Respite Binder for Foster Care

One of the most popular posts on this blog is the Foster Care Binder to keep track of all the documentation that goes along with fostering. I have adapted it to a Documentation Binder for those children who have been adopted or birth children with special needs.  But what about those respite situations where you only have a placement for a short time but still want to keep track of things?  I made a Respite Binder this weekend with our first Respite Placement, this includes only the forms that would be needed or useful for a short placement.

I arranged my respite binder in a 1 inch binder with 3 sections Current Placement, Past Placements, Blank Forms.

The "Respite Packet" includes a basic information sheet, notes sheet, medication/mileage log, Incident Report, and Clothing Inventory.

Basic Information Sheet:  Includes Child, Caseworker, and Foster Parent's contact information as well as the reason for and dates of respite.  It also has space for any notes you may have.

Medication/Mileage Log:  This is a shortened version of the full forms available in the Foster Care Binder.  You can keep track of any medication administered as well as mileage for any travel that is reimbursed by your agency.

Incident Report:  I have included an Incident Report if needed for any minor (or major) injuries that may happen while the child is in your care for respite. (Edited to add:  This form includes a spot for pictures, if you don't use this form I highly recommend you take a photo of any injury or even a photo showing there were no visible marks from the injury to have for your records or to send to caseworker).

Clothing Inventory: With multiple kids in the house and short respite visits, Id hate to forget to send something back that came with the child.  I print this Clothing inventory by changing the print settings on my computer to two pages per sheet.  I then print two copies, one for clothing in and one for clothing out.

Here is a link to the forms I've included in my Binder:
Respite Forms

In addition to these forms I keep a copy of any information provided to me.  Once respite has been completed I staple all the documents together in the corner and move them to the Past Placements section.

What else do you think is important to keep track of for Respite Placements?

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Getting "THE CALL"

Now that we are officially licensed and back on the list, we are waiting for "THE CALL".....again.  The agency I am with now has one "Admissions" person who makes all the calls, but you could also get a call from the Director or Assistant Director.  Sometimes you get so excited about finally getting a call after waiting that your mind goes blank on what to ask.

You know I love forms, right?!  Well I created one for initial placement calls, you can edit it as needed for your age range/preferences.   This form includes a place to jot down the child's basic information as well as a list of questions you may want to ask before deciding to take the placement or not.  One thing to keep in mind is that it is highly likely you will get calls where they have NO information about the child, its also highly possible that what little information you do get is totally inaccurate.   I've had boys show up instead of girls, 4 year olds instead of 2 year olds, and red heads instead of blondes, LOL!  So take what they tell you with a grain of salt.  I keep several of these forms in a blank Foster Care Binder. When I have a placement call that we accept I just remove any sheets from calls we didn't take and scan them into a file on my computer, then shred the hard copies.  I leave the sheet for the call we took in the front of the binder and now we are all set to stay organized and document with the new placement.

Click HERE for a copy of the Initial Placement Call Form!

 

 

QUESTIONS TO ASK PLACEMENT WORKER:

 

Is this the first time in care?

If it is the child's first time in care you may not get a lot of information from the worker unless the agency has been working with the family for awhile in home.  You can also expect their to be a lot of fear and anxiety for a child who has never experienced the foster system before.

Reasons for coming into care/removal from previous foster?

Any background information you can get on WHY they are coming into care will be extremely helpful in trying to understand fears, anxieties, triggers, behaviors, etc.  It can also help you tweak your house rules and schedules to anticipate any needs the child may have.  If the child is coming from another foster home you will want to know exactly why they are being removed.  I would ALWAYS ask to speak with the previous foster parents, unfortunately I often hear stories about how information on things like aggression/violence, sexually acting out, attachment type issues, was not passed along or told to the new foster home.

Any allergies, health problems, medications?

They may not know but you will want to ask.  Also if you have pets, specifically ask if the child is allergic to pets.  For some reason often times placement overlooks this when you ask in general about allergies.

