OAR 413-070-0660: Consideration of Guardianship as a Permanency Plan

(1) The Department may consider guardianship as a permanency plan for a child in the care or legal custody of the Department based on the individual safety, permanency, and well-being needs of the child , when the Department has determined: (a) The child is unable to safely return to the home of a parent ; and (b) Adoption is not an appropriate plan based on the best interest of the child . (2) When considering guardianship as the permanency plan , the caseworker must: (a) Consult with the child 14 years of age or older; (b) Seek input from the child as developmentally appropriate, regardless of the age of the child ; (c) Discuss with the child as developmentally appropriate, regardless of the age of the child , how the guardianship could affect the child’s contact with his or her siblings. (d) Assess the parents' acceptance of guardianship as a permanency plan , their desire for continued contact with the child , and how this will impact the plan; and (e) Document in the Department's information system how the requirements of subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section were met.