Tag Archives: MIssissippi CPS

Child Custody, Foster Care, Foster Parent, General Legal, Opinion, Visitation

Foster Parent’s Bill of Rights – FPBOR – Take 4

02/28/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

May the 4th be with you. The Fourth installment of Foster Parent info regarding the MS Foster Parent Bill of Rights…

(l) Involvement in all the agency’s crucial decisions regarding the child as team members who have pertinent information based on their day-to-day knowledge of the child in care and involvement in planning, including, but not limited to, individual service planning meetings, foster care review, individual educational planning meetings, and medical appointments;

The foster parent has the right to “be involved” in decisions as a “team member” that has pertinent information. This involvement includes that you may share your opinion…however, it does not go so far as to veto any decision made by the Court or CPS. The above is a paragraph loaded with buzz words, but provides little meat regarding actual decision making.

(m) The opportunity to participate in the planning of visitations between the child and the child’s siblings, parents or former guardians or other biological family members which have been previously authorized by the youth court. Visitations shall be scheduled at a time and place meeting the needs of the child, the biological family, and the foster family.

The foster parent has the right to “participate in planning” visitations. This is not the right to deny or refuse visitations. This is not the right to alter, amend or change the Court-ordered visitation. This is the right to let CPS or the Court know that Wednesday nights, 6:00 pm-9:00 pm isn’t a convenient time for a visit as you are obligated to cook chicken tenders at church. Otherwise, as a foster parent, you are obligated to cooperate with visitation, even if you disagree with the idea and even if the child does not want to go. The child does not “drive the boat.”

Recognizing that visitation with family members is an important right of children in foster care, foster parents shall be flexible and cooperative with regard to family visits but shall retain the right to reasonable advance notice of all scheduled visitations;

Last minute changes or unplanned visits may not work, however, as a foster parent you have agreed to try and make it happen. Please do. The fastest way to no longer be a foster parent is interfere with visits, aka the permanent plan of reunification.

(n) The ability to communicate with department personnel or representatives twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, for the purpose of aiding the foster parent;

Again, this is really the ability to provide info or request a call back. You may not get a call back at midnight. Also, if you are providing information for the worker to know/consider, you may not get a text confirmation…

(o) A comprehensive list of all resources available to the foster parent and child, including dental providers, medical providers, respite workers in the area, day cares, and methods for submitting reimbursements;

This means you may be provided a list of providers if its determined that those services are necessary. IF they are not deemed necessary you may not get a list. If these services are deemed necessary it is the foster parent’s responsibility to see that arrangements are made for the child to use these services, with assistance of the agency.

Matthew Thompson and Chad King are child welfare attorneys in the State of Mississippi. They have represented natural parents, foster parents, grandparents, other relatives, fictive kin, children and the Agency (CPS) throughout their decades of practice. (NOT all at the same time).

Child Custody, Foster Care, Foster Parent, General Legal, Visitation

Foster Parent Training – Continuing Education

02/27/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

It’s not just putting on band aids and darning socks…

Ongoing Training Requirements.
All licensed Foster Parents are required to receive ten (10) hours of ongoing annual training, five (5) of which must be in a classroom setting.

The Licensure Specialist shall ensure that the Foster Parents on their caseload are notified of the availability of home-based and online training opportunities, as well as dates, times, and locations of classroom-based classes.

Approved Ongoing Training.
Foster parents are permitted to receive training, with approval of the Licensure Specialist, through participation in the following: training sessions, seminars, workshops, or conferences specifically dealing with children or parenting issues that have been approved by the National Association of Social Workers, Mississippi Chapter or the Child Welfare Training Institute (CWTI);

Training provided by a MDCPS Licensure or Adoption Specialist; and
Individual training sessions conducted as part of a home visit.
The Licensure Specialist has the authority to approve other training events. Foster parents who wish to participate in any other training event must get permission from the Licensure Specialist/ASWS prior to registering for and attending the training event.
Each ongoing training should impart new skills or knowledge necessary to care for the children in the foster parent’s home. The foster parent cannot seek training on the same subject unless new and updated material is being presented.

Proof of Training.
Foster Parents are required to provide a certificate and agenda or other proof of completion to the Licensure Specialist within three (3) months of the training. The Licensure Specialist must place documentation of completion of ongoing training hours in the paper file and in MACWIS.
Carryover Hours.
Foster Parents who exceed the required number of ongoing training hours may roll over up to three (3) training hours to the next year. The Licensure Specialist must document the total number of hours completed and indicate in the paper file and in MACWIS that the family is eligible to roll hours over to the next year.

Authority: Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services

Foster Care, Foster Parent, General Legal

What is a FOSTER PARENT?

02/24/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Foster Parents are individuals, or married couples, who complete the steps to become licensed to serve as caretakers for foster children. It may also be a misnomer as a foster parent is NOT a parent in the legal sense of the word…

Foster Parents #1 priority should be taking care of the child for the eventual return of the child to his/her parent(s). Foster Parents have to work with birth families. It is possible for Foster parents to adopt ONLY in situations where the parental rights are terminated, or the parents die, and there are not relatives or fictive kin alternatives. This means that reunification with their families is NOT possible. However, ADOPTION must be the plan for this to even be possible. Don’t sign up to be a foster parent if your ultimate goal is adoption. There are a lot of children that you can adopt right now!

