Goals in Foster Care Placement 624-05-15-115
(Revised 4/3/2023 ML #3716)
It is impossible to develop any plan for children in foster care without establishing goals, either single or concurrent, with specific deadlines and a specific time frame established to reach those goals. All permanency goals must be established in a timely manner and be appropriate for the circumstances present in the case. The rationale utilized to select the goal(s) should also be documented in the case record.
It is imperative that a plan be developed with the Child & Family Team related to strengths, needs, risks, and safety issues with specific measurable and time-limited goals and tasks that will achieve permanency for the child. The safety, permanency, and well being of children and their families must be the priority for everyone involved in the case planning to assure timely permanence and goal achievement.
The primary purpose of the case plan for each child is to document the intent and the steps under way to achieve the goals, including both reunification goals and/or alternate permanency goals. Federal law, in particular, requires that the case plan documents the goals and progress being made toward those goals. If the team decides that concurrent goals are reasonable to ensure timely and appropriate permanence, then simultaneous efforts to achieve those goals must be made and documented in the case record.
With respect to a child whose singular or concurrent permanency goal is adoption or placement in another permanent home, the case plan must document the steps which the agency is taking to find an adoptive family or other permanent living arrangement, to place the child with an adoptive family, a fit and willing relative, a legal guardian, or in another planned permanent living arrangement (APPLA), and to finalize the adoption or legal guardianship. At a minimum, such documentation shall include child-specific recruitment efforts such as the use of the state or national adoption exchanges. When a referral has been made to the AASK program, the assigned adoption worker can provide information as to program efforts to identify a potential adoptive family
For foster youth 14 years of age and older, independent living goals must be developed in their case plan by the custodian. When the child reaches age 16, a referral can be given to the Chafee Independent Living program. Refer to Manual Chapter 624-10, Independent Living Policy.
The following sections are some examples of the goals that can be established to meet the needs of the children, when to select the goal, how to implement it, and when a selected goal may not work.
