT REPORTS: Foster parents must complete an incident report if the foster child experiences any serious problems or presents any serious behavioral problems in the home, school, or public setting.  Your case manager will supply you with an incident report form.

INCLEMENT WEATHER: Dress your foster child properly for the weather.  If it is raining, the child should have a raincoat, umbrella, or the foster parent should transport the child to the bus stop or school.  Do not allow a child to walk or stand in the rain for any long period of time.  If weather is cold or snowing, the child needs to be dressed warmly.

INJURY OR HOSPITALIZATION: If the child is injured at home or school, involved in an accident, or hospitalized, you must report this to Children’s Sanctuary immediately.  The Children’s Sanctuary case manager will report the incident to the public placing agency.  Please complete an incident report as soon as possible and submit it to your Children’s Sanctuary case manager.

INDEPENDENT LIVING: Foster parents will provide independent living skills training to foster children 12 and older, i.e., cooking, cleaning, employment, managing a budget, social activities.  Foster Parents should keep a log of independent living activities.  Youth 14 and older will be assessed using the Ansell Casey Life Skills Assessment tool.  They will receive life skills training in the foster homes and at the Children's Sanctuary offices as indicated.

LOG: Foster parents should keep a daily log of interactions with the foster child.  Include behaviors, successes and failures, and independent living training when indicated.  Your case manager will give you the format for the log.  The log must be turned into your case manager every two weeks.

MEDICAL AND DENTAL RECORDS: Keep medical, immunization and dental records current.   The foster parent must obtain a physical, dental, and eye exam for the foster child within 21 days of placement and annually thereafter.

REQUEST TO REMOVE A CHILD FROM THE FOSTER HOME:  Children’s Sanctuary foster parents are expected to give Children’s Sanctuary, Inc. 30 days notice when they want a child removed from their home.   The only exceptions are family emergencies or if the child or foster family would be at risk of serious injury if the child remained n the home. 

RESPITE: Foster parents should take four days respite each month.  Emergency respite is available 24 hours, 7 days a week.  Call the on-call CSI case manager after hours and on weekends. Only licensed foster parents may provide overnight respite.  The CSI case manager and the public agency worker must approve any overnight respite.   The primary foster parent is not paid for a child while the child is in respite with another foster parent.

IMPORTANT: Give the respite parent all essential information about the child, including the child's Service/Safety Plan, dietary needs, medication, Medicaid card or number, name of child’s doctor and dentist, any unusual behaviors to expect from the child, if, when, and with whom the child has visits.  Include place of visit, length, and type of visit, and whether supervised or unsupervised. 

SAFETY: Do not allow children to walk or play in “unsafe” areas, i.e., walking to and from work during late hours.  The foster parent is responsible for seeing that the child has safe transportation.  When you accept custody of a child you promise to provide a nurturing and safe environment.  Please adhere to the following safety precautions:

Keep all hazardous chemicals securely locked in a cabinet or shed, especially flammables, i.e., gasoline, lighter fluid, paint thinner, charcoal starter, oil, matches, cigarette lighters, insecticides, weed killer.

Keep all poisons, insecticides, herbicides, etc. securely locked in a cabinet or shed.

Keep all household cleaning chemicals, i.e., bleach, ammonia, etc. out of reach of foster children.

Keep all medication in a securely locked cabinet (see Medication Protocol below).

Keep guns, knives, bows, etc. in a securely locked cabinet in your personal area of the house i.e., your bedroom or other area inaccessible to a foster child.  Keep weapons and ammunition locked in separate locations from each other (see weapons).

Keep any item that could be used to harm oneself or another away from foster children when not being used for the purpose for which it was made, i.e., kitchen knives, hammers, screwdrivers, hatchets, axes, shovels, hoes, exacto knives, box cutters, cue sticks, pool balls, baseball bats, baseballs and softballs, hockey sticks, etc.

Have your foster child wear a safety helmet and protective clothing when riding a bicycle, scooter, or skateboard.

