Ariz. Admin. Code § R21-6-206 - Licensing Agency Foster Home Study and Assessment

A. The licensing agency shall enter the home study via the Department's electronic database.

B. To assess the applicant and write the initial home study, the licensing agency shall:

1. Conduct interviews with each household member, including each child household member, if appropriate to the child's age and developmental level, on at least:

a. Two occasions in the applicant's home;

b. One occasion with each applicant, individually; and

c. One occasion with applicants, jointly, if:

i. Applicants are married; or

ii. Another adult household member is applying for a license or is currently licensed;

2. Complete reference checks as follows:

a. Obtain written statements via postal mail, electronic mail, or on the form supplied by OLR, from at least five reference sources identified by the applicant;

b. Ensure that no more than two references are from relatives; and

c. Make personal contact, either in a face-to-face meeting or via telephone, with at least one of the reference sources identified by the applicant;

3. Provide the applicant with the required forms and information to apply for a Level One fingerprint clearance card;

4. Request Central Registry record checks for each adult household member for Arizona and from each state these individuals resided in during the previous five years;

5. Ensure completion of all required training by the applicant;

6. Ensure the applicant has the proper equipment required by this Chapter, such as age-appropriate beds, for each foster child at the time of placement;

7. Visit the applicant's home and provide information to help the applicant prepare for the Life Safety Inspection to be conducted by OLR throughout the home and premises.

8. Request a Life Safety Inspection for the applicant's home and verify any corrections made, if applicable; and

9. Work with each household member to assemble information for self-assessments, using the forms approved by OLR.

C. The home study shall include a summary of self-assessments, interviews, and observations evaluating the applicant's fitness for licensure, including:

1. Motivation and expectations for becoming a foster parent;

2. Commitment to the care and supervision of a foster child;

3. Parenting skills and ability to use a reasonable and prudent parenting standard characterized by a careful and sensible parental decisions that maintain the health, safety, and best interests of a foster child while at the same time encouraging the emotional and developmental growth of the child;

4. Daily routine and time available to devote to the care of a foster child;

5. Support network, including friends, neighbors, relatives, and the community;

6. Personal or family problems and the applicant's success in undergoing rehabilitation and overcoming or coping with these problems, including abuse, neglect, or violence that was:

a. Committed by the applicant;

b. Committed against the applicant; or

c. Witnessed by the applicant;

7. History of substance use or abuse and the applicant's success in overcoming or coping with these challenges;

8. Medical, physical, and mental health problems and the applicant's success in overcoming or coping with these problems;

9. Ability to deal with anger, stress, and separation;

10. Personal stability, marital stability, and the stability of the household, as applicable;

11. Stability of residency in Arizona;

12. Significant life events, including but not limited to job separation, divorce, child custody, bankruptcy, or the death of a family member;

13. History of complying with court-ordered child support, if applicable;

14. Attitude toward discipline, discipline of the applicant's children, and willingness to commit to the Department's discipline policy; and

15. Willingness to share parenting for a foster child with that child's birth family.

D. In addition, the home study shall address:

1. Household members' ability to meet requirements, as described under R21-6-302 ;

2. The ability of household members to provide a safe and positive home environment for a foster child;

3. The strengths and needs of the applicant; and

4. The applicant's compliance with licensing requirements as defined in Chapter 6 of this Title.

E. The home study shall contain a recommendation to issue or deny a license, based on the information available to the licensing agency. A licensing agency shall provide justification for a recommendation to deny a license using specific examples that demonstrate that, in the licensing agency's professional judgment, the applicant does not meet licensing requirements.

F. The licensing agency may, at its discretion, provide additional recommendations in the home study to:

1. Limit the terms or conditions of a license; and

2. Certify the applicant to provide specialized services, as described under R21-6-331.

Notes

Ariz. Admin. Code § R21-6-206

New section made by exempt rulemaking at 21 A.A.R. 3479, effective 1/24/2016.