§6 ch3: Resource Family Assessment and Licensing Process
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3.1 Resource Provider Family Assessment
This procedure will be followed for resource provider home assessments.
The Children’s Division is the licensing entity for Missouri resource provider homes. The Children’s Division may contract with private agencies to develop resource homes. The private agency developing and/or maintaining a resource home follows Children’s Division policy. When developing or re assessing a resource provider home, the contractor makes one of the following recommendations to the Children’s Division:
- License or approve a home;
- Deny issuance of a license or approval of a home they are developing;
- Revoke a current open license or approval of a resource home they are maintaining.
The Children’s Division makes the determination of the recommendation.
After the Children’s Service Worker receives the completed Foster/Adopt Home Assessment Application, CS-42, and the Foster Family Profile, CD-56, the Children’s Service Worker should open an application in FACES. The worker will verify if there is a Departmental Vendor Number, DVN, in FACES. If there is not, the worker will assign a DVN to the applicant. The recommendation of the application shall not be entered until:
- The certainty of approving the application, or
- Receipt of written request by the applicant to withdraw the application, or
- All due process is complete if denying the application.
Initiate action within 30 days of receipt of the application by:
- Beginning pre-service training;
- Face-to-face contact; or
- Group informational/orientation meeting.
Begin mutual selection process by personal interview.
Complete assessment using:
- Attachment A for resource provider families including relative and kinship families;
- Attachments A and F for foster family group homes.
- A Resource Home and Safety Checklist, CS-45 should be completed on all homes.
Establish compliance with licensing rules.
- 13 CSR 35-60.010 through 13 CSR 35-60.060 for foster/kinship families;
- 13 CSR 40-72.010 for foster family group homes;
A child may be placed in a relative or kinship home prior to licensure, but only after a safety inspection of the home, Child Abuse/Neglect screening, and MULES background checks are completed. See Section 4.12 for background screening procedures for family and agency arranged kinship care, and Attachment A of this section for detailed fingerprinting procedure. The relative or kinship family will be paid a maintenance payment equal to the traditional foster care payment rate from the date of placement while pursuing completion of the licensing requirements. This shall be no longer than 90 days. Until the home is fully licensed, the maintenance payment is made with state-only funds; IV-E reimbursement cannot be made. The Relative or Kinship provider is not eligible for the professional parent incentive payment, PPMN, until they are fully licensed. Relative and kinship providers are required to complete STARS or STARS “For The Caregiver Who Knows The Child” training as a condition of licensure. Relative and kinship parents who become licensed are eligible for professional parent incentive payments, PPMN.
Complete the assessment and make a recommendation within 120 days of receipt of application.
Keep licensing assessment (any data which supports licensure decision) separate from ongoing narrative completed during the course of the year (i.e., entries regarding foster parents, foster children, or biological parents) which does not effect licensure status. The Licensing Home Assessment is a matter of public record, and thus, open for viewing. However, certain sections contain sensitive information that is protected from routine public viewing without a court order or written consent by the foster parents. (See sections 610.010(6), 610.021, 610.032.1, 211.321.1, 610.120, 191.656.1, 630.140, 192.067, 192.667.3, 192.739, 620.010.14(7), RSMo).
Obtain applicant’s signature on the home assessment indicating agreement; applicant retains one copy. The home assessment is not completed until the applicant/provider, worker, and worker’s supervisor have signed and dated the home assessment
- Update the vendor screens in FACES,
- Provide a Foster Parent Identification Card by having staff in the local office who operate the computer camera go to http://dssweb/ist/camop/ and click on Identification Card Application Form, and
- Obtain signed, “Cooperative Agreement for the Purchase of Professional Foster Care Services”, CM-14.
The licensing worker must also register each resource provider applicant with the Family Care Safety Registry prior to licensure.
License Issuance
Recommend issuance of license to resource providers for a two-year period.
License Denial
Recommend denial using the Resource Home Adverse Action Report (CS-20), through supervisory lines to the Regional Director:
- Include a summary of the licensing rules on which the decision is based.
- When an adverse action is CA/N related, submit a copy of the Child Abuse/Neglect Investigation/Family Assessment Summary (CPS-1), and Safety Assessment (CD-17).
