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DFS Policies


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Division of Family Services

DISCLAIMER: The Division of Family Services is in the process of merging and converting the “Policy Manual” and “User Manual” into individual numbered policies that include policy, procedures, FOCUS and forms. Please refer to the numbered policies before looking at the old manuals. Once the migration is completed the old manuals will be removed from the website. Note: the “Adoption Assistance Manual” and the “Structured Decision Making Systems for Child Protective Services Policy and Procedures Manual” are remaining as current practices and should continue to be used. If you discover conflicting information or need clarification, please contact us by emailing DSCYF_DFS_Program_Team@delaware.gov.

Manuals

Policy Manual

User Manual

Adoption Assistance Manual

Structured Decision Making ® System for Child Protective Services Policy and Procedures Manual

Policies

POLICY 101 – Policy on Policy

POLICY 102 – DFS Definitions – COMING SOON

POLICY 103 – Confidentiality & Consent to Release Information

POLICY 104 – Constituent Concerns

POLICY 105 – Supervision and Case Conference

POLICY 106 – Continuous Quality Improvement

POLICY 107 – Child Abuse & Neglect (CAN) Panel – COMING SOON

POLICY 108 –Records Request & Redacting – COMING SOON

POLICY 109 – Case Documentation Standards

POLICY 201 – SDM Intake: Intake Receiving, Screening and Response Times

POLICY 202 – Confidentiality of Reporter Identity & Report Line Recording

POLICY 203 – Home Alone – COMING SOON

POLICY 204 – Serious Injury/Child Death Reports

POLICY 205 – Investigation of Department Employees or Relatives – COMING SOON

POLICY 206 – Dependency Reports from DPBHS and DYRS – COMING SOON

POLICY 207 – Reporting Professional Board Members

POLICY 301 – Family Assessment & Intervention Response (FAIR)

POLICY 302 – Standard Investigation- Tier 1 & 2 (include MDT) – COMING SOON

POLICY 302.1 – Tier One Investigation

POLICY 303 –Treatment and Permanency Response

POLICY 304 – Safety Assessment & Agreement (SDM)

POLICY 305 – Risk Assessment (SDM)

POLICY 306 – Risk Reassessment (SDM)

POLICY 307 – Reunification Reassessment (SDM)

POLICY 308 – Relative/Non-Relative Home Assessment

POLICY 309 – Referral to the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) – COMING SOON

POLICY 310 – Family Strengths & Needs Guide (FSNG)-SDM

POLICY 311 – Interstate Investigation (Courtesy Visits) – COMING SOON

POLICY 401 – Engaging Families – COMING SOON

POLICY 402 – Locating Parents – COMING SOON

POLICY 403 – Family Contacts

POLICY 404 – Foster Care (Client) Contacts

  • Get the following templates from Policy 403:
    Face to Face Contact Template
    Face to Face Contact Template with Examples

