REFUGE HOUSE, INC.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLICY AND PROCEDURE:

This procedure operationalizes Policy FC6-01 Admission Matching & Criteria for Child Placement by providing specific implementation steps, timelines, and responsibilities for matching children with appropriate foster families. While the policy establishes the framework and principles for placement matching, this procedure details the sequential actions required to ensure comprehensive assessment, appropriate matching, and successful placement coordination.

PURPOSE:

To provide detailed operational guidance for implementing the admission matching process that ensures children are placed with foster families best equipped to meet their specific needs, support their permanency goals, and provide trauma-informed care within the requirements of the T3C system.

PROCEDURE:

1. INITIAL REFERRAL RECEIPT

Purpose and Overview

The initial referral receipt phase establishes the foundation for successful placement matching. During this critical first contact, staff gather essential information that will guide all subsequent matching decisions. As stated in our policy, "The matching process utilizes the comprehensive information gathered during screening and assessment to ensure that each placement referral is evaluated to determine the most appropriate match based upon all known factors at the time of referral."

2. INFORMATION GATHERING

Purpose and Overview

Comprehensive information gathering ensures placement decisions are based on complete understanding of the child's needs. Our policy emphasizes attention to "the child's history, behaviors, needs, personality and strengths, with special attention given to trauma history and its impact on placement needs." This phase operationalizes that requirement through systematic collection of all relevant information.

3. PLACEMENT MATCHING PROCESS

Purpose and Overview

The placement matching process represents the crucial link between understanding a child's needs and finding the right foster family to meet those needs. Our policy emphasizes that "Refuge House completes a thorough foster home screening and verification process prior to any family home becoming licensed," ensuring we have detailed knowledge of each family's strengths and capabilities. This knowledge, combined with the child's assessment information, allows us to make informed matches that support placement stability and child well-being. Special consideration is given to maintaining sibling connections, cultural identity, and community ties whenever possible.

3A. ☑ MENTAL & BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SUPPORT SERVICES MATCHING:

3B. ☑ IDD/AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER SUPPORT SERVICES MATCHING:

4. PLACEMENT COORDINATION

Purpose and Overview

Effective placement coordination ensures smooth transitions and sets the stage for successful placements. This phase involves clear communication with all parties - the foster family, DFPS/SSCC, and other stakeholders. By sharing comprehensive information and coordinating logistics carefully, we help minimize the trauma of transition and give placements the best chance of success. The process emphasizes transparency and collaboration, recognizing that everyone involved shares the goal of supporting the child's well-being.

5. PLACEMENT CONFIRMATION

Purpose and Overview

The placement confirmation phase ensures all parties are aligned and prepared for the placement. This final step before physical placement provides opportunity to address any last-minute concerns and confirm that all necessary supports are in place. Clear documentation at this stage protects all parties and provides a reference point for future planning.

6. QUALITY ASSURANCE

Purpose and Overview

Quality assurance in the matching process ensures continuous improvement and accountability. By monitoring outcomes and gathering feedback, the agency can refine its matching practices to better serve children and families. This ongoing evaluation process directly supports our policy commitment to maintaining "a high level of importance on ensuring all children are matched to families within our Agency who are stable, steadfast in their commitment to foster, financially secure, and capable of providing quality care."

7. EXCEPTION HANDLING

Purpose and Overview

Exception handling procedures ensure the agency can respond appropriately when standard matching processes cannot be followed. These situations require careful documentation and additional oversight to ensure child safety while maintaining flexibility to meet urgent needs.

8. CHILD/CAREGIVER RATIOS AND SUPERVISION

Purpose and Overview

Before placing or sub-placing any child, the home environment is reviewed for safety, supervision capacity, and verified capacity under the Minimum Standards. This protects placement stability and ensures each child's needs can be met within the home's current configuration.

9. MINIMIZING PLACEMENT MOVES AND SUBSEQUENT PLACEMENTS

Purpose and Overview

Every move compounds a child's trauma. Refuge House prevents moves without proper cause and, when a move is unavoidable, plans it carefully and involves the child throughout (FC 6.06).

