Rights of Children and Families Receiving Services from Presbyterian Home for Children

Basic Rights of Children Placed at PHFC:
A child who has endured grief, pain, and horror can still harbor a miraculous resilient spirit.  Each child has the right to strong support in finding his/her resilient spirit.

A child placed at PHFC has a right to be free from fear, injury, abuse, and maltreatment.

A child who comes to PHFC with fears, anger, sadness, and confusion from past experiences has the right to preemptive love from all adult caregivers.

A child who comes to PHFC and who needs an opportunity to heal and be supported has the right to frequent encouragement and hugs.

A child while a resident at PHFC has the right to adequate food, clothing, education, shelter, regular medical and dental care, and recreation.

A child living at PHFC retains a reasonable right to privacy, personal belongings, and space.

Admissions:
If PHFC is too rigid in admissions, a child may be rejected who could have benefited from care at PHFC.  Each applicant has the right to careful consideration for admission.

IF PHFC is too loose in its admissions, a child may be unnecessarily subjected to placement failure.  Children and families have a right to receive complete and clear program information.

Although PHFC will not be the right placement for every child who is admitted, each child served has the right to diligence not to leave the child worse off for having been at PHFC.

Family Time and Respect of Family Privacy, Culture, and Religious Tradition:
Irrespective of the personal problems or inadequacies of particular family members, the child and family members have the right to family time including regular visits, telephone contact, and the delivery of unopened mail when not prohibited in the child's Individual Service Plan.

Race and ethnic background should not handicap children.  The child and his/her family have the right to have the family's own cultural values and traditions recognized and respected.

Spiritual experiences and education are important to a child's total growth.  The child has the right to participate in spiritual activities without an coercion to make commitment decisions.

In receiving services from PHFC, and to support the personal pride of child and the family, each has the right to refuse to publicly acknowledge dependency or gratitude to PHFC.

Input in Setting Goals and Planning for Services:
To help meet immediate goad, and for a successful transition to the next stage of the child's life, the child and family have the right to express opinions concerning care and treatment.

The family and child need to have reasonable privacy as services are received from PHFC and the right to confidentiality and freedom from publicity that brings embarrassment.

The child and family members need an honest assessment of effort and progress within PHFC services, and a right not to have trust and reality sacrifices for contrived "self-esteem".

Discipline and Values Development:
Exposure of the child to positive values even without immediate compliance can still bring progress.  The child has the right to patience from adults when compliance comes slowly.

Although constant close adult monitoring may bring quick temporary behavioral results, the child has the right to have opportunities to develop long-term internal controls and values.

To help the child with the challenge of developing positive patterns of behavior, the child has the right to receive reasonable consequences from adults at the child's teachable moments.

To help the child cope with the reality that life is not always predictably fair, the child has the right to clear communication of values and flexible discipline based on the child's needs.

Community:
A child cannot practice life and social values in a vacuum.  Each child at PHFC has the right to be a part of the wider community in schools, churches, jobs, recreation, and friends.

The life of the child will be a series of challenges and risks needing confidence and coping.  The child has the right to experiences of reasonable exposure and risk in the community.

Meaningful job experiences are not just for honor students.  All children need work to aid in their future growth and have a right to in-home and community work experiences.

Conclusion:
There is no good way for a child to come to PHFC, but everyone involved must work tirelessly to meet the goal of giving each child the right to have a good way to leave PHFC.

Staff and residents, families and children are all on an important life journey in which each must work to protect the child's right to discern God's life plan within a loving permanent family.

Reaffirmed by the Presbyterian Home for Children Board of Directors

11/00

7/03

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