Section 441.202.18. Local transition committees.

Local transition committees shall be established in each of the department service areas. The service area manager or designee shall determine the number of local transition committees needed within the service area, set operating policies and procedures, and appoint committee membership.

       202.18(1) Purpose. The purpose of local transition committees, as established by Iowa Code Supplement section 235.7, is to ensure that the transition needs of youth in foster care who are 16 years of age or older have been addressed in order to assist the youth in preparing for the transition from foster care to adulthood.

       202.18(2) Membership. Each committee shall have a designated number of members.

        a.           The standing committee membership may include, but is not limited to:

       (1)             Department staff involved with child welfare, adult services, or transition planning.

       (2)             Juvenile court services staff.

       (3)             Adult service system staff.

       (4)             Education staff.

       (5)             Service care provider representation.

       (6)             Others knowledgeable about community resources.

        b.           Additionally, nonstanding membership may include those knowledgeable about the youth, including the child’s court-appointed special advocate, guardian ad litem, and service or care providers.

        c.           In areas where teams or boards already in existence are involved in review and planning for youth needs, such as the foster care review board or child welfare funding decategorization boards, such teams or boards may serve as local transition committees.

       202.18(3) Duties. Local transition committees shall address the transition needs of youth in foster care who are 16 years of age or older and who have a case permanency plan as defined in Iowa Code Supplement section 232.2. Each committee shall have operating policies and procedures to carry out the duties below.

        a.           Each committee shall establish a process for review and approval of written transition plans for youth for whom the committee has placement responsibility that meets a continuum of case needs and coordinates with local transition planning protocol. The process may include a paper review or an in-person review, or both, according to case need.

        b.           The committee may be involved when the youth is at least 16 years of age, but shall be involved in reviewing and approving a youth’s transition plan before the youth reaches age 17½. When a youth enters foster care at age 17½ or older, the committee shall be involved in reviewing and approving the youth’s transition plan within 30 days of completion.

        c.           In reviewing a youth’s transition plan, the committee shall identify and act to address gaps existing in services or supports available that would assist the youth in the transition from foster care to adulthood.

        d.           For those youth expected to need services as adults, the committee shall ensure that the transition plan was developed with the participation of any person reasonably expected to be a service provider when the youth becomes an adult or to become responsible for the costs of services at that time.

        e.           The committee shall ensure that transition planning and review is coordinated with overall case planning and review. Committee review and approval shall be indicated in the youth’s case permanency plan.

        f.            With respect to meetings involving a specific youth receiving foster care and the youth’s family, the local transition committees are not subject to Iowa Code chapter 21.

        g.           The information and records of or provided to a local transition committee regarding a youth receiving foster care and the youth’s family are not public records pursuant to Iowa Code chapter 22 when the records relate to the foster care placement and transition needs of the youth.

        h.           Members of the committees are subject to the standards of confidentiality set forth in Iowa Code sections 600.16, 217.30 and 235A.15.

       202.18(4) Report. The service area manager or designee shall submit a report on transition planning committees to the department’s division of child and family services. The report shall be submitted annually by October 1 for the immediately preceding fiscal year. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

        a.           The geographical area covered for each committee within the service area.

        b.           Standing committee membership for each committee.

        c.           The number of cases reviewed by each committee.

        d.           Identification of barriers to successful transition and gaps in community services or supports.

        e.           Suggestions for ways to transition youth from foster care to adulthood more effectively.

This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code Supplement section 235.7.