DFCS Custody If the Juvenile Court gives legal

DFCS Custody If the Juvenile Court gives legal custody of the child to DFCS, the child is placed in foster care or remains in foster care if already there. If a relative wants DFCS to place the child with them, the relative must work with DFCS to complete the Relative Care Assessment ***DFCS’s Relative Care Assessment*** Minimum requirements for child to be placed with relative: 1) All adults who are 18+ in household are checked for area criminal record and Child Protective Services history 1) Home Visit by DFCS case manager & information gathered about household Six additional requirements that the relative can do: 1) Get a medical exam (within 12 months) and TB test for those over 16 in household 2) Get a 10 Panel drug screen 3) All adults who are 18+ in household get fingerprinted for criminal record check 4) Get a copy of driver’s license, auto insurance, vehicle registration, proof of income, lease or mortgage, birth certificate or other proof of legal residency, and pet vaccination 5) Prepare to give two character references 6) Prepare your house for the Safety Assessment The DFCS Case Manager will also check Dispatch record for all “ 911” calls Once approved by DFCS, a relative caregiver can receive an ERR state subsidy of $366 a month per child and a clothing allowance. Adoption GUARDIANSHIP If parents are not able to be reunited with the child within 9 -12 months, the child can be adopted by a relative DFCS can request the judge to transfer custody of the child to the relative with the goal of adoption. The adoption would then need to be handled by a private adoption attorney. If adopting is not possible, the relative can explore being a guardian of the child. (Guardianship is not quite as binding as adoption, and does not require a private attorney to complete. ) DFCS can request the judge to give the relative permanent guardianship of the child. Once adoption is approved by the court, the relative caregiver can receive a state subsidy of $441 a month per child if the child has a disability or is adopted along with 1 or more siblings. Once guardianship is approved by the court, the caregiver relative can receive a state subsidy of $313 a month per child.