Foster Care Licensing

Finalized kin-specific licensing or approval standards, guidance and template forms for kinship foster family homes developed by national organizations with input from kin caregivers, subject matter experts, and at least 45 title IV-E agencies. These Kin-Specific Foster Home Approval Standards respect the unique circumstances of kin caregivers, removing historic barriers and striving to make the approval process more flexible for kin caregivers.

 -- For sample template forms please visit this page. 

 -- Visit this page in Spanish

This link downloads an Excel crosswalk tool to help title IV-E agencies compare their current licensing or approval standards with the Kin-Specific Foster Home Approval: Recommended Standards of National Organizations in an effort to identify areas of alignment and identify areas for change to align with these standards.

Administration for Children and Families Program Instruction to provide instruction and attachements to title IV-E agencies on title IV-E plan amendments resulting from the promulgation of Separate Licensing Standards for Relative or Kinship Foster Family Homes (88 FR 66700). 

Casey Family Programs Information Packet on how to support placement and licensing of kinship homes including jurisdictional examples and tools. July 2020.