Introduction to the CFSA Policy Unit and Online Policy   The Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) is a cabinet-level agency within the District of Columbia Government, dedicating itself to the safety, permanence, and well-being of children and families residing in the District. The CFSA Policy Manual was designed to support this mission, and to provide comprehensive and uniform guidelines for staff decision-making authority and accountability. All policies are ultimately statements of the Agency’s interpretation of a law or guiding statements specific to an issue of concern that helps maintain standards of practice for the daily operation of the Agency.   Policy Development Process Any Agency staff member is welcome to suggest a policy through his or her supervisor, or in the case of a stakeholder, through emailing the Policy Unit at cfsa.policies@dc.gov.   Policies from start-to-finish can take several weeks to implement, depending upon the number of revisions, timing for approval of legal sufficiency, fiscal implications, and the need for endorsement by the Agency’s Court Monitor, the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP). For more information on the policy development process, please see the Policy Development Process 2008 Quick Reference Guide.   Program Policies include all policies related specifically to the programmatic operations of the Agency, such as the Adoption and Permanent Guardianship Subsidy Policy or the In-Home Services Policy. General Administrative Policies include only those policies that directly impact the managerial and organizational standards of the Agency, such as the Dress Code Policy or the Sexual Harassment Policy. The CFSA Policy Manual also includes a listing of Administrative Issuances that serve as interim policies or guidelines for procedures and protocols. These issuances provide staff and/or contracted service providers with pertinent information concerning modifications and/or revisions to existing policies or procedures. They also establish minimum standards of practice during such time as new policies or procedures are being developed.     NOTE: THE CFSA POLICY MANUAL WILL BE UPDATED MONTHLY.    For a complete listing of all current policies and administrative issuances, including Quick Reference Guides for several policies, please see the Table of Contents.      How Best to Use the Online Policy Manual   Using the Online Policy is very easy. All policies are listed alphabetically within category – Program or General Administration, Administrative Issuances, and Quick Reference guides. Simply click on a link and you will be directed immediately to that policy category or to an individual policy within that category. All documents appear in PDF format for your convenience. Any portion of the Online Policy Manual may be printed out for quick reference. The Online Manual also includes definitions of commonly-used acronyms and policy terms specific to child welfare.   If you have any comments, questions, or suggestion, please Contact the Policy Unit.     << Back to CFSA Online Policy Manual Main page   * This document is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF). A PDF reader is required for viewing. Download a PDF Reader or Learn More About PDFs.