Youth’s Parental Rights
Citation: DCFS Pol. Man. § 6-1230
In policy: It is the policy of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to provide for the needs of expectant parents in foster care and their baby, both prior to and after birth.
It is the responsibility of the case worker to assist the expectant parent who is a foster child in planning for the foster child’s future and his or hers expected child’s future. Exploration of the alternatives of adoption and transfer of custody or guardianship, or informal arrangements with the other parent, family, or friends to care for the infant should be done with the expectant parent foster child. The foster child may decide to maintain custody of the infant and should be supported in that decision.
Placement Options
Citation: DCFS Pol. Man. § 6-1230
The amount of support needed for the parenting foster youth to care for the infant shall be discussed with the current foster caregiver to determine if the placement is able to meet the needs of both the minor parent and the child. The responsibilities of both the parenting youth and the parenting youth’s foster caregiver in caring for the child shall be documented in the parenting youth’s case plan.
If a different placement is necessary, the appropriateness of living arrangements for the parenting foster youth should be determined. Prospective living arrangements include all types of foster homes and specialized residential or supervised apartment programs for teen parents. The individual providing the prospective living arrangements should be contacted to discuss service needs of the foster child/parent, including assisting the foster child in parenting the noncustody infant.
When both the mother and her infant are in foster care, the infant shall have his or her own case record. The parenting foster youth and her infant and shall be placed together with appropriate supervision to maintain the safety of the infant and parenting education by the foster caregiver.