Effective Date: 3-20-2026
Opening Summary
The resource development worker shall develop an initial recording, known as the opening summary, for the foster parent applicant. The narrative shall include a summary of the licensure information for the foster home. This summary should include an overview of the Foster Family Profile (CD-56) the family’s preferences for placement, strengths and needs identified in the assessment, and the family’s professional family development goals.
Quarterly Home Visits
The resource development worker will conduct a quarterly home visit for all licensed foster families at least every 90 days. Quarterly home visits may occur more frequently as needed to support and monitor the home.
Quarterly home visits are conversational allowing for the sharing of concerns as well as accomplishments and development of a mutual relationship of trust. The visits are to be used as a prompt to have meaningful conversations about pertinent issues and assure compliance with licensing requirements.
The quarterly home visit is documented on the Professional Family Development and Quarterly Review (CD-118) and in the system of record (FACES) on the Licensing Visit screen which will summarize:
- The number and types of current placements,
- Changes in household composition (i.e. divorce, death, illnesses, adoptions, births, etc.),
- Any changes to the physical environment (moves, additions, remodels, etc.).
- All hotline reports, incidents, issues or concerns involving the foster, relative or kinship family and any action taken. It should also be noted if no action was taken and why.
- Administrative holds
- The family’s strengths and needs regarding competencies
- The family’s professional family development plan, including trainings that are required and completed.
- Resources or supports the providers are utilizing and/or need, which includes providing the Provider Supports for Resource Parents (CD-342).
Documentation of Contact with Children in Division Custody
Contact with all household members should be documented. However, only initials should be utilized when making reference to children in Division custody. This is true of all current and previous placements in the household. Resource provider records may be requested by the public but information on children in Children’s Division custody is confidential. Using initials only will help to maintain confidentiality of the children in Division custody.
Foster Family Profile
A photograph of the resource provider’s family and the Foster Family Profile (CD-56) is to be placed under separate cover sheet and placed in the front of the resource provider’s record. The Foster Family Profile is to be accessible to the Family Support Team in making its determination and selection of placements for children. A new CD-56 is to be completed at the time of re-licensure or when there are changes in the household composition that impact the information gathered on the Foster Family Profile. The most recent CD-56 is to be kept in the front of the resource provider’s record. The obsolete CD-56 should be placed in the Family Assessment Section of the resource provider’s file, with a notation on the front page of the profile identifying it as obsolete.
Documentation of Criminal History
Staff should not list specifics in the eligibility letter when documenting criminal history. The letter should simply reflect one of the following:
- Fingerprint based criminal background check results meet eligibility requirements;
- Fingerprint based criminal background check results do not meet eligibility requirements; or
- Fingerprint based criminal background check results require further review to determine if applicant is precluded from licensure.
Specific criminal history information may be included in the Resource Home Adverse Action Report (CS-20) when it is the basis for denial or revocation.
At the time of re-approval or re-licensure, staff should destroy the eligibility letter obtained for the last approval/licensure period. The previous record is obsolete and no longer required to be maintained in the record. Staff should document that the report was destroyed. This should be done only after receipt of the new eligibility letter. Staff should not maintain any electronic copies of criminal history records.
Closing Summary
There should be a summary completed whenever a resource home is closed. For those closed voluntarily, the narrative should include why the family chose to close their license as well as any concerns or strengths of the family noted by staff. For those closed due to revocation, the licensing issue that led to the revocation and any other concerns should be documented clearly.
The date of the exit interview and the discussion with the family should be documented in the closing summary. Provide a copy of the Resource Family Exit Interview (CD-112) for the resource provider to complete. The CD-112 shall be placed in the forms section of the case record. The CD-112 can be used to assist the worker in conducting the exit interview with the resource provider.