Any known emotional or behavioral issues?

This is a BIG one, you can expect any child coming into the foster care system to have been through A LOT already and as a result they will likely have some issues.  However, if they have known emotional, behavioral, mental health issues you want to know what they are in order to make the best decision for your family.  These children do not need another move, so if it can be at all prevented by you letting placement know up front the issues are too much for you to handle, do not feel guilty about saying "No".

How often are visits, when, where?

In my area we are required to transport the children to and from visits, their is no transportation provided.  Depending on what county I get a call from the visits could be a decent drive away.  Also near me younger children are being order to have more frequent visitations.  So knowing ahead of time how often and when visits are can be a determining factor.  The non-working birth parent who would rather sleep in on Saturday morning, WILL get that afternoon visit they want even though you have three soccer games to get to and your husband works Saturdays.  Okay maybe where you are this doesn't happen, if so don't ever move LOL!

Any known criminal or drug involvement?

If you take older kids this is an important question to ask.  You may also want to ask if the parents have any ongoing criminal or drug issues as well.

Who is the caseworker?

Once you've been doing this awhile you may have some caseworkers that you just DO NOT want to work with for various reasons.  Some are uncooperative, untruthful, down right nasty.  This is not a blanket statement for all caseworkers, some will be wonderful!!!!!  BUT you may want to make sure your not taking on the added stress of a bad caseworker with the child.

Any potential family coming forward for child?

This can give you a good idea of how long the case might go.  If they already have family saying they want to step up it may be a short placement.  Never a guarantee though, many family members will not pass the homestudy.

Any other information or potential issues?

Lastly ask the placement worker if there is ANYTHING else they know about the placement.



Requesting a Special Education Evaluation

So you think your child may need special education services.  The first thing you want to do  is carefully read through your state's procedural safeguards.  I have compiled a list of links for each state here: PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS.  Your states procedural safeguards  will be a wealth of information, read them, make notes in them, put post its on important pages!  These will explain what it takes to qualify for special education services, the timelines and process involved, and answers to frequently asked questions.  This is the first place to go when you have a question or are unsure about something.  Do not rely on what the school will tell you, even the most good hearted, well meaning school personnel may give you incorrect information.

Once you have read through the Procedural Safeguards you will have a good idea of the different disability categories that a child can qualify in for special education services.  You can read more about the different categories here.  Your child may meet the qualifications of several categories.  The important thing now is to just get an idea of what categories your child would fit so you know what information to gather together to prove your child qualifies.  If you have any medical diagnosis/evaluations, psychiatric diagnosis/evaluations, recommendations from doctors/counselors/therapists, results from previous tutoring or interventions, past years report cards/evaluations/teacher concerns, you will want to gather them together. If you have already compiled your Documentation Binder, then you should have all that information in one place!

If you are at the point where you are thinking of asking for a special education evaluation you have probably already had numerous conversations with the school.  Many parents I know have even discussed wanting an evaluation many times, but never had anything come out of it.  It is vital that your communication with the school be in writing.  If you have a conversation in person or over the phone, follow up with an email detailing your understanding of the conversation and anything that is supposed to happen next. 

When you are ready to make the actual request for an evaluation, you are going to want to write a formal letter and send it to both the classroom teacher and the principal, you may also want to send it to other people within the district you have discussed your child with (Guidance Counselor/Social Worker, Special Education teachers/supervisors, District Administrators, etc).

There are many sample letters on the internet that you can take a look at when formulating your request.  Regardless of which format you use there are several things you want your letter to address.

• Why are you requesting an evaluation?  (what difficulties is your child having, what diagnosis do they already have)
• What has been done to intervene?  (In school interventions and out of school interventions tried to help child)
• An official request for an evaluation
• Give them a way to contact you and a timeline to get back to you.
• I recommend sending this letter by Certified Mail or Return Receipt, so that you have proof of the day you sent it and when it was received.

