Navigating the Foster Care Case Plan: Essential Information for Foster Parents
A foster care case plan is a legally required document that serves as the official roadmap for a child's foster care journey, outlining permanency goals, required services, and responsibilities for all parties involved.
In This Guide:
What Is a Foster Care Case Plan?
Key Components You Need to Know
How Case Plans Are Developed
Your Role as a Foster Parent
The Reality vs. Documentation
Expert Insights
Common Questions Answered
As a foster parent, you'll quickly encounter numerous acronyms, appointments and documents that are part of a child’s case. One of these is the “case plan.” Understanding this document and the corresponding meeting helps you better support the children in your care, effectively partner with caseworkers, and navigate court hearings. This guide breaks down what this document is, why it matters, and how you can engage constructively.
What Is a Foster Care Case Plan?
Definition and Purpose
A case plan (sometimes called a service plan, permanency plan, or family plan) is the official roadmap for a child's foster care journey. Each state is a little different, but this legally required document outlines:
The reasons for the child's removal from their home
The permanency goal (reunification, adoption, guardianship, etc.)
Specific concerns that need to be addressed for the child to achieve permanency
Services and supports to be provided to the child and family
Tasks and responsibilities for all parties involved
Timelines for completing various objectives
Visitation arrangements with birth family members
The child's educational, medical, and mental health needs in the form of stated goals
The case plan serves as both a planning tool and an accountability measure, ensuring all parties are working toward the same goals.
As a foster parent, it often seems that the Case Plan document is lacking in fully representing the every day needs of the child. Many “case plan meetings” seem to outline basic goals for the child that do not fit with some of the extreme behaviors or challenges the child is actually experiencing on a regular basis. This is why it is important for both the biological parents, case manager, and foster parents to participate in the case plan meeting so that the information is not generic and unhelpful.
Key Components
While formats vary by state (jurisdiction), most case plans include:
Goal Statement
The primary permanency goal, which will almost always be reunification at the beginning of the case. Sometimes there may be a concurrent planning goal of both reunification and adoption at the same time. If a court determines that progress is not being made by biological parents, the case plan goal will move to adoption. (This is not the same as termination of parental rights, but a motion for termination of parental rights will be filed when the case plan goal is changed to adoption and then a trial date is set).
Safety Concerns
There is a brief explanation of the specific safety issues that led to the removal and that must be addressed. This is generally the information that was included in the initial Petition filed with the court that supported the basis for removal of the children and their entry into foster care.
Services and Tasks
Detailed listings of:
Services for parents (parenting classes, substance abuse treatment, therapy, etc.)
Services for children (therapy, educational support, medical care)
Responsibilities for caseworkers (referrals, assessments, monitoring)
Expectations for foster parents (transportation, supervision, supporting goals)
Visitation Plan
Details about:
Frequency and duration of visits
Level of supervision required
Location of visits
Transportation arrangements
Timeframes
Expected timelines for:
Service completion
Case reviews
Progress assessment
Major decision points
Signatures
Acknowledgment from all involved parties including:
Parents
Caseworkers
Guardian ad Litem (GAL, which is the child’s court appointed attorney)
Foster parents (depending upon jurisdiction)
Sometimes it may be the foster youth themselves if old enough, and a CASA worker if one is appointed
How Foster Care Case Plans Are Developed
The case plan development process typically includes:
Assessment: Caseworkers evaluate family strengths, needs, and barriers through interviews, observations, and sometimes formal assessment tools. The case manager visits the children in the foster home each month as well as gathering information about their care. In addition, they are meeting with biological parents to assess their needs and put a plan into place to resolve the reasons for which a child came into foster care.
Family Involvement: Biological parents should be actively involved in developing goals and identifying services that will help them address concerns. There are often standard goals related to the initial safety concern which brought the child(ren) into care. (Ex: neglect from drug abuse will require rehab and regular drug testing; or neglect or physical abuse from mental illness will require psychiatric evaluation and treatment; physical abuse will require parenting classes and therapy).
Team Approach: Input may be gathered by the case manager from various professionals working with the family (therapists, substance abuse counselors, etc.).
