Section 6, Chapter 3 (Resource Family Assessment and Licensing) Subsection 2 – (License Maintenance)

(Effective: 02/26/2025)

3.2 License Maintenance

The resource development worker must meet with the resource provider on a quarterly basis. The assessment should be updated any time there is a significant change in the family situation within two (2) weeks of the resource development worker being notified of the change. A significant change may include but is not limited to a change in household composition, move from one residence to another, major physical changes in the home, death of family member, debilitating illness of a household member, or other life altering events. If the household contains weapons, the worker must personally observe that the storage of the weapons complies with Division policy and foster home licensing rules. The worker will not require the resource provider to list all the weapons in the home or sign a document regarding the weapons in the home.

Update the appropriate screens in FACES. Evaluate a resource provider’s continued eligibility no less frequently than quarterly over the course of the two (2) year license period.

A resource provider moving to another county or circuit should be placed on Administrative Hold and not receive any additional placements pending the completion of the license transfer process.

The county or circuit from which the provider has moved should notify the receiving county/circuit of the provider’s change in address and provide necessary information on current placements. Notification and the transfer of records should occur within one (1) week of being notified of the placement. The sending county must also notify the receiving county of any weapons kept in the household.

The receiving county or circuit should schedule a home visit within two (2) weeks of notification. A new Resource Home and Safety Checklist, CD-335, and updated home assessment must be completed by the receiving county. After the provider’s new home has been inspected and approved, re-licensure should be granted. Once granted, the Administrative Hold should be removed from the Vendor Licensure, Approval and Renewal screen, and provider records updated to reflect the changes.

If the resource family asks to change the age, sex or race of children to be considered for placement, update the appropriate screens in FACES, and request the issuance of a new license and approval certificate.

Foster Family Home licenses are for a two-year period. A licensee does not have a right to renewal of his or her license.

Record all transactions of children presented for placement with a family and family’s acceptance or rejection of children including family’s reasons for decision. If a family has not had an alternative care placement for the last twelve (12) months or longer, the worker should discuss the reason why the family has not had a placement during this time period and the types of children in CD custody needing placement. A plan should be made to address the concerns of the foster parent(s) and or the Division. The foster parent(s) may attend additional training or may be utilized for respite care to address placement concerns. The Professional Family Development Plan (PFDP), CD-100, may be utilized for this process.

The worker should begin the process for closing the license only after working with the foster parent(s) to reach an agreement on placing children in the home and discussion with the worker’s supervisor. The worker should complete the form Resource Home Adverse Action Report, CS-20. This will be considered a voluntary relinquishment of the license, unless licensing violations are present and impact the decision to close the license, and staff should mark other in the reason for the license relinquishment. Staff should explain that the foster home has not had placements for the last twelve (12) months or longer and that an agreement could not be reached for the placement of children in the home. If the foster family does not agree with closing the license, it should be placed on Administrative Hold until such time as the family will accept children or licensing closing or revocation can be completed. Once the Resource Home Adverse Action Report, CS-20 is completed and approved, the license is closed. The close reason used should be “04 – Vendor Resource Discontinued Service”.

Evaluate resource provider’s expressed interest of becoming resource providers in the Youth with Elevated Needs-Level A program by examining necessary qualifications, and characteristics:

Enroll prospective Level A resource providers in specialized Level A training.
Assess prospective Level A resource provider’s performance during specialized Level A training to determine if approval is indicated.
Obtain and submit to DFAS Purchasing, the Level A resource provider’s signature on the Amendment to Provide Level A Foster Care, CM-3.

Removing one parent from a two parent license

(1) If a licensee who was approved for a two- (2-) parent foster family home license moves away from the foster family home, both persons listed on the license shall notify the division in writing two (2) weeks prior to this change, or within two (2) weeks after its occurrence if the change in residence was unplanned.

(A) Each licensee on the two- (2-) parent license who desires to continue providing foster care services shall be re-assessed by the division as a single foster parent family home.

(B) Each licensee who fails to notify the division within the time frame identified herein will be in violation of their license and the division shall commence the revocation process.

(2) If a licensee who was approved for a two- (2-) parent foster family home license dies, the surviving licensee shall notify the division in writing within two (2) weeks of the death.

(A) If the surviving licensee desires to continue providing foster care services, he or she shall be re-assessed by the division as a single parent foster family home.

(B) If the surviving licensee fails to notify the division within the time frame identified herein, he or she will be in violation of their license and the division shall commence the revocation process as outlined in 13 CSR 35-60.090.