- When recommended adverse action is denial, submit a copy of the home assessment to the Regional Office.
- Receive confirmation from the Regional Director/designee of denial decision.
- Notify applicant, by personal contact, of recommended adverse action.
- Notify applicant by registered mail with the Notification of Resource Home Adverse Action letter, CS-20a of adverse action taken and of procedure for fair hearing.
- If no response within thirty (30) calendar days of written notice or after agency decision is upheld in fair hearing process, close the license in FACES with a close reason of denial. Do not enter the denial of the application until the applicant has completed all the due process time frames.
License Maintenance and Renewal
The Children’s Service Worker should encourage the resource provider to set up a bookkeeping system whereby detailed records are kept of expenditures for tax purposes.
The assessment should be updated any time there is a significant change in the family situation within two (2) weeks of the Children’s Service Worker being notified of the change.A significant change would be a change in household composition, move from one residence to another, major physical changes in the home, death of family member, debilitating illness of a household member, etc.If the update is due to a physical move or physical change in residence, reference must be made to licensing regulation compliance. If the household contains weapons, the worker must personally observe that the storage of the weapons complies with Division policy and foster home licensing rules.
A new Foster Family Profile, CD-56 is to be completed at the time of license renewal, unless there is already a current up-to-date profile in the file.The CD-56 is to be updated when there are changes in the household composition that impact the information gathered on the form.
In order to comply with Council on Accreditation (COA) regarding emergency preparedness, the licensing worker must document that the resource provider has read and understands the Children’s Division’s policy regarding Prevention and Control of Contagious and Infectious Diseases as found in the Missouri Resource Parent Handbook.
Update the appropriate screens in FACES.
Evaluate a resource provider’s continued eligibility within required license renewal time period.
A resource provider moving to another county/circuit should be placed on Administrative Hold and not receive any additional placements pending the completion of the license transfer process.
The county/circuit from which the provider has moved should notify the receiving county/circuit of the provider’s change in address, and provide necessary information on current placements.Notification and the transfer of records should occur within one week of the move.The sending county must also notify the receiving county of any weapons kept in the household.
The receiving county/circuit should schedule a home visit within two weeks of notification. A new Resource Home and Safety Checklist, CS-45, and updated home assessment must be completed by the receiving county. After the provider’s new home has been inspected and approved, relicensure should be granted. The Administrative Hold should be removed from the Vendor Licensure/Approval and Renewal screen, and provider records updated to reflect the changes.
If the resource family asks to change the age, sex or race of children to be considered for placement, update the appropriate screens in FACES, and request the issuance of a new license/approval certificate.
NOTE:For foster family group home re licensure, allow enough lead time to receive completed inspection reports within the 90-day period prior to license expiration.
Record the reassessment and recommendation information by using Attachment E, Renewal Assessment Recording Outline.
Record all transactions of children presented for placement with a family and family’s acceptance or rejection of children including family’s reasons for decision. If a family has not had an alternative care placement for the last twelve (12) months or longer, the worker should discuss the reason why the family has not had a placement during this time period and the types of children in CD custody needing placement. A plan should be made to address the concerns of the foster parent(s) and/or the Division. The foster parent(s) may attend additional training or may be utilized for respite care to address placement concerns. The Professional Family Development Plan (PFDP), CD-100, may be utilized for this process.
The worker should begin the process for closing the license only after working with the foster parent(s) to reach an agreement on placing children in the home and discussion with the worker’s supervisor.The worker should complete the form Resource Home Adverse Action Report, CS-20.These will be considered a voluntary relinquishment of the license, unless licensing violations are present and impact the decision to close the license, and staff should mark other in the reason for the license relinquishment.Staff should explain that the foster home has not had placements for the last twelve 12 months or longer and that an agreement could not be reached for the placement of children in the home.If the foster family does not agree with closing the license, it should be placed on Administrative Hold until such time as the family will accept children or licensing closing or revocation can be completed.Once the Resource Home Adverse Action Report, CS-20 is completed and approved, the license as closed.The close reason used should be “04 - Vendor Resource Discontinued Service”.