Child Input: Depending on age and maturity, children's wishes and concerns should be considered.
Foster Parent Consultation: In some jurisdictions, foster parents are consulted during case plan development, particularly regarding the child's day-to-day needs. In the state of Kansas a foster parent has a right to attend the Case Plan meeting.
Court Approval: The case plan must be approved by the judge overseeing the case, usually at the dispositional hearing.
The Foster Parent's Role in the Case Plan Implementation
As a foster parent, your relationship to the case plan includes:
Implementation support: Helping the child attend services, appointments, and visitations outlined in the plan
Observation and feedback: Providing information about how the child is responding to services and visits
Documentation: Keeping records related to the child's progress toward case plan goals that are provided to the case manager.
Advocacy: Ensuring the child's needs are adequately addressed in the plan. Case managers will ask both the biological parent and the foster parent for goals that should be included for the children. These vary based upon the age and maturity but they may be basic like: “participating in chores”, “learning to brush teeth independently” or “attending school each day”.
Partnership: Working collaboratively with birth parents toward case plan goals
The Reality of Foster Care Case Plans
While it can vary from state to state, the reality of a Case Plan is that it can be very general and high level. It is often in a standard form with boxes to check and general classifications are used with a few specific details added. Many foster parents are disappointed when they view the Case Plan document and the reality and complexity of the case does not seem to come across on the paper.
It is important to view the Case Plan as just one document that is part of a comprehensive plan to care for the child(ren) and family. Participation in the meeting and information in the document is key, but there are numerous important points of communication that should also happen with the foster parent and the team to help support the information in the Case Plan:
Foster Parent Court Report provided to all parties
Monthly visits with case managers in the home
Documentation of all doctor’s appointments, therapy appointments, behaviors, educational needs or schedule, general challenges and needs provided in multiple ways (ex: emails, paper copies in their book/file, verbal communication)
Phone calls to GAL to provide updates and request in-person meeting with the children, as well as the CASA if one is appointment
Where appropriate in each case, communication with the biological parents of the children. (Ex: verbally before and after visits; passing a communication notebook back and forth; emails; or attending appointments together)
One document cannot encapsulate the complexities that are represented in foster care. Take the opportunity to do your best to accurately, and without bias, represent the child’s experience, day to day life, and needs to all who are part of the team of care in every format possible.
Expert Insight
In an interview with Shanelle Dupree, J.D., a long-time Guardian Ad Litem, she provides insight. Shanelle is the creator of course SKIN DEEP: The History of Child Welfare by Race. She also serves as the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the Racial Equity Collaborative, a social service non-profit focused on eliminating racial disparities in helping systems.
A case plan is a meeting that is held within 30 calendar days of a child coming into foster care. This meeting should involve the parents, their supports, the child (if old enough), and those connected to the child, including foster parents. Foster parents do not have to attend, but are able to do so. It's important to remember this meeting is the family's meeting. It is to determine what steps need to be taken to address the issues that brought the child/ren into foster care. The case plan tasks will then be adopted by the court and turn into the parent's reintegration plan. There is always a part of the meeting where strengths are shared, regarding the parents and the children. This could be a way to share insights regarding the child/ren and to build a healthy relationship with the parents.
Here is the link.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often are case plans reviewed? Case plans are typically reviewed every 6 months, though this varies by state jurisdiction.
Can foster parents request changes to a case plan? Yes, foster parents can advocate for modifications based on the child's changing needs and progress.
What happens if case plan goals aren't met? If goals aren't met within specified timeframes, the permanency goal may be changed, potentially moving from reunification to adoption.
Key Takeaways for Foster Parents
Understanding your foster child's case plan is essential for providing effective care and support. While the document may seem generic, your active participation in case plan meetings and ongoing communication with the child welfare team ensures the plan truly serves the child's best interests. Remember that the case plan is just one tool in a comprehensive approach to supporting children and families in the foster care system.
This post is part of our Foster Care 101 series, designed to provide guidance and encouragement for those considering or beginning their foster care journey.
