Utah Admin. Code R501-12-16 - Additional DCFS Kinship and Specific Home Licensure Considerations
(1) An applicant may apply for licensure for
the placement of a specific foster child or sibling group.
(2) The minimum age for a kinship or specific
applicant is 18 years of age and a kinship applicant is allowed to cohabitate
or be legally married.
(3) Only OL,
an agency contracted by the department, or an approved DCFS kinship home study
specialist may conduct a kinship or specific home study.
(4) A minimum of two acceptable reference
letters sent in accordance with Subsection
R501-12-4(5)
are required for a kinship or specific applicant.
(5) The foster parent may not accept a
placement until the home study, safety inspection, and background checks are
successfully completed, unless the placement is made on an emergency basis as
authorized by Section
80-2a-301.
(6) OL shall grant a kinship or specific
probationary license or initial license upon receipt and approval of a
completed kinship or specific packet submitted by DCFS.
(a) A kinship or specific probationary
license expires no later than the last day of the fifth month from the issue
date if compliance is not met before that time.
(b) The probationary licensee may receive an
initial license at any time within the probationary 5 months when compliance
with probationary terms is met.
(c)
A probationary licensee whose probationary terms are not met before the
expiration of that license may either expire or extend with OL-approved
documented justification.
(7) A kinship or specific home licensee may
not accept placement of any foster child other than the foster child, or
relatives to that foster child, as designated on the license or
certificate.
(8) If a kinship or
specific licensee desires to provide general foster care services, they shall
complete the following:
(a) submit written
approval from their DCFS kinship support worker to become a general foster
parent to OL and the DCFS contracted recruitment and training agency to
initiate required training;
(b)
close the kinship or specific license and submit to the requirements of an
initial foster care license to include:
(i)
complete initial foster care application; and
(ii) complete foster care pre-service
training series with the exception of session one, if completed within the last
2 years;
(c) submit to a
home study update interview with their licensor to change child-specific
content to general foster parent requirements; and
(d) provide any new reference letters as
requested.
(9) If DCFS
does not support a license change, no further licensing action will be taken,
unless the issue is disputed and overturned by the OL director.
(10) In accordance with Section
26B-2-130 and the Indian Child
Welfare Act, 25 U.S.C. Sec.
1901 through
1963, DCFS may request reduced
requirements for a kinship specific licensee by submitting a variance request
outlining the requirements to be varied and how the request does not impact the
health and safety of the specific foster child or sibling group. This variance
request must be approved in writing by the director of OL before it may become
effective.
Notes
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