Here is a copy of the letter I used:

October 19, 2012

__________________ School

Dear

I am writing to request a multi-factored evaluation (MFE) for my child Matthew (DOB ). I am requesting this evaluation because of Matthew’s difficulty in the school environment and with accessing the school curriculum as well as numerous diagnoses which hinder his learning.  Matthew has been diagnosed with ADHD, Mood/Adjustment Disorder, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-NOS, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Matthew was adopted through the foster care system in __________ and has been living with our family since ______________.  Given his background, past trauma, and mental health issues participating in his current school setting and accessing the general education curriculum is extremely difficult without additional supports.  As we proceed throughout this school year I would like to ensure that Matthew receives an appropriate education with the accommodations and support he needs in order to be successful and accurately demonstrate his abilities.

We have tried the following to help Matthew:

1.  Matthew has been enrolled in three different school environments prior to _________, online, public and private, with consistent negative behaviors that hindered his ability to learn across environments.  
2. At previous schools Matthew was given additional supports outside of the classroom, including adults to escort him out of class and help him get under control, access to a guidance counselor, participation in a social awareness group, one on one testing, and small group learning.
3. At previous schools Matthew was given interventions within the classroom such as frequent reminders, additional time, retaking assessments, reduced work and priority seating.
4. Outside of school Matthew participates in weekly counseling sessions and monthly meetings with doctors to address medications.  He has also participated in Speech and Occupational Therapies outside of school.
5. Matthew underwent a psychiatric hospitalization for a week in ___________ where he received both private and group therapy, art therapy, and individual counseling.
6. Matthew has been evaluated by a Neurodevelopmental Disorder Clinic and I have participated in their parenting workshop.
7. Furthermore, I am a licensed Special Education teacher and have spent a significant amount of time tutoring Matthew outside of the school environment.

This letter serves as my request and consent for a multi-factored evaluation of my child. Please provide me the name and telephone number of any person who will be forwarded this letter and who will be coordinating the MFE. You can send me information through Email (_____________) or call me during the day at _______.

Attached you will find copies of relevant evaluations, diagnosis and treatment plans that may help assist you during the evaluation process.  If you need any additional information I would be happy to provide it for you

I look forward to hearing from you within five school days of the date you receive this letter. Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

 I hope this helps as you begin to try and wade through the school system!  If you have any questions feel free to comment or to use the contact form on the right.

Documenting: Keeping a Binder

 

 

DOCUMENTING:

One of my goals for 2014 is to get organized, I've been going room to room clearing things out and preparing to get this all under control over here.  When my three boys first came I tried to prepare the best I could, but you don't really know what you don't know, LOL!  One of the areas that I totally could have done better in is organizing the massive amounts of paperwork, records, notes, and observations you have when dealing with foster care/adoption or children with medical/educational/mental health issues.  For the boys I have a HUGE Rubbermaid filled with papers, it is completely disorganized.  Today I am going to show you what I have been working on to get it all organized so I have a binder of documentation as it relates to the boys many needs and to make it easier to keep track of things going forward. 

Documentation is extremely important when you are dealing with children from trauma or children with mental health issues.  There are so many providers and professionals in and out of our lives that it is hard to keep track.  Every time we see someone new, I swear we leave with a new diagnosis or therapy to try or recommendation.  It doesn't matter if I tell them we have already tried X, Y, or Z for some reason they think I must not have tried it right or for long enough.  The unfortunate thing about mental illness is that it is not easily seen by a casual observer.  If my child had a cast on his leg and was taking awhile to walk down the aisle in the supermarket, no one would question that, people would try and help him or empathize with his situation.  When my child is screaming profanities and hitting me in the supermarket, the response in one of judgment, there is no help or empathy.  In the couple of incidences when we have had to take Matthew to the Emergency Room it has been hard to explain to the initial responders and later the hospital staff that we are here as a last resort, that we have tried all of our tools and strategies.  They see a cute little boy, but they don't see the years of trauma and abuse he has suffered.  They don't take you at your word when you try to explain the behaviors exhibited just mere minutes before.  We are not there because we are lazy parents who don't feel like dealing with our kid who is having a "tantrum".  This child that I am coming to you with has real issues, that are not his fault and not my fault.  He doesn't need coddled, I don't need a lecture, we need help.  By having all of your documentation in order and showing a history and pattern of behaviors you will have a much easier time getting the help you need and getting insurance coverage for some very expensive services that may be needed now or down the road.  Several parents I know have also had the unfortunate experience of having to deal with their local Child Protective Services or their children have been involved in the criminal system.  It is vital that you are able to protect your family from any accusations.  Having all of your documentation in one place certainly helps during these times and can help keep your responses and actions fact-based rather than emotion-based!

