1. (a) Overview.

   1. (1)

      1. (A) The assessment of a family’s strengths and needs is the basis for developing individualized goals and identifying services and supports to meet the family’s needs.
      2. (B) The family shall be a primary source of information for the assessment with emphasis on the partnership with the family and a holistic view of their circumstances.
      3. (C) Other agencies or individuals with knowledge of the family’s circumstances will also be consulted as appropriate.

   2. (2)

      1. (A) Family assessment is an approach to engaging families while also collecting and organizing information at critical decision points in every case.
      2. (B) A thorough assessment of family functioning includes evaluating risk and/or safety factors that are barriers to family functioning as well as protective factors that may mitigate risks and/or safety factors.

2. (b) Assessment tools used for in-home and out-of-home services cases.

   1. (1)

      1. (A) The Family Advocacy and Support Tool (FAST) is the family assessment instrument used for all in-home services cases (to include supportive services cases, see 9 CAR § 40-301, preventive services for more information, but excluding differential response cases).
      2. (B) The Child and Adolescent Strengths and Needs (CANS) tool is the family assessment instrument used for all out-of-home placement cases.
      3. (C) The 0 – 4 CANS will be used for all children from birth through four (4) years of age involved in an out-of-home placement while the 5+ CANS will be used for all children five (5) years of age and older involved in an out-of-home services case.
      4. (D) The only reason for which both a FAST and CANS will be completed with the same family is if there is still a child left in the home while another child is removed from the home.

   2. (2)

      1. (A) The FAST and CANS are multiple purpose information integration tools that are designed to be the output of the assessment process.
      2. (B) This allows the Division of Children and Family Services to more consistently communicate the needs and strengths of children and their caregivers involved with in-home and out-of-home services cases, respectively.
      3. (C) The use of the FAST or CANS does not replace professional judgment.
      4. (D) As such, while the FAST and CANS will help inform the in-home services and out-of-home placement case plans, respectively, the completion of a FAST or CANS does not write the case plan.

   3. (3)

      1. (A) During the completion of both the FAST and the CANS, the FSW will ensure family involvement and receive input from:

3. (i) Parents;

   1. (ii) Caregivers;

      1. (iii) Children;

         1. (iv) Service providers; and
         2. (v) Extended family members.

      2. (B)

         1. (i) Just as each child is rated individually using the FAST or CANS, as appropriate, each of the child’s primary caregivers will be rated as individuals.
         2. (ii) I.e., if a child has two (2) or more primary caregivers in the home such as a mother, stepfather, and maternal grandmother, all three (3) of these primary caregivers in the home will be rated individually.
         3. (iii) Likewise, if a child has two (2) primary caregivers who live in different homes such as a mother and father who are divorced, then both of these primary caregivers will be rated as individuals.

      3. (C)

         1. (i) Caregivers and other parties to the case will receive a copy of the FAST and/or CANS output document.
         2. (ii) Anyone else involved in the development of the FAST and/or the CANS may receive the FAST and/or CANS output document, as applicable, upon request within the parameters of Arkansas Code § 9-28-407 (see 9 CAR § 40-208, confidentiality, for more information).

   2. (4)

      1. (A) For in-home services cases the FAST will be completed within thirty (30) days of case opening and every three (3) months thereafter to correspond with required case staffings and prior to case closure.
      2. (B) The FAST may be updated more frequently as needed.
      3. (C) With each FAST update, the case plan will also be updated accordingly.

   3. (5)

      1. (A) The CANS will be completed within thirty (30) days of the child entering out-of-home placement or thirty (30) days of case opening, whichever occurs first.
      2. (B) Subsequent CANS will be every three (3) months thereafter and prior to case closure.
      3. (C) The CANS may be updated more frequently as needed.
      4. (D) With each CANS update, the case plan will also be updated accordingly.
      5. (E) If a four-year-old child will turn five (5) years of age by the time the next CANS is due, either the 0 – 4 CANS or the 5+ CANS may be used for the child at that point in time.

   4. (6)

      1. (A) An individual performing the family assessment will be trained and certified in the use of FAST and CANS.
      2. (B) FAST and CANS recertification must be completed on an annual basis.

Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules provided as follows: "02/2015"