CWEL Case Management and Documentation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: How often should a child welfare worker contact and visit children who are in foster care, according to federal requirements?
- Once a month, with a majority of visits in the child's home (Correct answer)
- Once every three months
- Once every six months at a permanency hearing
- Weekly for the first month, then monthly
Correct answer: Once a month, with a majority of visits in the child's home
Federal law requires monthly visits with children in foster care, with more than 50% of those visits occurring in the child's placement setting.
Question 2: A case plan must be completed within what timeframe after a child enters foster care, according to federal regulations?
- 30 days
- 60 days (Correct answer)
- 90 days
- 6 months
Correct answer: 60 days
Federal regulations require that a written case plan be completed within 60 days of a child entering foster care, outlining placement, services, and permanency goals.
Question 3: Which of the following is an example of appropriate boundary management in a child welfare professional relationship?
- Giving a client your personal cell phone number for emergencies
- Maintaining professional contact through agency channels while being warm and empathetic (Correct answer)
- Accepting gifts from clients to build rapport
- Meeting clients at your home to provide a comfortable setting
Correct answer: Maintaining professional contact through agency channels while being warm and empathetic
Professional boundaries require using agency communication channels and maintaining a professional role while still being warm and supportive, protecting both the worker and the client.
Question 4: What does 'concurrent planning' mean in child welfare case management?
- Having multiple workers simultaneously assigned to one case
- Pursuing reunification while simultaneously developing an alternative permanent plan in case reunification fails (Correct answer)
- Planning services for multiple children in a sibling group at the same time
- Coordinating services across multiple agencies at the same time
Correct answer: Pursuing reunification while simultaneously developing an alternative permanent plan in case reunification fails
Concurrent planning means pursuing the primary permanency goal (usually reunification) while simultaneously preparing an alternative plan (e.g., adoption or guardianship) to reduce time in foster care.
Question 5: In child welfare case management, what is the significance of documenting the 'reasonable efforts' made by the agency?
- It is required to justify the worker's salary and time allocation
- It is a federal requirement demonstrating the agency provided services to prevent removal or achieve reunification (Correct answer)
- It documents the family's financial eligibility for services
- It is used to evaluate the foster parent's compliance with placement rules
Correct answer: It is a federal requirement demonstrating the agency provided services to prevent removal or achieve reunification
Federal law requires courts to find that agencies made 'reasonable efforts' to prevent removal and to achieve reunification; documentation of services provided is essential to this finding.
Question 6: When a child welfare worker is transferring a case to another worker, what is the most important action to ensure continuity of care?
- Introducing the new worker to the family and conducting a thorough verbal briefing
- Ensuring all documentation is complete, accurate, and up-to-date, and facilitating a joint introductory visit (Correct answer)
- Asking the family to start fresh with the new worker without sharing history
- Completing the transfer as quickly as possible to reduce disruption
Correct answer: Ensuring all documentation is complete, accurate, and up-to-date, and facilitating a joint introductory visit
Complete documentation and a joint introductory visit ensure the new worker has full knowledge of the case and the family experiences a supported transition, maintaining trust and continuity.
CWEL Case Management and Documentation 2
How often should a child welfare worker contact and visit children who are in foster care, according to federal requirements?