Child advocate columns, May 15, 2009

Office of the Child Advocate
3312 Northside Drive, Suite D-250 Macon, Georgia 31210
478-757-2661 or 1-800-254-2064 www.gachildadvocate.org
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National Foster Parent Month Foster Parents' Rights
By: Tom C. Rawlings, Director
We often get calls at the Office of the Child Advocate from foster parents who have concerns about the children in their care or who need advice regarding differences they may have with the local DFCS office. Those calls too often reveal that foster parents are not fully aware of the rights they have, especially the rights Governor Perdue signed into law in 2004 with the enactment of the Foster Parent Bill of Rights. May is National Foster Care Month, so now is a good time to remind foster parents and those who work with them of these rights designed to ensure we adequately value the contributions our foster parents make to the care of abused and neglected children.
The Foster Parent Bill of Rights is a state law that guarantees foster parents they will be treated fairly by the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) as a valued member of the child protection "team." Among those rights:
DFCS must fully inform foster parents about a foster child's history, issues, problems, and needs before the child is placed
with the foster parents. That way, the foster parents can be aware of any special needs the child may have and may also take steps to protect themselves from any disturbing behaviors the foster child may exhibit. Unfortunately, children who have suffered abuse especially sexual abuse sometimes act out in ways that can endanger foster parents or other children in the foster home.
Foster parents have the right to participate in the process of planning for the child's treatment and eventual reunification with
family or placement for adoption. If a child becomes free for adoption, the foster parents caring for the child must be looked to first as potential adoptive parents if they are interested. And if a child leaves a foster family to return home but later returns to foster care, he or she should if possible be placed with the same foster family.
Foster parents have the right to receive adequate and ongoing training that will allow them to properly care for children's
needs. As the individuals who spend the most time with the children in the state's custody, foster parents must be highly trained in child development and must fully understand DFCS policy and procedure.
Another valuable right of foster parents is the right to be notified of all judicial hearings concerning the child and the right to be heard by the juvenile court in those proceedings. This right is so important that it is found in three different sources: the Foster Parent Bill of Rights, the state's juvenile code, and the federal foster care laws applicable to all states. While juvenile courts have various interpretations of what it means to "hear" foster parents, the intent of these laws is for the courts to consider the critical information that a daily caregiver can provide about what is in the best interest of the child in foster care as they make decisions about the child's future.
The Foster Parent Bill of Rights also contemplates that there may be times when DFCS and foster parents have a dispute. A child may accuse foster parents of acting inappropriately, or the foster parent may contend the Department has breached its obligations. Whenever DFCS investigates a foster home, foster parents are entitled to have present a foster parent advocate from the Adoptive and Foster Parent Association of Georgia (AFPAG). Foster parents also have the right to file grievances whenever they have a dispute with the Department and appeal adverse decisions to the State Foster Parent Mediation Committee.
While exercising these rights can both improve outcomes for foster children and make foster parenting a more fulfilling and satisfying endeavor, too many foster parents and case managers are unaware of them. It's time to remedy that problem! AFPAG is a great source of resources on foster parent rights and has posted the Foster Parent Bill of Rights on its website at www.afpag.org/bill_of_rights.html. Foster parents in need of advocacy can also obtain assistance by visiting www.afpag.org and clicking "advocacy." And as part of our ongoing efforts to support and assist foster parents, we at the Office of the Child Advocate have posted on our website a PowerPoint presentation on foster parent rights as well as some helpful checklists of information that foster parents need to know. Please visit us at www.gachildadvocate.org and click on 'NEWS" for more information.
This month, take the time to thank foster parents who so willingly open their hearts and homes to children. And consider passing along this column to foster parents you know so they can be aware of the rights they have: rights that, if exercised properly, can greatly improve the lives of the foster children in their care.
Tom Rawlings, Georgia's Child Advocate for the Protection of Children, was appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue to assure quality and efficiency in Georgia's child protective systems. The Office of the Child Advocate is a resource for those interested in the welfare of our state's neglected and abused children. Tom can be reached through the OCA website at www.gachildadvocate.org .