Point Rating Sheet for Supplemental Payments

APPENDIX P
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POINT RATING SHEET FOR SUPPLEMENTAL PAYMENTS

Principle:

All foster parents have special talents, some can work with developmentally challenged children, some with behavior disordered teens, some with medically fragile children some with birth families ... All these skills are necessary to support the various needs of our children. All these skills should be acknowledged financially.

Purpose:

The Point Rating System is a method of computing reasonable compensation for extra supervision, support and care beyond ordinary parenting expectations by foster parents. Gains made by a foster child in the areas outlined in the point system, need not result in a reduction in compensation. Foster parents should be recognized for the skill in maintaining improvements as well.

Use:

The foster parents and the social worker complete the point rating together, generally four to six weeks after the initial placement of the child. This rate is retroactive to the date of the placement. A mutually agreeable review date will be set, no later than 6 months after the initial point rating assessment.

GUIDELINES FOR SOCIAL WORKERS AND FOSTER PARENTS:

The point rating system is divided into 5 areas:

Physical care
Behavior management
School and learning
Involvement with families
Optional programs

Each of these areas has a number of special needs or behaviors defined, which are scored according to their intensity. There are three levels of intensity.

If the definition of the need or behavior does not apply to the child being assessed, do not score.
If the definition matches, score at "definition".
If the definition matches, but the need or behavior is of greater intensity, score "more".
If the definition matches, but the involvement required of the foster parent to meet the need or behavior is extreme, score "extreme".

The key word in the point rating system is "ONGOING". The definition must describe a CONDITION, not an isolated occurrence nor a behavior or situation that is normally expected in fostering or parenting.

For example,

Under PHYSICAL CARE

Johnny, who has cerebral palsy and spasticity and has to be assisted in dressing, qualifies under #6

Susan, who broke her wrist and needs help in dressing, does not qualify.

Under BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT

Helen, who repeatedly and maliciously destroys the property of the other foster child, qualifies under 1-1.

Mary, who was upset one day and deliberately tore the other foster child's blouse, does not qualify.

If there is an ongoing condition requiring extra supervision/involvement not covered in the Point Rating System, the foster parents and social worker may write it into the appropriate section for team leader approval.

For each area where points are scored, the social worker should write a short, point form description to include identification of the problem and what is required to address this problem.

OPTIONAL PROGRAMS that are time-limited and time-concentrated are encouraged for proposal by the social worker and foster parent to the team leader.

The last three columns of the chart show the points for definition, more and extreme.

A. Physical Care - This is the measure of the ONGOING time and effort (BEYOND ORDINARY PARENTING EXPECTATIONS) involved in the physical care of a child.	1. Preparing a prescribed diet at regular meal times (e.g. diabetes, celiac disease, food allergies)	4	8	12

	2. Feeding child physically at regular meal times (e.g. spasticity, paralysis)	4	8	12

	3. Changing bedding 4 to 6 times/week	4	8	12

	4. Washing and changing soiled wet clothes 3 to 5 times/week (for child over age 3)	4	8	12

	5. Changing diapers 1 to 3 times/day (for child over age 3)	4	8	12

	6. Assisting in dressing and personal hygiene 1 to 3 times/day (because of physical disability)	4	8	12

	7. Applying or dispensing ongoing prescribed medication 1 to 3 times/day (e.g. asthma, cystic fibrosis, epilepsy, psycho-tropic drugs)	4	8	12

	8. Performing 1 to 3 ongoing prescribed medical routines/day to assist handicapped child (e.g. asthma, cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy) Note: this may be a time limited situation.	4	8	12

	9. Keeping a child's environment allergy free on a daily basis. (e.g. asthma, cystic fibrosis)	4	8	12

	10. Attending to 2 interruptions/night, 3 times/week because of ongoing physical or emotional problems	4	8	12

	11. Accompanying the child to specialized medical facility on a regular basis when prescribed, 3-4 times/month	4	8	12

B. Behaviour Management - This is the measure of the ONGOING time and effort (beyond ordinary parenting expectations /occurrences) involved in the day-to-day support and supervision of children whose emotional and/or behavioral needs are not in the normal range. In addition to the time spent with the child in normal home routines or family activities, foster parents are working in conjunction with the social worker (and perhaps other professionals to remedy conditions of: -problems in relationships with peers -problems with care providers -problems with displaying feelings or dealing with conflicts In these situations foster parents are engaged in regular supervising /counselling /programming regarding:	I. Problems in Relationships with peers
	1. Physical or severe verbal outbursts against other children in the home.	4	8	12
	2. Blaming, setting up and/or teasing /taunting of other children in the home.	4	8	12
	3. Relationships with peers are such that the level of adult supervision required is greater than normally required (i.e. no peer skills, history of sexual offending, drug use, antisocial behavior by the child or peers)	4	8	12

