For a child 14 years or older, what must be included in the initial service plan?

For a child 14 years or older, what must be included in the initial service plan?

• A. Experiential life-skills training to improve transition to independent living, including grocery shopping, meal preparation, cooking, using public transportation, performing basic household tasks, and money management, including balancing a checkbook
• B. A general orientation to foster care
• C. A plan for medical treatments only
• D. Occupation-specific training that excludes life skills

Answer: (D)

For a child who is 14 years or older, the initial service plan should include experiential life-skills training to prepare for independent living. This focus equips the youth with practical abilities they will rely on once they transition to adulthood, such as grocery shopping, meal preparation, cooking, using public transportation, handling basic household tasks, and managing money (like balancing a checkbook). These skills directly support self-sufficiency and smooth transition from foster care to independent life, rather than addressing only medical needs or a narrow occupational path. A general orientation to foster care doesn’t provide the hands-on preparation needed for daily living. A plan that covers medical treatments only misses the broader readiness for independence. And occupation-specific training that excludes life skills would leave gaps in essential day-to-day competencies, making it harder for the youth to actually live independently even if they have job-specific knowledge.

For a child who is 14 years or older, the initial service plan should include experiential life-skills training to prepare for independent living. This focus equips the youth with practical abilities they will rely on once they transition to adulthood, such as grocery shopping, meal preparation, cooking, using public transportation, handling basic household tasks, and managing money (like balancing a checkbook). These skills directly support self-sufficiency and smooth transition from foster care to independent life, rather than addressing only medical needs or a narrow occupational path.

A general orientation to foster care doesn’t provide the hands-on preparation needed for daily living. A plan that covers medical treatments only misses the broader readiness for independence. And occupation-specific training that excludes life skills would leave gaps in essential day-to-day competencies, making it harder for the youth to actually live independently even if they have job-specific knowledge.