For relative and kinship care providers, the license must be kept open until the Children’s Division is released of jurisdiction. If the worker and supervisor feel the family is appropriate for consideration, they may also discuss with the provider the needs of the circuit for alternative care providers to determine if the provider is interested in becoming a licensed foster home. The license should be closed if neither of these criteria is met.
Obtain signature on Renewal Assessment indicating agreement; family retains one copy.
Update the license status in FACES, and:
- Recommend issuance of license to resource providers for a two-year period, or
- Recommend issuance of license to relative or kinship family for a two-year period, or
- If not renewed, see license denial.
Evaluate resource provider’s expressed interest of becoming resource providers in the Youth with Elevated Needs-Level A program by examining necessary qualifications, and characteristics as listed in Section 4 Chapter 14 Youth with Elevated Needs:
- Enroll prospective Level A resource providers in specialized Level A training.
- Assess prospective Level A resource provider’s performance during specialized Level A training to determine if approval is indicated.
- Obtain and submit to the Contract Management Unit (CMU), the Level A resource provider’s signature on the Amendment to Provide Level A Foster Care, CM-3.
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3.1.1 Administrative Hold
Administrative Hold is used in responding to certain licensing situations which will more effectively serve resource parents, the Children’s Division and most importantly, the safety of children. All suspensions entered on the Vendor Licensure/ Approval and Renewal FACES page, require notification of an adverse action which is open to appeal. The Administrative Hold status reflects a less punitive and negative connotation and is not open to appeal.
Depending on the nature of the allegation and the risk assessment, the provider may be placed on Administrative Hold with a corrective action/support plan implemented with no other children placed in the home until the issue is resolved and the Hold status is removed.If no immediate safety risk factors exist to the children during the investigation/assessment (I/A), the children currently in the home should not be removed.If, at the time of the investigation/assessment, it is determined the child will be removed, either at the request of the resource provider or by the investigator, the Children’s Service Worker should be notified in order to schedule a Family Support Team meeting.
The Family Development Specialist should be having and documenting their regular, ongoing discussions with the resource provider regarding any licensing concerns prior to a change in their licensing status.For an Administrative Hold the licensing worker should notify the provider via a phone call as soon as possible.A follow-up letter should then be sent explaining why the Hold is in effect and how it can be removed/resolved.If the Hold was requested by the provider, the licensing worker should follow up with a letter verifying their request.
Administrative Hold is required in the following circumstances:
- An Out-of-Home Investigation (OHI) is under way involving Legal Status 1 children in the resource provider’s home.The Administrative Hold should remain in effect until the investigation is concluded and all corrective actions/support plans, if any, are successfully completed and documented in the record.
- A CA/N investigation/assessment is under way involving non-Legal Status 1 children in the resource provider’s household.The Administrative Hold should remain in effect until the I/A is concluded and all corrective actions/support plans, if any, are successfully completed and documented in the record.
- Licensing concerns have been noted and a staffing is under way.The Administrative Hold should remain in effect until all corrective actions/support plans, if any, are successfully completed and documented in the record.
- When the licensing worker is conducting the bi-annual license renewal, if the resource provider has not met all of the licensing criteria such as the required training hours, submission of fingerprints, etc., then the resource home will be placed on Administrative Hold.The resource provider will have a maximum of six (6) months to complete all the necessary requirements.The provider will not receive the Professional Parenting Payment (PPMN) until all of the licensing requirements are completed by all adults in the household with child supervision responsibility.If all the criteria for licensing renewal are not met by the 6 month deadline, then the licensing worker will begin the revocation process. ICPC resource providers are not eligible for the PPMN payment.
In order to stop the PPMN payment for those providers who are placed on Administrative Hold due to non compliance with all the license renewal requirements the worker must do the following:
- Request the Cooperative Agreement for the Purchase of Professional Foster Care Services (CM-14 also known as PP contract) be closed with a reason of“1”.The request is sent via E-mail to the Administrative Office Support Assistant responsible for entering contracts in Contract Management Unit at Central Office in Jefferson City. Please include the vendor name, vendor number (DVN), contract number and date the contract should be closed.
