For the purposes of this division unless otherwise defined:
1. "Case permanency plan" means the plan, mandated by Pub. L. No. 96-272, as codified in 42 U.S.C. § 671(a)(16), 627(a)(2)(B), and 675(1), (5), which is designed to achieve placement in the least restrictive, most family-like setting available and in close proximity to the parent's home, consistent with the best interests and special needs of the child, and which considers the placement's proximity to the school in which the child is enrolled at the time of placement. The plan shall be developed by the department or agency involved and the child's parent, guardian, or custodian. The plan shall specifically include all of the following:
a. Plans for carrying out the voluntary placement agreement or judicial determination pursuant to which the child entered care.
b. The type and appropriateness of the placement and services to be provided to the child.
c. The care and services that will be provided to the child, biological parents, and foster parents.
d. How the care and services will meet the needs of the child while in care and will facilitate the child's return home or other permanent placement.
e. The efforts to place the child with a relative.
f. The rationale for an out-of-state placement, and the efforts to prevent such placement, if the child has been placed out of state.
g. Time frames to meet the stated permanency goal and short-term objectives.
h. To the extent the records are available and accessible, a summary of the child's health and education records, including the date the records were supplied to the licensee who is the child's foster care provider.
i. When a child is sixteen years of age or older, a written plan of services which, based upon an assessment of the child's needs, would assist the child in preparing for the transition from foster care to independent living. If the child is interested in pursuing higher education, the plan shall provide for the child's participation in the college student aid commission's program of assistance in applying for federal and state aid under section 261.2.
j. The actions expected of the parent, guardian, or custodian in order for the agency to recommend that the court terminate a dispositional order for the child's out-of-home placement and for the agency to end its involvement with the child and the child's family.
2. "Child receiving foster care" means a child defined in section 234.1 who is described by any of the following circumstances:
a. The child's foster care placement is the financial responsibility of the state pursuant to section 234.35.
b. The child is under the guardianship of the department.
c. The child has been involuntarily hospitalized for mental illness pursuant to chapter 229.
d. The child is at-risk of being placed outside the child's home, the department or court is providing or planning to provide services to the child, and the department or court has requested the involvement of the state or local board.
3. "Family" means the social unit consisting of the child and the biological or adoptive parent, stepparent, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, and grandparent of the child.
4. "Local board" means a local citizen foster care review board created pursuant to section 237.19.
5. "Person or court responsible for the child" means the department, including but not limited to the department of human services, agency, or individual who is the guardian of a child by court order issued by the juvenile or district court and has the responsibility of the care of the child, or the court having jurisdiction over the child.
6. "State board" means the state citizen foster care review board created pursuant to section 237.16.
84 Acts, ch 1279, § 26; 88 Acts, ch 1233, § 1, 2; 89 Acts, ch 296, § 22; 90 Acts, ch 1270, § 46; 91 Acts, ch 232, § 11; 92 Acts, ch 1141, § 5; 92 Acts, ch 1231, § 40; 94 Acts, ch 1046, §6; 95 Acts, ch 182, § 18, 19
Referred to in § 234.39
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© 1999 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa
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