POLICY 405 – Diligent Efforts for Contacts

POLICY 406 – Collateral Contacts – COMING SOON

POLICY 407 – Family Team Meeting – COMING SOON

POLICY 408 – Family Service Plan (FSP) – COMING SOON                          

POLICY 409 – Planning with Both Parents – COMING SOON

POLICY 410 – Child Plan for Children in Care – COMING SOON

POLICY 411 – Considered Removal Team Decision Making (TDM) Meeting

POLICY 412 – Reunification – COMING SOON   

POLICY 413 – Concurrent Planning – COMING SOON

POLICY 414 – Missing/Abducted/Runaway Children

POLICY 415 – Human Trafficking

POLICY 416 – Limited English Proficiency or Hearing Impairment – COMING SOON

POLICY 417 – Transportation – COMING SOON

POLICY 418 – Case Transfers – COMING SOON

POLICY 419 – Case Closure – COMING SOON

Policy 420 Prevention Planning Eligibility

POLICY 501- Funding Sources for Families and Children – COMING SOON

POLICY 502 – Funding for Children in Custody – COMING SOON

POLICY 503 – Post-Permanency Financial Assistance

POLICY 601 – Failure to Report Child Abuse – COMING SOON

POLICY 602 – Safe Arms for Babies

POLICY 603 – Compelling Cooperation – COMING SOON

POLICY 604 – Temporary Emergency Protective Custody – COMING SOON

POLICY 605 – Dependency/Neglect Petition for Custody – COMING SOON

POLICY 606 – Dependency/Neglect Hearings – COMING SOON

POLICY 607 – Reasonable Efforts – COMING SOON

POLICY 608 – Fair Hearing – COMING SOON

POLICY 609 – Criminal Proceedings for Children in Care – COMING SOON

POLICY 610 – National Crime Information Center (NCIC) – COMING SOON

POLICY 611 – Delaware Criminal Justice Information System (DELJIS) – COMING SOON

POLICY 612 – Termination of Parental Rights (TPR)

POLICY 613 – Adoption Petitions to the Court

POLICY 614 – Extended Jurisdiction Petition and Hearings

POLICY 615 – Guardianship of Youth Aging Out (Property or Person) – COMING SOON

POLICY 616 – Trial Reunification in Permanency Cases – COMING SOON

POLICY 701 – Educational Decision Maker

POLICY 702 – Educational Surrogate Parent (ESP)

POLICY 703 – Best Interest Meeting (McKinney-Vento & ESSA) – COMING SOON

POLICY 801 – Medical Exams – COMING SOON

POLICY 802 – Medical Consent & Care of Children in Placement – COMING SOON

POLICY 803 – Hospital High Risk Medical Discharge – COMING SOON

POLICY 804 – Advance Health Care Directive

POLICY 805 – Religious Exemptions – COMING SOON

POLICY 901 – Infants with Prenatal Substance Exposure & Plan of Safe Care

POLICY 902 – Parental Substance Abuse – COMING SOON

POLICY 1001 – Relative Notification – COMING SOON

POLICY 1002 – Level of Care – COMING SOON

POLICY 1003 – IV-E Eligibility, Citizenship & Candidacy – COMING SOON

POLICY 1004 – Placement Packets for Foster Caregivers – COMING SOON

POLICY 1005 – Visitation

POLICY 1006 – Transition into & from Placement (Ice Breaker) – COMING SOON

POLICY 1007 – Sibling Placements and Visitation – COMING SOON

POLICY 1008 – Minor Child and Their Child Placements – COMING SOON

POLICY 1010 – DDDS Planning – COMING SOON

POLICY 1011 – Initial & Annual Photograph of Children in Care – COMING SOON

POLICY 1012 – Driver’s License for Foster Youth – COMING SOON

POLICY 1013 – Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) 

POLICY 1014 – Inappropriate Sexual Behaviors – COMING SOON

POLICY 1015 – Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC) – COMING SOON

POLICY 1016 – Foster Child Hospitalization Report – COMING SOON

POLICY 1017 – Trial Reunification and Temporary Home Visits – COMING SOON

POLICY 1018 – Foster Care Board Extension

POLICY 1101 – Permanency Planning Committee (PPC)

