Section 6, Chapter 3 (Resource Family Assessment and Licensing), Subsection 1 (Resource Provider Licensing)

(Effective: 02/26/2025)

3.1 Resource Provider Licensing

Licensing Authority

Rules for the Licensing of Foster Family Homes are located on the Secretary of State web page, 13 CSR 35-60. The Children’s Division is the licensing entity for Missouri resource provider homes.

The Children’s Division may contract with child placing agencies to develop resource homes. Child placing agencies must follow the Licensing of Foster Family Home Rules and Children’s Division Resource Development policy when developing and/or maintaining a resource home. The child placing agency shall make one of the following recommendations to the Children’s Division:

License or approve a home;
Deny issuance of a license or approval of a home they are developing;
Revoke a current open license or approval of a resource home they are maintaining.

The Children’s Division will make the final licensing determination after considering the child placing agency’s recommendation.

General Overview of the Licensing Process

The Children’s Division has a responsibility to license Foster Family Homes to meet the needs of children in foster care. The licensing process should be supportive and assist applicant(s) in completing licensing requirements in a timely manner.

The Family Assessment is the tool used to document information gathered during the licensing process. As each licensing step is completed, the Family Assessment should be updated with new information obtained. Please refer to 3.1.1 Guide for Conducting Resource Provider Family Assessments and 3.1.2 Resource Provider Family Assessment Recording Outline for additional information.

Foster Family Home Applicants

A Foster Family Home Applicant is one (1) or two (2) primary adult individuals(s) who live in the same household and complete and submit the CS-42 Foster/Adopt Home Assessment Application to provide foster care services as parent substitute(s) to foster youth placed in the home.

A Foster Family Home Applicant(s) shall be:

Twenty one (21) years old; and
U.S. citizens, either through birth or naturalization, or be able to verify lawful immigration status.

When two (2) individuals are applying;

Both individuals shall be assessed separately as if they were applying as a single individual,
If either applicant cannot be approved, the application shall be denied; and
If both applicants are approved, a single license certificate shall be granted listing the names of both applicants.

The applicant(s) for a license or renewal of a license shall provide any and all documentation and shall execute such authorizations to release information that the Children’s’ Division may determine to be necessary or convenient to obtain information about the applicant(s) and members of the applicant’s household.

Step 1: Assignment

When a Foster/Adopt Home Assessment Application CS-42 received, the application shall be assigned to a resource development worker by the resource development supervisor, or designee, within two (2) business days.

Upon assignment of the application, the resource development worker will verify if there is an existing Departmental Vendor Number (DVN) in FACES. If there is not an existing DVN, the resource development worker will assign one DVN to the applicant(s).

Once the applicant(s) has a DVN, the resource development worker will add an application in FACES with the date the application was received.

Note: An application recommendation shall not be entered until:

Until it is certain the application is being approved, or
Receipt of written request by the applicant to withdraw the application, or
All due process is complete if denying the application.

Step 2: Initial Contact

Within three (3) business days of assignment the assigned resource development worker will make contact with the applicant(s) to:

Introduce themselves;
Provide a brief overview of the home assessment process;
Share the training schedule and determine the family’s availability for training;
Discuss the respite program and opportunities for the family to serve as respite providers while pursuing licensure; and
Schedule the first home visit.

The following documentation shall be mailed or emailed to the applicant(s) within one (1) business day of the initial contact:

Introduction Letter
Documentation Checklist
Application (CS-42)
Fingerprint Letter and instructions
Family Care Safety Registry Worker Registration Form
Medical reports (CW-215)
Three (3) Personal references
Reference from current employer if applicable

Step 3: Background Screenings

Background screenings for all household members, age seventeen (17) and older as well as any household members under seventeen (17) who have been certified as an adult for a charged crime, are required prior to the completion of the family assessment and application recommendation. Screening results should be entered into FACES as they are received. Directions on conducting required background screenings are located in Section 6, Chapter 19 Background Checks.

The following screenings should be completed prior to the first home visit, when available:

Prior Vendor Record Review
Child Abuse and Neglect Registry
Missouri Sex Offender Registry
Missouri Case.net
Family Care Safety registry
Fingerprint Based Criminal Record Checks

The resource development worker should review all criminal history with a supervisor as it becomes available and prior to the first home visit, if possible.

Step 4: Pre-Service Training

If there are no concerns reported in the preliminary background screenings, the applicant(s) should be enrolled in pre-service training as early in the licensing process as possible. All adults in the household who will have childcare responsibility will be required to attend pre-service training. See Section 6, Resource Development, Chapter 2 (Resource Provider Training) – DSS Manuals (mo.gov) for more information about the pre-service training.

Step 5: Home Visits

A minimum of two home visits must be completed in the applicant’s home as part of the Family Assessment process. Home visits begin the mutual selection process and the first step is a personal interview. See below section 3.1.1 Guide for Conducting Resource Provider Family Assessments for more information.

Applicant(s) should be informed of respite needs and approved for respite as early in the licensing process as possible. See Section 6, Resource Development, Chapter 17 (Respite Foster Care) – DSS Manuals (mo.gov) for more information.

Step 6: Family Assessment Review

The completed family assessment should be reviewed with the applicant(s) and the applicant(s) signature(s) should be obtained indicating agreement with the family assessment. The family assessment is not completed until the applicant(s), home assessor, and supervisor have signed the document. A license will not be issued until a Children’s Division Supervisor, or above, has reviewed and approved the family assessment.

Step 7: Application Approval

In order to recommend the application for approval, the resource development worker will ensure the following has been completed prior to submitting to a supervisor:

All required background screenings are complete and entered into FACES
All required training is completed and entered into FACES
All required Vendor Household Information has been entered into FACES
Upload the following documents to OnBase:
- Family Profile
- Family Assessment
- Photo of Family and Home
A recommendation and recommendation date have been added to the application screen in FACES and submitted for approval
The Vendor Licensure/Approval and Renewal has been added in FACES and submitted for approval

A Children’s Division supervisor, or above, must review the family assessment and all background screening history for completeness and to ensure the applicant(s) have met eligibility requirements prior to:

Signing and approving the Family Assessment
Approving the Application in FACES
Approving the Vendor Licensure/Approval and Renewal screen in FACES

Step 8: License Issuance

Once a Children’s Division supervisor has approved the Vendor Licensure/Approval and Renewal, a report will be run and sent to staff in central office who mail the licenses.
A license will be issued to the resource providers for a two-year period.
The license is not transferable and applies only to the foster family home to whom it is issued. Upon approval, a single license certificate listing the individual(s) is issued. Only one license may be issued per household.
The license is the property of the division, not the licensee, and is subject to revocation upon failure of the individual(s) to comply with licensing regulations.
The license certificate shall be kept on the premises of the home. The license is a public record and shall, upon request, be made available for inspection.

Step 9: Initial Licensure

Within 30 days of license approval, the resource development worker shall:

Present, review and obtain the resource provider’s signatures on, and submit
- Cooperative Agreement for the Purchase of Professional Foster Care Services, CM-14
- Cooperative Agreement for the Purchase of Emergency Foster Care, CM-11
- Cooperative Agreement for the Purchase of Foster Respite Care Services, CM-10, if this was not done previously
Provide the resource provider with a copy of the approved family assessment
Have the resource provider complete the and Instructions (available in Central Office by emailing FosterCare@dss.mo.gov).
- County offices may take a picture of the resource parent with a digital camera or have the licensed resource parent provide an electronic picture in a jpeg file. The application and jpeg file must be submitted identified in the instructions. The card is printed by HRC and returned to the clerical who sends the card to the local office.
Complete the Professional Family Development Plan CD-100

Note: Resource providers are required to complete required trainings within 90 days of licensure.

3.1.1 Guide for Conducting Resource Provider Family Assessments

The family assessment is the tool used to document information gathered during the licensing process. As each step is completed, the family assessment should be updated with new information obtained.

The family assessment (for non-relatives) must be completed within 120 days of the first day of pre-service training and shall consist of joint and separate interviews with the applicants and all others in the home, including children.

There shall be a minimum of two separate home visits. Additional visits may be held in person or virtually. During home visits the resource development worker will continue to provide the family with specific information about what is involved in the job of being a foster parent or adoptive parent, the process by which the Division carries out the mutual assessment, and selection outcomes. The resource development worker also begins more in-depth discussions with the applicant(s) about their expectations and motivation for fostering and/or adopting.

During home visits the worker may identify issues that may raise preliminary questions about the family’s willingness or ability to become foster or adoptive parents. Depending on the nature of these issues, the worker may need to explore these issues with the family or consult with a supervisor for guidance.

The following tools are to be used by the resource development worker to engage the applicant(s) in a meaningful exchange of information:

Initial Licensing Home Visit Questions, (CD-28a)
Initial Licensing Guide, (CD-28b)
Preferences Worksheet, (CD-28c)

Home Visit 1

During the first Home Visit, the applicant(s) should be provided information regarding the Respite program. If interested, the Respite Provider Handbook and Knowledge Assessment should be shared completed during the first home visit.

The resource development worker will begin the mutual selection process by completing the following:

Collect initial paperwork that was mailed to the applicant(s)
Use the Initial Licensing Guide (CD-28b) to complete the safety forms such as CD-119 Discipline Agreement
Use the CD-335 to begin a walkthrough
Use the Initial Licensing Home Visit Questions (CD-28a) to begin the Home assessment
Discuss items to be completed prior to Home Visit 2

Virtual Check In (Optional)

The resource development worker may schedule a virtual check-in prior to Home Visit 2 depending on the applicant(s) progress. An evaluation of the following licensing requirements may be reviewed for completeness prior to the virtual check in:

Criminal Background Screenings
Family Care Safety Registry Results
Adam Walsh Screenings, if applicable
Personal References (3)
Adult child(ren) questionnaires, if applicable
Employment references, if applicable
Foster/Adoptive Medical Report, CW-215
Staff with Supervisor if concerns are present

The virtual check in should review the progress of all licensing requirements, discuss pre-service training status, and discuss forms to be sent to the applicant(s) for completion prior to Home Visit 2 which includes:

Foster Family Profile, CD-56
Family picture of all household members and pets, if applicable
Picture of home
Placement Preference Worksheet CD28-C

Home Visit 2

An evaluation of the following licensing requirements should be reviewed for completeness prior to Home Visit 2:

Criminal Background Screenings
Family Care Safety Registry Results
Adam Walsh Screenings, if applicable
Personal References (3)
Adult child(ren) questionnaires, if applicable
Employment references, if applicable
Foster/Adoptive Medical Report, CW-215
Pre-Service Training Certificate
Staff with Supervisor if concerns are present

During Home Visit 2, the resource development worker will:

Update the Resource Home and Safety Checklist, CD-335 if any licensing requirements were not met in Home Visit 1
Complete any remaining household member interviews
Use Initial Licensing Home Visit Questions (CD-28a) to continue the assessment
Review and discuss pre-service training
Collect remaining paperwork
1. Foster Family Profile, CD-56
2. Family picture
3. Picture of home
4. Placement Preferences worksheet
Provide Assurance Forms
1. Resource Provider HIPAA (CD-194)
2. Safe Sleep Practices (CD-117)
Discuss any outstanding needs and requirements for licensure

The Mutual Assessment Process

The Mutual Assessment Process includes the integrated functions of preparation and assessment and should lead to a final decision about the willingness and ability of the applicants for fostering and adopting. The process includes the applicant’s participation in ten pre-service training sessions, a series of home visits and meetings between the worker and applicant(s), while supplemental information is obtained through meetings, references, and other licensing or approval checks.

Each prospective foster family or adoptive family should be encouraged to participate in an open and honest assessment of their strengths in fostering or adopting, as well as their needs for support. Their strengths should be identified so they can be matched with the needs of a specific child to be placed. Their needs should be identified so it can be determined if the Division can provide the supports required to meet those needs. The prospective foster or adoptive family should be reassured that acknowledging their needs does not mean they cannot be licensed.

As a result of this process, the final decision should be made that reflects the family’s ability and willingness to foster or adopt. The decision should be based on whether the prospective foster parent or adoptive parent:

Is likely to meet the needs of the children and their families served by the Division;
Has the personal commitment necessary to provide the required continuity of care throughout the child’s need for family foster care or adoption;
Has sufficient flexibility to meet the needs of particular children as these change in the course of the child’s development;
Is able to identify with the Division’s foster care and adoption program goals, work within its policies, share responsibility with the agency, and benefit from assistance and training opportunities;
Is able to accept and support the child’s relationship with parents and kin;
Is able to work within the limitations of the Division and its supports available for foster families and adoptive families.
Demonstrates the ability to apply the Reasonable and Prudent Parenting Standards including providing normalcy for the foster youth, co-parenting with the foster youth’s parent(s) or guardian(s), mentoring and encouraging the foster youth’s participation in his/her case planning, and understanding the responsibility of decision making for the foster youth’s participation in age- and developmentally-appropriate activities

At the end of the Mutual Assessment process (training and family assessment) the family and resource development worker will decide whether to select-in or select-out the applicant(s).

Competencies

The strengths and needs of the family are organized according to the five competency categories:

Understanding trauma and trauma informed parenting
Supporting families and maintaining children’s connections
Understanding the child welfare system and the social, emotional, and physical impact it has on children and families
Understanding the importance of cultural identity in foster care and adoption
Understanding children’s mental health issues and how substance use can impact children

The resource development worker relates all comments, positive and negative, to the strengths and needs identified with each of the five competencies.