I decided a Binder for each child would be the best way to keep everything in one place and well organized. 


I've included individual links to most of my covers/forms, etc. as google docs so that you can modify them to meet your needs.  If you want just one file to download the entire binder, click here.





BINDER COVER:  You can get a copy of my Binder Cover here.  I choose to leave the child's name off of the front, that way if I need to bring the binder with me the name is not visible to anyone.  If you had more than one Binder you may want to put Initials or design a different cover to distinguish each child.

 

BACK OF BINDER:  I have a copy of this quote from Mother Teresa on the back outside cover of my binder.

 

Flash Drive:  Any time I receive paperwork, notes, emails, cards, etc.  I scan them into my computer and put a copy on the child's flash drive. By having your information in several places (Binder, Flash Drive and Computer file) you also prevent anything coming up "missing".  This is also a great way to keep copies of school work and crafts, just scan them onto the drive and you don't have to feel guilty about throwing away the weekly spelling test!  If you need to get the information to someone, you can always burn everything from the flash drive onto a CD that you can give them or email the specific documents they need.  I keep the Flash Drive and a few pens and post-its in a zipper pouch in the front of the binder. 

BASIC INFO SHEET:  This sheet goes in the front of the binder and contains any pertinent information such as, Name, Birthdate, Age, Grade, Height/Weight, Allergies, Medical Diagnosis.  I also put a current picture of the child on this sheet too.  If for some reason your child ever ran away or went missing this sheet could easily be given to the police.  I also have my child's fingerprint card and DNA samples on the back side of the plastic sleeve this sheet is in, you can get a free kit at http://www.pollyklaas.org/index.html.


CONTACT SHEET:  This sheet includes the names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, and emails for anyone involved with the child.   Behind this sheet is one of those plastic baseball card collector sheets to place business cards in from various professionals involved with the child.  Always ask for a card or if they don't have one get their name and jot it down.   You never know when you will need to recall someone who had an interaction with the child.
 Case Workers
 Supervisors
 GAL/CASA
 Birth Parents
 Doctors
 Therapists
 Psychologist/Psychiatrists
 Counselors
 Evaluators
 Dentist
 Teachers
 Principal
 Former Placements
 Siblings and Extended Family
 Placements of siblings
 Hospitals
 Probation Department
 Residential Treatment Facilities
 In Patient Programs
 Out Patient Programs
 Partial Residential Treatment Facilities

CONTACT LOG:  You can get a copy of my Contact Log here.  Rather than tying to make all the information fit into columns, I've found it is easier for me to give myself as much space as needed to write notes or things I need to follow up on.  I will also insert written communication such as emails, cards, etc. in plastic page protectors.  I will still log these into the main Contact Log and then write "See Attached" in the notes section.  That way I can keep track of everything in chronological order. Get a copy of the cover sheet for this section here.

IMPORTANT PAPERS:  This section contains any important papers I need frequently, including copies of Adoption Decree, Birth Certificate, SS cards, Medical Cards. The other sheet I keep in here is a timeline of the child's life, including past placements and important events.  This can be very helpful when you are talking to various therapists and doctors, I find that having a visual of all the dates is helpful in getting a full picture of the child.  I can also add events to it as they come up or as new information is disclosed by those involved with the case.   Get a copy of the cover sheet for this section here.

