The foster Parent Bill of Rights (#13) states that you have the right to request that a person or persons serve as a volunteer advocate and to be present at all meetings with the department, including, but not limited to, individualized service planning, administrative hearings, the grievance/mediation process, the adoption process, and the allegation process where the foster parent is present. All communications received by the volunteer advocate shall be in strict confidence.
Foster parents have the right to choose whomever they want to choose as an advocate for them. It may be an Afapa advocate, a family member, or a friend. The Alabama Foster and Adoptive Association Board will make advocates available who have received training in different aspects of advocacy. They are trained in DHR policy, state and federal laws that deal with foster, adoptive, or kinship issues. Foster parents are free to request help from these advocates by contacting AFAPA at the 1-888-545-2372 phone line or by emailing afapa@afapa.org. Advocates will be available to assist foster parents, to help find answers to questions they have, attend meetings with them and to advocate for them.
When Should I Request an Advocate?
- If there are problems with communication between the worker and the foster parent (lack of courtesy, respect, professionalism in communicating such as failing to return phone calls, failure to listen to concerns, etc).
- If there is a lack of responsiveness to requests by the foster parent for assistance in dealing with the child.
- If a child is removed from the foster home without due notice according to applicable policies and standards.
- If there are issues with potential safety risks to children.
- If there is a failure to follow policies
- If there is a failure to arrange needed services for the child/foster family.
- If there is a failure to schedule an ISP as requested.
- In situations where the foster parent or SDHR has identified trends by county as it relates to appropriate grievance issues.
- If there is a closure of a foster home by DHR.
- If there is a failure to abide by the provisions of the Foster Parent Bill of Rights.
The Conflict Resolution Process
1. Purpose
In an effort to bring some consistency into the process of dealing with conflict involving foster parents and county departments, the following guidelines should be used to develop a plan to resolve concerns that are brought to the county’s attention.
The process utilizes various individuals and groups that can help the county and the foster parent(s) work through and resolve problems and conflicts. All of these will consider applicable policies related to the problem. They will offer guidance to all parties through a process in which they discuss the issues, options and design
their own agreement to resolve the dispute.
The process:
• Gives everyone an opportunity to be heard;
• Affords everyone an opportunity to develop new ways of dealing with problems;
• Affords opportunities to create working solutions;
•Can improve the retention of existing foster families; and
•Can help eliminate the time and distress of unresolved conflict and possible placement disruption for children in care.
The intent of this process is not to remove the authority from the local DHR office to handle problems within the county nor is it to be punitive in nature. This process gives foster parents and the local office an opportunity to be heard when problems arise and when all parties cannot come to an agreement or acceptable resolution to
the problem. Larger County offices may have more supervisory levels to be considered in developing a chain of command for handling problems, concerns, and issues. Each county office should use the information contained in this document as a guide in developing a local process that will be effective and efficient in handling these matters on the local level. County Departments should inform individuals making a CRT referral of their county’s chain of command (in writing). The chain of command might include, as an example: worker, service supervisor, program supervisor, program manager, child welfare administrator, assistant director, and county director.
For more information about the conflict resolution process, please refer to the Foster Parent Handbook.