SSCC-2INGAGE — addition start (provider-specific requirement; remove this block if the 2INgage contract ends)

For any child placed through 2INgage, Refuge House does not initiate a placement change — including moving a child from respite into placement, or any subsequent or sub-placement move — without prior approval from 2INgage. The case manager contacts 2INgage Intake & Placement at cmd@2INgage.org to set up the required staffing, and does not conduct pre-placement visits or introductions for a placement change without 2INgage permission. This applies in addition to the DFPS Managing Conservator approval required in the steps below. (2INgage Provider Manual Rev. 1.2026 §4, p.19)

SSCC-2INGAGE — addition end

10. SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN WITH MULTIPLE PLACEMENTS

Purpose and Overview

A child with a history of multiple placements is treated as a Routine Admission and matched with a family specifically equipped to meet high-risk and permanency needs while minimizing further trauma (FC 6.07).

SSCC-EMPOWER — addition start (provider-specific; remove this block if the EMPOWER contract ends)

For EMPOWER children, Refuge House does not initiate a placement change — including moving a child from respite into placement or any subsequent/sub-placement move — without prior approval from EMPOWER (staffing arranged via placement@3empower.org), in addition to DFPS Managing Conservator approval (EMPOWER Provider Manual Rev. 1.2026 §4, p.22).

SSCC-EMPOWER — addition end

SSCC-OCOK — addition start (provider-specific; remove this block if the OCOK contract ends)

For OCOK children, Refuge House does not initiate a placement change — including respite-to-placement or any sub-move — without prior approval from OCOK; the case manager contacts the OCOK Permanency Specialist or Therapeutic Services Coordinator to set up a staffing (OCOK Network Management Operations Manual Rev. 7-1-2025 §5.04, p.116).

SSCC-OCOK — addition end

SSCC-BELONG — addition start (provider-specific; remove this block if the Belong contract ends)

For Belong children, Refuge House does not initiate a placement change without Belong Permanency Specialist/supervisor approval, and documents efforts to maintain the placement over the prior 30 days before requesting a removal (Belong Stage I & II Provider Manual, pp.14–15).

SSCC-BELONG — addition end

SSCC-STFRANCIS — addition start (provider-specific; based on the publicly-sourced July-2020 SFCS manual — confirm against the current SFCS manual; remove this block if the SFCS contract ends)

For SFCS children, Refuge House does not initiate a placement change without prior SFCS approval (contact the SFCS Child Case Manager to set up a staffing) (SFCS Placement Provider Manual, July 2020 §2.1.4, p.15).

SSCC-STFRANCIS — addition end

DEFINITIONS:

Same as Policy FC6-01

REFERENCES:

Same as Policy FC6-01

SSCC alignment (FY-26): 2INgage Provider Manual Rev. 1.2026 — §4 Assessing, Conducting and Managing Placements (p.19, placement-change prior-approval gate). Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC coverage tracker (temporary-reference/fy26-sscc-joint-monitoring/sscc-alignment/).

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — EMPOWER: EMPOWER Provider Manual Rev. 1.2026 — §4 (p.22 placement-change gate). Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — OCOK: OCOK Network Management Operations Manual Rev. 7-1-2025 — §5.04 (p.116 placement-change gate). Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — 4Kids: 4Kids4Families Joint Operations Manual (Dec 2025) / Subcontractor Agreement — reviewed; aligned (4Kids items here are casework/Minimum-Standards-level), no additional provider-specific provisions required in this document. Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — Belong: Belong Stage I & II Provider Manual (Aug 2025) / Provider Services Agreement — pp.14–15 placement-change approval. Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — SFCS: SFCS Placement Provider Manual (July 2020, publicly-sourced — currency unconfirmed) / 2019 Affiliate Provider Agreement — Manual §2.1.4 (placement-change approval). Confirm against the current SFCS provider manual. Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

RELATED DOCUMENTS:

• FC6-01 Admission Matching & Criteria for Child Placement Policy
• Initial Intake Information Form
• RH Individual Crisis Management Screening Tool
• Mental & Behavioral Health Foster Family Assessment Tool
• IDD/Autism Environmental Adaptation Checklist
• One-Page Home Study Snap Shot
• T3C Placement Exception Documentation Form
• Post-Placement Evaluation Tool

This procedure document operationalizes the principles established in the corresponding policy by providing specific implementation details (who, when, where, and how). While policies require Board approval and remain relatively stable, procedures may be updated by the Executive Director to adapt to regulatory changes, technological advancements, or operational improvements without requiring Board approval, provided such changes maintain alignment with the policy's intent.