Guam § 13337 - Foster Parent’s Bill of Rights.

§ 13337. Foster Parent’s Bill of Rights.

A foster parent’s rights include, but are not limited to:

(a) The right to be treated with dignity, respect, trust, value, and consideration as a primary

provider of foster care and a member of the professional team caring for foster children.

(b) The right to not be discriminated against on the basis of religion, race, color, creed, sex,

national origin, age or physical disability.

(c) The right to receive an explanation from the Department of Public Health and Social Services’

(Department) Bureau of Social Services Administration (BOSSA) concerning the rights enumerated

in this section.

(d) The right to a concise written explanation of their role as foster parents in partnership with

children and their families, and the Department; the role of the Department; and the rights and role of

the members of the birth family of a child in foster care.

(e) The right to training and support for the purpose of improving skills in providing daily care

and meeting the needs of the child in foster care.

(f) The right to provide input to the Department in identifying the types of resources and services

that would meet the needs of children currently in their care and of their families, and advocate for the

same without threat of reprisal.

(g) The right to information concerning behavioral problems, health history, educational status,

cultural and family background, and other issues relative to the child which are known to the

Department at the time the child is placed in foster care prior to the child’s placement with a foster

parent or parents. When the Department knows such information after placement, the Department shall

make that information available to the foster parent as soon as practicable.

(h) The right to an explanation of the plan concerning the placement of a child in the foster

parent’s home. For emergency placements where time does not allow prior preparation of the

explanation, the Department shall provide such explanation within seventy-two (72) hours. Prior to

placement, the Department shall allow the foster parent to review information concerning the child,

including, but not limited to, assessments, evaluations, and case plans, and allow the foster parent to

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assist in determining if the child would be a proper placement for the prospective foster family. For

emergency placements where time does not allow prior review of the information, the Department

shall provide the information within seventy-two (72) hours of placement. Confidential information

shall be kept confidential by the foster parents.

(i) The right to a BOSSA staff member representing the Department on call twenty-four (24)

hours a day, seven (7) days a week, for the purpose of aiding the foster parent in receiving departmental

assistance.

(j) The right to foster care maintenance payments, subject to the availability of funds.

(k) The right to accept or refuse placement within their home, or to request the removal of a child

from their home for good cause without threat of reprisal for acting on such good cause.

(l) The right to information of scheduled meetings and appointments concerning the foster child

and permission for the foster parent to actively participate in and provide input in the case planning

and decision-making process regarding the child in foster care, including, but not limited to, individual

service planning meetings, foster care reviews, individual educational planning meetings, and medical

appointments.

(m) The right to notice and an opportunity to be heard, including timely information concerning

all court hearings. The notification shall be made upon receipt of this information by the Department.

Although not a party to the case, the foster parent may attend court hearings at the discretion of the

judge.

(n) The right to communicate with professionals who work with the foster child, including, but

not limited to, therapists, physicians, and teachers who work directly with the child.

(o) The right to communicate with the child’s birth family, other foster parents of the child, and

prospective and finalized adoptive parents of the child with case worker approval and facilitation, and

without the threat of reprisal.

(p) The right to necessary information on an ongoing basis which is relevant to the care of the

child, including timely information on changes in the case plan or termination of the placement and

reasons for the changes or termination of placement to the foster parent, except in the instances of

immediate response of child protective service.

(q) The right to priority consideration as the resource for a child in a foster parent’s home who

becomes free for adoption or another planned permanent living arrangement if the child was in the

home for at least twelve (12) months.

(r) The right to a period of respite upon the request of a foster parent. The foster parent shall

provide reasonable notice of a request for respite.

(s) The right to be provided a fair and timely investigation of complaints concerning the operation

of a foster home.

(t) The right to an explanation of a corrective action plan or policy violation relating to foster

parents.

(u) The right to copies of all information relative to their family and services contained in the

personal foster home record.

(v) The right to mediation procedures that may be developed and adopted by the Department. The

foster parent may request mediation in accordance with any mediation policy adopted by the

Department without threat of reprisal.

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(w) The right to receive an evaluation on the foster parent’s performance based on licensing

standards.

(x) The right to be apprised of information, laws, and guidelines on the obligations,

responsibilities, and opportunities of foster parenting and to be kept informed of any changes in laws,

policies, and procedures regarding foster parenting by BOSSA in a timely manner and at least annually.

(y) The right to have a copy of the Foster Parents’ Bill of Rights listed in this Section.