Department of Economic Security - Division of Children, Youth and Families - Child Protective Services - Relative Placement

The Division surpassed other states’ performance in placing children in out-of-home care with relative caregivers between 2000 and 2006, but a few changes would improve staff performance. Specifically, the Division should revise two policies to ensure that staff have sufficient guidance to arrive at consistent decisions when assessing prospective relative caregivers’ criminal backgrounds and the safety of their homes. In addition, the Division should enforce the statutory and policy requirement that staff provide written notification to individuals who are declined as relative caregivers that explains the reason they were declined and the process to appeal the decision, or seek a statutory change allowing for verbal notification to the declined relatives. Finally, the Division should identify a central location for documenting staff’s ongoing efforts to identify and place children with relatives, which would allow staff to efficiently review and continue these efforts.