Section I. Prior to your first placement
You are now entering a different world. You are about to see a broken system, and you are in the middle of it. Remember, my job is not to scare you, or discourage you from being a foster parent my job is to prepare you for a reality. The MAPP or PRIDE class that you took to qualify for hours taken is inadequate, antiquated. Your agency
Via the MAPP or PRIDE training attempts to prepare you for fostering in a perfect world; in The Foster Care System that you are serving under there is no such thing as a perfect world. You will see damaged, broken children entering your home. You will see the suffering and hardship, lack of trust in their eyes, the windows of the soul. Your job will be to assist in correcting that damaged soul, to restore trust, and teach each child to love again.
Picture learning to function as a pilot and to omit the training about emergency situations; weather problems, malfunctions of the equipment, and other situations for which your training should prepare you. Your trainers need to keep in mind the safety and well-being of your passengers, as well as the pilot and your entire crew. How would you deal with these as pilot if they trained you for a perfect world?
My job is to offer you the maximum protection that I can, to teach you how to protect yourself and your family from this imperfect world of fostering. Documentation is your only defense, so it is imperative that you learn to do it properly, expertly and efficiently. Before you first placement becomes proficient in doing so, change your way of thinking to include the words "prove it". From here on you will not be believed. Anyone who calls the hotline with an allegation is believed. Sometimes it is the child who calls in the allegation. The reasons why are like the sand on a beach, endless; you have the discipline, chores in your home and he/she wants to move to a new home without those things. These kids know the scoop, they are street smart, and they know their rights better than you do. One phone call and they are out of your home, and you are left facing an allegation wondering what happened.
A). What supplies do I need to have on hand?
In order to start off on the right path you need to go shopping. Take a look at the supplies in stock at Walmart or one of the other large discount stores.
What you need in the way of supplies are composition books, purchase several to begin with and have a few on hand. You never know when you will be asked to take a sibling group, and you'll need one book for each child coming into your home. You will utilize one of these composition books for your personal journal.
The reason we chose composition books is because it is obvious when a page is either torn out or added, it is impossible to do either. Why
It is also a good idea to purchase several loose leaf notebooks in advance. We recommend that you also have one of these for each child placed in your home. You can reuse these notebooks as long as you keep their contents in a sealed manila envelope for future reference.
You will need a supply of pens and highlighters for making permanent notes in your journal. You will write the name of the child in the front of the composition book.
Manila envelopes have a flap so that all the documents inside from the loose-leaf notebook can be sealed inside, when a child has moved to another foster home placement. Seal up the contents of the loose leaf notebook and place the composition book inside the envelope and seal it. If there is more than one composition book, you may have to use two manila envelopes and place a clip/rubber band on them to keep them together. Write the child's name on the front of the envelope. It is a better idea to use a number so that only you will know which child this is regarding. Use your numbering system.
For future needs, start watching for a lockable medicine cabinet for special needs children who are taking medications of some kind.
Be prepared to begin documentation the moment your social worker calls regarding placing a child in your home.
In the front of each composition book, as well as your journal writes the following words;
"Contents of this document, whether on computer hard drive and hard copy are protected by Attorney/Client Work-Product and anything on (in) this should be considered protected as such. Any access or disclosure of the Attorney/Client Work-Product by unauthorized persons in an attempt to hamper a person's defense of him or herself or their family can and/or will be subject to legal action."
This is to protect you and prevent anyone from utilizing the contents of this journal or child's composition book against you in a court of law. We call it Attorney/Client Work-Product.
We include the explanation from Wikipedia. You need to understand what this does to protect you and why;
Doctrine
Under the work-product doctrine, "tangible material or its intangible equivalent" that is collected or prepared in anticipation of litigation is not discoverable,[3] and may be shielded from discovery by a Protective Order, unless the party seeking discovery can demonstrate that the sought facts can only be obtained through discovery and that those facts are indispensable for impeaching or substantiating a claim.[4] That is; the party unable to obtain the information has no other means of obtaining the information without undue hardship. For example, the witness may have left the country. Where the required showing is made, the court will still protect mental impressions of an attorney by redacting that part of the document containing the mental impressions.
