Foster Parent Requirements – Prospective non-relative foster parents must meet the

Foster Parent Requirements – Prospective non-relative foster parents must meet the following requirements: 1. Age. Must be at least twenty-one (21) years old at the time of application. 2. Health. Must provide any existing immunization records for each household child for placement in the file. 3. Residency. Applicant(s) must be a legal resident of the United States and must reside in Mississippi. 4. Income. Applicant(s) must be financially self-sufficient without board payments. Applicant(s) working outside the home must have a plan for safe, stable and reliable childcare as well as sufficient work flexibility to meet the needs of the children. MDCPS Child Wellbeing Specialist will assist in obtaining childcare vouchers as needed. 5. Space. a. Applicant(s) must have adequate room in the home. b. Children may not sleep on couches or share a bed with another person. c. Only children of the same sex may share the same room. The age ranges for children sharing the same room will be based upon the identified developmental status of each child. This requirement may be waived with written approval of a MDCPS Licensure Manager if doing so would not create an unsafe environment for the child. d. Children must be able to access a bathroom without passing through another person’s bedroom. This requirement may be waived with written approval of a MDCPS Licensure Manager if doing so would not create an unsafe environment for the child. 6. Telephone. Applicant(s) must have an active telephone service. 7. Transportation. a. Applicant(s) must have an operable automobile. b. All persons transporting children must have automobile insurance, automobile registration, and a valid driver’s license. c. Vehicles must have the ability to safely transport all children in age- appropriate restraints. MDCPS can provide appropriate car seats if needed. 8. Occupancy. Homes may have no more than a total of six (6) children, including biological, foster, or adopted children. a. No more than two (2) children in the foster home may be under the age two (2); b. No more than one (1) child may have therapeutic/special needs; and c. These requirements may be waived with written approval from a MDCPS Licensure Manager for sibling sets or any other child if doing so would not create an unsafe environment for the children. 9. Criminal History. Applicant(s) must have a clear criminal background and Central Registry check including fingerprinting on all prospective parents and all persons residing in the household eighteen (18) years of age and older. Fingerprinting must be completed at a minimum of every five years. 10. References. The applicant(s) shall have required references according to SAFE standards. 11. Training. a. Training is considered part of the application process and does not guarantee that the applicant will be accepted in the program. b. Pre-certification training shall include: i. Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), ii. Verbal de-escalation techniques, iii. Mississippi PATH or other approved foster parent training curriculum, iv. Universal blood borne pathogens, v. Car seat safety, vi. First Aid, and vii. CPR.