- Obtain the signature of the resource provider on a Cooperative Agreement for the Purchase of Foster Care Services (AC/CM-3) and send it to the Contract Management Unit in Central Office.
A new PP contract can be opened once all of the licensing renewal requirements are completed and documentation is placed in the file.The new PP contract will need to be submitted in order to open the PP contract and resume the PPMN payment.
NOTE: For information regarding the renewal licensing criteria, refer to Section 6 Chapter 3 attachment D Guide for Conducting Renewal Assessment
- A resource provider moving to another county/circuit should be placed on Administrative Hold.(See License Maintenance and Renewal in this section for additional information.)
- The resource provider has experienced a significant change in household composition, health, employment, etc. The Administrative Hold should remain in effect until the provider’s situation has been reassessed and the home assessment has been updated. Every effort should be made to complete these actions within 2 weeks, per the Council on Accreditation (COA). The worker should document all attempts to meet this timeframe, including the provider’s specific actions of non-compliance within that time.
The Administrative Hold is available, but optional in a variety of circumstances, such as, but not limited to:
- The resource provider has had a new birth and needs time to adjust.
- The resource provider feels they need “a break”.
- The Family Support Team has recommended that the resource provider cease new placements during the period of adjustment for an adopted child.
- The resource provider has a biological/adopted child placed in residential care.Per memo CD05-22, no additional children will be placed in the home without the approval of the Circuit Manager (CM) or designee.The guidelines stated in Section 4 Chapter 5 Attachment C should be reviewed and assessed as the provider may need time to work with the child placed in residential care.
If there are questions whether an administrative hold or suspend should be implemented, staff should consult with first or second level supervisors for guidance.
The Administrative Hold is selected as the suspend reason on the Vendor Licensure/ Approval and Renewal screen in FACES.
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3.1.2 Revocation
Revocation is defined as an action which is taken:
- In response to a CA/N report or Preponderance of Evidence finding to be applied during the time of the investigation/assessment and the allegation is severe enough to warrant removal of a child.
- As an action to be taken when revocation is recommended:
- Revocation is used whenever children in the home have been found to be in imminent risk.
- Revocation is used when the resource parent is not complying with licensing requirements and efforts (such as, but not limited to, being placed on Administrative Hold) to remedy the situation have failed (i.e.:refuse to keep training requirements current, refuse to meet licensing standards, or continued non-compliance with an Individual Support Plan).
- Revocation is used when a staffing has been held, and licensing violations are of sufficient magnitude to warrant a recommendation of suspend.
Administrative Hold is used during the period of evaluation and consideration of amelioration.
Recommend revocation of license status using the Resource Home Adverse Action Report, CS-20 through supervisory line to the Regional Director’s office.
- Identify and document the areas of non-compliance;
- In the summary, cite licensing rule(s) on which the decision is based.The summary must contain clear and cogent facts to support staff’s recommendations for revocation of license.
- When adverse action is CA/N related, submit a copy of Child Abuse/Neglect Investigation/Family Assessment Summary, CPS-1.
If it is decided the resource parents should no longer provide out-of-home care, immediately start the revocation procedure; do not allow license simply to expire.
Receive confirmation from Regional Director of agreement with revocation recommendation.
- Notify resource family by personal contact of recommended adverse action.
- Notify resource family by registered mail with the Notification of Resource Home Adverse Action letter, CS-20a of revocation, citing licensing rule(s).
- Notify resource parents of their right to the fair hearing process.
- If no resource parent response within thirty (30) calendar days of notice, or after agency decision is upheld in fair hearing process, close the vendor iwht the close reason of revocation. Do not enter a revocation in FACES until the time frames have been met for due process.
- Retrieve all foster parent identification cards and approval certificates issued to the resource providers.
- Record revocation activities.
- Close record.
If the Regional Director/designee does not uphold revocation recommendation, continue licensure status.
The Worker must obtain the applicant’s signature on the home assessment indicating agreement.The applicant’s signature is also needed if the worker has decided to deny licensure.The signature indicates that the applicant has reviewed the assessment.
When recommending revocation, cite action taken by the agency to help the family resolve the situation causing the problem(s).Describe what services have been offered to the family and the results.