OAR 413-070-0625: Identifying and Assessing the Child or Young Adult's Needs when Placement in Substitute Care is Required

(1) To select a substitute care placement that will meet the safety, permanency, and well-being needs of the child or young adult, the caseworker must: (a) Involve the parent or guardian of the child or young adult and the child or young adult as developmentally appropriate in identifying substitute care placement resources whenever possible. (b) Assess the ability of each potential substitute caregiver to provide safety for the child or young adult. (c) Assess the potential substitute care placements in the order of preference under OAR 413-070-0220 and 413-070-0320, when the child or young adult is an Indian child or refugee child. (d) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, assess the potential substitute care placements in the following order of preference: (A) A relative of the child or young adult who can be certified by the Department. (B) A person who has a caregiver relationship with the child or young adult and can be certified by the Department. (C) A foster parent who is certified by the Department, or a provider who is approved through a licensed child-caring agency. (e) Consider the use of a family meeting to seek the placement preferences of the family if more than one person requests to have the child or young adult placed with them; and (f) Consider whether the potential substitute care placement; (A) Has the ability to provide safety for the child or young adult and, when there are one or more siblings, each of the siblings; (B) Is willing to cooperate with any restrictions placed on contact between the child or young adult and others; (C) Has the ability to prevent anyone from influencing the child or young adult in regard to the allegations of the case; (D) Has the ability to support the efforts of the Department to implement the permanent plan for the child or young adult; (E) Has the ability to meet the physical, emotional, and educational needs of the child or young adult, including the need of the child or young adult to continue in the same school or educational placement; and (F) Has the ability to support the interests of the child or young adult to participate in age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate activities, including extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, and social activities. (G) Has the ability to maintain safe long-term contact with siblings, relatives, and caregivers known to the child or young adult and others with whom the child or young adult has developed an emotional attachment. (g) Ensure that the substitute care placement is the most home-like, least restrictive available to meet the needs of the child or young adult. (h) Assure that the race, color, or national origin of the child or young adult or substitute care placement is not a consideration when assessing a substitute care placement. (2) When a child or young adult is placed in substitute care and has a sibling who is currently in or also needs substitute care, the caseworker must make diligent efforts to place siblings together unless placing the siblings together is not in the best interests of the child or young adult or the sibling of the child or young adult. (3) Within one month of the placement of the child or young adult in a substitute care setting, the caseworker must reconsider whether the substitute caregiver is able to meet the requirements in subsection (1)(f) of this rule and assess whether the following placement considerations are met: (a) The placement is in close proximity to the parents or guardians of the child or young adult; (b) The placement is in close proximity to the community of the child or young adult; (c) If in the best interests of the child and siblings as set forth in section (2) of this rule, the siblings are together in placement; and (d) The culture and family identity of the child or young adult are supported by the placement. (4) After consultation with the supervisor, when the caseworker determines the substitute care placement does not meet one or more of the placement considerations in subsection (1)(f) or section (3) of this rule, the caseworker must: (a) Determine whether remaining in the substitute care placement is in the best interests of the child or young adult; (b) Work with Department staff to secure another substitute care placement for the child or young adult when appropriate; and (c) Document the basis for the determination and subsequent actions in the information system of the Department.