A.The department shall license and certify foster homes. Licenses are valid for a period of two years.
B.The department shall not issue a license without satisfactory proof that the foster parent or parents have completed six actual hours of approved initial foster parent training as set forth in section 8-503 and that each foster parent and each other adult member of the household has a valid fingerprint clearance card issued pursuant to section 41-1758.07. The foster parent and each other adult member of the household must certify on forms that are provided by the department and that are notarized whether the foster parent or other adult member of the household is awaiting trial on or has ever been convicted of any of the criminal offenses listed in section 41-1758.07, subsections B a
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A. The department shall license and certify foster homes. Licenses are valid for a period of two years.
B. The department shall not issue a license without satisfactory proof that the foster parent or parents have completed six actual hours of approved initial foster parent training as set forth in section 8-503 and that each foster parent and each other adult member of the household has a valid fingerprint clearance card issued pursuant to section 41-1758.07. The foster parent and each other adult member of the household must certify on forms that are provided by the department and that are notarized whether the foster parent or other adult member of the household is awaiting trial on or has ever been convicted of any of the criminal offenses listed in section 41-1758.07, subsections B and C in this state or similar offenses in another state or jurisdiction.
C. A kinship foster care parent shall apply for a fingerprint clearance card pursuant to section 41-1758.07. In its discretion and for good cause, the department may waive the requirement for a kinship foster care parent to obtain a fingerprint clearance card. In evaluating whether good cause exists, the department shall apply the criteria prescribed in section 41-1758.07, subsections B and C. If the department waives the requirement, the department shall issue to the kinship foster care parent a restricted license that applies only to the children placed with the kinship foster care parent for kinship foster care.
D. The department shall not renew a license without satisfactory proof that the foster parent or parents have completed twelve actual hours of approved ongoing foster parent training during the two-year period of licensure as set forth in section 8-503.
E. If the department determines that completing the training required in subsections B and D of this section would be a hardship to the foster parent or parents, the department may issue a provisional license for a period not to exceed six months. A provisional license may not be renewed.
F. Child welfare agencies that submit foster homes for licensing shall conduct an investigation of the foster home pursuant to licensing rules of the department. The department shall conduct investigations of all other foster homes. If the foster home meets all requirements set by the department, the agency shall submit an application stating the foster home's qualifications to the department. The agency may also recommend the types of licensing and certification to be granted to the foster home.
G. The department shall accept an adoptive home certification study as a licensing home study if the study has been updated within the past three months to include the information necessary to determine whether the home meets foster care licensing standards.
H. This section does not apply if the child is placed in a home by a means other than by court order and if the home does not receive compensation from this state or any political subdivision of this state.
I. The department may not prohibit a person operating a licensed foster home from applying for or receiving compensation as a foster home parent due to employment with this state.
J. The department shall not require a foster parent to immunize the foster parent's natural or adoptive children as a condition of foster home licensure.
K. A licensee may modify the renewal date of a license issued pursuant to this section by submitting an application for modification of renewal date with the department on a form prescribed by the department. The licensee must specify the new month of renewal on the application. The modified renewal date must be before, but not more than six months earlier than, the existing renewal date.
L. The foster care review board shall review the cases of children placed by the department in foster homes licensed pursuant to this section as required by section 8-515.03.
M. If a group foster home is licensed pursuant to this section and will be administering medication to a foster child who will be placed in the group foster home, the group foster home shall develop policies and procedures that identify how the group foster home will manage administering medication to a foster child. The policies and procedures shall include all of the following:
1. How the group foster home will provide a foster child with qualified health care on a twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week schedule.
2. The group foster home's process for administering medication to a foster child.
3. The qualifications of staff members of the group foster home who will be administering medication to a foster child.
4. The qualifications of staff members of the group foster home who will be supervising a foster child's self-administration of medication.
5. The supervision, process and documentation of a foster child's self-administration of medication.
6. The documentation process for the administration of medication, medication errors and drug reactions.
7. The documentation and process of notification to a foster child's health care provider of a medication administration error or drug reaction.
8. The procedures for contacting law enforcement, a health care provider or a medical professional when a foster child's refusal to take medication prescribed to the foster child endangers the foster child's or another's health and safety and the procedures for documenting the foster child's refusal to take medication prescribed to the foster child.
N. The department may require a group foster home to employ additional staff when a medically complex child is placed in the care of the group foster home. The department may require a group foster home to modify the group foster home's policies and procedures required by subsection M of this section to accommodate the needs of a medically complex child.
O. For the purposes of this section, "medically complex child" means a child who the department has determined has or is at risk for a chronic physical or developmental condition and who requires health-related services beyond the health-related services that are required by a child in general.