12.3 Agency Arranged Kinship Care

Kinship care is preferred and should be given first consideration when court intervention is necessary to ensure the safety of the child. Preferably, the child’s initial out-of-home placement will be with kin, unless the court has determined that relative placement is contrary to the best interest of the child.

NOTE: If the child is not placed with an identified relative/kinship provider, the court must make specific findings on the record detailing why placement with a relative/kinship provider is not in the best interests of the child, Section 210.565.3.

Upon the removal of a child from his/her home, a list of potential kinship providers, should be obtained from the parents/or caregiver at the 72-hr meeting or before when possible. This list and efforts to locate the identified kin is also to be documented in the assessment and treatment section of the case record and on the Child Assessment and Service Plan, CS-1. Per RSMo 210.127 Search progress to locate the absent parent must be reported at each court hearing until the parent is either identified and located or the court excuses further search. The same criterion applies when searching for relatives.

When a child is placed in an agency arranged kinship placement and the placement provider is licensed, that provider will be eligible to receive a monthly maintenance rate equal to that of the traditional foster care payment, plus the $100.00 professional parent incentive rate each month.

The following steps must be taken at the time of placement in order to facilitate an initial out-of-home placement with kin:

Obtain information regarding the kin including: name, date and place of birth, Social Security number, address and telephone number;
Per Section 210.482, RSMo, all adult household members over the age of 17, or those under the age of 17 who have ever been certified as an adult and been convicted of, or pled guilty or no contest to any crime are to obtain a child abuse/neglect and criminal record report:
1. The CA/N report may be obtained by accessing local county office computers or by calling the Child Abuse/Neglect Hotline. Staff will conduct child abuse and neglect background checks in every state where each household member 17 years of age and older has resided since the age of 17. The search can be conducted by accessing the Department of Social Services 50 states web page or Public Human Services Agency Directory and clicking on each appropriate state to obtain contact information for the purpose of verifying any child abuse/neglect history in that state for each household member 17 years of age and older since they were 17 years of age.
2. The Division will request that a local or state law enforcement agency or juvenile officer immediately conduct a name-based criminal history record check to include full orders of protection and outstanding warrants of each person over the age of 17 residing in the home by using the Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System (MULES) and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) to access records maintained by the FBI.
3. After the name-based search has been conducted and the child has been placed with the kinship family, the worker must submit two sets of fingerprints to the Highway Patrol to be used to search the criminal history. Results of these checks will be provided to the Children’s Division office that made the request:
  1. Any child placed in a kinship home shall be removed immediately if any person residing in the home fails to provide fingerprints after being requested to do so.
4. If the placement of a child is denied as a result of the name-based criminal check, and the denial is contested, the kinship provider has 15 business days to submit two sets of fingerprints to the Highway Patrol through the Children’s Division.
  Related Subject: Section 6 Chapter 3 Attachment A: Guide for Conducting Foster/Kinship Family Assessment for instructions on CA/N checks, fingerprinting, Case net and Family Care Safety Registry
5. The cost of fingerprinting shall be paid by the state.

All household members undergoing reviews of records need to sign a SS-6, Release of Information;
NOTE: Section 210.117 RSMo states that children who are taken into the custody of the state may not be reunited with a parent or placed in a home with a parent/kin/relative when the parent or any adult over the age of 17 residing in the home has been convicted of certain felony offenses in chapter 566 or 568.

Related Subject: Section 7 Chapter 34 Laws Relating to Custody, Placement and Visitation of Children Under the Jurisdiction of Juvenile Court
Complete the Resource Home and Safety Checklist Form (CS-45) to determine that the environment is safe for the child(ren);
Receive the court order, ordering the child(ren) into the custody of the Children’s Division;
Determine if assistance is needed to monitor/restrict contact between parents;
Before placing the child with a kinship care provider the Children’s Service Worker must inform them of the following:
1. Their duties, rights, and role as an out-of-home placement provider;
2. Financial assistance, benefits, and services available to support the child’s placement;
3. The licensure process – how long it will take;
4. The juvenile court process and options;
5. The permanency planning process including their membership on the Family Support Team (FST) and Permanency Planning Review Team(PPRT);
6. Signed SS-6 is needed to contact references and share information with the FST/PPRT; and
7. Support services, including training, available through CD and community resources.
Check VNME and VNMA to see if the provider has a Departmental Vendor Number (DVN). If the vendor has an assigned vendor number, that DVN should be used. Complete the SS-60 Vendor/Licensure Placement Resource Form for all Sections. Relative (RH) and Kinship (KH) placement providers are required to have a DVN whether they are licensed or not. Enter one of the following Licensing Codes in Field 24a:

1=the vendor meets licensing and training requirements

2=the vendor is pursuing licensure

3=the vendor is not pursuing licensure or maintenance

Code ‘1’ will correspond to vendor types: KHO, KHB, KHM, RHO, RHB, and RHM. If the vendor’s license has expired and the vendor chooses to meet licensing requirements they must apply for a new license before this field can be updated.
Code ‘2’ will correspond to vendor types: RHU and KHU Only. If a vendor is pursuing licensure the vendor can be updated to reflect when licensure has been completed to Code ‘1’. If it is determined the vendor does not meet licensure requirements or later chooses not to receive maintenance the vendor should be updated to Code ‘3’.
Code ‘3’ will correspond to vendor types: RHU and KHU Only. Vendors classified as a Code ‘3’ do not meet licensure requirements or opt not to be licensed. These vendors are not eligible for maintenance.

