Requirement for Written Consent to the IFSP
To County Lead Agency (CLA) and Direct DCYF-Contracted ESIT Provider Representatives:
*CLAs, please share with your contractors*
Federal regulations and ESIT Policies and Procedures state that written parent consent must be obtained prior to the provision of services listed in the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) (Parental Consent 34 CFR 303.342(e); IFSP development, review and evaluation 10.B.1(j)).
In order to facilitate equal access to services during the WA state of emergency, ESIT temporarily allowed providers to obtain verbal parental consent for the IFSP, if it was not possible to obtain wet or electronic signatures. (See COVID-19 Temporary Suspension of In-Person Services Extended ESIT Guidance Memo # 2020-02- archived July 1, 2022 and Middle Column of Webpage Q&A Question A.7- archived September 16, 2022.)
When the WA COVID-19 state of emergency ended on October 31, 2022, this temporary allowance for verbal consent also ended. As of November 1, 2022, IFSP consent must be obtained via wet or electronic signature. The IFSP may not be issued and services may not start prior to receiving written parental consent.
If you have any questions, please contact your regional Technical Assistance Specialist.
|