Reunification with the natural parent is ALWAYS the preferred result and first priority. Second is placement with a relative or even a “fictive kin.” Once, ALL other alternatives are exhausted, then a Foster Parent adoption is a possibility.

What should you know about Foster Parenting?

The goal for most children in foster care is to be reunited with their parents. Foster families work with birth parents to achieve this goal. The length of time a child will stay with you depends on many factors. It could be for a few days, a few months, or much longer. A year or more is not unheard of. Also, the longer you are fostering does not automatically mean the better the chance of adoption.

Shared Parenting

As a Foster parent you have to be willing to work with the parent and CPS. This practice encourages joint responsibility for caring, nurturing, and decision-making for the same child.  This is the Foster Parent working with CPS & the natural parent(s) for reunification. Shared Parenting promotes an ongoing positive interaction between the natural parents and the foster parents.

How is caring for a foster child different from caring for my own child?

In many ways it is the same. Foster children need to know that you will be there for them no matter what. Foster children may have different experiences than your own children and need an additional level of care. They may need you to teach them new skills, help them cope with new experiences, and support them through the transition of being in foster care.

Additionally, if the plan is reunification or placement with a relative, the foster parents obligation is to support this goal, regardless of their personal feelings…

Will you be “rescuing” a child from an abusive or neglectful parent?

Yes and no. You will be a safe haven for the child. However their reaction may not be what you expect.

Many people may believe the child will be grateful and relieved to be out of their home situation. This is not often the case. The child’s situation may be normal to him/her, and being separated from family can be traumatic and stressful. Children need time to establish trust.

Are there children who have been neglected or physically, sexually, or mentally abused?

Yes. UNFORTUNATELY, this happens. These children can be impulsive, angry, resentful, and sad. They may act out and even take it out on their foster parent. The agency provides training to help foster parents work with these situations. Are you able to help teach children alternative ways to cope with stress while not taking their words and actions personally? The trauma of removal occurs even when the child is removed from a bad situation.

Foster Parent online application links:

Foster Parent Application (Single) – Complete this form if you are single. You will need to provide your name and an email address to sign your completed application.
 
 
Foster Parent Application (Married) – Complete this application if you are married. Both individuals will need to sign the application. A different email address is necessary for each individual. After the first individual signs the completed form, an email will be sent to the second individual requesting a signature to complete the form.

The role of a foster parent is critically important, but it is also critically important that your motives in serving in this role align with the goal of the agency, the goal of the natural parents and serving the best interest of the child…even over your own interests.

Child Custody, Foster Care, Foster Parent, General Legal, Opinion

Foster Parent Bill of Rights – Explained…2 in a series.

02/19/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

The Department of Child Protection Services shall extend the following rights to persons who provide foster care and relative care:

First, the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services is a Mississippi State entity responsible for protection of children and to strengthen families, which includes “standing in the shoes” of parents for just under 4,000 children. CPS is comprised of a “workforce of professionals who directly serve children and families or support of those who do.”

CAPE is the core values of CPS; Compassion, Accountability, Professionalism, and Excellence, goals which CPS strives for…though admittedly may not achieve in every instance.

So, what can Foster Parents expect? The Foster Parent Bill of Rights provides;

(a) A clear understanding of their role while providing care and the roles of the birth parent(s) and the placement agency in respect to the child in care;

This is CRITICALLY important to know and understand on the front end. Typically, the foster parent role is a “calm in the storm” home for a child that has been removed from a parent and did not have a relative home that made sense at the time of the removal. This role is usually temporary, though the timing could vary dramatically, but the goal is almost always reunification.

(b) Respect, consideration, trust and value as a family who is making an important contribution to the agency’s objectives;

Your role as a foster parent is CRITICALLY important and CPS and the State of Mississippi cannot protect children as they deserve without foster parents!

(c) Notification of benchmarks that will be required of the foster parent such as appointments, home visits with department personnel, visitations of the child at school and meetings between department personnel and the child’s family;

You have the right to know what is expected within the role of foster parent. From a child that will need counseling, medical services, educational services, or more, as a foster parent you have an obligation to meet these needs within your abilities. Additionally, this REQUIRES cooperation with the Agency, with the CPS social workers and other employees, even if you have a differing opinion. Also, if the plan is reunification and there are to be visits, your role is to promote, encourage and participate in same.

(d) Advance notice of information regarding scheduled meetings other than meetings where the Department of Child Protection Services personnel or social workers are going to the foster parent’s home for site visits, appointments and court hearings concerning the foster child;

There may be an unannounced visit at your home. This is not a trap. This is CPS doing their job. Additionally, there will be family team meetings, which you may well need to be a part of. These are to determine how things are going, are there issues to address, are there child-related needs that are not being met and more.

(e) The opportunity to communicate with professionals who work with the foster child including therapists, physicians and teachers who work directly with the child;

Communication and sharing of information is CRITICALLY important. But there may be a catch, as a foster parent you may feel the information superhighway is a one-way street! Some information cannot be shared with the foster parent due to court rules and privacy concerns, however this is in limited circumstances. Despite this, as a foster parent you have the right to communicate, provide information and also have an obligation to share information regarding the best interest of the child.