Are you looking for a way to be more involved with the kids in your home?

Do you want to make sure that the Court, DCF, and Case Managers have all the information about your foster child's progress and/or service needs?

Did you know that Kansas Statute gives you the right to submit a report to the court just like the youth's case manager?

KSA 38-2261 gives a foster parent or parents the right to submit a report to the court prior to each court hearing. DCF Policy 3383 outlines the necessary requirements; however, the process is a simple one.

• The report must be in a specified format - DCF Appendix 3G provides a sample.
• The report will be available to all parties.
  • In addition to the Judge, this includes the county/district attorney, parent's attorneys, the GAL, case team, DCF, and any attorneys for interested parties.
• You have the right to submit the report directly to the court.
• DCF policy sets out that the Case Management Provider for the child must provide you with the name and address of the Judge to whom the report may be sent as well as the date of court hearings.

Note: KSA 38-2261 does not specifically discuss Relative and Non-Related Kin (NRKIN) providers' rights regarding court reports. These caregivers are encouraged to seek guidance from the Court regarding the use of the Foster Parent Report form and acceptance of a caregiver report.

How do you ensure that your court report has your intended impact?

Foster Parents are members of the case planning team, and often know more about the child than any professional on the team. As such, their input is important and should be treated with respect. By following these tips, you can help provide the Court and other professionals with a comprehensive picture of your foster youth's case progress.

Use the provided form - Appendix 3G.

• The form is designed to help organize the information provided.
• There are some Courts that will only accept this form.

Stick to the Facts.

• Use specific, observable language.
  • State, "parents bring food, diapers, activities, and extra clothes to visits," instead of, "parents seem prepared for visits."
  • State "there have been 8 scheduled visits and parent was more than 15 minutes late to 5" instead of "parent has been late to most visits."
  • State, "Sally has a positive mood after visits with mother and reports that she enjoyed her time," instead of "visits are going well."
  • State "Johnny has aggressive behaviors after visits" instead of "Visits are traumatic for Johnny."
    • Follow this sentence with a description of Johnny's aggressive behaviors.
• It can help to keep a journal or calendar of important dates, along with detailed observed facts.
• When you insert too much opinion, you lose credibility.

K.I.S.S. - Keep It Short & Simple.

• When a court report gets too long the Judge may skim more than read and miss important details.
• Cite the sources of your information.
  • "During a visit with the case worker on Aug. 7…"
  • "According to a mental health evaluation completed on…"

Don't Place Blame.

• It is easy to feel let down when the case management team is unable to meet the incredibly high demands child welfare places upon them.
  • State "therapy services were requested on Aug. 5, but no referral made as of…." Instead of "Case Manager still hasn't made a therapy referral."

By following these tips and using the Appendix 3G Form, you can increase your involvement and the likelihood that your voice will be heard on behalf of the children you care for.

If you have legal representation, you are encouraged to seek their guidance before submitting a report to the court.

• Appendix 3G (PDF)
• Appendix 3G (Word)
• Appendix 3G - Spanish (PDF)
• Appendix 3G - Spanish (Word)

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