I was reading through the link below from California’s Department of Social Services re: foster children and overnight stays:
https://www.cdss.ca.gov/lettersnotices/EntRes/getinfo/acin/2015/I-28_15.pdf
Pages 4-6 speak specifically to overnight care:
A caregiver may arrange for an “occasional short-term babysitter” for a child in foster care. A child in foster care may be babysat for up to 24 hours, including overnight.
OR
Occasionally, a caregiver needs or wants to be absent from the home for more than 24 hours. In these situations, a caregiver may use an “alternative caregiver” (a trusted family member, close friend, or neighbor) to care for the child in the caregiver’s home.
In addition, under the actual code (
https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/Regs/ffhman3.pdf), it states that if the alternative caregiver is going to be watching the foster child for more than 24 hours, they have to give verbal or written notice to the case worker.
So, if in fact 2 of the boys are foster children, the parents were breaking the rules by allowing them to stay at grandma’s (versus their own home, as required) for more than 24 hours. Also, did they give notice to the case worker they would be staying there? I can’t imagine this wouldn’t be info they had no knowledge of. So what was so pressing that they broke the rules? Granted, I don’t know what, if any, punishment someone can get by not following these guidelines (revocation of foster home license?) but it certainly is interesting to me.
Great point & ALSO on page 4 & 5 it states:
“PROVIDING CARE AND SUPERVISION IN FOSTER CARE
There are a number of options available for a caregiver who needs someone to temporarily care, for a short period of time, for a foster care child who has been placed in his or her care. Each of these options is most appropriate for a different range of situations.
• Babysitters for children in foster care,
• Alternative caregivers,
• Respite care,
• Leaving a child in foster care alone, or
• Day care
There are a few statutory and regulatory restrictions which a caregiver must follow, including:
• A child in foster care cannot be required to babysit other children (but can babysit if he or she chooses to do so, and the caregiver believes that he or she is able).
Information Release No. 2015-01
All County Information Notice No. I-28-15 Page 5
• A child in foster care cannot be left unsupervised overnight.
• If a caregiver is going to be absent for more than 72 hours, only alternative care in the home of the child in foster care may be used, and the child’s caseworker must give prior approval.
• A caregiver must supply to a babysitter or alternative caregiver all necessary information to care for the child in foster care, including emergency contact information.
• If a caregiver places a child in foster care into day care, he or she must use a licensed child care facility. BBM
What if the 2 grandmothers were licensed Foster Care card holders and work/worked in the Dept? Does this make a difference?
My own curiosity above