Comparison with attorney–client privilege
The work-product doctrine is more inclusive than attorney–client privilege. Unlike the attorney–client privilege, which includes only communications between an attorney and the client, work-product includes materials prepared by persons other than the attorney him/herself: The materials may have been prepared by anybody as long as they were prepared with an eye towards the realistic possibility of impending litigation. Additionally, it includes materials collected for the attorney such as interrogatories, signed statements, other information acquired for the prosecution or defense of a case. However, "memoranda, briefs, communications ... other writings prepared by counsel for his/her use in prosecuting the client's case. Mental impressions, conclusions, opinions, or legal theories" are never discoverable by an opposing party.
However, the work-product doctrine is also less powerful than the attorney–client privilege, and, therefore, may be overcome by a showing of necessity, as described above.
~~End quote from Wikipedia~~
Begin your journal and composition book by; Being prepared to begin documentation the moment your social worker calls regarding placing a child in your home.
Ask her/him questions regarding the child that they are seeking to place with you. Is the child a special needs child? Is this child on medications of any kind? What is the situation regarding termination of parental rights? How many homes has this child been in prior to yours? Has this child ever called in an allegation on the foster parents he/she lived with before? Is there anything that you should know before accepting this placement?
Social workers will usually answer these questions. Don't let them tell you they do not know the history of the child (ren) they are placing with you; they have the file in front of them. If they won't answer the questions, this should ring an alarm with you. Especially the one about if the child has ever called in an allegation on a previous foster parent. I would refuse this child if it were me. Do not forget you can place stipulations on what kind of problems you will accept into your home, things you do not feel qualified to handle. Warning they will ask newbies, new foster parents to take a problem placement simply because they have nowhere else to put them. It is okay for you to refuse the placement if you have an uneasy feeling about it. Problems like:
>fire starters, self-mutilation, pedophiles, sexually active teens or sexually abused children, known animal abusers.
True Story: We had one foster parent who had a set of siblings placed in her home. After a few weeks, the strange things began to take place, injured and missing animals. The foster parent asked for a medical background report, in Arizona this is a Statute and required if the foster parents think to ask for it. Two of the siblings had a history of animal torture and killing animals. Guess where they placed these children, on a farm. So learn to ask questions.
B). When do I start journaling: Documentation?
As we stated in the previous topic, it begins when your social worker calls to place a child in your home.
Have a pen that never leaves the area, put a string on it and tie it to the phone along with a pad of paper. The moment you talk to your social worker about a placement start taking notes. Write down the things she mentions about the child, and she will volunteer information regarding the child. Write it down on the pad of paper. When you accept the placement if you tell your social worker to go ahead and bring the child (ren) over to your home for placement. Immediately, when you get off the phone go get one composition books from your supply closet. Very carefully, and neatly transfer the information from you tablet into the child's composition book. More than one child, you must have one for each child. Remember it must be neat so write carefully; if your writing is not legible then print the information into the book. Don't' forget to put the child's name on the front and enter the date you started documentation for this child.
If your social worker emailed you instead of calling you then print out the email. Three-hole punch the email and place it in the child loose leaf notebook, emails are dated, acceptable by any court as evidence and valid documentation. Place a beginning page in the front of the notebook, usually dividers work well for this purpose. Date the divider and place the child's name on it. Later you can type the child's name on the computer, print it off and place it on the edge of the notebook for ease recognition. Remember, to keep these notebooks and composition book in a locked file cabinet so that you are the only one who has access to them.
Be ready with your pad and pen when the social worker brings the child. Write down all that this child has brought with him/her into your home and have the social worker sign it.
Always remember that whatever happens in your foster home is your responsibility, and they will expect you to give an answer when someone calls it into the agency or Child Protective Services. You must always be "ready to give an answer."
1Pe_3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
As you can clearly see, I am a Christian, and I am not apologizing for that. God is responsible for me doing what I do. He is the one who has lead me into acting as an advocate on behalf of foster/adoptive and biological parents across this country. He is my instructor, my strength and my guide in whatever I endeavor to accomplish.
I want you to take notice of what we said above; Always remember whatever happens in your foster home is your responsibility. Your social worker will expect you to give an answer when someone calls an allegation into the agency or Child Protective Services.