CALENDAR: I have a monthly planner that I picked up at the dollar store in this section.  I find it is an easy way to keep track of appointments as well as jot down any behavior notes or incidents that I want to remember.  It is very thin so doesn't take up much space and it is bound, so I can store it each year much easier than having a bunch of loose monthly calendar pages.  I find it is helpful to develop some kind of rating system for the day (Red=Bad, Yellow= OK, Green =Good day OR a 1-5 scale), this way you can keep track of mood swings or patterns.  I keep the calendar indefinitely, this way you can compare patterns yearly as well.  For example, maybe you notice that every year around the date of the child's removal from birth parents things go downhill.  Once you get an idea about the patterns you can better anticipate and head off issues.

MEDICAL SECTION: If you have a child with significant medical issues you may find it best to have a whole binder divided by type of Doctor/Specialist.  For me,  I keep a summary sheet in the front with doctor/dentist information, how often and when they are supposed to see them, when the last appointment was and when the next one will be.  If the child has medical issues that require medications (not psych related)  I keep a separate sheet listing current medications, dosage, directions, who prescribed them as well as a medication history sheet showing past medications and notes on any side effects or how well they worked.   I have a medication log to document that I have given any medications.  I then just keep all medical documents by date, if something is important and I will need to find it quickly or often I will put a post-it note on it that sticks out a little from the binder.  In the back of this section I keep Incident Reports which I fill out if there are any bumps or bruises that I want to document.  Get the cover sheet for this section here.

 

EDUCATION SECTION: I keep a sheet of important information up front, School contact info, teacher name, grade, room #, schedule including "specials" (for example 'Gym Day' so we bring sneakers), school calendar, IEP dates.  Next is a copy of the current IEP and Evaluation in page protectors as well as a copy of the most current Procedural Safeguards for the state.  Afterwards all important documents are hole punched and put in reverse chronological order, with the most recent up front.  If a child receives early intervention I keep that paperwork in this section rather than medical section. Get the cover sheet for this section here.

PSYCHIATRIC SECTION: In this section I keep a summary sheet listing all current therapist/counselors with contact information as well as current medications.  I keep a separate sheet listing current medications, dosage, directions, who prescribed them as well as a medication history sheet showing past medications and notes on any side effects or how well they worked.  I keep the pamphlet that comes with the child's medication from the pharmacy and place a copy in the binder, it is a good summary of the possible side effects as well as useful for medical history when you are trying to find the right combination/dosage of medications.  I use the back to write detailed notes and observations on the medication.  I usually keep a few copies of their current medication sheet so I can hand it out when asked what medications the child is on ( I also include any Over the Counter medications or vitamins that are given regularly).  I have a medication log to document that I have given the medications.  I then just keep all medical documents by date, if something is important and I will need to find it quickly or often I will put a post-it note on it that sticks out a little from the binder.   I then have a copy of any current treatment plan in a page protector with all past treatment plans or therapy information hole punched in reverse chronological order.  This would include psychiatric evaluations, intake/progress/discharge records from psychiatric emergency room visits, inpatient/outpatient treatment centers, residential facilities as well.

SAFETY PLAN SECTION: In this section I keep a copy of our family's current safety plan in plastic page protector.  Any past safety plans are hole punched and placed in reverse chronological order behind the current one as well as any notes as to why it needed changed.  A safety plan is extremely important for a family to have BEFORE you are caught in the middle of a crisis.  It is very hard to think clearly when all hell is breaking loose and you are trying to keep everyone safe.  See my post on creating a family safety plan here.  Click here to see my post on creating safety plans.

BEHAVIOR SECTION:  This section will vary depending on what behaviors need to be addressed in each child.  I keep a Monthly Calendar at the front of the binder where I can jot down things, but keep note pages where more detailed summaries can be placed here.  Its often easier to make some quick notes on the calendar so I don't forget and then come back a the end of the week and put in some more detailed explanations here.  If we are using a specific behavior sheet or reward program I will include those here. I have an incident report form that I use to document events that I feel are bigger or more serious than the minor daily issues.   Get a copy of this sections cover sheet here.

