Becoming a foster parent is a rewarding, life-changing experience. However, it can also pose some challenges, requiring you to navigate new or unfamiliar territory from time to time. For many parents, one of those challenges is knowing what supervision for their foster child needs to look like.
Whether you have fostered before or are brand-new to fostering, providing supervision for a child that is a) not biologically yours and b) new to your home can take some time to figure out. And the solution is not one-size-fits-all. Proper supervision depends on several factors, including your foster child’s age, maturity level, past experiences, and specific needs.
Today, we’re breaking down what supervision typically looks like for foster children. Keep in mind this article is for informational purposes only. Each circumstance is unique, and situations in foster care vary. If you have specific questions about supervision for your foster child and foster through Generational Child Care, call us at 478-477-1289.
Why Does Supervision Matter in Foster Care?
Supervision in foster care goes beyond simply “keeping an eye” on your foster child. It’s to protect them and keep them safe, as if they were your own.
When it comes to supervision, it’s about ensuring:
- Safety: You want to protect your child from harm, risky behaviors, or unsafe environments.
- Structure: You want to help your child feel secure through clear rules and boundaries designed to match their needs.
- Healthy behavior: You want to foster positive interactions, problem-solving opportunities, and responsibility whenever possible and at levels that suit your foster child’s capabilities.
What Are the Supervision Program Designations?
Child placement agencies (CPAs) or childcare institutions (CCIs) use supervision designation programs to help communicate about the type of supervision a child may need. Children in foster care enter the system at varying ages and with varying levels of mental, emotional, or behavioral challenges, which require different levels of care and supervision.
Supervision program designations help foster parents understand what level of supervision is needed for the child placed in their home.
These designations include:
Traditional (CPA) or Base (CCI)
Called a Traditional Program Designation by CPAs and a Base Program Designation by CCIs, this type of supervision is the standard type of age-appropriate supervision you would give to any child. See our chart below for more details.
Base Watchful Oversight (BWO) or Additional Watchful Oversight (AWO)
BWO (designated by CPAs) and AWO (designated by CCIs) are both designations for children with moderate to occasionally serious emotional or behavioral management issues.
Some of the characteristics of children in need of BWO or AWO care include, but are not limited to:
- Minor to moderate learning disability that requires IEP services
- Disruption or disobedience in school
- Use of vulgar or provocative language that is inappropriate for the child’s age
- Impulsive behaviors that threaten the safety of the child or others
- Occasional intentional self-harm
Generally speaking, children designated BWO or AWO require more attentive care that focuses on daily functions and everyday safety.
Maximum Watchful Oversight (MWO)
MWO (designated by CPAs and CCIs) is the designation for children with serious or severe emotional or behavioral management problems who need even more frequent and attentive supervision from their foster parent.
Some of the characteristics of children in need of MWO care include, but are not limited to:
- Severe learning disability
- Failure or inability to learn
- History of suspensions or disciplinary actions in school
- Severe or more intense oppositional or defiant behavior at school or home
- Deliberately explosive or impulsive behaviors that harm the child or others
- Issues with bedwetting
- History of animal cruelty or abuse
Specialty Base Watchful Oversight (SBWO)
Recognized by CPAs, the SBWO is a designation for children with unique behavioral or emotional issues that require an increased level of care and attentiveness. Because care requirements are more intensive, these children must stay in a home where other children are not permitted to be placed without a capacity waiver.
Children in need of SBWO care exhibit the same characteristics as MWO, but the severity and frequency of the issues are increased.
Specialty Maximum Watchful Oversight (SMWO)
Recognized by CPAs, SMWO is a designation for children with emotional or behavioral issues that are even more serious or severe than those with an SBWO designation. Due to the level of care and supervision these children require, they are required to be the only child placed in the house. Only under unique circumstances can the foster home receive a capacity waiver and accept another child.
Children in need of SMWO care exhibit the same characteristics as SBWO, but the severity and frequency of the issues are increased.
Specialty Medically Fragile Watchful Oversight (SMFWO)
Recognized by CPAs, SMFWO is a designation for children with serious or severe medical conditions who require specific and specialized care and supervision centered around their medical care. Foster parents caring for a child with an SMFWO designation must comply with the prescribed care plan—non-compliance could endanger the child’s health or life. Homes caring for an SMFWO child cannot accept other placements in the home without a capacity waiver.
