Who’s Who in Foster Care

All information presented below can also be found on the "For You" Guidebook - which is a free download on THIS website.

Youth:

Youths’ may think they can only sit back and let foster care happen to them. There are things youths can do:

o         Ask questions about what the court orders mean

o         Actively be involved in planning your life! It’s your life and safety that’s at stake!

Biological Family:

In the beginning, their main focus is to accomplish everything the Judge tells them to do. This can include:

o         Maintaining therapy sessions, making sure to get their children to ALL doctor appointments, and providing basic needs (food, clothing, shelter)

o         Being present at visitations and openly communicating to their children how things are going

o         Helping reinforce the “best interest” of their children by listening to them

Caregivers (Foster Parents and Group Home Counselors):

o         By law foster parents have to be LICENSED by the Department of Social Services in their county or another agency that provides foster cares services

o         Must know first aid, CPR, and pass a criminal background check

o         Be trained to de-escalate a situation

o         Have a house with a fire evacuation plan

o         Be financially stable (not dependent on foster care money to survive)

o         Be willing to provide appropriate living conditions

o         Cannot force a youth to adopt their values

Guardian Ad Litem (GAL):

o        Are appointed by the Judge to be the “voice” for youth at ALL court dates

o        Are assigned to review all records on the youth – from school,

DSS, any mental health records, etc

o         Are expected to meet with the youth on a regular basis to understand

what the foster youth would like

o         On a court day, the Judge will ask the GAL for a report – this includes the  

GAL’s opinion on what is in the “best interest” of the child

Case Managers and Social Workers:

o         Are employees of the State of North Carolina and this means social workers MUST enforce State laws for youth placed in foster care

o         Have to work with the Judge/court in order to do ANYTHING

o         Need to work with the biological family because the Federal and State governments believe that REUNIFYING (bringing everyone together again) the biological family is the #1 priority

o         When working with the biological family and find it is not successful (or youths determine that they would prefer not to return to their families), the social worker needs to helps YOUTHS obtain a PERMANENT solution

o         When choosing the type of permanence for a youth, a social Worker MUST consider the youths wishes and needs

LINKS Coordinator:

o        Provides independent living skills training and planning for youths ages 13-21 years old

o        Have LINKS meetings for youths

o        Administers the County funds for LINKS youth