communications. Confidential Phone Calls Children in foster care have the right to make and receive confidential Unless prohibited by court order telephone calls, and have a right to privacy during such phone calls, unless or as instructed by ADCS prohibited by court order or instructions from the DCS Child Safety Specialist. A personnel. list of unauthorized persons is to be provided by DCS at the time of placement. Caregivers may not prohibit or To ensure the confidentiality of telephone calls, caregivers should provide an restrict telephone calls to the area away from others that will afford privacy. following: DCS personnel, Caregivers may not prohibit or restrict telephone calls to the following: DCS probation officers, family personnel, probation officers, family members not excluded by court order, members not excluded by court attorneys, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), or other professionals order, attorneys, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), or involved in their case or care. other professionals involved in Limitations on telephone calls to individuals other than those referenced above their case or care. may be based on reasonable disciplinary measures, house rules, consideration of the rights of others, case service plan requirements, or court order prohibitions. For example, caregivers may develop policies regarding the number of calls and limit the amount of time. Internet and Social The use of online social networking sites to communicate with family and At no time is the child to be Media friends is a typical practice for most people. Foster children are permitted to use identified as a foster child unless it email and the internet, including social media sites, with age-appropriate is a self-disclosure by the child. supervision by their caregivers. The individual child’s age and developmental needs are taken into consideration when establishing guidelines for use. If a foster child wishes to use the internet, including social media sites, the caregiver is to have regular and candid conversations with the child to discuss safe and appropriate practices. The caregiver and foster child need to regularly review expectations, availability, and rules regarding use of the Internet and social media. The foster child needs to understand that information posted or
communications. Confidential Phone Calls Children in foster care have the right to make and receive confidential telephone calls, and have a right to privacy during such phone calls, unless prohibited by court order or instructions from the DCS Child Safety Specialist. A list of unauthorized persons is to be provided by DCS at the time of placement. To ensure the confidentiality of telephone calls, caregivers should provide an area away from others that will afford privacy. Caregivers may not prohibit or restrict telephone calls to the following: DCS personnel, probation officers, family members not excluded by court order, attorneys, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), or other professionals involved in their case or care. Limitations on telephone calls to individuals other than those referenced above may be based on reasonable disciplinary measures, house rules, consideration of the rights of others, case service plan requirements, or court order prohibitions. For example, caregivers may develop policies regarding the number of calls and limit the amount of time. Unless prohibited by court order or as instructed by ADCS personnel. Caregivers may not prohibit or restrict telephone calls to the following: DCS personnel, probation officers, family members not excluded by court order, attorneys, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), or other professionals involved in their case or care. Internet and Social Media The use of online social networking sites to communicate with family and friends is a typical practice for most people. Foster children are permitted to use email and the internet, including social media sites, with age-appropriate supervision by their caregivers. The individual child’s age and developmental needs are taken into consideration when establishing guidelines for use. If a foster child wishes to use the internet, including social media sites, the caregiver is to have regular and candid conversations with the child to discuss safe and appropriate practices. The caregiver and foster child need to regularly review expectations, availability, and rules regarding use of the Internet and social media. The foster child needs to understand that information posted or At no time is the child to be identified as a foster child unless it is a self-disclosure by the child.