 April 18, 2024 Vol 4, Issue 4
 Mo Kin-4-Kid Kinship Navigator Program
Parents, be sure you're using and referring to the Kinship Navigator Program! This program is a partnership between ParentLink, the Missouri Family Resource Centers, and other public and private community partners to assist formal and informal relative caregivers in identifying, locating, and accessing programs and services for the child(ren) they are raising. Additionally, the program strives to provide quality information, and outreach activities to help meet the physical and emotional needs of the child(ren) being cared for, as well as the needs of the relative/kinship caregiver.
Learn more: https://cehd.missouri.edu/navigators/
Who should be invited to a Family Support Team meeting?
Individuals who must be invited to Family Support Team (FST) meetings include: Youth age 12 and older; Parents; Legal counsel for the parents; Resource providers; Legal guardian for the child; Juvenile officer; Guardian ad Litem (GAL); Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA); Up to two (2) youth-chosen advisors advocate (for youth 12 and over) on behalf of the youth; and Individuals invited by the parents. Click here to learn more about who should be invited to these meetings.
 Children's Division Caregiver Portal
The Children’s Division now has a Children’s Division Caregiver Portal for foster, relative, respite, legal guardianship and adoptive families! This portal is the first phase of a multi-year project. This phase allows caregivers to see their demographics, what placements they have, and their financial information. To visit this portal please log into https://my.mo.gov/gsp?id=childrens_division_caregiver_portal.
If you have any trouble, please email FosterCare@dss.mo.gov and we will assist you.
The Call to Foster Podcast: S2E4
“If they go home and you're not a little sad, you didn't do your job.”
Season 2 Episode 4: Listen along as Jessica and Shasta talk with Jason Seter, a foster parent and co-trainer in Missouri for over 10 years. Jason admits that they started fostering to adopt, but then quickly fell in love with fostering and realized the great need for foster homes. Having cared for children from one day old to fifteen years old, he has found that each child is unique and different. Jason also discusses the reality that some families "get it together" after their children have been adopted to someone else and the opportunities he has had to help his children foster their relationships with their biological families - even after they are his adopted children.
Please subscribe to and share this podcast with anyone you know who might be considering fostering! You can listen to the podcast on most popular podcast platforms.
|
Chain of Command
If you have a disagreement with your Licensing Worker or Case Manager there is a Chain of Command to follow. The Chain of Command looks like this:
- Worker
- Supervisor
- Circuit Manager
- Field Support Manager
- Regional Director
- Deputy Director
- Director
Ask your Licensing Worker and your Case Manager to provide you with the names and contact information for your Chain of Command. If you are not able to resolve your issue then that is when you would file a Service Grievance report.
Service Delivery Grievance
We want to ensure that our foster parents are aware of their grievance processes. In this edition of the newsletter, we will focus on the Service Delivery Grievance.
Service Delivery Grievance Process (CS-131)
The Service Delivery Grievance process is the process for families to express concerns of perceived inequities, unfair treatment, or dissatisfaction with agency actions or behaviors, not covered by other grievance procedures. Any resource provider may file a grievance with the exception of resource providers who work with contracted agencies to provide care. These resource providers must utilize the process outlined by the contracted foster care case management agency. A youth 12 or over may file a service delivery grievance, a child under 12 may have help from an adult to enter a service delivery grievance.
Trainings & Events
Right Time Trainings
You now have access to what is called National Training Development Curriculum (NTDC) Right Time Trainings. There are 15 trainings and they are all 1 hour long. There is a different topic for each training. Some of the examples include Building Children’s Resilience, Building Parental Resilience, Family Dynamics, Managing Placement Transitions, Responding to Children in Crisis, and Sexual Trauma. We will highlight each of these trainings in this newsletter.
This month we are highlighting the training called Family Dynamics. This theme provides an overview of the impact fostering or adopting can have on family dynamics including the impact on marital relationships, biological children, foster or adoptive children already living in the home and extended family members. The theme helps parents who are fostering or adopting gain insight and increased understanding of how their family may need to adjust, as well as strategies that they can use to support healthy family dynamics. You may find these trainings through the Training page for Foster Parents.
 Family Forward Trainings
For registration and course information, visit the Family Forward training calendar page.
The following links will take you to a multitude of training opportunities that are available for in-service hours:
Parent Cafe Training Institute (missouri.edu)
Foster Parent College - Online Training for Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship Parents and Caregivers
Training | Child Welfare Information Gateway
All Courses - FosterAdopt Connect Training (thinkific.com)
Family Development Training - Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption Association
 Missing Checks and How to Get a Replacement Check
If you have not received a check that you are expecting please contact your local county office to inquire about the check. The local staff must contact the DFAS FACES Payment Unit to see if the check has been returned by the post office. If the check has been returned the check will be mailed once the address has been updated in FACES. If the check has not been returned and it is fifteen (15) working days from the check mail date a replacement check can be requested. The local staff must contact the DFAS Assistance Payment Unit to request a “Stop Pay” on the check. Once the “Stop Pay” has been placed on the check, the local county staff will have you complete and sign an “Affidavit for Replacement Check” Form (IM-214). The worker will fill out the top part of the affidavit prior to giving it to you for completion. If there are two names on the check both providers must each sign a separate affidavit. The form(s) must be notarized and sent to DFAS Assistance Payment Unit by mail (PO Box 1643, Jefferson City, MO 65109) or email.
Once the DFAS Assistance Payment Unit receives this form they will begin the process to issue a replacement check. Replacement checks are issued on the Friday after receiving and processing the form. The replacement checks are then mailed the Monday after so please allow time to receive the replacement check.
The Office of Child Advocate (OCA) was established in 2002 as an agent of accountability regarding the Children’s Division. The OCA operates under the Office of Administration and is independent of the Department of Social Services, Children’s Division, the Department of Mental Health, and the Juvenile Court. The OCA provides an avenue through which citizens are able to obtain an independent and impartial review of disputed decisions, actions, and inactions regarding any child at risk of abuse, neglect, or other harm. They will investigate, and act on complaints regarding the Children’s Division. The OCA makes case specific and system-wide recommendations as necessary. Link to learn more: https://oca.mo.gov/
 Foster Family Mentors
Are you in need of help or assistance as a Foster Parent? We have Foster Care Ambassadors who are seasoned Foster parents willing to be a mentor to another Foster family. If you are interested, please email FosterCare@dss.mo.gov and we will pair you up with a Foster Care Ambassador. This is for all foster parents whether you are brand new or have been fostering for a long time. It is for all of our families whether traditional, relative, emergency, respite, or elevated needs.
Foster Parent Identification Cards
All Foster Parents should have a Foster Parent ID card. This is provided to you after you are licensed. If you do not have an ID card please email FosterCare@dss.mo.gov and we will get you the application.
We want to hear from you! If there is information you would like covered in the next Foster Parent Connections Newsletters email, Melissa.J.Selsor@dss.mo.gov.
|