Transfer of Resource Provider Licensure Supervision between Agencies

Instructions regarding the process for a resource provider license to be transferred between child placing agencies is located in Section 5, Chapter 4 (Case Record Transfer Procedures), Subsection 2 – Child in Alternative Care – DSS Manuals (mo.gov).

3.2.1 Administrative Hold

Administrative Hold is used in responding to certain licensing situations, which will more effectively serve resource parents, the Children’s Division and most importantly, the safety of children. All suspensions entered on the Vendor Licensure Approval and Renewal FACES page, require notification of an adverse action, which is open to appeal. The Administrative Hold status reflects a less punitive and negative connotation and is not open to appeal. The Administrative Hold status does not prevent the license or approval from expiring.

Depending on the nature of the allegation and the risk assessment, the provider may be placed on Administrative Hold with a corrective action and support plan implemented with no other children placed in the home until the issue is resolved and the Hold status is removed. If no immediate safety risk factors exist to the children during the investigation assessment (IA), the children currently in the home should not be removed. If, at the time of the investigation assessment, it is determined the child will be removed, either at the request of the resource provider or by the investigator, the child’s case manager should be notified in order to schedule a Family Support Team meeting.

The resource development worker should be having and documenting their regular, ongoing discussions with the resource provider regarding any licensing concerns prior to a change in their licensing status. For an Administrative Hold, the resource development worker should notify the provider via a phone call as soon as possible. A follow-up letter should then be sent explaining why the Hold is in effect and how it can be removed or resolved. If the Hold was requested by the provider, the resource development worker should follow up with a letter verifying their request.

Administrative Hold is required in the following circumstances:

An Out-of-Home Investigation (OHI) is under way involving Legal Status 1 children in the resource provider’s home. The Administrative Hold should remain in effect until the investigation is concluded and all corrective actions and support plans, if any, are successfully completed and documented in the record.
A CAN investigation or assessment is under way involving non-Legal Status 1 children in the resource provider’s household. The Administrative Hold should remain in effect until the IA is concluded and all corrective actions and support plans, if any, are successfully completed and documented in the record.
Licensing concerns have been noted and a staffing is under way. The Administrative Hold should remain in effect until all corrective actions and support plans, if any, are successfully completed and documented in the record. A status of Administrative Hold does not prevent the license from expiring. If licensing concerns are not resolved before the license expires, the home is closed.
The resource provider has a biological or adopted child placed in residential care. Per memo CD05-22 (mo.gov), no additional children will be placed in the home without the approval of the Circuit Manager (CM) or designee. The provider may need time to work with the child placed in residential care.
A resource provider moving to another county, circuit or agency should be placed on Administrative Hold.

The Administrative Hold is available, but optional in a variety of circumstances, such as, but not limited to:

The resource provider has had a new birth and needs time to adjust.
The resource provider feels they need “a break”.
The Family Support Team has recommended that the resource provider cease new placements during the period of adjustment for an adopted child.
The resource provider has experienced a significant change in household composition, health, employment, etc. The Administrative Hold should remain in effect until the provider’s situation has been reassessed and the home assessment has been updated. Every effort should be made to complete these actions within two (2) weeks. The worker should document all attempts to meet this timeframe, including the provider’s specific actions of non-compliance within that time.

3.2.2 Licensing Renewals

All licenses and approvals must be renewed prior to the expiration date. If a resource home does not complete all the requirements at least ninety (90) days prior to the expiration, the License/Approval Renewal Letter, CD-102, is sent to the resource family reporting the requirements necessary for the home to be renewed.

If the home continues to not meet renewal requirements, the CD-102 letter should be sent again sixty (60) days prior to the expiration date.

If the home continues to not meet renewal requirements thirty (30) days prior to the expiration date, the CD-102 should be sent and the home placed on Administrative Hold.

Administrative Hold status does not prevent the license or approval from expiring. It does, however, allow for data entry in the comment section on the Licensure and Approval and Renewal Screen in FACES regarding the facts of why the home is being placed on Administrative Hold.

If there are placements in the home, plans should be initiated for the children to be moved. Foster youth may not be in an unlicensed foster home without a court order. (The only exception is a relative applicant who is pursuing licensure. Foster youth may remain in the unlicensed relative home for up to ninety (90) days while the applicants are pursuing licensure.)

The license or approval renewal administrative process begins a minimum of ninety (90) days prior to expiration. If license or approval renewal requirements including but not limited to in-service training hours, physical with doctor’s statement, and fingerprints are not complete ninety (90) days prior to expiration, the License/Approval Renewal Letter, CD-102, is sent to the resource family reporting the requirements necessary for the home to be renewed before it is closed due to not meeting license renewal requirements.

The resource development worker should take the following steps to renew the resource provider’s license prior to the end date of the resource parent’s licensure period. Renewal process should begin at minimum ninety (90) days prior to expiration of the license:

Consult with current and past case workers for each child currently in the home and who has been in the home in the previous two years to evaluate the ability of the resource parents to deal with foster/relative youth, the agency, and the biological parents.
In compliance with 13 CSR 35-60.030 (3), re-evaluate the performance-based competencies taught in the pre-service training:

Document the resource provider’s demonstration of acquisition of these skills and any concerns regarding delinquency or weakness so they can be addressed on the Professional Family Development Plan, CD-100. The CD-100 must be reviewed and renewed before re-licensure.

Document specific examples of how the resource parent(s) demonstrated application of all the elements of Reasonable and Prudent Parenting Standard.

Interview all members of the resource family’s household individually, including biological, adopted, foster, relative children.
Screen for their cultural heritage or interest in serving special populations such as Native American children, refugee children, children with elevated needs, or older youth and teens. This kind of information may have not been divulged initially and after experience the resource family may be interested in serving one of these special populations or sharing more about their heritage.
Compare physical conditions of the home to the requirements noted in the licensing rules. Complete the Resource Home and Safety Checklist, CD-335.
Provide a copy of the Foster Parent Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, RSMo Section 210.566.
Provide and discuss the Safe Sleep Practices Form CD-117,.
Provide and discuss the Resource Parent Discipline Agreement, CD-119,
Provide a School Reference Request, CS-101e, to the teacher of each child living in the home. No foster youth specific information is to be placed in the resource file. CS-101e forms received regarding foster youth may be placed in the foster youth’s file. If renewal is occurring during the summer time, review the most recent grade cards, or try to review 3 months in advance and plan for summer.
Provide Employee Reference form, CS-101c only if employment has changed since the last assessment, or if there are concerns about employment.
Provide Informed Consent Flyer
If any concerns are identified during quarterly home visits or the interview process for the home assessment amended for license renewal, the Personal Reference Request, CS-101f and/or the Employer Reference Request CS-101c may be utilized. These forms are designed for initial licensure.
Provide a copy of the HIPAA Information for Resource Parents, CD-194.
Complete the Notification of Hazards, CS-101.
Confirm there are no surveillance cameras in areas of the home that violate the privacy of the foster youth, e.g. bathrooms and dressing areas.
Staff shall make an external observation of any storage area or container (such as a gun safe or lockbox) to ensure any firearms or ammunition are be stored securely and are inaccessible to children. Staff should not request to view the firearm or ammunition itself. Any and all firearms and ammunition not being carried on one’s person shall be stored in locked secured areas or cabinets with keys or other locking mechanisms so as to be inaccessible to children. Firearms and ammunition on one’s person in the presence of a foster child shall be held in a secure holster and not accessible to children subject to the following: No firearms shall be present in any vehicle transporting foster children unless the firearms are: in a locked glovebox, in a locked container, or in a secure holster inaccessible to children, when carried or concealed on a person possessing a concealed carry permit. External viewing by Children’s Division shall occur upon reasonable notice during reasonable hours for the purpose of foster home licensure, re-licensure, and quarterly visits. Request to view without prior notice may only be made if there is specific reason to believe firearms or ammunition are not being stored securely or if there are allegations of child abuse or neglect in the home.
Medications and the storage of the medications must also be reviewed. Medications should be stored so as to be inaccessible to foster youth, taking into consideration the age and mental capacities of the youth. If the medications are accessible to foster youth, staff must document either a plan for making the medications inaccessible or an explanation of why the medications are allowed to be accessible by foster youth (i.e. a child is moving toward independent living and is learning self-sufficiency skills).
The Foster/Adoptive Household Member Physical and Mental Health Report, CW-215, is to be completed for each resource parent and biological or adopted child in the home by the physician for license renewal, but not including any current foster youth placements.
Ascertain the resource provider has completed the recommended number of in-service resource parent training hours prior to recommendation for license renewal.

The State’s Pre-Service training hours may not be counted toward the 30 hours of In-Service training required for license renewal.

