Foster Parents' Rights

A foster parent's rights include, but are not limited to the following:

The right to be treated with dignity, respect, and consideration as a professional member of the child welfare team.

The right to be given standardized pre-service training and appropriate ongoing training to meet mutually assessed needs and improve the foster parent's skills.

The right to be informed as to how to contact the appropriate placement agency in order to receive information and assistance to access supportive services for each child in the foster parent's care.

The right to receive timely financial reimbursement commensurate with the care needs of the child as specified in the service plan.

The right to a clear, written understanding of the placement agency's plan concerning the placement of a child in the foster parent's home.

The right to be provided a fair, timely and impartial investigation of complaints concerning the foster parent's licensure, to be provided the opportunity to have a person of the foster parent's choosing present during the investigation, and to be provided due process during the investigation; the right to be provided the opportunity to request and receive mediation and/or an administrative review of decisions that affect licensing parameters; and the right to have decisions concerning a licensing corrective action plan specifically explained and tied to licensing standards violated.

The right to be notified of scheduled meetings and staffings concerning the foster child in order to actively participate in the case planning and decision-making process regarding the child, including individual service planning meetings, administrative case reviews, interdisciplinary staffings, and individual educational planning meetings.

The right to be informed of decisions made by the courts or the welfare agency concerning the child.

The right to provide input concerning the plan of services for the child and to have that input given full consideration in the same manner as information presented by any other professional on the team.

The right to communicate with other professions who work with the foster child within the context of the team, including therapists, physicians, and teachers.

The right to be given, in a timely and consistent manner, any information a case worker has regarding the child and the child's family which is pertinent to the care and needs of the child and necessary to a permanency plan for the child.

The right to receive additional or necessary information relevant to the care of the child placed with the foster parent.

The right to be given reasonable written notice of:

Any change in the child's case plan,
Plans to terminate the placement of the child,
The reasons for any placement change,
The right to be notified in a timely and complete manner of all court hearings, including notice of the date and time of the court hearing, the name of the judge hearing the case, the location of the hearing, and the court docket number of the case.

The right to intervene in court proceedings or to seek mandamus under the Juvenile Court Act.

The right to be considered as a placement option if a foster child who was formerly placed with the foster parent is to be re-entered into foster care, if that placement is consistent with the best interests of the child and other children in the foster parent's home.

The right to have timely access to the child placement agency's existing appeals process and the right to be free from harassment and retaliation by any other party when exercising the right to appeal.

The right to be informed of the Foster Parent Hotline and all of the rights accorded to foster parents concerning reports of misconduct by Department employees, service providers, or contractors, confidential handling of those reports, and investigation by the Inspector General.

© Crouse Cobb & Bays ©1996 - 2001 all rights reserved

Credits: Deborah Crouse Cobb