Information undergirds judicial decision-making in Child in Need of Care cases. The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) leads the development of the case plan, which is the blueprint for return and/or another permanency outcome for children. It should be based on the grounds for adjudication.
The case plan sets forth services and supports that are designed to improve the caretaker’s ability to safely care for their children as conditions for return. The case plan for the child is designed to ensure the child’s safety and well-being while maintaining a sense of normalcy during their time in foster care. It is a dynamic document that should be tailored to the individual family given their strengths and needs, outlining a pathway to enhanced caretaker capacity evidenced through behavior changes. The case plan should be monitored and modified as the circumstances in the case evolve until goal achievement.
Our speakers from DCFS will help attendees understand the different parts of the case plan. They will go into depth about safety threats, caretaker protective capacities and conditions for the child’s return to the parents as well as how the Structured Decision Making (SDM) and Child Welfare Assessment Decision Making Model (CWADM) informs the case planning process.
Learning Objectives:
- Become familiar with the reason for and underpinnings of the Department of Children and Family Services case plan.
- Understand the role of the case plan in addressing conditions for the child’s return to the parents.
SPEAKERS
Leslie B. Calloway, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Child Welfare, Louisiana Department of Child and Family Services
Leslie B. Calloway serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Child Welfare within the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services. In this pivotal role, she is responsible for statewide oversight of foster care programs, ensuring that the safety and fundamental needs of children in care are met.
With a distinguished career spanning over 27 years in human services, Ms. Calloway brings extensive experience to her leadership position. Her commitment to workforce development is evidenced by her instrumental role in implementing a nationally recognized Child Welfare Workforce Development project. Additionally, she is an active national council member for the National Staff Development and Training Association (NSDTA).
Ms. Calloway strongly advocates for the cultivation of robust partnerships—encompassing community engagement, the professional development of the child welfare workforce, and comprehensive support for foster caregivers. Her dedication to service, education, and innovative, solution-focused strategies is instrumental in advancing the department’s vision for enhanced foster care stability and positive outcomes for families.
Sholanda Ellis, Foster Care Consultant, Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services
Sholanda is a Foster Care Consultant with the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work degree from The University of Louisiana at Monroe and a Master of Social Work degree from Grambling State University. Sholanda began with DCFS as a Child Welfare Specialist I in the Foster Care unit, and has worked as an Adoption Specialist III, and a Foster Care/Family Service Supervisor in Ouachita and Morehouse Parishes. She has facilitated New Worker Orientation and continues to support new workers, trained Foster Care Managers and Supervisors when new policies were implemented as well as assisting with updating policies to ensure the safety, well-being and permanency of all children in foster care. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and she is also a volunteer for United Way of Northeast Louisiana with the READ.LEARN.SUCEED program. Sholanda believes in doing unto others, as you would have them to do unto you and that families are a blessing.
