N.J. Admin. Code § 3A:12-1.7

Current through Register Vol. 57, No. 1, January 6, 2025

Section 3A:12-1.7 - Contents of the written case plan

(a) The written case plan for a family with the child living at home shall include:

1. The reasons for the Division's current involvement and significant events with the family;

2. The family's perspective and understanding of their involvement with the Division, and the family's personal history;

3. The Division's history with the family, including allegations, dates, concerns, findings, and length of time;

4. The schedule for contacts between the Division representative and the family members, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 3A:12-2, In-Person Visits with Clients and Out-of-Home Placement Providers;

5. The supports and services offered to, provided to and used by the family since the last case plan was developed, for each case plan after the initial case plan. If any service is court-ordered, the case plan shall contain that service;

6. The behavioral and other changes expected from each person;

7. The services or activities that are intended to facilitate the changes and who will accomplish or provide them; and

8. Progress toward achieving the case goal for each family member receiving services.

(b) The written case plan for a child in an out-of-home placement shall include:

1. The legal authority for the out-of-home placement;

2. The efforts made to prevent placement, the reasons for making the placement or for continuing the placement, all efforts made to reunify the family and the impact of those efforts;

3. The case goal for each child, the progress towards its achievement and any obstacles to reaching it;

4. An assessment of the safety and appropriateness of the current placement and the plan to assure that each child receives safe and appropriate care;

5. The efforts made to find a missing mother and father or relative, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 30:4C-12 et seq.;

6. The schedule for contacts between the Division representative and the family members, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 3A:12-2, In-Person Visits with Clients and Out-of-Home Placement Providers;

7. The plan for visits between the child and parents, siblings and other relatives (see N.J.A.C. 10:122D-1);

8. The views of the child, family, and out-of-home placement provider concerning the placement and the case plan;

9. The needs of the child, the parent, and the child's out-of-home placement provider in order to meet the case goal;

10. The behavioral and other changes expected from each person;

11. The services or actions intended to meet the identified needs and who is responsible to provide the services and complete the activities, with projected time frames, as well as the appropriateness of the services for the child. See N.J.A.C. 10:122D-2, Services to Children in Out-of-Home Placement;

12. Any stipulations reflected in a court order;

13. A description of the type of out-of-home placement;

14. How the placement is safe, near the parent's home, and the least restrictive and most family-like setting available, consistent with the best interest and special needs of the child;

15. Why the child was placed a substantial distance from his or her parents or out-of-State, when applicable;

16. The child's health and education records, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 10:122D-2.5(b) and (c) and 2.6(b) and (d); and

17. Programs and services to help the child transition from out-of-home placement to self-sufficiency skills, for a child age 14 or older, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 10:122D-2.7.

(c) The written case plan for a child in an out-of-home placement and whose case goal is either adoption or kinship legal guardianship shall include the steps the Division representative is taking to place the child with:

1. An adoptive family, including child specific recruitment efforts, such as the use of adoption resource exchanges in accordance with N.J.A.C. 10:121C-2.4 and 2.5, and to finalize the adoption; or

2. A relative or caregiver who is willing to assume care of a child, become a kinship legal guardian and finalize the kinship legal guardianship, after steps are taken to determine that reunification and adoption are neither feasible nor appropriate and the child meets the eligibility requirements for kinship legal guardianship.

(d) The case plan for a child in out-of-home placement shall include documentation of:

1. The appropriateness of the child's current educational setting; and

2. A child's inability to attend school on a full-time basis due to the child's medical condition.

(e) When the Division is not required to file a petition seeking termination of parental rights pursuant to N.J.S.A. 30:4C-15.3b, the Division representative shall document in the case plan a compelling reason for determining that filing the petition is not in the best interests of the child.

N.J. Admin. Code § 3A:12-1.7

Administrative Change, 49 N.J.R. 98a.

Amended by 49 N.J.R. 639(a), effective 4/3/2017

Amended by 50 N.J.R. 133(a), effective 1/2/2018