Rule 8.7. Clothing and Personal Belongings – The Partner Provider must have written policy and procedures which include the following:

1. 1. Inventory. The Partner Provider must maintain an inventory of clothing, personal belongings, and monetary funds belonging to each child.

1. a. Each child must have their own inventory list. Inventory lists encompassing more than one (1) child is not permissible and will be viewed as a mishandling of child assets.

2. b. The inventory log must be signed by the child, parent, guardian, or MDCPS designee upon admission and discharge.

2. 2. Clothing. The Partner Provider must ensure that each child has their own clean, well fitting, attractive, seasonal clothing, including shoes, which are appropriate to age, sex, individual needs, and comparable to the community standards.

1. a. The Partner Provider must involve the child in the selection, care, and maintenance of personal clothing as appropriate to age and ability.

2. b. The Partner Provider must send all clothing with the child when they leave the facility.

3. 3. Personal Belongings. The Partner Provider must provide each child with individual items for personal hygiene and grooming, such as bathroom supplies, laundry needs or other items.

1. a. The Partner Provider must allow a child to bring and acquire personal belongings.

2. b. The Partner Provider may limit or supervise the use of personal belongings while the child is in care provided the limitation or supervision is not a used as form of punishment or discipline.

3. c. The Partner Provider must send all clothing and belongings in appropriate luggage with the child when they leave the facility. Whenever possible, the child or youth should be present when their clothing and belongings are packed.

4. 4. Allowances. All unused personal and clothing allowances, as well as any other funds received by the child, must be maintained in a personal account solely benefiting the child and distributed to the child upon discharge from the Partner Provider.

1. a. The Partner Provider must have a means of keeping children's money safe and separate from the facility's financial accounts.

b. The Partner Provider must use the child's clothing allowance for the child or place funds in the child's personal account.

c. In the event a child opts to save their clothing and/or personal allowance, the Partner Provider must show documentation signed by the child that explains the savings goal. The documentation must be maintained in the child's file indefinitely.

d. The Partner Provider must give personal allowances to the child and allow reasonable choices in spending allowances.

e. The Partner Provider must provide documentation signed by the child showing the child received their clothing and personal allowances. This documentation must be filed in the child's record and kept for one (1) year.

Source: Miss. Code Ann. §§ 43-15-13, -105; 42 U.S.C. § 675(5)(A)