The Family Service Worker (FSW) will:

1. (1) Contact the Office of Chief Counsel attorney immediately if there is any indication that the child is a member of an Indian tribe;

2. (2)

   1. (A) Consider placement with appropriate relatives and/or fictive kin.

   2. (B)

      1. (i) The child is in the custody of the Division of Children and Family Services, therefore, the child shall remain in an approved foster home or licensed shelter or facility until a relative or fictive kin’s home is opened as a provisional home.

      2. (ii)

         1. (a) (a) If the worker makes the removal and potential relative and/or fictive kin placements for foster care are identified, notify the area Resource Worker Supervisor by email within twenty-four (24) hours of removal that children have been removed and a potential provisional placement has been identified.
         2. (b) (b) In the notification email provide the area Resource Worker Supervisor with:
3. (1) (1) Names and ages of the children who have been removed;
4. (2) (2) Name or names of potential provisional placement;
5. (3) (3) Relationship of potential provisional placement to children;
6. (4) (4) Contact information for potential provisional placement; and

7. (5) (5) Any other information collected regarding potential provisional placement (see CFS-450: Prospective Provisional Foster Parent Information and Questionnaire for more information).

   1. (iii) Assist with completion of a prospective provisional foster parent information and questionnaire as appropriate to the specific case and/or local county procedures.

      1. (iv) Refer to 9 CAR § 40-708, consideration of relatives and fictive kind for children in foster care and related procedures for more information;

8. (3)

   1. (A) Consider appropriate relatives and/or fictive kin who are interested in obtaining legal custody of the juvenile if identified relatives and/or fictive kin are not interested in becoming a provisional foster home.
   2. (B) If potential relatives and/or fictive kin are identified as potential temporary custody relative placements, refer to 9 CAR § 40-708, consideration of relatives and fictive kin for children in foster care and related procedures for more information;
9. (4) If identified relatives and/or fictive kin are not interested in becoming provisional foster parents or obtaining legal custody of the child, talk with them about otherwise maintaining contact with the child (e.g., visits, transporting);
10. (5) If there are no viable placements with appropriate relatives or fictive kin at the time placement is needed, select an available foster home or other out-of-home placement that will serve the child’s best interest (see 9 CAR § 40-401 et seq., Services Case Opening and Related Procedures for Information Regarding Opening an Out-of-home Services Placement Case); and
11. (6) Continue to discuss with and/or support appropriate relatives’ and/or appropriate fictive kin’s interest in maintaining connections with the child and/or becoming a Division of Children and Family Services foster home throughout the life of the case if such actions are in the child’s best interests.

Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules provided as follows: "01/2014"