3.1 Resource Provider Family Assessment
Licensing of Foster Family Home Rules are located on the Secretary of State web page, 13 CSR 35-60.
This procedure will be followed for resource provider home assessments.
The Children’s Division is the licensing entity for Missouri resource provider homes. The Children’s Division may contract with private agencies to develop resource homes. The private agency developing and or maintaining a resource home follows Children’s Division policy. When developing or re assessing a resource provider home, the contractor makes 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 makes the determination of the recommendation.
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 a prescribed application to provide foster care services as parent substitute(s) to foster youth placed in the home.
When two (2) individuals are applying;
- Both individuals must 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.
If the applicant or any member of the applicant’s household, fails without good cause to provide the information or fails to execute an authorization to release the information, the division may deny the license.
Step 1
When an inquiry is received about becoming a foster or adoptive resource provider, the individual shall be provided:
- “Intro to Foster Care” and “Respite Provider Handbook” training located at the following link Children’s Division | Missouri Department of Social Services (mo.gov);
- Foster Adopt Home Assessment Application, CS-42; and
- Foster Family Profile; CD-56
When the completed Foster Adopt Home Assessment Application, Foster Family Profile and the Respite Provider Quiz is received, an application should be opened in FACES.
In order to open an application, the worker must first verify if there is an existing Departmental Vendor Number (DVN) in FACES for the applicant(s). If there is not an existing DVN, the worker will assign a DVN to the applicant(s). Once a DVN is assigned or identified, the worker will enter an application with the date the application was received. The worker’s recommendation of the application shall not be entered until:
The certainty of approving the application, or
Receipt of written request by the applicant to withdraw the application, or
All due process is complete if denying the application.
Step 2
Initiate action within thirty (30) days of receipt of the application by:
- Beginning pre-service training;
- Face-to-face contact; or
- Group informational, orientation meeting.
Step 3
Make referral for fingerprinting and registration with the Family Care Safety Registry.
Step 4
If background checks are clear, make referral to STARS training.
Step 5
Begin mutual selection process by personal interview.
Step 6
Assist applicant with enrollment in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
Assist applicant with enrollment in First Aid Training.
Step 7
Direct applicant to complete the required pre-service training, Psychotropic Medication Management, V013.
Step 8
Complete the non-related resource home assessment and make a recommendation within 120 days using the Guide for Conducting Resource Provider Family Assessments located in subsection 3.1.3 of this section. Record the home assessment per the outlines provided in Section 6 Chapter 3 subsection 8.
Explain the requirement of compliance with licensing rules, 13 CSR 35-60 for foster and relative foster families.
A child may be placed in a relative home prior to licensure, but only after a safety inspection of the home, Child Abuse and Neglect screening, and Purpose Code X criminal checks are completed. See Section 6.16, Relative Foster Care for background screening procedures for family and agency arranged kinship care, and Section 6 Chapter 19 subsection 1 for detailed fingerprinting procedure. The relative family will be paid a maintenance payment equal to the traditional foster care payment rate from the date of placement while pursuing completion of the licensing requirements. This shall be no longer than Ninety (90) days. Until the home is fully licensed, the maintenance payment is made with state-only funds; IV-E reimbursement cannot be made. Relative providers are required to complete STARS or STARS “For the Caregiver Who Knows the Child” training as a condition of licensure.
Step 9
Obtain applicant’s signature on the home assessment indicating agreement; applicant retains one copy. The home assessment is not completed until the applicant, provider, worker, and worker’s supervisor have signed and dated the home assessment.
Step 10
Update the vendor screens in FACES.
Step 11
Provide a Foster Parent Identification Card. Have the resource provider complete the DSS ID Card Application. Local staff 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. Local staff submits the application and jpeg file to assigned Central Office clerical who uploads the information. The card is printed by HRC and returned to the clerical who sends the card to the local office.
Step 12
Provide and obtain signed Cooperative Agreement for the Purchase of Professional Foster Care Services, CM-14.
License Issuance
Recommend issuance of license to 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.
License Denial
Recommend denial using the Resource Home Adverse Action Report, CS-20, through supervisory lines to the Regional Director:
- Include a summary of the licensing rules on which the decision is based.
- When an adverse action is CAN related, submit to the Regional Director or designee a copy of the Child Abuse and Neglect Investigation Family Assessment Summary (CPS-1), and Safety Assessment (CD-17).
- When recommended adverse action is denial, submit a copy of the home assessment to the Regional Director or designee.
- Receive confirmation from the Regional Director or designee of denial decision.
- Notify applicant, by personal contact, of recommended adverse action.
- Notify applicant by registered mail with the Notification of Resource Home Adverse Action letter, CS-20a, of adverse action taken and of procedure for fair hearing.
- If no response within thirty (30) calendar days of written notice or after agency decision is upheld in fair hearing process, close the license in FACES with a close reason of denial. Do not enter the denial of the application until the applicant has completed all the due process time frames. Refer to Section 6 Chapter 7 regarding the Children’s Division’s licensing decision appeal processes.
License Maintenance and Renewal
The resource development worker should encourage the resource provider to set up a bookkeeping system whereby detailed records are kept of expenditures for tax purposes.
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 would be 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, etc. If the update is due to a physical move or physical change in residence, reference must be made to licensing regulation compliance. 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.
A new Foster Family Profile, CD-56, is to be completed at the time of license renewal, unless there is already a current up-to-date profile in the file. The CD-56 is to be updated when there are changes in the household composition that impact the information gathered on the form.
In order to comply with Council on Accreditation (COA) regarding emergency preparedness, the resource development worker must document that the resource provider has read and understands the Children’s Division’s policy regarding Prevention and Control of Contagious and Infectious Diseases as found in the Missouri Resource Parent Handbook.
Related Subject: Department of Social Services, Human Resource Center, Emergency Management and Safety, Family Disaster Plan.
Update the appropriate screens in FACES. Evaluate a resource provider’s continued eligibility at a minimum on a quarterly basis within required license renewal time 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 the move. 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, CS-45, 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. 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 the reassessment and recommendation information by following the instructions in section 6 Chapter 3 Subsection 1.3.
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.
Related Subject: Section 6 Chapter 2.5.1 Professional Family Development Plan (PFDP)
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”.
For relative foster care providers, the license may be closed once the foster youth begins a trial home visit. If the worker and supervisor feel the family is appropriate for consideration, they may also discuss with the provider the needs of the circuit for alternative care providers to determine if the provider is interested in becoming a licensed foster home. Section 6 Chapter 16 Subsection 5.1, Relative Foster Care Provider Choose to Become a Foster Home, provides instruction regarding a licensed relative foster home becoming a licensed foster home. The license should be closed if neither of these criteria is met.
Obtain signature on Renewal Assessment indicating agreement; family retains one copy.
Update the license status in FACES, and:
- Recommend issuance of license to resource providers for a two-year period, or
- Recommend issuance of license to relative family for a two-year period, or
- If not renewed, see license denial.
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.
Resource Home Licensure Supervision Transfer between Agencies
Instruction regarding the process for a resource home license to be transferred between agencies is located in Section 5 Chapter 4 Subsection 6.
Resource File Recording and Composition
Instruction regarding the composition of the resource file is located in Section 5 Chapter 1 Subsection 4, Case Records and Filing, Recording Home (Licensing) Records.
Chapter Subsections
3.1.3 Guide for Conducting Resource Provider Family Assessments
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