(Posted 2021 December)
Becoming a part of the team caring for children in the Fairfax County Foster Care and Adoption Program is a great responsibility. The children in care have experienced the trauma of abuse and neglect, and the adults who come into their lives must extend love and compassion for those children to help them move forward successfully.
As part of the training for adults being considered as resource parents, our FC&A staff emphasizes the importance of keeping information confidential. During that approval process, resource parents agree to follow established rules that protect the privacy of the children in care and their families of origin.
As a reminder, these are the specifics:
- As a foster or adoptive parent or an individual who provides respite to children with Fairfax County all information you learn regarding children placed in your care is privileged information and its privacy is protected under federal and state laws.
- Foster and adoptive parents should not discuss information learned about children or the families of children being served in your care with anyone except the personnel of the Fairfax County Department of Family Services, unless specifically authorized by the legal custodian.
- Furthermore, foster and adoptive parents as well as those providing respite have an ethical, professional, and legal obligation to protect the confidentiality of all children in foster care. This is a serious trust that helps protect children and families and breaking that trust can have serious consequences for everyone involved.*
So, remember to keep it confidential for children in foster care and:
- Don’t post any pictures of children online.
- Don’t share any personal information on social media or chat with others about a child’s family or background.
- Don’t talk with others about a child’s behavior or medical issues.
*A breach of confidentiality may result in denial of approval or immediate revocation of approval as a foster, adoptive or respite provider home, and it could lead to legal consequences for violating state and/or federal regulations and laws.
This article posting is part of the Foster Family News monthly newsletter designed to keep foster parents informed about all the new and notable happenings in Fairfax County.
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