To create a collaborative environment the resource development worker should use interviewing and relationship techniques like:

Making clear statements about strengths and needs documented in materials generated by the mutual assessment process or observed through previous meetings;
Avoiding biased or inflammatory words, for example, “your answer was wrong” or “your discipline style is bad”;
Reminding applicants of previous conversations where strengths and concerns were shared so that this final at-home consultation brings no surprises;
Encouraging families to share their feelings and the results of their family discussion by using open ended questions and non-verbal displays of interest in what is being said;
Communicating respect for the family, regardless of the decision made, by hearing their feelings and recognizing their interest and commitment; and
Allowing an appropriate amount of anger from families disappointed with the final decision by not taking it personally or reacting unprofessionally.

3.1.2 Resource Provider Family Assessment Recording Outline

The home study template is available on e-forms by searching CD-28 or Home Assessment at this link: Employee Access – eForms – Childrens Division (mo.gov). The CD-28a and CD-28b complement this document. The CD-28a is suggested questions for the interview process. The CD-28b provides a checklist for the licensing process.

3.1.3 Child Care Homes as Foster Homes

When a resource home applicant is licensed and/or contracted with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and/or provides child care as a licensed or contracted provider, considerations must be made regarding conflicts with foster home licensing rule and policy.

Discuss the Foster Family Home Licensing Rules 13 CSR 35-60 with the resource home applicant.

When resource parents are utilizing subsidized child care, resource parents are considered to be a mandatory member of the child’s household unit. Resource parents are standing in loco parentis (in place of the parents) and are not allowed to provide contracted or licensed childcare to their own children including any foster child(ren) placed in their home. The resource parent must select another childcare provider for the foster child(ren) placed in their home. Refer to the Child Care Assistance Manual for Child Care Assistance program requirements.

The following link will take you through a step by step process in how to become a contracted child care provider: https://dss.mo.gov/cd/child-care/child-care-providers/. Providers also may call 573-526-3011.

Inform the foster home applicant of the regulation capacity and age limitations including but not limited to:

No foster child under the age of seven (7) may be placed in a combined resource home and licensed and/or contracted child care provider family home with the exception of those in a sibling group.
Licensed and/or contracted childcare providers (owners) cannot be paid for providing child care for their own children. Their own children impact total capacity of children in the home. Foster children are considered their own children.
For combined resource home and licensed and/or contracted family home providers, there may only be a maximum of four (4) non related children in the home.
The number of foster children shall not cause the resource home licensed and/or contracted child care family home to exceed the child care provider’s licensed capacity.
The maximum number of children in a resource home shall not exceed six (6) including any of the foster parents’ own children.
Resource parent(s) shall not provide care for more than two (2) children under age two (2) and no more than four (4) children under the age of five (5) unless necessary to accommodate a sibling group on a temporary basis.

If licensed with DESE’s Office of Childhood, discuss the Licensing Rules for Family Day Care Homes, 19 CSR 30-61 with the resource home applicant.

Care of foster youth by a licensed resource parent shall not be combined with regular, part, or full-time care of other children, or with other service or business conducted in the home without written approval of the division (13 CSR 35-60.050(2)(E)).

Discuss with the resource home applicant the impact of providing care to both foster care children and child care children. Ensure that holding a resource home license while providing licensed or contracted child care in the home will not adversely affect children receiving these services.

Refer to Section 6, Chapter 3 (Resource Provider Family Assessment Process), Subsection 1 – DSS Manuals (mo.gov) for licensing guidelines.

Resource File Recording and Composition

Instruction regarding the composition of the resource file is located in Section 5, Chapter 1 (Case Records and Filing), Overview – DSS Manuals (mo.gov).

Chapter Memoranda History: (prior to 01-31-07)

CS03-05, CS03-51, CD04-05, CD04-63, CD04-79, CD04-96, CD05-04, CD05-76,

CD05-80, CD06-29, CD06-46, CD06-60

Memoranda History:

CD07-15, CD07-36, CD07-44, CD07-54, CD07-55, CD07-59, CD07-73, CD08-56,, CD08-64, CD08-107, CD09-22, CD09-88, CD10-08, CD10-61, CD10-65, CD10-116, CD10-127, CD11-22, CD11-86, CD11-107, CD12-46, CD12-62, CD12-85, CD13-50, CD14-09, CD14-27, CD14-40, CD14-64, CD15-48, CD15-75, CD16-18, CD16-45, CD 16-65, CD17-14, CD17-42, CD18-39, CD19-16, CD19-40, CD19-41