Foster Care Licensing

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Model Licensing Standards Resources

Model Foster Family Home Licensing Standards

Generations United, The ABA Center on Children and the Law,  and The Annie E. Casey Foundation, joined forces with the National Association for Regulatory Administration (NARA) to create the first set of comprehensive Model Family Foster Home Licensing Standards (2014).  

 

Crosswalk Tool

Editable version of the crosswalk tool developed to allow states to compare their current foster care licensing standards with the Model Licensing Standards. 

General Licensing Resources

Immigrant Caregivers: The Implications of Immigration Status on Foster Care Licensure 

ABA Center on Children and the Law fact sheet on state licensing standards related to immigrant caregivers serving as placement resources for children in the child welfare system.    Summary of fact sheet is available here. 

 

California Resource Family Approval Toolkit

The Alliance for Children’s Rights, the Step Up Coalition, and a wide range of state and local partners created a Resource Family Approval Toolkit  designed to help walk  California caregivers through the newly implemented Resource Family Approval process. (2017) 

 

Development and Implementation of Tribal Foster Care Standards

Booklet developed by NICWA to assist with the process through which tribes can develop locally appropriate standards. It is based on the premise that foster care standards are most useful when they are developed by the Indian community in which they will be used and when a broad segment of that community participates in the development and implementation process (2000).

 

Identifying and Verifying the Safe Foster Home: A Study and Assessment Method

Action for Children’s foster home assessment tool to be used to assess potential foster family homes. 

 

Improving Foster Care Licensing Standards around the United States: Using Research Findings to Effect Change

Summary and analysis of foster care licensing standards in all states and the impact of such standards on relatives seeking licensure, from Generations United, ABA Center on Children and the Law, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation (2013).

 

Live Scan Fingerprinting Technology:  A Primer for Child Welfare Agencies 

This ChildFocus primer for child welfare agencies gives practical information on how to obtain and implement live scan technology (2016).

 

Obtain a Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry Check in Each State

Contains the state contact for child abuse and neglect checks.

 

Program Standards for Treatment Foster Care 

These standards developed by the Foster Family-based Treatment Association, are designed to assist agencies in the development of quality Treatment Foster Care services for children, youth, and families. (2013)

Report to Congress on States' Use of Waivers of Non-Safety Licensing Standards for Relative Foster Family Homes

Children’s Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth and Families report to Congress on children placed in relative foster family homes and the use of licensing waivers (2011)

State Kinship Foster Care Licensing and Payment Policies
Compares foster care licensing and payment policies by state, from Urban Institute (2003).
General Foster Care Resources
This Annie E. Casey Report identifies three major themes for engaging and empowering foster parents: ensuring quality caregiving for children; forging strong relationships; and, finding and keeping more amazing caregivers (2016).
 
The Continuing Evolution of State Kinship Care Policies
Presents the findings of a 2001 survey of state relative foster care policies, from Urban Institute (2002). 
 

Every Kid Needs A Family

This Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT policy report underscores a simple fact about childhood: Family matters. Yet, today in America, 57,000 children are still living in group placements. Readers will learn about limiting the role of residential treatment care to its intended purpose and how state and local leaders can work together to enhance family-oriented services and supports (2015). 

 

Judicial Tip Sheet:  Kin First

A one page tip sheet for judges on considerations in cases involving kin, from the ABA Center on Children and the Law, Annie E. Casey Foundation, and NCJFCJ (2016). 

 

Kinship Diversion Debate

This report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation explores the practice of "kinship diversion" in which children are placed with relatives as an alternative to foster care.  Different perspectives about whether kinship diversion is a good or bad practice are offered.  The report concludes that child welfare agencies should more thoroughly explore their kinship diversion practices to ensure they adequately meet the needs of children, their parents and kinship caregivers (2013).

 

Kinship Process Mapping

Kinship Process Mapping (KPM) is a form of analysis adapted from business to help child welfare agencies increase their efficiency and effectiveness in working with kinship families. This Annie E. Casey Foundation guide provides a step-by-step process to help agencies prepare for KPM, facilitate KPM sessions, analyze results and develop solutions. The Guide also includes kinship process templates that can be tailored to the unique needs and issues confronting public child welfare systems (2013).

 

Meth and Child Welfare: Promising Solutions for Children, Their Parents and Grandparents
Provides a comprehensive set of recommendations to improve the child welfare system’s ability to combat the impact of meth and many of the other serious issues facing children and their families, from Generations United (2006).

 

State Kinship Care Policies for Children that Come to the Attention of Child Welfare Agencies: Findings from the 2007 Casey Kinship Foster Care Policy Survey
Summarizes key findings from the most recent survey of states’ kinship care policies. This study looks at the implications of states increasing their use of relatives to care for abused and neglected children to avoid having to take children into custody, from Child Trends (2008).
 

TANF and Child Welfare Programs: Increased Data Sharing Could Improve Access to Benefits and Services
US Government Accountability Office (GAO) study, (2011).

 

Time for Reform, Support Relatives in Providing Foster Care and Permanent Families for Children
Presents the latest findings on the impact of relative care for children in foster care, describes the role of relatives as permanent families for the children in their care, and offers cost-effective ways to support relatives as caregivers through federal policy, from Kids Are Waiting and Generations United (2007). 

 

 

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