On November 22, 2005 Governor Edward Rendell Signed Act 73 The Resource Family Care Act

The Act is intended to acknowledge the value of resource families by establishing specific mandated responsibilities for agencies in how they collaborate with Resource families, thereby insuring productive and respectful treatment

OCYF Bulletin 3700-08-01 Effective 1/21/2006

Policy and Procedures:

The Office of Children, Youth and Families expects all public and private social service agencies that approve Resource families to have in place written protocols that document how the agencies insure that the following provisions of Act 68, 73, and 76 are standardized as part of the agency’s best practice:

• Notification of scheduled meetings to allow resource families to actively participate in planning for the children

• Provision of support services consistent with the children permanency plan to assist the resource parents

• Timely, open and complete responsiveness from the agency when contacted by a resource family regarding their role and the care of the children

• Provision of information about the children’s medical, behavioral, family history, education, and placement history

• Consultation with the resource family in developing the child’s permanency plan

• Consultation with the resource family in the decision to release their address to the child’s parent and notification prior to any such release

• Assistance with the coordination of services to the resource family as needed in dealing with the loss of, or separation from a child in their care

• Provision of all written agency of procedures related to the resource family roles

• Provision of appropriate training to enhance the skills and performance of the resource family

• Provision of information on how to receive services and reach agency personnel 24/7

• Assurance of confidentiality regarding any abuse allegations made about a resource family household member, as long as such assurance does not compromise the safety of the child

• Provision of the opportunity for resource parents to be heard regarding agency decisions and practices involving the child in their care/assurance that the agency will in no way discriminate or retaliate if resource parents make appropriate inquiry about such decisions or practices

• Inclusion of a resource family, if interested, as an adoption candidate for children whose goal has been changed to adoption

• Assurance that the resource family’s right to be notified of any court proceedings related to the child in their care happens as soon as the agency receives the information

• Assurance that the right of the resource family to be heard during any court proceeding related to the child in their care is preserved and encouraged

• Assurance that no resource parent shall be denied consideration as an adoptive resource solely because the resource parent cannot be accessed as a resource parent in the future.

For more information on the Resource Family Care Act Contact:

The PA State Resource Family Association 1-800-951-5151

For more information on subsidy, the adoption tax credit, PLC or joining a support group contact: