Children in the legal custody of the Children’s Division must access child care with a licensed/contracted provider.
If circumstances allow, it is encouraged that the Children’s Service Worker and the resource provider/s visit the potential child care provider to determine if the provider will meet the needs of the child prior to placing an Out-of-Home Care child in a child care setting. For information on what to look for when placing a child in child care, or to locate a potential provider, review the resources and tips published by Child Care Aware® of Missouri .
When a licensed/contracted child care provider is secured, authorize the appropriate level of care. Authorized units of care should correspond with the amount of care needed by the resource provider/s unless otherwise indicated in the child’s family treatment plan.
Related Subject: 1220.025.00 Individual Authorization Process and 1220.025.05 Authorization Limits.
While policy requires the utilization of licensed/contracted care, it is understood that extenuating circumstances may make licensed/contracted care unattainable due to the lack of availability, accessibility or appropriateness of care. In these situations the Children’s Service Worker must enter a waiver request in the FAMIS/FACES Interface System for review and approval by the supervisor prior to placing a child with a non-licensed provider or within 24 hours of placing the child in the facility.
NOTE: Convenience and/or personal preference do not justify a waiver from using licensed/contracted child care.
If the chosen provider is not currently registered with DSS, the provider must apply for registration. The Children’s Service Worker is to E-mail the name, address, telephone number and Social Security Number of the provider to the Child Care Provider Relations Unit (CCPRU) at cd.askccpru@dss.mo.gov . Upon receipt of this information, the CCPRU worker will mail a registration packet to the potential provider and facilitate the registration process.
Related Subject: 1215.020.00 Provider Registration Process
The registration process takes approximately 60 days to complete. Workers need to have the providers registered as quickly as possible as children will not be able to be authorized to a provider until the provider’s registration is complete. Resource parents needing child care should contemplate this prior to having children placed in their home to ensure that appropriate care is available when needed. Child care providers that agree to care for protective service children can register prior to actually having a child needing care.