What is the MA DCF “Foster Care Review?”
“Foster Care Review” is a meeting between families and MA DCF. During this meeting, the Department reviews whether putting the child in foster care benefited or harmed them and their family. This meeting also determines how MA DCF should continue to be involved with the family.
During this meeting, the Department will determine what additional services the family may benefit from.
The following are issues which are considered and addressed during a Foster Care Review meeting:
- Whether the family has made steps to fix the issues that led to the child’s removal from the home
- Whether the family and the Department have followed the action plan they made together
- The child’s educational needs, how they are being met, and how stable the child’s educational setting is
- Whether the services provided to the family over the past six (6) months were necessary and appropriate
- Whether there are supports in place for a child who is 14 years old or older to help them transition from foster care to adulthood
- The goal of the action plan and the end date for the tasks and services in the action plan
- Whether the child has the opportunity to participate in appropriate activities
- Whether the child’s substitute care placement was necessary and appropriate
- The child’s medical and dental records to make sure the child is up-to-date
- Whether the child’s current permanent placement plan is appropriate and necessary
How Important is the Foster Care Review?
Everything decided in Foster Care Review is binding. The only way to change a decision made in a Foster Care Review meeting is to appeal for a regional director to reverse the determinations.
At the end of the Foster Care Reviews, the decisions made during the meeting will be put in writing into a “foster care review report.” The following people must receive the foster care review report:
- The parents
- The child (when they are 14 years old or older)
- The child’s substitute care provider
- The child’s attorney
- The MA DCF social worker
- The MA DCF Area Director
All foster care review reports will be put into the family’s case record.
Who is involved in Foster Care Reviews?
Parents and children over the age of 14 are allowed to participate in Foster Care Reviews. They can give their input and make suggestions for how MA DCF should or should not continue to be involved with their family. Parents have the right to bring their attorney with them to a Foster Care Review.
When parents have a history of aggressive or assaultive behavior, or a violent history, they probably will not be allowed to attend a Foster Care Review. But, they must receive a letter from the Department stating that they are not allowed to come. They are still allowed to be represented by an attorney; their attorney is allowed to be at the Foster Care Review to represent them.
The people judging Foster Care Reviews are MA DCF authority figures and a trained volunteer. The volunteer will be from the community, and trained by the FCR Unit.
The MA DCF authority figures who will be at the meeting are:
- An employee from the MA DCF Foster Care Review Unit from MA DCF’s central office
- A MA DCF supervisor or area program manager (who is not from the DCF area office which handles the case)
How often does the Foster Care Review Happen?
Foster Care Reviews are held every six (6) months after the child is removed from their home.
Foster Care Reviews are required by the Federal government to happen for every child who is removed from their home and placed somewhere else.
What is the Foster Care Review Unit?
The Foster Care Review Unit (hereinafter FCR Unit) is a unit which is a part of MA DCF. The FCR Unit is dedicated to reviewing cases where children were removed from their homes and placed in foster care. The members of the Foster Care Review Unit are appointed by the director of the unit.
The Foster Care Review Unit must also conduct Foster Care Reviews for every child in MA DCF’s care. The Unit is responsible for facilitating foster care reviews. The FCR Unit must notify all the parties involved when the Foster Care Review meeting will be held. The following are the people who the FCR Unit is supposed to reach out and notify:
- The child’s parents (when their rights have not been given up or terminated)
- The child (when they are 14 years old or older)
- The MA DCF social worker assigned to the case
- The MA DCF supervisor assigned to the case
- The child’s attorney
- The child’s guardian ad litem
- Service providers (if and when they should be notified)
- The child’s substitute care provider
- The child’s putative father (whoever is considered to be the child’s father)