Foster Care/Preventive Unit

    While I'm sure that most of you are very familiar with Family & Children's' Services at Cortland County Department of Social Services, there have been a large number of changes over the past year. Since the roster Care Preventive Unit is the unit most pertinent to Foster and Adoptive parents, this edition of the newsletter will deal with this unit.

    First very briefly, the object of Preventive Services is to keep families together, safely. Below are several facts on Preventive Services which should give an idea what a caseworker with Preventive cases is responsible for.

    We get referrals for Preventive Services from a variety of sources. Some individuals refer themselves. Other community agencies identify families for preventive services. We also get referrals from Child Protective Services as the request of an investigation they conducted.

    When we get these referrals a caseworker is assigned to go to the home and assess the family for prevention services. Sometimes we get families involved with other community agencies, such as Mental Health, or the Special Children's Center. Other times we open cases for these families.

    When we open Preventive Services for families we do a needs assessment. That is, we identify strengths and weaknesses. (We create service plans for the families. These plans identify specific problems which the client and caseworker agree on.) We then make referrals to other community agencies for service. We monitor their role with these other agencies.

    In some cases Family Court orders the family to work with preventive services. We then monitor the court order.

    Caseworkers also provide financial management for some clients. They are responsible for the clients money (SSI typically) and ensure that bills are paid.

    Caseworkers can carry from 20-30 cases which includes Intake.

    Next, again, briefly, the object of Foster Care is to provide a sate, TEMPORARY placement for children who cannot safely live with their own families. Some examples include Neglect/Abuse, PINS/JD (Person in need of Supervision/Juvenile Delinquent cases. The goal is to return children to their homes, when possible. Occasionally, it is not possible to reunite children with their families. When this isn't possible, a permanency planning goal may be; free the child for adoption₁ Independent Living, or discharge to an adult residential setting.

A Permanency Planning goal is what we are striving for a particular child in a family. A child cannot languish for years in care, rather needs direction - are we going to return to parent? Are we going to terminate parental rights and free the child for adoption? Will the child be discharged to Independent Living? These questions must be answered to provide the child with permanence and organize the appropriate services for the child.

    Some possible entry points to foster care are:

Entry Points CPS - Hotline PINS/JD (Person in Need of Supervision, Juvenile Delinquent) Voluntary - (very rare.) An example is a single mother, no appropriate, or willing friends or relatives enters the hospital, She can voluntarily sign her children into care on a temporary basis.

Caseworkers carry from 17-30+ cases including Preventive and Foster Care. The worker coordinates service providers and acts as a liaison between services, schools, bio-parents, foster parents, Child, etc. They provide casework counseling, transport, mediation, and crisis intervention. They decide the direction the permanency plan goes based on the family's ability and willingness to follow service plans.