COURT RECORDS: If your child is involved in any court actions you can keep a summary sheet of any court info you may have, court house address and contact information, judge assigned, attorney information, case number, important dates.   The rest of the Court paperwork gets organized by date.  I will also include a note page with a summary of what happened at a court date and include it accordingly. This section can also be used for any Police reports you may have, for example if Police had to be called to help get an unsafe child to the hospital. Get the cover sheet for this section here.

ARTICLES/DIAGNOSIS EXPLANATIONS: I keep a copy of important articles as well as summarized versions of the child's diagnosis in this section, along with a few extra copies.  These are great to hand out to people who are not knowledgeable about the diagnosis or who genuinely show an interest in learning more. I also keep a copy of the side effect sheets for any medication they are on.  Get the cover sheet for this section here.

Business Cards for Special Needs Families

 

I was reminded on facebook today about "special needs" business cards a dear friend of mine had made years ago.  When I saw these cards I just had to make my own, so that is what I did.  About a year ago I made these business cards to keep with me when we are out and about.  They have come in handy not only when my children are having some issues, but also to spread the word about early childhood trauma, mental health,  and attachment issues.  You can easily make these to fit your unique family situation or answer questions and comments that you frequently here. 

 

 

 

 

Creating a Safety Plan

Having a safety plan in place is vitally important when you are dealing with a child who struggles with mental illness, whether it is a threat of suicide, manic or aggressive/threatening behavior, knowing what to do when in the midst of crisis needs to be second nature to ensure everyone's safety.

When developing the safety plan it is important to have input not only from any family members or caregivers who it may effect, but also additional third parties such as counselors, therapists, first responders, etc.  It is important to know what your options are and what supports are available to you before a crisis occurs.  Having input from other trained professionals can help you find other available supports you may not know about as well as determining the best course of action for your particular child.  Involving others also protects you in the future and helps you to explain to first responders/hospitals/treatment centers the actions you took before contacting them and how the family has gotten to this point in the safety plan. Most importantly don't forget to include your child in this process.  Keeping the discussion open may help them recognize their own warning signs for crisis and respond better. asking your child about what would help them in crisis is a great place to start.

Having a written safety plan is only helpful if everyone in the family knows their role and what to do in an emergency.  It is extremely important that all family members participate in "practice" runs much like a fire drill.  In our house we have a code word we use to indicate that they are to go to the play room, lock the door, and pick a TV show to watch.  I use the code word every once in awhile when they least expect it and give out treats for good listeners.  By making it fun and non threatening I think it reduces any stress or fear when an actual need arises. 

Our safety plan includes a page (front and back) of basic/background/summary information including:

Child’s information

Family information 

Common Behaviors including known triggers/antecedents, things that can escalate/calm the behavior, strategies that may work.

Medications both current and past

Treatment and Interventions

Professional Team

Other Outside Supports/Resources

Safety Concerns

      YOU CAN GET A COPY OF THE CUSTOMIZEABLE SAFETY PLAN HERE

The second page includes the actual plan "If child is doing X, then you do Y."  This will be very child-specific, but here is a copy of ours so you can get an idea.

So now that you have your safety plan, you can just stick it on a shelf and forget about it right?  NO, the safety plan will have to constantly be amended and changed based on your families current needs and support systems.  It is also important to reflect on the safety plan and any changes that need to be made following a crisis.  You may want to ask What situations or triggers led to the crisis? What worked and didn't work?  What can we do differently to keep everyone safe and calm?
I like to make notes right on my safety plan and then develop a revised version based on my notes for the next crisis.

CRISIS BAG:

If any of you have ever sat in a psychiatric emergency room for hours on end, you know how boring, stressful and unproductive you can feel.  Creating a bag that can be left in the car or near the door is a great idea to prepare for a crisis.  Things are happening so fast when you reach the point of transporting or having your child transported to a hospital or emergency unit.  The last time we were in crisis the first responders wouldn't even give me the time to find my youngest kids shoes!!

