Quality of Visits some caseworkers not thoroughly assessing and/or addressing child safety and caregiver discipline during monthly visits; and,
Quality of Visits. Notwithstanding the impact from casework changes made in response to the pandemic, DHS leadership acknowledges that work remains to improve the skill level of caseworkers to conduct probative visits and complete the necessary safety assessments to promote child safety in family-based settings. Over the last two years DHS has consistently identified strengthening the quality of visits as the most prominent opportunity area to prevent maltreatment in xxxxxx home settings. In response to these findings, DHS has heightened its focus and efforts to improve the quality and consistency of worker visits with xxxxxx parents and children placed in xxxxxx care. More specifically, DHS issued new guidance on quality visits in October 2018, developed regional plans to improve quality visits during the first part of 2019 and, in November 2019, changed in the KIDS data system the set of questions and issues permanency caseworkers must review and document for every monthly contact with children in custody and the xxxxxx parents with whom they are placed. The questions replicate those included in the “Assessment of Child Safety” (AOCS) that the department reviews and assesses when making removal and reunification decisions regarding children and their birth families. Prior to November 2019, the child safety section for each monthly contact with a child in a xxxxxx home only required a worker to: confirm if the child was seen alone and provide an explanation if a child was not seen alone (this is still required); and describe generally the methods, purpose, and frequency of discipline, as well as supervision and sleeping arrangements. The monthly visits guide in each child’s KIDS record now requires that caseworkers address four questions and provide detailed descriptions of the types of issues, conditions and family dynamics that should be assessed in answering each question. The questions are listed in every monthly contact entry in KIDS as follows:
