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Title:

Child Welfare Manual

Section 6:

Resource Development

Chapter 3:

Resource Family Assessment and Licensing Process

Attachment D:

Guide for Conducting Resource Provider Family Assessments

Effective Date:

August 20, 2012

§6 ch3: Resource Family Assessment and Licensing Process

Attachment D:  Guide for Conducting Renewal Assessment

The licensing worker should take the following steps to renew the resource provider’s license prior to the end date of the resource parent’s licensure period. Renewal process should begin at minimum 90 days prior to expiration of the license:

• 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 resource parents to deal with foster/kinship youth, the agency, and the biological parents.

In compliance with 13 CSR 35-60.030 (3), re-evaluate the performance based competencies taught in the pre-service training:

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

   Document the resource provider’s demonstration of acquisition of these skills and any concerns regarding delinquency or weakness so they can be addressed on the Professional Family Development Plan, CD-100. The CD-100 must be reviewed and renewed before re-licensure.

• Interview all members of the resource 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.
• Provide a copy of the Foster Parent Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, RSMo 210.566.
• Provide the Resource Parent Acknowledgment of Home Assessment & Case File Information Access, CD-128, and obtain signature(s).
• Provide the Safe Sleep Practices Form CD-117, and obtain signature(s) indicating agreement.
• Provide the Resource Parent Discipline Agreement, CD-119, and obtain signature(s) indicating agreement.
• Provide a School Reference Request, CS-101e, to the teacher of each child living in the home. No foster youth specific information is to be placed in the resource file.  CS-101e forms received regarding foster youth may be placed in the foster youth's file.
• Provide Employee Reference form, CS-101c only if employment has changed since last assessment, or there are concerns about employment.
• If any concerns are identified during quarterly home visits or the interview process for the home assessment amended for license renewal, the Personal Reference Request, CS-101f and/or the Employer Reference Request CS-101c may be utilized.  These forms are designed for initial licensure.
• Provide a copy of the HIPAA Information for Resource Parents, CD-194, and obtain signature(s).

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 youth, taking into consideration the age and mental capacities of the youth. If the medications are accessible to foster youth, 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 youth (i.e. a child is moving toward independent living and is learning self-sufficiency skills).

• The Foster/Adoptive Medical Report, CW-215 is to be completed for each resource parent and biological or adopted child in the home by the physician for license renewal, but not including any current foster youth placements.
• Ascertain the resource provider has completed the recommended number of in-service resource parent training hours prior to recommendation for relicensure.

If a resource provider does not receive the required number of hours of training during the licensing period, the resource provider will be placed on Administrative Hold and 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 Cooperative Agreement for the Purchase Professional Parenting Services, CM-14. The Children’s Service Worker may need to open a Cooperative Agreement for the Purchase of Foster Care Services, 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 resource provider will have up to 6 months to rectify the deficit training hours. The resource 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 resource provider obtains the needed hours of training, the CM-14 will be reopened, the administrative hold status removed, and the professional parenting payment will be 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.

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 resource provider 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 timeframe. 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:

1. SCLR - Department of Social Services (DSS) database (access with name, sex, and date of birth);
2. IPAR - Family Support Division (FSD) information (accessed by DCN);
3. FMPX - FSD participation screen (accessed by DCN or SSN);
4. OVCI - Claims and Restitution (CARS) information (accessed by DCN); and
5. 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. The 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.

There is to be no printed document (CA/N, FACES Call/Case History page, etc.) placed in the file. Document in the assessment that the CA/N check was completed and the results of the check.

If it was not done so during the initial licensure process, 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. Additionally, if any individuals 17 years of age and older have moved into the household, background checks must be conducted. The search is conducted by going to the web site, http://ccld.ca.gov/adamwalshi_2609.htm . This web site is maintained by the California Department of Social Services. It lists the contacts for every state to request Child Abuse and Neglect background checks. The list includes contact names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses. It also includes specific forms if required and if the state requires a fee. Information regarding states that charge a fee is located in memo CD008-102. Department Vendor Numbers for those states that charge a fee are listed on the Other State Child Abuse Registry list located in the Resource Development section of the Children’s Division Intranet home page.

