9 CAR § 30-311. Approval of foster homes

(a) A foster home shall be approved by only one (1) agency. (b) At least three (3) positive personal references shall be obtained on the foster family, including at least one (1) from a relative and one (1) from a nonrelative. (c) Each member of the foster family shall have a physical exam within twelve (12) months before the initial approval. (d)(1) Pre-service training shall include the following topics: (A) Legal rights; (B) Roles, responsibilities, and expectations of foster parents; (C) Agency: (i) Structure; (ii) Purpose; (iii) Policies; and (iv) Services; (D) Laws, rules, and regulations, as related to foster homes or foster children; (E) The impact of childhood trauma; (F) Managing child behaviors; (G) Medication administration; and (H) The importance of maintaining meaningful connections between the child and parents, including regular visitation. (2)(A) Foster parent or parents shall have a current certificate of completion of first aid and CPR before a child is placed in the home. (B) The training shall require hands-on, skill-based instruction as well as practical testing. (C) Training and certification that is provided solely online will not be accepted. (e) Foster parents shall provide documentation that they carry: (1) Homeowner’s or renter’s insurance; and (2) General liability insurance. (f) Foster homes shall not also operate as childcare family homes. (g) Foster homes shall not provide compensated care for any nonrelated adults in the foster home unless providing transitional care for a person placed in care prior to eighteen (18) years of age. (h) There shall be an annual approval letter from the approving agency in the foster home record. (i) A provisional foster home means a foster home: (1) Opened for no more than six (6) months by the Division of Children and Family Services of the Department of Human Services; and (2) Operated by a relative or fictive kin of a child in the custody of the division after the division does the following: (A) Conducts a health and safety check, including a Child Maltreatment Central Registry check and a criminal background check or check with local law enforcement on the relative’s or fictive kin’s home; and (B) Performs a visual inspection of the home of the relative or fictive kin to verify that the relative or fictive kin and the home will meet the standards for opening a regular foster home. (j) If a foster home moves from one (1) placement agency to another, all requirements for opening a new foster home shall be met. (k) Foster parents must be able to communicate with: (1) The foster child; (2) The placement agency; (3) Healthcare providers; and (4) Other service providers. (l) At least one (1) foster parent in the home must have functional literacy, such as having the ability to read medication labels.