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Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families



DFS Policies




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

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

POLICY 108 –Records Request & Redacting

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          

POLICY 204 – Serious Injury/Child Death Reports

POLICY 205 – Investigation of Department Employees or Relatives    

POLICY 206 – Dependency Reports from DPBHS and DYRS

POLICY 207 – Reporting Professional Board Members

POLICY 301 – Family Assessment & Intervention Response (FAIR)

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

POLICY 303 –Treatment 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)

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

POLICY 311 – Interstate Investigation (Courtesy Visits)

POLICY 401 – Engaging Families

POLICY 402 – Locating Parents

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

POLICY 407 – Family Team Meeting

POLICY 408 – Family Service Plan (FSP)                                    

POLICY 409 – Planning with Both Parents

POLICY 410 – Child Plan for Children in Care

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

POLICY 412 – Reunification                                    

POLICY 413 – Concurrent Planning

POLICY 414 – Missing/Abducted/Runaway Children

POLICY 415 – Human Trafficking

POLICY 416 – Limited English Proficiency or Hearing Impairment

POLICY 417 – Transportation

POLICY 418 – Case Transfers

POLICY 419 – Case Closure

POLICY 601 – Failure to Report Child Abuse

POLICY 602 – Safe Arms for Babies

POLICY 603 – Compelling Cooperation

POLICY 604 – Temporary Emergency Protective Custody

POLICY 605 – Dependency/Neglect Petition for Custody

POLICY 606 – Dependency/Neglect Hearings

POLICY 607 – Reasonable Efforts                                              

POLICY 608 – Fair Hearing                                      

POLICY 609 – Criminal Proceedings for Children in Care

POLICY 610 – National Crime Information Center (NCIC)

POLICY 611 – Delaware Criminal Justice Information System (DELJIS)                                                                                  

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)

POLICY 616 – Trial Reunification in Permanency Cases

POLICY 801 – Medical Exams

POLICY 802 – Medical Consent & Care of Children in Placement

POLICY 803 – Hospital High Risk Medical Discharge

POLICY 804 – Advance Health Care Directive

POLICY 805 – Religious Exemptions

POLICY 1001 – Relative Notification

POLICY 1002 – Level of Care –

POLICY 1003 – IV-E Eligibility, Citizenship & Candidacy

POLICY 1004 – Placement Packets for Foster Caregivers

POLICY 1005 – Visitation

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

POLICY 1007 – Sibling Placements and Visitation

POLICY 1008 – Minor Child and Their Child Placements

POLICY 1010 – DDDS Planning

POLICY 1011 – Initial & Annual Photograph of Children in Care

POLICY 1012 – Driver’s License for Foster Youth

POLICY 1013 – Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) 

POLICY 1014 – Inappropriate Sexual Behaviors

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

POLICY 1016 – Foster Child Hospitalization Report

POLICY 1017 – Trial Reunification and Temporary Home Visits

POLICY 1018 – Foster Care Board Extension

POLICY 1301 – Recruitment of Foster Family Homes

POLICY 1302 – Approval of Foster Family Homes                       

POLICY 1303 – Financial Support for Foster Families

POLICY 1304 – Monitoring and Supporting Foster Families

POLICY 1305 –Closure of Foster Families                                      

POLICY 1306 – Emergency Foster Family Homes

POLICY 1307 – Department Employees as Foster Providers

POLICY 1308 – Respite Foster Families

POLICY 1309 – Approval of Kinship Care Families

POLICY 1310 – Monitoring and Supporting Kinship Care Families

POLICY 1311 – Placement with Contracted Providers

POLICY 1312 – Reportable Events

POLICY 1313 – Prudent Parenting Standards

POLICY 1402 – After Hours Response

POLICY 1403 – Standard Complaint Investigation

POLICY 1501 – Child Protection Registry

Child Protection Registry Letters

Mitigating/Aggravating Circumstances ChecklistEnglish
Hearing Request Form:
      Level IEnglish Spanish
      Level II-IVEnglish Spanish
Notice of Intent to Substantiate:
      Level IEnglish Spanish
      Level IIEnglish Spanish
      Level IIIEnglish Spanish
      Level IVEnglish Spanish
      Charge Pending, Level IEnglish Spanish
      Charge Pending, Level IIEnglish Spanish
      Charge Pending, Level IIIEnglish Spanish
      Charge Pending, Level IVEnglish Spanish
      Criminal Conviction Based on Same Child Abuse and Neglect Incident English Spanish
      Dependency, No Abuse/NeglectEnglish Spanish
      Dependency, Family Court Determination, No Abuse/NeglectEnglish Spanish
Letters to Minor Perpetrator:
      Charge PendingEnglish Spanish
      Civil OutcomeEnglish Spanish
      Criminal ConvictionEnglish Spanish
No Evidence to Substantiate, Case ClosedEnglish Spanish
Unsubstantiated with Concern:
      Case ClosedEnglish Spanish
      Case Opened for RiskEnglish Spanish
      Case Opened for Risk, Perpetrator Not KnownEnglish Spanish
      Case Active in TreatmentEnglish Spanish
Letter to Inform Parent/Custodian About Abuse/NeglectEnglish Spanish
Denial Letter:
      Level IEnglish Spanish
      Level II-IVEnglish Spanish
Request for Substantiation Petition ChecklistEnglish
Child Protection Registry Letters in English and Spanish


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