Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption & Foster Care

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Do you worry about applying the Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard as a foster parent? Check out this interview with Rhonda Serrano, a senior attorney at the ABA Center on Children and the Law, and Kate Schultz, the Deputy Director at Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina and a licensed foster parent.
In this episode, we cover:

• Where does the concept and term for “reasonable and prudent parent” come from?
• What were the problems that the reasonable and prudent parent standard is trying to address?
• The intent is to promote and support normalcy. Why is normalcy so important for foster youth?
• Who does this standard apply to?
• Does it apply to all children and youth in foster care?
• Why is the distinction between an “activity” vs. a “service” important?
• What is included in extracurricular activities?
• What is included as an enrichment activity?
• What is included in cultural activities?
• What is considered a social activity?
• Would these activities usually be included?
  • Phone and computer use
  • Being on social media
  • Reasonable curfews and rules for dating and socializing
  • Driver’s licenses and learner’s permits
  • Social activities with friends and peers, including unsupervised social activities, such as:
    • Going to the movies
    • Dating
    • Visiting friends’ houses overnight
• Would background checks be needed to spend the night at a friend's or foster grandparent’s house?
• Are there some activities that are inherently too risky for the foster parent to make the decision on whether to participate?
• The activity is supposed to be age or developmentally appropriate. Who makes this decision?

Factors to consider when applying this standard.

• Does the child/youth want to do this activity? Does it fit with their interests, likes, and dislikes?
• Is this activity appropriate for their age and something other kids their age get to do?
• Can this youth/child participate safely for their selves and others, given their behavioral history?
• Is there appropriate adult supervision for this activity?
• Does this activity encourage the child’s emotional and developmental growth?
• Does participating in this activity normalize life for this child/youth? Does it provide a more family-like experience?
• Does this activity provide a way for the child to further their self-identity (including ethnic, cultural, religious, etc)?
• Does it provide an opportunity for healthy risk-taking?
• Will the youth gain adult skills for transitioning?
• Does the biological parent want the child to participate in this activity?
• Can you afford this activity?
• Risk factor
• Mental health: are there any triggers to be aware of?
• What liability does the resource parent have if things go wrong at the activity?
• How can biological parents be included in decisions about

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