	II. Problems With Care Providers
	1. Passive resistance to care providers, shown by, for example, refusal to do chores, pouting and sulking, late for /missing appointments, disregarding curfews.	4	8	12
	2. Aggressive resistance to care providers, shown by, for example, talking back, lying, threatening, hitting in relation to foster parents (or their replacement)	4	8	12

	III. Problems Displaying Feelings or Dealing with Conflicts
	1. Managing unreliability and/or irresponsibility exemplified, for example, by forgetfulness procrastinating, not finishing, not planning, empty free time, lack of concentration.	4	8	12
	2. Managing social withdrawal, crying, threatening /mentioning suicide.	4	8	12
	3. Managing destructive behavior against self /others /property, including temper tantrums (separate from I-1 or I-3)	4	8	12
	4. Managing running behavior by developing and implementing appropriate intervention strategies where the child runs away twice a month.	4	8	12
	5. Managing hypochondriacal /manipulative behaviours regarding basic needs (food, grooming) or illness complaints	4	8	12

C. School and Learning This is the measure of the regular time and effort (beyond ordinary parenting expectations /occurrences) involved in homework and school programming when a child's academic capabilities are not considered to be in the normal /ordinary range. Foster parents are working together with the child, school and/or social worker on plans /programs regarding:	1. Homework assignments of up to one hour /school night for identified school problem (on a one-to-one basis)	4	8	12

	2. Managing truancy or lateness problems by developing and implementing appropriate intervention strategies	4	8	12

	3. High level of involvement with child's school, i.e. phone contact, conferences (1 X per week)	4	8	12

	4. When child has a developmental delay, teaching child special life skills as a continuation from a classroom program.	4	8	12

	5. Accompanying a child to an ongoing community activity, 1X per week (baseball, hockey, dancing, etc.)	4	8	12

D. Involvement With Families - This is the measure of the Ongoing time and effort (beyond ordinary fostering expectations /occurrences) involved in the regular contact /liaison between the foster child and the natural family. In addition to expecting regular home visits, telephone contacts, conversations and preparations, the foster parents agree to:	1. Accompany child to and from family visits 2 times /week regularly.	4	8	12

	2. Visits between the child and the natural family in the foster home once /month	4	8	12

	3. Accept from natural family spontaneous telephone calls (3-6 times /week to the foster parents directly) and occasional spontaneous visits (once /week)	4	8	12

	4. Accompany child to and from Court ordered family assessments or child-centered therapy or family counseling twice /month	4	8	12

In the next tables, the last three columns of the chart show the points for hours/week, number of weeks and points.

5. SPECIAL PROGRAM: Working with families The foster parents agree to more intensive involvement with a natural family than is outlined in D. a. Natural family requires training in parenting and household management skills b. Natural family requires support and counseling from competent parents. NOTE: if the intensity of the involvement with the family is more than the hours specified on this scale, the Social Worker and Foster Parent can establish a mutually acceptable amount of points to accurately reflect the time involved.	4	10	24

E. Optional Programs Foster parents, together with the social worker, may devise and implement a special program to meet their own or a foster child's needs. These programs must be: time limited written with a copy for the child, the foster parents, and the child's file approved by a Team Leader /Manager

1. Life Skills for Teens In addition to normal teen-age social training, the foster parents work out with the social worker a home program of independence skills related to: a. money management b. job search and maintenance c. cooking and sewing	7	10	42

2. Life Book. The foster parents assist the child in compiling a written history of his/her life, including the child's stay in foster care	2	10	12

3. Taking in a Parent and Child: Points to be worked out by foster parents and social worker and approved by the Team Leader

4. Other Proposal to be submitted by foster parents and social worker to Team Leader for approval (e.g. foster parents' own child agrees to specialized work with foster placement).

5. Managing school suspensions by providing an in home suspension program. (A flat rate of $25/day by cheque requisition).

F. This child is 12 to 13 years of age.	18 points
This child is 14 years of age or older (These points are in recognition of increased food consumption among these age groups.)	24 points