7 AAC 67.240 - Behavior guidance

(a) A foster parent shall demonstrate the ability to develop and use appropriate discipline strategies to address the challenging behaviors of a child in care that may be the result of the child's trauma, grief, or past experiences.

(b) A foster parent shall provide for positive reinforcement, redirection, the setting of realistic expectations, and clear and consistent limits.

(c) A foster parent is responsible for behavior modification practices for a child in care, as follows:

(1) this responsibility may not be delegated to a child;

(2) behavior modification must be based on an understanding of the child's needs and stage of development;

(3) behavior modification must be fair, reasonable, consistent, and related to the child's behavior;

(4) a child in care may not be (A) spanked with a hand or object, or be subjected to any form of corporal or physical punishment, including biting, jerking, kicking, hitting, pulling the child's hair, or shaking or throwing the child;

(B) assigned strenuous exercise or work as a form of punishment; this excludes age and developmentally appropriate chores or exercise;

(C) threatened with physical harm;

(D) threatened to be expelled from the foster home or intimidated;

(E) subjected to verbal abuse and derogatory remarks about the child or the child's family characteristics, physical traits, culture, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, or traditions;

(F) placed in a locked room;

(G) placed under a cold water shower;

(H) forced to eat or have hot sauce, soap, or other burning or foul tasting substances placed in a child's mouth;

(I) subject to the use of a physical restraint, except when necessary to protect a child from injury, or to protect property from serious damage; a physical restraint permitted under this subparagraph may be passive physical restraint only; the foster parent shall report the use of any physical restraint to the department;

(J) subject to the use of a mechanical restraint, except for a protective device such as a seatbelt;

(K) subject to the use of a chemical restraint; or

(L) disciplined in a manner that is cruel, humiliating, or otherwise damaging to the child.

(d) A foster parent may not use methods of behavior modification that interfere with a child's basic needs, including

(1) depriving the child of sleep;

(2) providing inadequate food, clothing, living space, or shelter;

(3) withholding food or other items essential to the protection, safety, or wellbeing of a child in care;

(4) restricting a child's breathing;

(5) forcing a child to shower or bathe as a form of punishment;

(6) interfering with the child's ability to take care of their own hygiene and toilet needs; or

(7) providing inadequate medical or dental care.

(e) A foster parent may not deprive or deny a child of necessary services or contacts, including

(1) the child's caseworker or assigned legal representative;

(2) the child's parents or other family members who are identified in the family contact plan; or

(3) individuals providing the child with therapeutic activities as part of the child's case plan.

Notes

7 AAC 67.240

Eff. 7/1/2022, Register 242, July 2022

Authority:AS 44.30.020

AS 47.14.120

AS 47.32.030