All the following training must be completed for license renewal:

1. Six (6) training hours of Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation certification and, CPR/First Aid;
2. Two (2) hours of Psychotropic Medication Interactive trainings provided annually refer to Memo –CD21-32 for the training codes – 1 hour
3. Two (2) hours of Reasonable and Prudent Parenting Standard

Establish continued compliance with licensing rules.
The applicant is to complete a new Foster Family Profile, CD-56, if not already completed. The CD-56 should be completed as changes occur in the household. The new CD-56 and family photograph should be placed under separate cover sheet (to be developed locally) and placed in the front of the Resource Provider file. The obsolete CD-56 should be placed in the Family Assessment Section of the Resource Provider file with a notation on the front page of the profile identifying it as obsolete. A current CD-56 is required to be in the file for license renewal. A picture of the home is also required so the child can see where they are going. Ask the family to email pictures of the home to whoever is bringing the foster child;
There is to be no printed document (CA/N, FACES Call/Case History page, etc.) placed in the file. Document in the home assessment that the CA/N check was completed and the results of the check. If the family had any Out of Home Investigations (OHI) reports during the licensing period, the Resource Development Worker will do the following when conducting the foster home renewal:

- Review all Child Abuse and Neglect reports made during the licensure period;
- Review and summarize all corrective action plans developed during the licensure period and the outcome;
- Talk with the OHI Investigator of each OHI investigation;
- Talk with the OHI Unit Manager, or Supervisor; and
- Summarize all the OHI investigations and outcomes in the home assessment for renewal and discuss with each resource parent in the home:
  - Their compliance with the corrective action plan(s) and
  - Any continuing concerns as are relevant to the appropriateness of the renewal of the resource home license.

Criminal History; Staff should not list specifics in the narrative section of the file when documenting criminal history. The narrative should simply reflect one of the following:

The results of the fingerprint based criminal background check conducted (enter date) and that the foster parents met eligibility requirements for licensure.

If, during the licensure period, there have been Rap Back criminal history reports received which require further review, staff shall list the number of reports received and either:

- The reports do not include exclusionary information for licensure eligibility, or
- The information from the reports resulted in the decision to revoke the license.

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.

The FBI has specific regulations in regard to destruction and archiving of criminal records. State archiving does not meet FBI regulations and no records should be sent to state archives that contain criminal history records. This includes foster records, relative and kinship licensing records, adoption records, ICPC records and family-centered-out-of-home records. This information must be removed from the record prior to being sent to state archives. Fingerprints are to be removed from any case file and destroyed when a case file is closed, this includes Adoption and Legal Guardianship.

If during the re-licensure process it is determined that the award of a foster care license is to be denied or revoked, all supporting documentation for the adverse action shall be retained for utilization during the fair hearing process as outlined in previous paragraph. This documentation shall be placed in the Administrative section of the resource provider case record. The decision to deny or revoke a foster care license must be based on non-compliance and or not meeting competencies with statute and licensing rules.

1. Request a report on each adult household member from the Family Care Safety Registry (FCSR). The worker can do one of the following:

- - Access the FCSR on-line with their assigned ID and password (preferred), or
  - Call the FCSR at 1-866-422-6872;

2. The resource development worker obtains on-line access by doing the following:

- - Go to the FCSR home page, dhss.mo.gov/fcsr;
  - Click on the Forms link;
  - Click on the How to Become a FCSR Internet User link;
  - Click on the Internet Background Screening Access/Security Request.
  - Return the completed document by Fax to 573-522-6981, or by mail to: DHSS/Family Care Safety Registry, PO Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102

1. In response, the FCSR will assign a USER ID number to the resource development worker to be used exclusively for access to the FCSR. The USER ID and instructions on how to do the password and how to run a background screening will be faxed to the worker. This ID and instructions on how to do the password are autonomous from the worker’s current ID and passwords used for logging on to the state computer system, FACES and PROD. The password is on a 30-day expiration cycle and the worker will have to update it every 30 days, just as with the PROD password.

Families who do not have Social Security numbers due to their religious practices (i.e. Amish) are not required to register with the FCSR and note of this should be documented in their record and study.

