Attachment D: Guide for Conducting Renewal Assessment
Consult with current and past Children’s Service 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 foster/kinship parents to deal with foster/kinship children, the agency, and the biological parents.
Interview all members of the foster/relative/kinship family’s household individually, including biological, adopted, foster, relative kinship children.
Compare physical conditions of the home to the requirements noted in the licensing rules. Complete the Resource Home and Safety Checklist (CS-45).
Staff must personally view any weapons and their storage to assure compliance with the licensing rules. Ammunition must be stored separate from the weapons.
Medications and the storage of the medications must also be reviewed. Medications should be stored so as to be inaccessible to foster children, taking into consideration the age and mental capacities of the children. If the medications are accessible to foster children, 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 children (i.e. a child is moving toward independent living and is learning self sufficiency skills).
Ascertain the foster parent has completed the recommended number of in-service foster parent training hours prior to recommendation for relicensure.
If a foster/relative/kinship provider does not receive the required number of hours of training during the licensing period, the professional parent payment will be suspended. STARS Pre-Service training hours may not be counted toward the 30 hours of In-Service training required for license renewal. The professional parent payment suspension is done by closing the Professional Parent contract (CM-14). The Children’s Service Worker may need to open a Cooperative Agreement for the Purchase of Foster Care Services-Amendment to provide Behavioral Foster Care contract (CM-3) with the family if they have not previously signed one. A plan must be developed between the provider and the licensing worker to make up the necessary training hours. These hours will not count toward the new licensing period, only toward the previous licensing period. The foster/relative/kinship care provider would still be responsible for obtaining the required hours for the new licensing period. When dealing with a licensed couple, the professional parent payment would be suspended if either one of the couple do not meet the licensing requirements for in-service training. The couple is issued one license and thus both parties must be in compliance with the licensing rules for the payment to continue.
Once the foster/relative/kinship care provider obtains the needed hours of training, the professional parent contract will be reopened and payment will reinstated. They will not be reimbursed for any time they were not in compliance with the in-service training requirement. The payment may be prorated if necessary through payment on a Children’s Services Integrated Payment System invoice, CS-65.
An exception may be made in the cessation of the professional parent payment if a viable reason is provided for not obtaining the necessary training. This exception must be approved by the Regional Director. The plan for obtaining the necessary training hours must still be completed and the payment may be suspended if the provider does not comply with the plan.
If a foster home does not comply with the plan developed for obtaining the required in-service training hours, the Children’s Service Worker responsible for licensing should schedule a meeting between the family, the worker and supervisor. This meeting should address with the family the importance of complying with Licensing Rules and that their license may be subject to revocation if they do not meet the requirement for in-service training within the specified time frame. The licensing worker should begin the revocation process if licensing requirements are not met after this process.
Related Subject: Section 6 Chapter 3.1.2 Suspend/Revocation
Establish continued compliance with licensing rules.
Review of Children’s Division and Family Support Division (FSD) screens. FSD screens are in the process of being converted to FAMIS and the current screens may become obsolete in the future (IPAR). Staff should verify all information through staff with FSD. The county should begin the review by using the following screens:
- SCLR - Department of Social Services (DSS) data base (access with name, sex, and date of birth);
- IPAR - Family Support Division (FSD) information (accessed by DCN);
- FMPX - FSD participation screen (accessed by DCN or SSN);
- MCASI- Child Support System. Access from MACSS; enter MDCM, then enter MCASI and DCN.
- OVCI - Claims and Restitution (CARS) information (accessed by DCN); and
- Call/Case Prior History Search on FACES (access by DCN or SSN).
When information is found regarding an applicant, the system inquiry should continue using other pertinent screens to gather as much data as possible to assist in the decision-making process.
The applicant is to complete a new Foster Family Profile (CD-56), if not already completed. An updated 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 screening of child abuse/neglect shall be completed by county staff using the ANUM, ANME, AND AINC screens. It is important to use the ANUM screen for a complete history. If a CA/N incident is determined to have occurred, a copy of the CA/N investigation should be obtained to aid in the evaluation.
Request a report on each adult household member from the Family Care Safety Registry. 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.
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. Case.net is not yet statewide, so will not include all county circuit courts. Also, 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.
In locations where Case.net is not yet available, check with the circuit court for any pertinent information, including a record of Orders of Protection filed, both for a child or an adult.
For criminal record checks, resource providers must have fingerprint background checks completed using the process outlined in Attachment A.
NOTE: This same process shall be used for TLP advocates, FUTURES participants, MMP mentors, ILP contracted staff and foster or adoptive parents being assessed for the Division through a contracted agency.
Except for the specific felony convictions listed below, 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.
Felony Convictions
Staff may not approve the application of any person in which a record check reveals that a felony conviction for child abuse or neglect, spousal abuse, a crime against children (including child pornography), or a crime involving violence, including rape, sexual assault, or homicide, but not including other physical assault or battery was determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Staff may also not approve the application of any person who in the past five (5) years has had a court of competent jurisdiction determine a felony conviction for physical assault, battery, or a drug-related offense.
For the purpose of this policy, a "felony conviction by a court of competent jurisdiction" is defined as a criminal court conviction for a felony offense as defined by law in the jurisdiction that the offense took place.
In the unlikely event that it is determined that the best interest of a child would be served by placement in this setting, written approval must be obtained through supervisory lines to the Regional Office. The Regional Office must review the request and, if in agreement, forward with their recommendation to Central Office for final consideration. Written requests should include a thorough description of the applicant’s situation and why it would be in the child’s best interest for an exception to be granted. If approved by Central Office, IV-E funding may not be used and the Children’s Service Worker will be responsible for notifying the Eligibility Specialist who will ensure that state only funds are used.
Unless a new conviction occurs, this will not affect the status of any currently licensed or certified parents, however, federal funds may not be used for foster care maintenance or adoption assistance payments if any of the aforementioned conditions exist. It is imperative that in those circumstances the Children’s Service Worker notifies the Eligibility Specialist who will enter the correct fund code for state only funding.
Evaluate as adequate past performance as foster/kinship parent.
Chapter Memoranda History: (prior to 1/31/07)
CD04-05, CD04-79, CD04-96, CD05-76, CD06-37