This bag should include your crisis plan, documentation binder and some snacks, games, music or books for both yourself, the child in crisis, and any others who may be waiting for long periods of time.

You may also want to pack an emergency bag that includes a change of clothes and basic hygiene supplies in case it is determined the child in crisis will be admitted or transferred to another unit.





RESOURCES:
http://www.childcrisisresponsemn.org/resources/#t1
www.namihelps.org/MHCrisisplanbkltCH.pdf
http://kidslinkcares.com/mentalhealth/sample-safety-plans/
http://www.conductdisorders.com/forum/f13/must-read-creating-safety-plan-your-family-238/

Foster Care Binder

 

As we are preparing our house to open back up for foster placements, I am reviewing all of the things I could have done better the first time around.  When my three boys first came I tried to prepare the best I could, but you don't really know what you don't know, LOL!  One of the areas that I totally could have done better in is organizing the massive amounts of paperwork, records, notes, and observations you will have when dealing with foster care.  For the boys I have a HUGE Rubbermaid filled with papers, it is completely disorganized.  Today I am going to show you what I have been working on to keep it all organized this time around!

I decided a Foster Care Binder for each child would be the best way to keep everything in one place and well organized.  You will find the links to individual pages/forms throughout the post, they should open in google docs so you can customize them to fit your needs. 

BINDER COVER:  You can get a copy of my Binder Cover here.  I choose to leave the child's name off of the front, that way if I need to bring the binder with me the name is not visible to anyone.  If you had more than one Binder you may want to put Initials or design a different cover to distinguish each child.

BACK OF BINDER:  I have a copy of this poem (or this design) on the back outside cover of my binder.

Flash Drive:  Any time I receive paperwork, notes, emails, cards, etc.  I scan them into my computer and put a copy on the child's flash drive.  This way if the child moves on I can easily pass the binder along and still have a copy of everything without having to worry about storage space, or I can quickly email caseworkers documents, etc.  This is also a great way to keep copies of school work and crafts, just scan them onto the drive and you don't have to feel guilty about throwing away the weekly spelling test!  If you want to keep the binder when the child moves on, you can always burn everything from the flash drive onto a CD that you can send with them or give to the Case Worker.  I keep the Flash Drive and a few pens and post-its in a zipper pouch in the front of the binder.

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BASIC INFO SHEET:  This sheet goes in the front of the binder and contains any pertinent information such as, Name, Birthdate, Age, Grade, Date of Placement, Allergies,  Medical Diagnosis.  If I can I like to put a picture of the child upon placement on this sheet too.

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CONTACT SHEET:  This sheet includes the names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, and emails for anyone involved with the child.  At the beginning of the placement I will handwrite them on this sheet in pencil, because things can change quickly.  Once things settle down I will go back and type them in if I feel so inclined :)  Behind this sheet is one of those plastic baseball card collector sheets to place business cards in from various professionals involved with the child.  Always ask for a card or if they don't have one get their name and jot it down.  Transporters, visit supervisors, ANYONE!!  You never know when you will need to recall someone who had an interaction with the child.
 Case Workers (County, Agency, Transport, Visit)
 Supervisors
 GAL/CASA
 Birth Parents
 Doctors
 Therapists
 Dentist
 Teachers
 Principal
 Former Placements
 Siblings and Extended Family
 Foster Placements of siblings


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CONTACT LOG:  You can get a copy of my Contact Log here.  Rather than tying to make all the information fit into columns, I've found it is easier for me to give myself as much space as needed to write notes or things I need to follow up on.  I will also insert written communication such as emails, cards, etc. in plastic page protectors.  I will still log these into the main Contact Log and then write "See Attached" in the notes section.  That way I can keep track of everything in chronological order. Get a copy of the cover sheet for this section here.




