Out-of-State Placements in Foster Care Group Home or Residential Child Care Facility - Procedure 623-05-20-50

(Revised 6/1/11 ML #3270)

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Prior to a child being placed in group care or residential child care outside of North Dakota, the following steps must be accomplished:

  1. Court Order with the required findings.
  2. Psychological Evaluation.
  1. To help the caseworker and the family team identify the treatment needs of the child.
  2. To provide information to the case manager and the family team which will help them in selecting the appropriate treatment facility for the child.
  1. Family team review of the social information, educational information, psychological evaluation, and case plan, together with review of the proposed placement to insure it is consistent with permanency planning and state policy. Children placed in family or residential child care out of North Dakota must be visited in their placement setting by a caseworker from either state every month, and a report on the visit submitted to Children and Family Services, North Dakota Department of Human Services. How visitation and reporting will be accomplished needs to be considered in planning for the child. Permanency planning requirements (624-05) shall serve as a guideline in assuring conformity with state policy.
  2. Interstate compact procedures must be followed.  
  3. Foster youth who require residential care must be referred to all appropriate facilities within North Dakota before consideration is given to out-of-state facilities. Out-of-state referrals can be made when it has been determined that the child’s needs cannot be met within North Dakota. Copies of denial letters must be included in all ICPC referral packets. If any denial letter is not available when an ICPC referral is submitted to CFS, a notation in the cover letter must identify the referral facility and the reason the child cannot be served in the facility. If a youth is being referred to an out-of-state PRTF, Medical Services must approve the out-of-state referral as well as ICPC. Concurrent referrals through Medical Services and ICPC are suggested to expedite placement decisions.
  4. Children ages 13 and under: If a child age 13 and under appears in need of out-of-state residential care, an evaluation and assessment must be done by PRIDE-Manchester House to determine the need for residential care, to co-develop a treatment plan, and to determine whether the child’s needs could be met at PRIDE-Manchester.
  5. The Regional Supervisor will consult with the foster care administrator in the pre-placement planning stages if information is needed regarding an out-of-state facility (i.e. foster care licensure status, appropriateness for specific problems, reimbursement, and our experience with the facility). Children and Family Services maintains resource material regarding facilities appropriate for foster care placement.