Foster Care Law

by Schweitzer, Harvey; Larsen, Judith

• ISBN13: 9780890893210
• ISBN10: 0890893217
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-11-01
• Publisher: Carolina Academic Press

Author Biography

Harvey Schweitzer is a lecturer in law, teaching juvenile law at Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Foster Children	1	(26)
I. Overview	1	(5)
A. Who are Foster Children?	2	(2)
B. Who Makes Decisions For a Child in Foster Care?	4	(2)
II. Significant Legal Issues	6	(21)
A. Family Reunification v. Other Permanent Placements	6	(2)
B. Right to Representation in Court	8	(2)
C. Access to Health Care	10	(9)
D. Access to Special Education	19	(1)
E. Placement with Siblings	20	(1)
F. "Aging Out" and Independent Living	21	(1)
G. Protection Against Harm	22	(1)
H. Privacy	23	(1)
I. Right of Native American Children to Tribal Supervision	24	(3)
Chapter 2 Foster Parents	27	(14)
I. Overview	27	(6)
A. Who are Foster Parents?	27	(1)
B. Foster Parents' Relationship to the Agency	28	(3)
C. Foster Parents' Relationship with the Foster Child	31	(1)
D. Foster Parents as Advocates for Children	32	(1)
II. Significant Legal Issues	33	(6)
A. Authority of Foster Parents	33	(2)
B. Liability of Foster Parents	35	(1)
C. Standards for Foster Care	35	(1)
D. Foster Parents' Status in Court	36	(1)
E. Foster Parents and Foster Children: Are They Family?	37	(1)
F. Foster Parent Obtaining Custody or Guardianship of a Foster Child	38	(1)
G. Foster Parents as Adopters	39	(1)
III. Conclusion	39	(2)
Chapter 3 Biological Parents	41	(20)
I. Overview	41	(4)
II. Significant Legal Issues	45	(13)
A. Visiting	45	(2)
B. Participating in Important Decisions for Children	47	(2)
C. Agency's Reasonable Efforts to Reunify the Family	49	(5)
D. Due Process	54	(3)
E. Challenging the Government's Case	57	(1)
F. Suing the State to Enforce Federal Statutes	58	(1)
III. Conclusion	58	(3)
Chapter 4 Public Foster Care Agencies	61	(14)
I. Overview	61	(5)
A. Agency-Foster Child Legal Relationship	62	(2)
B. Agency-Foster Parent Legal Relationship	64	(1)
C. Agency-Biological Parent Legal Relationship	65	(1)
D. Agency's Legal Relationship to Service Providers and Private Foster Care Agencies	65	(1)
E. Agency's Participation in Court Proceedings	66	(1)
II. Significant Legal issues	66	(7)
A. Liability	66	(1)
B. Multi-jurisdictional Issues	67	(1)
C. Permanency Planning Obligations Under ASFA	68	(1)
D. Obligation to Provide Health Services.	69	(1)
E. Funding Foster Care	69	(2)
F. Privacy and Confidentiality	71	(2)
III. Conclusion	73	(2)
Chapter 5 Private Foster Care Agencies	75	(16)
I. Overview	75	(13)
A. What is Private Foster Care?	75	(2)
B. The Legal Relationship between Public and Private Foster Care Agencies	77	(4)
C. Funding Strategies	81	(1)
D. State Regulation of Foster Care	82	(1)
E. Regulation of Foster Parent Training and Recruitment	82	(2)
F. Legal Relationship of Foster Parents to Private Agency	84	(1)
G. Oversight of Private Agency	85	(2)
H. For-profit Foster Care Agencies	87	(1)
I. New Approaches: Neighborhood Collaboratives	87	(1)
II. Significant Legal Issue: Private Agencies Appearing in Court	88	(2)
III. Conclusion	90	(1)
Chapter 6 Court Process	91	(24)
I. Overview	92	(10)
A. Roles of Lawyers, Social Workers, and Judges	93	(2)
B. Summary of Court Process	95	(3)
C. Summary of Administrative Reviews	98	(1)
D. A Typical Court Case	99	(3)
II. Significant Legal Issues Relating to Court Process	102	(10)
A. Extent of Judicial Power	102	(4)
B. Who May Enforce a Legal Right	106	(5)
C. Timing of Appeals	111	(1)
III. Conclusion	112	(3)
Appendix A Liability	115	(22)
Appendix B Flow Chart	137	(2)
Appendix C How to Find a Legal Case	139	(2)
Appendix D Selected Provisions of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997	141	(6)
Appendix E Selected Bibliography and Resources	147	(8)
Notes	155	(12)
Glossary of Terms	167	(6)
Index	173