Do not allowed a foster child to operate any motorized equipment, including automobile, motorcycle, riding lawnmower, or motorized terrain vehicles of any sort, without written permission from the public agency caseworker, parent, and Children’s Sanctuary, Inc.

SCHOOL: Foster parents will ensure that foster children attend school daily.  If a child is ill or must miss school, i.e., for a counseling appointment, the foster parent will notify the school immediately.

IMPORTANT: Foster parents must have a designated emergency person available to get a child from school if the child is sick or hurt or suspended when the foster parent is unavailable.  The foster parent must designate a person who can care for the child until the foster parent is available.  Your case manager will give you a form to complete and return to Children’s Sanctuary identifying your designated caregiver to contact in your absence.  

SCHOOL CONFERENCES: Foster parents are expected to attend school conferences, to follow up on teachers’ notes, and see that the child complies with detentions.  Foster parents will provide transportation when necessary.  Fees for books, sports equipment, and school functions are the responsibility of the foster parents.

STEALING: Many children entering foster care have problems with stealing.  Keep valuables such as jewelry, money; car keys, and keys to desks, cabinets, or boxes where medication or valuables are kept, out of reach of foster children. Children Sanctuary is not responsible for losses in your home due to theft by a foster child.

TELEPHONE: Foster parents are responsible for the security of their telephones.  Children’s Sanctuary will not reimburse for charges resulting from a child making long distance calls on the foster parent’s telephone.  

TRAINING: In accordance with state regulations, foster parents must complete 20 to 30 hours of training every year.  Children’s Sanctuary will offer various training opportunities throughout the year.  Foster parents may attend other training available in the community with approval from Children’s Sanctuary.  To receive credit for training outside of Children’s Sanctuary, foster parents must obtain certificates of attendance noting title of training, date of training, name of trainer, and hours awarded, and submit copies to Children’s Sanctuary.

Failure to complete state required annual training hours will jeopardize your license!

TRANSFERRING A LICENSE OR CERTIFICATION TO ANOTHER AGENCY: Children’s Sanctuary can not transfer a foster home license or certification to another agency. A foster parent wishing to change to another agency must notify Children's Sanctuary, Inc. in writing that they want to close their license or certification with Children's Sanctuary, Inc. and open a license or certification with another agency.  Children's Sanctuary, Inc. will arrange with the other agency a date for closure of the CSI license and opening of the license with the other agency.

Important: Children's Sanctuary, Inc. Indiana will not close a foster home license if Children's Sanctuary, Inc. has a child in placement in the home.  This rule does not apply to Ohio, However, Children's Sanctuary Ohio requires a foster parent to be with the agency one year before transfer can take place.  

TRANSPORTATION: The foster parent must provide transportation to and from appointments, court and review hearings, visitations, school, work, and any training event, i.e., Independent Living Training, when necessary.  The cost of transportation is covered by the foster parent's per diem.  A foster parent may request reimbursement for trips over 50 miles one way.  Any reimbursement must be approved by the CSI Regional Director.

TRAVEL: Out-of-state travel with your foster child requires approval from Children’s Sanctuary, Inc. and the child’s public placing agency worker.  Make requests at least two weeks prior to departure.  

VISITATION: The public agency worker must approve visitations for the child with family and relatives.  The foster parents must adhere to court ordered visitation.  If for any reason a child can not make a scheduled visit, call your Children’s Sanctuary case manager immediately.  Foster parents will provide foster children with travel bags, satchels, or luggage for overnight visits with parents or relatives.

Important: Children are not to transport clothing, other than dirty clothing in plastic trash bags.  Use luggage and or overnight bags.  Never place a child’s medication in his or her luggage.

WEAPONS:  All weapons will be kept out of the reach of foster children.  This includes bows, arrows, guns, and knives.  Guns and bows will be kept locked in a safe place.  Ammunition, i.e., bullets, cartridges, arrows will be locked in a separate place from the guns or bows.  Kitchen knives should be put away when not being used out of reach of children.  Do not leave knives in a wood block knife holder on the kitchen counter or any place accessible to children. 

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Children's Sanctuary, Inc. Medication Protocol

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