POLICY 1102 – Exploring Adoptive Resources

POLICY 1103 – Approval of Foster/Adoptive Homes      

POLICY 1104 – Pre-Adoption Services 

POLICY 1105 – Adoption Placement Supervision

POLICY 1106 – Guardianship and Permanent Guardianship 

POLICY 1107 – APPLA – Compelling Reasons/Diligent Efforts

POLICY 1108 – APPLA – Long Term Foster Care Agreements

POLICY 1109 – Multi-Ethnic Placements

POLICY 1201 – Eligibility & Initiation of Independent Living Services

POLICY 1202 – Basic Life Skills Assessment

POLICY 1203 – Independent Living Service Plan

POLICY 1204 – Basic Life Skills Development & Training

POLICY 1205 – Transition Planning Conference – COMING SOON

POLICY 1206 – Exit Conference & Planning

POLICY 1207 – Transitional Housing Assistance 

POLICY 1208 – Independent Living Aftercare

POLICY 1209 – Termination of Independent Living Services

POLICY 1210 – National Youth in Transition Database

POLICY 1301 – Recruitment of Foster Family Homes – COMING SOON

POLICY 1302 – Approval of Foster Family Homes

POLICY 1303 – Financial Support for Foster Families – COMING SOON

POLICY 1304 – Monitoring and Supporting Foster Families – COMING SOON

POLICY 1305 –Closure of Foster Families – COMING SOON

POLICY 1306 – Emergency Foster Family Homes – COMING SOON

POLICY 1307 – Department Employees as Foster Providers

POLICY 1308 – Respite Foster Families – COMING SOON

POLICY 1309 – Approval of Kinship Care Families – COMING SOON

POLICY 1310 – Monitoring and Supporting Kinship Care Families – COMING SOON

POLICY 1311 – Placement with Contracted Providers – COMING SOON

POLICY 1312 – Reportable Events – COMING SOON

POLICY 1313 – Prudent Parenting Standards – COMING SOON

POLICY 1402 – After Hours Response – COMING SOON

POLICY 1403 – Standard Complaint Investigation – COMING SOON

POLICY 1501 – Child Protection Registry

Table of Child Protection Registry Letters. Some letters are written in English only and some are written in both English and Spanish.
Title
Mitigating/Aggravating Circumstances Checklist – English
Hearing Request Form:
      Hearing Request Form Level I – English
      Hearing Request Form Level I – Spanish
      Hearing Request Form Level II-IV – English 
      Hearing Request Form Level II – IV – Spanish
Notice of Intent to Substantiate:
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Level I – English
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Level I – Spanish
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Level II – English
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Level II – Spanish
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Level III – English
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Level III – Spanish
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Level IV – English
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Level IV – Spanish
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Charge Pending, Level I -English
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Charge Pending, Level I -Spanish
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Charge Pending, Level II – English
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Charge Pending, Level II – Spanish
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Charge Pending, Level III – English
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Charge Pending, Level III – Spanish
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Charge Pending, Level IV – English
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Charge Pending, Level IV – Spanish
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Criminal Conviction Based on Same Child Abuse and Neglect Incident – English
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Criminal Conviction Based on Same Child Abuse and Neglect Incident – Spanish
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Dependency, No Abuse/Neglect – English
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Dependency, No Abuse/Neglect – Spanish
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Dependency, Family Court Determination, No Abuse/Neglect – English
      Notice of Intent to Substantiate Dependency, Family Court Determination, No Abuse/Neglect – Spanish
Letters to Minor Perpetrator:
      Letters to Minor Perpetrator Charge Pending – English
      Letters to Minor Perpetrator Charge Pending – Spanish
      Letters to Minor Perpetrator Charge Civil Outcome – English
      Letters to Minor Perpetrator Charge Civil Outcome – Spanish
      Letters to Minor Perpetrator Charge Criminal Conviction – English
      Letters to Minor Perpetrator Charge Criminal Conviction – Spanish
No Evidence to Substantiate, Case Closed – English
No Evidence to Substantiate, Case Closed – Spanish
Unsubstantiated with Concern:
      Unsubstantiated with ConcernCase Closed – English
      Unsubstantiated with ConcernCase Closed – Spanish
      Unsubstantiated with Concern Case Opened for Risk – English
      Unsubstantiated with Concern Case Opened for Risk – Spanish
      Unsubstantiated with Concern Case Opened for Risk, Perpetrator Not Known – English
      Unsubstantiated with Concern Case Opened for Risk, Perpetrator Not Known – Spanish
      Unsubstantiated with ConcernCase Active in Treatment – English
      Unsubstantiated with ConcernCase Active in Treatment – Spanish
Letter to Inform Parent/Custodian About Abuse/Neglect – English
Letter to Inform Parent/Custodian About Abuse/Neglect – Spanish
Denial Letter:
      Denial Letter Level I – English
      Denial Letter Level I – Spanish
      Denial Letter Level II-IV – English
      Denial Letter Level II-IV – Spanish
Request for Substantiation Petition Checklist – English
Child Protection Registry Letters in English and Spanish