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IMPORTANT PAPERS:  This section contains any important papers I need for the placement, including placement paperwork, Birth Certificate or SS cards, Medical Cards, permissions for treatment or travel. I also like to include this Incoming Personal Property Inventory sheet so I can keep track of any items the child came with and add any items that are given to them by birthparents throughout the placement.  The other sheet I keep in here is a timeline of the child's life, including past placements and important events.  This can be very helpful when you are talking to various therapists and doctors, I find that having a visual of all the dates is helpful in getting a full picture of the child.  I can also add events to it as they come up throughout the placement or as new information is disclosed by those involved with the case. Get a copy of the cover sheet for this section here.



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MEDICAL SECTION: If you take medically fragile placements you may find it best to have a whole binder divided by type of Doctor/Specialist.  For me,  I keep a summary sheet in the front with doctor/dentist information, how often and when they are supposed to see them, when the last appointment was and when the next one will be.  I keep a separate sheet listing current medications, dosage, directions, who prescribed them as well as a medication history sheet showing past medications.  I usually keep a few copies of their current medication sheet so I can hand it out when asked what medications the child is on ( I also include any Over the Counter medications or vitamins that are given regularly).  I have a medication log to document that I have given the medications.  I then just keep all medical documents by date, if something is important and I will need to find it quickly or often I will put a post-it note on it that sticks out a little from the binder.  In the back of this section I keep Incident Reports which I fill out if there are any bumps or bruises that I want to document. I will scan it in and email it to the caseworker, make a note of the email in the contact log,  and then place it in chronological order in this section. Get the cover sheet for this section here.


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EDUCATION SECTION: I keep a sheet of important information up front, School contact info, teacher name, grade, room #, schedule including "specials" (for example 'Gym Day' so we bring sneakers), school calendar, IEP dates.  Next is a copy of the current IEP and Evaluation in page protectors.  Afterwards all important documents are put in chronological order.  If a placement receives early intervention I keep that paperwork in this section rather than medical section. Get the cover sheet for this section here.

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VISITATION SECTION: I keep a sheet of important information up front, Visit Schedule, Transporter contact information, visitation supervisor information, visitation center address and phone number.   Then I keep a Monthly Calendar where I color in visit days either Green, Yellow, or Red.  Green for successful visit, Yellow if there was an issue (late, left early, etc.), Red for No Show or Cancelled.  I think the visual is helpful to keep track of the visits.  I keep a Notes page to write any observations from the visit or things kids said about visit. Get a copy of this section cover sheet here.

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BEHAVIOR SECTION:  This section will vary depending on what behaviors need to be addressed in each child.  I keep a Monthly Calendar where I can jot down things as well as note pages where more detailed summaries can be placed.  If we are using a specific behavior sheet or reward program I will include those here. Get a copy of this sections cover sheet here.


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COURT RECORDS: I keep a summary sheet of any court info I may have, court house address and contact information, judge assigned, GAL assigned, case number, important dates.   The rest of the Court paperwork gets organized by date.  I will also include a note page if a caseworker gives me a summary of what happened at a court date and include it accordingly. Get the cover sheet for this section here.


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FINANCIAL SECTION: Any expenses that your agency may reimburse for can be kept in this section.  I keep mileage logs here as well as any receipts for tolls.  I also keep a copy of the current Clothing Inventory showing the placement has the required number of clothing items in each category as well as receipts if your agency requires them.  Any extra-curricular activities that the placement may be in  or school fees and the receipts.  Check stubs from the monthly stipend can be hole punched and kept in this section as well. Get the cover sheet for this section here.

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MONTHLY REPORTS:  My agency requires a monthly report to be filled out, I keep copies of each monthly report here as well as some blank ones. Get the cover sheet for this section here.


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PICTURES: I keep a copy of important pictures in the binder such as school pictures for the year, Christmas Card Picture, pictures from important events, a picture with their birth family, pictures with caseworkers, etc. Get the cover sheet for this section here.

How do you organize everything?  Id love to hear in the comments!

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