NCJ Number
166081
Date Published
1992
Length
64 pages
Annotation
This booklet explains the procedures and parental rights involved in a foster home placement in New Jersey.
Abstract
The first section of the booklet presents some facts about foster care. It advises that the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) must provide services to families designed to prevent foster care. Further, it lists the rights parents retain while a child is in foster care. Also discussed in this section are the parental responsibilities while a child is in foster care, the rights of the child, and how to get help if a parent has a problem in working with the DYFS. The remainder of the booklet is in a format of questions and answers. One section focuses on questions that should be answered before a parent agrees to foster care placement, such as what DYFS can do to prevent foster care placement, and what parents can do to make sure that DYFS provides the help needed. Another section considers questions related to the placement decision; many of these questions pertain to the legal parameters for the placement decision. Other questions address what happens when a child enters foster care, such as how the foster home is found, whether the parent can meet the foster family, and how the child continues in school. Other series of questions on foster care focus on parental visitation while the child is in foster care, working toward the child's return, permanency services, child placement review, and where parents can go for help if they have a problem. A glossary is provided.