Request a report on each adult household member from the Family Care Safety Registry (FCSR). The worker can do one of the following:

1. access the FCSR on line with their assigned ID and password (preferred), or
2. call the FCSR at 1-866-422-6872.
   • The CSW obtains internet access by doing the following:
     1. Go to the FCSR home page, www.dhss.mo.gov/fcsr;
     2. Click on the Forms link;
     3. Click on the How to Become a FCSR Internet User link;
     4. Click on the Internet Background Screening Access/Security Request.
     5. Return the completed document by Fax to 573-522-6981, or by mail to:

        DHSS/Family Care Safety Registry
        PO Box 570
        Jefferson City, MO 65102

     In response FCSR will assign a USER ID number to the CSW to be used exclusively for access to the FCSR. The USER ID and instructions on how to do the password and how to run a background screening will be faxed to the worker. This ID and password are autonomous from the worker’s current ID and passwords used for logging on to the state computer system FACES, and PROD. The password is on a 30-day expiration cycle and the worker will have to update it every 30 days just as with the PROD password.

Families who do not have Social Security numbers due to their religious practices (i.e. Amish) are not required to register with the FCSR and note of this should be documented in their record and study.

• The address of residence of the resource home will be entered at the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s sexual offender list located on the web at: http://www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/Root/l. The address search will determine if a sexual offender is registered as residing at the address of the resource home. A copy of the resulting web page must be placed in the background section of the case file.
• 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 Section 6 Chapter 3 Attachment A.

This same process shall be used for Transitional Living Advocates (TLA), 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.

Applicants who are subsequently licensed/approved and are issued a vendor number are to receive reimbursement for the cost of the criminal check. This should only be necessary if they obtained the screening from another state or did not go through the Division to obtain a criminal check from the Highway Patrol.

Reopening a Closed Resource Provider

If a previously licensed resource provider requests that their license be reopened in order to be eligible to accept placements, staff must do the following:

• Have applicant(s) complete the Foster/Adopt Home Assessment Application, CS-42.
• Check the licensing and the contract screens to determine what previous licenses and contracts were in place and to determine the documented reason for closure.
• Consult with any previous staff who has knowledge of the applicant(s) during the time they were previously licensed or contracted with the Division.
• Discuss with the applicant(s) their perceived reasons for closing their license/contract and their motivation for reopening.
• Conduct all required background checks.
• Conduct a safety inspection of the residence using the Resource Home and Safety Checklist, CS-45.
• Provide a copy of the Foster Parent Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, RSMo 210.566.
• Present the Resource Parent Acknowledgement of Home Assessment & Case File Information Access, CD-128, and obtain signatures of agreement.
• Present the Safe Sleep Practices Form, CD-117, and obtain signatures of agreement.
• Present the Resource Provider Discipline Agreement, CD-119, and obtain signatures of agreement.
• Present a copy of the HIPAA Information for Resource Parents, CD-194, and obtain signatures.
• Complete the Professional Family Development Plan, CD-100. Any training that is needed in order to insure that the resource provider is capable of parenting foster youth and returning to the treatment team as a productive member must be completed before a placement is made in the home.
• Complete a new home assessment.
• If recommendation is to re-open the resource license, update the appropriate FACES screens, and provide the Cooperative Agreement for the Purchase of Professional Parenting Services, CM-14, for signature.
• If recommendation is to deny re-licensure, the Children’s Service Worker is responsible to provide documentation of facts that the applicant(s) is not in compliance with Statute, Rule, and Policy should the applicant request a fair hearing to pursue a grievance of the decision.

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

• CD04-05,
• CD04-79,
• CD04-96,
• CD05-76,
• CD06-37

Memoranda History:

• CD07-36,
• CD07-54,
• CD08-55,
• CD08-56,
• CD09-55,
• CD09-87,
• CD09-88,
• CD09-116,
• CD11-22,
• CD12-85