Note the word WHEN someone calls in an allegation on you. Etch this into your mind:
"It is not a matter of if, it is a matter of when an allegation will be filed on you."
It will happen eventually! That is why it is imperative that you learn to document properly. Everything in the journal is your; property, never allow anyone to borrow it, read it, or copy it. It belongs to you. Get it, got it, Good.
C). What is my personal journal, what do I enter in it?
There are many things that are not child specific. Maybe a valuable necklace came up missing, or many things have been taking place in your home lately with no explanation or anyone making mention of it. You cannot pinpoint which child is doing it if you have more than one placement, so this type of incident you would enter in your personal journal. Other things; like a foster child acting out or touching another child in an inappropriate place. An older foster child in another's room in the middle of the night or your own biological child's room. A fidgeting foster child is constantly moving not seeming to be able to sit for any length of time. These things should be in your personal journal.
Other things that you might not even consider being important enough to make a note of, we will explain in detail this type of entry later on n the class. Ie; the pizza man delivered a pizza tonight in celebration of Johnnie's birthday, child number five. Make a note of the date, his name if you have it, the time of the delivery.
>Your Aunt Martha came for a visit tonight to bring Johnnie a birthday present enter the date, the time she arrived and when she left. What was the present for Johnnie; make a note of it too?
>Your neighbor stopped by for coffee on Tuesday morning. When she arrived, when she left. You're stopping to pick up your husband cleaning about five on Friday; he has a very important business meeting that night. Where was the meeting, did you attend with him? Who babysat the foster child (ren)? Time you left and returned. The mailman delivered a package that day.
Sounds like documentation is a lot of troubles, yep? We will cover that later on. It would get to the point that is standard procedure and quickly completed, even if nothing took place that day write something in your personal journal.
Section II. Creating a paper trail
A). Explain what documents I need to keep.
A paper trail is history written out for future reference. However, it is also proof of incidents that have taken place in your home. Any paperwork you receive for any reason is placed in the child's loose leaf notebook. You will have different categories to place paperwork it belongs in; medical, school records, behavioral problems observed, visitation with the biological parents and results of that visit, etc.
A paper trail is proof of whatever you are saying. If Johnnie fell on the playground at school, the school nurse will have an accident report filed at the school office. You should get a copy of it sent home with the foster child; if not go ask for one at the school. Paper trail of a bruise on Johnnies let.
Took Johnnie to the doctor; get a copy of the doctor's report, place it in Johnnies loose leaf notebook under medical according to date. Johnnie broke his wrist in a fall at baseball practice. Get a copy of the emergency room doctor to place in the loose leaf notebook it will have the date on it and the doctors name. The doctor is a mandated reporter if he calls it in you must prove that it happened at baseball practice. Remember, your personal journal? Did you record the name of the coach of the baseball team, the other players that witnessed the injury? The doctor probably won't call it in because there were witnesses to the incident, be ready to give an answer.
All the things listed above are what is called a "paper trail." Always remember anything to do with the child creates a paper trail. KEEP THEM in his/her loose-leaf notebook and mention it in your journal so you can know at a glance the date to find the document to prove what you are saying is the truth.
B). What incidents do I record?
No matter how insignificant the incident seems at the time if you don't write it down in your journal, and when appropriate in the child's composition book it never took place. You cannot prove it ever happened at all, it's your word against the child or the mandatory reporter, assume they will not believe unless you can prove it.
Example: The children are outside playing in the backyard. The foster child comes in crying and rubbing his leg, you check his/her leg and find a very bad scratch. How did it happen? Who did what to who? The foster child says that one of your children hit him/her with a stick when they were playing hockey with a ball in the back yard. What should you do? Document what took place, who was present in the backyard with the children. Your husband was back there with them and saw what happened it was an accident. Write it down in the child's journal after taking care of the child's injury first, write down what you did to treat the scratch and everyone's name who was outside and saw what took place. Email your social worker later on when you get a chance about the incident and print out a copy of the email. If your social worker responds to you, print it out and enter both into the child's loose leaf notebook under medical, according to date. Mention the incident in your personal journal for future reference.