Children in need of SMFWO care exhibit characteristics that include, but are not limited to:
- Medical condition that requires daily medication management
- Oxygen dependency
- Partial or complete paralysis
- Limited mobility
- Mediation administration required via feeding tube, injection, or suppository
- Medication for a life threatening condition (i.e., severe asthma, chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and others)
General Foster Care Supervision
The following is what general foster care supervision—or the supervision you would give under the traditional or base program designation—should look like:
0-3 years, All Program Designations
Children 0-3 years of age require constant line-of-sight supervision, regardless of their designation. This means always keeping the child within visual range and never leaving them unattended, even during sleeping hours.
4-5 Years, All Program Designations
Children 4-5 years of age require constant line-of-sight or line-of-hearing supervision, regardless of their designation. This means the foster parent must be able to either always see or hear the child, checking in on them every few minutes if they are out of sight. Generally speaking, overnight monitoring is not required at this age.
6-9 Years, General Foster Care
Children 6-9 years of age still require close supervision, but it can be intermittent instead of constant. Foster parents may remain within hearing distance for longer periods, checking in every five to ten minutes. The foster parent should always know the location of the child and be in close proximity.
10-13 Years, General Foster Care
Children 10-13 years of age need intermittent supervision, where the foster parent checks in every 10 to 15 minutes throughout the day. The child can be in another room of the house or the yard, but the foster parent knows their location and knows to check in periodically.
14-15 Years, General Foster Care
Youth 14-15 years of age should receive intermittent or remote supervision. The child can be left alone for longer periods of time, up to an hour or two, with clear rules established. The foster parent must check in, periodically, either over the phone or in person.
16-21 Years, General Foster Care
Youth 16-21 can receive more remote supervision for longer periods of time, if responsible. They may also receive transitional supervision at this time, meaning the foster parent knows the location of the child, as well as their contact info, and supervise them as needed while the child transitions out of the foster care system. The child must have a graduated independence plan defined within their treatment plan.
16-21 Years, Independent Living/Transitional Programs
Foster youth who have reached the age to transition out of the foster care system and into independence still need supervision during the process. While they are encouraged to exercise their independent living skills, it is required for foster parents to still check in on occasion. Solo overnights for the child may be permissible if approved by DFCS.
Therapeutic and Specialized Foster Care Supervision
The following is what therapeutic and specialized foster care supervision—or the supervision you would give a child under MWO, SBWO, SMWO, and SMFWO—should look like:
Ages 6-21, Therapeutic and Specialized Foster Care
Depending on their physical, emotional, mental, or behavioral needs, children above the age of 5 who have MWO, SBWO, SMWO, or SMFWO designations require specialized supervision, which can include any combination of:
- Constant line-of sight supervision: Keeping the child in your sight at all times.
- Close line-of-hearing supervision Staying within earshot of the child at all times.
- Intermittent supervision: Staying close to the child without having to apply line-of-sight or line-of-hearing supervision (i.e., they are in their bedroom room while you are in the living room) and checking in on them frequently.
- Remote supervision: Checking in on the youth frequently remotely (usually by phone) if you are in a separate location. This is allowed for older youth (14-21) if approved by DFCS.
- Transitional supervision: Assisting the youth with appropriate remote supervision as they transition out of the foster care system and into independence. This is allowed for older youth 16-21 who have reached the point of transition.
Due to their higher needs, children requiring therapeutic or specialized foster care should have a supervision plan that is individualized and based on their specific treatment or service plan.
Curious to learn more about what supervision might look like for a foster child in your care? Talk to the team at Generational Child Care: 478-477-1289
Supervision is one of the most important responsibilities foster parents carry. Whether you’re caring for a toddler with a BWO designation or a teen designated SMFWO, your role is to provide safety, guidance, and consistency that aligns with the care your child requires.
Generational Child Care is here to provide the training, education, and support you need to provide the best care to the children in your home.
Learn more by calling 478-477-1289 or emailing us at info@generationalchildcare.com.
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