Utah Foster Care Foundation “OVERVIEW”

Dallis Pierson, PresidentKelly Peterson, LCSW, Director of EducationKelsey Lewis, MSW, Director of RecruitmentLee Wright, HR Manager, Executive Assistant Jay Chang, Accountant 2-18-04

UFCF Mission Statement

“We serve Utah’s children by finding, educating and

nurturing families to meet the needs of

children in foster care.”

Core Principles

InclusivenessIntegrityExcellenceVolunteerism

Vision

The Utah Foster Care Foundation seeks to improve the lives of vulnerable children placed in foster care through the positive impact of compassionate, loving and qualified foster and adoptive families.

Recruitment

“Finding” Potential

Resource Families

Finding Potential Families cont.

Goal I – Develop and maintain a statewide program to recruit prospective Resource families who will meet specific current and projected placement needs of children in the foster care system.

Finding Potential Families cont.

Goal II – Ensure a system of orientation and pre-screening that enhances the quality of prospective Resource families.

Finding Potential Families cont.

Goal III – Educate the community about the foster care program and its needs as well as improve the positive public perception of foster parenting by assisting DCFS in supporting licensed Resource families.

Finding Potential Families cont.

Goal IV – Increase the number of Resource families statewide by referring prospective Resource families for training and licensure.

Training

“Educating” Potential Resource Families

Educating Potential Families cont.

Goal I – Offer a strengths-based pre-service training curriculum that reflects the guidelines for current best standards of practice, adheres to cultural sensitivity, informs participants of DCFS agency expectations, and helps families to identify their fostering strengths and limitations.

Educating Potential Families cont.

Goal II – Provide additional statewide in-service training of advanced skills to Resource families in order to support them in the enhancement of their parenting strategies. In-service training will include DCFS Practice Model for Resource families.

Educating Potential Families cont.

Goal III – Provide notification of all pre-service and in-service training schedules statewide. Maintain a UFCF database for verification of all Resource family training, and maintain a management information system for reporting accountability.

Educating Potential Families cont.

Goal IV – Develop and maintain a statewide Clusters Program to assist the Division of Child & Family Services in their support and retention of Resource families, which includes foster, adoptive and kinship families in the foster care system.

Utah Foster Care Foundation

The Beginning!

Safety FirstSafety FirstUtah’s Criminal Utah’s Criminal

Background Background Screening Procedures Screening Procedures

Presented by Presented by Dallis J. Pierson, PresidentDallis J. Pierson, President

Utah Foster Care FoundationUtah Foster Care Foundation2/25/042/25/04

Kinship Placements OnlyKinship Placements Only

• The Division of Child & Family The Division of Child & Family Services (DCFS) has access to the Services (DCFS) has access to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) Department of Public Safety (DPS) database and can expedite the database and can expedite the background check for immediate background check for immediate placement of a child with an placement of a child with an approved kinship providerapproved kinship provider

State Resident for More State Resident for More than 5 Yearsthan 5 Years• Sign “Applicant Request & Release Form”Sign “Applicant Request & Release Form”

• Given to prospective families by UFCF Given to prospective families by UFCF recruitment staff at pre-screeningrecruitment staff at pre-screening

• Completed forms are given to UFCF pre-Completed forms are given to UFCF pre-service trainer w/copy of current DLservice trainer w/copy of current DL

• Trainer will send release form to Office of Trainer will send release form to Office of Licensing (OL) w/applicant’s foster parent Licensing (OL) w/applicant’s foster parent application.application.

• OL staff gives release form to Criminal OL staff gives release form to Criminal Background Screening (CBS) staffBackground Screening (CBS) staff

• CBS staff “date-stamp” & access forms in CBS staff “date-stamp” & access forms in order of receipt. CBS has access to the order of receipt. CBS has access to the database.database.

• Turnaround is 1 to 2 weeksTurnaround is 1 to 2 weeks

State Resident Less than 5 State Resident Less than 5 YearsYears• Fingerprint cards are required and sent Fingerprint cards are required and sent

to FBI for background checkto FBI for background check• DPS approved fingerprint cards are DPS approved fingerprint cards are

given by UFCF recruitment staff at pre-given by UFCF recruitment staff at pre-screeningscreening

• Prints are rolled at designated facilitiesPrints are rolled at designated facilities• 2 sets of cards w/$24 fee are given to 2 sets of cards w/$24 fee are given to

UFCF trainer during pre-service trainingUFCF trainer during pre-service training• Trainer sends cards to OL w/applicationTrainer sends cards to OL w/application• OL gives cards to CBS OL gives cards to CBS

• CBS will check for Department of Human CBS will check for Department of Human Services (DHS) Utah Statute complianceServices (DHS) Utah Statute compliance

• Were approved cards used, filled out Were approved cards used, filled out completely, i.e., signed by person rolling completely, i.e., signed by person rolling printsprints

• CBS sends all card, once a week, to DPSCBS sends all card, once a week, to DPS• FBI requires cards go from DHS staff to FBI requires cards go from DHS staff to

DPS staff for missed information checkDPS staff for missed information check• DPS stamps cards, logs information, & DPS stamps cards, logs information, &

mails cards to FBI, Clarksburg, West mails cards to FBI, Clarksburg, West VirginiaVirginia

• FBI returns cards to DPS (in approximately FBI returns cards to DPS (in approximately 3-4 weeks) w/clearance, denial or rejection3-4 weeks) w/clearance, denial or rejection

• DPS sends cards back to DHS CBS DPS sends cards back to DHS CBS

• CBS sends cards to OL for completion CBS sends cards to OL for completion or denial of licensing processor denial of licensing process

• This process requires approximately 8 This process requires approximately 8 weeks to completeweeks to complete

• If cards are rejected twice by FBI, If cards are rejected twice by FBI, DHS can ask for “name & date of birth DHS can ask for “name & date of birth check”check”

• DHS DHS cannot cannot ask for “name & date of ask for “name & date of birth check” when sending cards for birth check” when sending cards for fingerprint check, as these procedures fingerprint check, as these procedures are done in 2 different places. are done in 2 different places.

• Cards Cards mustmust be rejected twice to ask be rejected twice to ask for “name & date of birth check”for “name & date of birth check”

Residence in Another Residence in Another CountryCountry

• Responsible to get their own Responsible to get their own criminal background screening from criminal background screening from that countrythat country

• Instructions are on “Applicant Instructions are on “Applicant Request & Release Form”Request & Release Form”

• After May 2002 in Utah, felonies After May 2002 in Utah, felonies were not automatically denied were not automatically denied (statutorily)(statutorily)

• It depends on “what” the felony isIt depends on “what” the felony is• It would be taken to DHS Committee It would be taken to DHS Committee

for comprehensive reviewfor comprehensive review• If denied by committee, individual If denied by committee, individual

can ask for a hearing and a can ask for a hearing and a determination will be madedetermination will be made

• Becoming a foster parent requires Becoming a foster parent requires passing a criminal background passing a criminal background screening and a clearance of the child screening and a clearance of the child abuse & neglect registry. There are abuse & neglect registry. There are different statutes for becoming a foster different statutes for becoming a foster parent, law enforcement officer, school parent, law enforcement officer, school teacher, day care provider, etc. The teacher, day care provider, etc. The same individual might pass a same individual might pass a background check to become a law background check to become a law enforcement officer, but be denied the enforcement officer, but be denied the opportunity of becoming a foster parent opportunity of becoming a foster parent due to these differing statutes.due to these differing statutes.