The licensing status entered in Field 24a on the SS-60 determines the maintenance code in Field 56 on the SS-61 Alternative Care Client form. The system will automatically generate a monthly maintenance payment for 90 days to the relative/kinship provider.
NOTE: Be sure to check IPAR (FSD screen) to determine if the child is receiving TANF benefits. If the child is receiving TANF benefits, close the child out of the FSD case.
Open an Alternative Care Client Form (SS-61) for each child placed in a relative/kinship home. Specific instructions include the following:
1. Field 46 – Enter DVN.
2. Field 47 – Enter Placement Type.
3. Field 55 – Fund code is “12” initially.
4. Field 56 – Enter maintenance code of 1, 3 or 4. This is determined by the Licensing Status entered in Field 24a on the SS-60.
5. Field 57 – Title XIX information should be entered as the date the child entered the kinship home.
The worker has 90 days to complete the licensure process.
However, if potential kinship providers are not identified immediately, the Children’s Service Worker must continually explore the possibility of kinship care. Once a potential relative/kinship care provider has been identified by the parent/child, the worker must immediately (within twenty-four hours) take the following steps:
1. Obtain information regarding the kin including: name, date and place of birth, Social Security number, address and telephone number;
2. Complete the Resource Home and Safety Checklist Form (CS-45) to determine that the environment is safe for the children;
3. Provide the kinship provider with the Relative/Kinship Care Introduction Letter (CD-71), which explains the licensing process and time frames; and
4. Complete the licensure process as described below.

12.3.1 Licensure Process

Requirements for licensure of relative/kin are the same as for foster care. The primary impetus is to allow the child to maintain family relationships in a safe environment. Licensure of kin will be determined after the Children’s Service Worker completes the following within 30 days:

Provide the kinship provider with the Relative/Kinship Care Introduction Letter (CD-71), which explains the licensing process and time frames.
Provide the kinship provider with the STARS “For the Caregiver who Knows the Child” training materials, as either a self-study or an opportunity for them to attend a group training session:
NOTE: The kinship provider must meet the following competencies:

Protecting and nurturing;
Meeting developmental needs and addressing developmental delays;
Supporting relationships between children and their families;
Connecting children to lifetime relationships; and
Working as a member of a professional team.

Submit two sets of fingerprints within 15 business days of the placement to the Missouri Highway Patrol for a more thorough criminal history report;
Obtain a child abuse/neglect report on each household member over the age of 17, documenting results from the appropriate FACES screen including Call/Case Prior History Search using the search methods available. Staff will conduct child abuse and neglect background checks in every state where each household member 17 years of age and older has resided since the age of 17. The search can be conducted by accessing the Department of Social Services 50 states web page or Public Human Services Agency Directory and clicking on each appropriate state to obtain contact information for the purpose of verifying any child abuse/neglect history in that state for each household member 17 years of age and older since they were 17 years of age.
Access MAPC for Child Support Enforcement data that was previously on DPAR;
Have the family complete the paperwork to register with the Family Care Safety Registry and obtain a report to be documented in the record;
Review Case.net and document this review;
Enter the address of residence of the resource home at the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s sexual offender list located on the web at: http://www.mshp.dps.missouir.gov/MSHPWeb/Root/index.htm. This search will determine if a sexual offender is registered as residing at the resource home address.

Request that the kinship providers authorize their physician to submit a statement of physical and mental health, the Foster Family Home Medical Report, CW-215. Kinship providers and all family members must be determined by a physician to be in good physical and mental health.
Complete the Family Assessment Tool to determine that the kinship provider meets the identified competencies which were addressed in the kinship training in which they participated;
Complete a home study on the kinship caregiver, which must be conducted at the kin’s residence with all caregivers present. The home study includes, but is not limited to:
1. Assessment of the kin’s relationship with the parent and child including knowledge of circumstances/conditions which contributed to the need for out-of-home placement, kin’s past efforts to help family and prevent abuse/neglect and kin’s current ability to ensure the safety of the child in their own home;
2. Inspection of the residence to determine that the environment is safe for the children;
  Related Subject: Section 6 Chapter 3 Resource Family Assessment and Licensing Process
3. Assessment of the kin’s capacity to care for the child financially, physically, and emotionally (understanding of abuse/neglect, supportive, willingness to meet child’s needs);
4. Observation of the interaction between the kin, parent, and child to assess the degree of comfort and trust which exist among the parties and with agency involvement;
5. Assessment of kin’s willingness to cooperate with the treatment plan; and
6. Five references.

Complete the SS-60 identifying the placement provider as either a RH (blood relative) vendor or KH (non-blood kinship) vendor.
Send the signed Cooperative Agreement for The Purchase of Professional Foster Care Services (CM-14) to Central Office for contract entry.

The Children’s Service Worker should review the status of each pending relative or kinship care provider’s assessment and license. The Relative/Kinship Care Reminder Letter (CD-72) should be sent every 30 days until licensure is achieved or the family chooses to longer pursue licensure.

Before placing the child with a licensed kinship care provider the Children’s Service Worker must inform them of the following:

Their duties, rights, and role as an out-of-home placement provider.
Financial assistance, benefits, and services available to support the child’s placement.
The licensure process – how long it will take.
The juvenile court process and options.
The permanency planning process including their membership on the FST and PPRT.
Signed SS-6 is needed to contact references and share information with the Family Support Team.
Support services, including training, available through CD and community resources.

Chapter Memoranda History: (prior to 1/31/07)

CS03-32, CD04-79, CD05-80, CD06-37, CD06-46, CD06-75

Memoranda History:

CD07-36, CD07-65, CD08-55