• Confidentiality
• Automobiles
• Curfew Hours
• Emergencies
• Medical Care
• Turning 18

All information about foster children and their families is confidential. Under no circumstances should it be shared with anyone not directly involved with the case. It is natural for extended family, neighbors, friends, and other foster parents to be inquisitive and each foster parent will need to be prepared with responses to questions about children in the foster home.

Licensing rules HSS 56, specify that information about the child is confidential and continues to be confidential even after the child leaves the foster home. Sharing confidential information with persons not involved in the child's case is a violation of licensing rules and can result in the revocation of the foster home license.

If a foster family has questions about how to handle situations that affect confidentiality, the foster parent should talk with the foster home coordinator or the supervisor of the Resource Team. It is suggested that written information about the child, such as court orders, referral information, and school information be kept in a locked file cabinet, lock box, or locked draw where access to this information is protected.

Foster children will not be allowed to use the foster parents automobile for any reason. Any foster parent who allows the foster child to use their car will be in violation of this agency directive and will accept all liability for such.

Youth residing in foster care will not be permitted to apply for their driver's license during the time that they are residing in any substitute care arrangement.

In an attempt to bring some uniformity to Rules of Supervision, it is being proposed that standardize curfew hours be implemented and used for foster children.

An extra 1/2 hour during the summer months may be allowed.

If a foster parent has an emergency (e.g., child is presenting a danger to themselves or others; child is hurt and biological parent needs to be reached; the child's behavior is out of control, etc.), the foster parent should:

1. During work hours, call the assigned social worker of the child for guidance or assistance.  If the assigned social worker cannot be reached, call the social worker's supervisor.  If the social worker's supervisor is unavailable, call the Foster Care Coordinator or the Resource Team Supervisor.
2. If the emergency occurs outside of normal working hours (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.), call Crisis Intervention at 722-7707 or 233-7707 and ask for assistance from an on-call worker on duty for the Department.

Within 30 days of placement in a foster home, a Health Check Screening should be scheduled with the County Public Health Nurses or the child's primary physician.  The case manager will arrange for parental signatures necessary on the Health Check forms.  These forms may require information to be completed by the foster parent as well and will be coordinated by the case manager.

Upon completion of the physical examination, the physical form is to be completed by the Public Health Nurse (or a physician in certain circumstances) and returned to the social worker for placement in the child's record.

On a yearly basis, all children in Foster Care should have a physical and dental examination.  This is completed by the Health Check Screening.

If, during the Health Check Screening, the County Public Health Nurse determines that a referral to a physician and/or dentist, is required, the Nurse will make that referral.

For children under legal custody to the Winnebago County Department of Human Services , whose parents are not readily available to give authorization, supervisors of the Resource Team, Access Unit, CPS and Delinquency Teams are authorized to sign for ordinary medical and dental care, hospital admissions, school releases and permission for field trips.

(Special education evaluations and placements, and intrusive medical care require the legal guardian's signature.  For children under Temporary Physical Custody, every effort is to be made to secure a parent's signature.  Supervisors may give authorization if the situation is a medical emergency and not intrusive to the child.)

When human staff receive an authorization request and determine the biological parent(s) to be unavailable, the request is to be forwarded to their immediate supervisor or other supervisor for authorization as identified above.

Children who attain the age of 18 during their placement in Substitute Care can remain in placement if continued placement is determined to be in their best interest. Factors that would determine whether the placement would continue are:

1. The child is currently enrolled in school and will be completing their education.
2. The child is preparing for independent living.

The child must be in agreement to remain in Substitute Care. If the child is continuing their education, the Department will continue to make the Foster Care payment to the provider.