Reason for Involvement
Caseworker is presently involved with the Brown family as part of a random visit for the fostered child. Caseworker is required to follow up on the condition of the child as well as his environment. Ethan was removed from his original home by CPS and placed into foster care after the neighbors noticed several bruises on the body of the child. It has been alleged that the mother’s boyfriend inflicted the injuries on the child. The mother has a history of reported alcohol and drug use and had been under intoxication during the investigation by the CPS. Ethan is presently placed in the agency-operated foster boarding home of Mrs. Brown. The mother of the child is permitted to undertake supervised visits at the foster home until the subsequent planning session.
Reasons for Contact
Caseworker made a visit to the foster boarding home of Mrs. Brown today to assess Ethan’s adjustment to the placement with the Browns family. This is part of the agreed-upon random visits to the foster home.
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Gathering of Information
Caseworker met with Mrs. Brown and her 17-year-old (Mary) today and enquired about Ethan’s progress and how he was coping with his new home. Mrs. Brown says that Ethan is doing well and that he shows no signs of distress due to the change in environment. She also relays that he has been eating and sleeping well and is very active and playful around the house.
Caseworkers received a copy of Ethan’s medical record, and it shows that he had contracted a common cold two weeks ago but recovered after a few days. This is the second time he has contracted the same disease within a span of eight weeks. Caseworker and Mrs. Brown visited Ethan’s doctor to discuss Ethan’s health status, and according to the doctor, Ethan is healthy and well. Mrs. Brown claims that the pandemic left her jobless, and she was thus unable to pay for some of her bills and waiting for help from the government.
Who Was Seen
Present at the meeting in Mrs. Brown’s home were Mrs. Brown, her 17-year-old daughter, and her foster child, Ethan. Mrs. Brown stated that her husband was away as he is a long-haul truck driver.
Observation
Mrs. Brown looked to be tired, as showcased by her frequent yawning. The child (Ethan) was unkempt as his clothes were very dirty. Similarly, his hair was matted and looked like it had not been combed for several days. Mary’s shirt was dirty as well, and she was wearing baggy clothes. However, the clothes were appropriate for the summer season. The children also looked healthy, but Ethan looked to be a bit hungry but had no visible bruising or scars.
The house was very messy with clothes all over the place. The sink also had many dirty dishes, and four cockroaches can be seen at the corner of the wall. In the same manner, there seemed to be no food in the kitchen, and the refrigerator was left open. An extension cord can also be observed reaching from the floor to the dining room table. The caseworker also observed a medicine bottle on the coffee table in the middle of the living room. When asked about the condition of the house, Mr. Brown blamed the pandemic for the shortage of food as well as lack of water because she was incapable of paying for all her bills including water and gas. Mary also claims that things had never been the same ever since the pandemic started.
Interactions
Mrs. Brown was very welcoming as usual, and she was very responsive to each question. The child was seen playing happily with his toy on the sofa, and Mary seemed to have a good time as she played with him. Mrs. Brown shows love and care for both of her children, and the children are equally at ease in the presence of their mother.
Underlying Factors
Mrs. Brown seemed to be calm but was worried about the impacts of the pandemic on her family, and she hoped it would end soon. She had lost her job, but her husband was still sending money to them, though seemingly not sufficient enough.
Services/Intervention/Safety Plan
Caseworker discussed the child’s condition and why cleanliness is crucial to their health. Similarly, issues on the safety of the child in regards to their environment, such as the elimination of potential hazards, were discussed, and Mrs. Brown was very receptive as she was eager to learn about the safety of the children. She claimed she did not know that the child safety hazards and swore to work on them as soon as possible. Via further training, Mrs. Brown would be conscious of some of the safety hazards, including the extension cords and medicine bottle on the coffee table. Caseworker requested that more education and training would be done to ensure a safe environment for the child. Caseworker also promised to request CPS to provide financial aid to her family in order to solve their financial problems due to the pandemic, as this would go a long way in solving most of the observed problems.