The address of residence of the resource home will be entered at the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s sexual offender list located on the web at: http://www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/Root/index.html. The address search will determine if a sexual offender is registered as residing at the address of the resource home. A copy of the resulting web page must be placed in the background section of the case file.
Examine Case.net, the Missouri State Courts Automated Case Management System for any reference to Orders of Protection filed, either for a child or adult. There are limits to the use of Case.net. At this time, public view does not include identifiers such as social security numbers and birth dates, so it is difficult to determine whether the individual for whom you are searching is the same as the one found on Case.net , however, staff can attempt to use the person’s middle initial or year of birth to help determine if it is the same individual.

Older cases might not be visible in Case.net. For these cases, staff should check with the circuit court for any pertinent information, including a record of Orders of Protection filed, both for a child or an adult.

The DSS Inquiry function located on the FACES Home Page is an available tool that may be used for information gathering.

This same process shall be used for Transitional Living Advocates (TLA), and foster or adoptive parents being assessed for the Division through a contracted agency.

A criminal history, child abuse/neglect history, or other review information does not automatically preclude licensure. Staff should determine the relevance of all such findings to child caring responsibilities, and should seek guidance from supervisors. A supervisor must review and evaluate the background information if there is a record of conviction (other than those listed below) and/or child abuse and if the decision is to approve the home study. The supervisor’s review and decision to approve/disapprove must be documented. See Section 6, Chapter 19 for more information on fingerprint background checks and the policy on felony convictions.

3.2.3 Closing a License

Steps to close a resource home not due to licensing infractions include:

If closure of the license is due to adverse action, refer to Section 6 Chapter 7.
Obtain a written request to withdraw the license.
If the vendor does not provide a written request to withdraw, and there are no licensing concerns to proceed with adverse close action, enter the close reason of Discontinued Services in FACES to close the vendor.
Write a closing summary for the case record. Move to this section Section 5, Chapter 2 (Documentation), Subsection 9 – Specifics on Documentation in Resource Licensing – DSS Manuals (mo.gov).
Conduct an exit interview.
Update the screens in FACES

3.2.4 Reopening a Closed Resource Provider

If a previously licensed resource provider requests that their license be reopened in order to be eligible to accept placements, staff must do the following:

Have applicant(s) complete the Foster/Adopt Home Assessment Application, CS-42.
Check the licensing and the contract screens to determine what previous licenses and contracts were in place and to determine the documented reason for closure.
1. If the previous license was revoked or denied, the applicant may not reapply for licensure within one (1) year from the date of denial or revocation.
2. The applicant shall fully disclose the reasons for denial or revocation and produce evidence that the reason for the license denial or revocation have been cured or no longer exist.
3. If the applicant has a revocation or denied status in FACES, written approval must be obtained through supervisory lines to the Regional Director or Designee for the resource development worker to reassess the applicant for consideration of reopening the license or approval. There must be supporting documentation that the issue(s) which were the reason for the revocation or denial have been rectified and no longer exist.
4. If the Regional Director or Designee is in agreement to reopen the previously revoked or denied resource home, the written recommendation with supporting documentation must be forwarded to the Deputy Director for final consideration and approval to begin a reassessment of the applicant for licensure or approval.
5. Inform the applicant if they are approved to have their license or approval reopened, they will not be eligible to receive maintenance payments using state or federal funds per hyperlink for 210.1080.6.
Consult with any previous staff who have knowledge of the applicant(s) during the time they were previously licensed or contracted with the Division or its contractor.
Discuss with the applicant(s) their perceived reasons for closing their license/contract and their motivation for reopening.
Conduct all required background checks
Conduct a safety inspection of the residence using the Resource Home and Safety Checklist, CD-335.
Provide a copy of the Foster Parent Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, RSMo Section 210.566.
Present the Safe Sleep Practices Form, CD-117.
Present the Resource Provider Discipline Agreement, CD-119.
Present a copy of the HIPAA Information for Resource Parents, CD-194.
Complete the Professional Family Development Plan, CD-100. Any training that is needed in order to ensure that the resource provider is capable of parenting foster youth and returning to the treatment team as a productive member must be completed before a placement is made in the home. This includes, but is not limited to all legislative and policy changes such as the Reasonable and Prudent Parenting Standard, CPR, First Aid, Psychotropic Medication Management, Informed Consent, etc.
Complete a new home assessment.
If recommendation is to re-open the resource license, update the appropriate FACES screens, and provide the Cooperative Agreement for the Purchase of Professional Parenting Services, CM-14, for signature.
If recommendation is to deny re-licensure, the resource development worker is responsible to provide documentation of facts that the applicant(s) is not in compliance with Statute, Rule, and Policy should the applicant request a fair hearing to pursue a grievance of the decision.