Kansas Administrative Regulations
Agency 28 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
Article 4 - MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH
Section 28-4-175 - Services in family foster home care

Universal Citation: KS Admin Regs 28-4-175

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 12, March 20, 2024

(a) Foster home finding. The agency shall have a recruitment process with designated staff and funding to reach out and inform the community about children needing foster homes. The agency shall provide information to prospective foster parents about foster care, the agency, the requirements for foster parents, the children needing foster care, licensing regulations, the licensing process and the reimbursement rates. The agency shall recruit foster parents who can respond to the agency's need to place specific children and be able to adjust their recruitment techniques as the kinds of children needing placement change.

(b) Application and study process. At the time of inquiry, the potential applicant(s) shall be provided the opportunity to state their own plan for child care. Before formal application, the agency's foster care program and the value and necessity of having a license shall be discussed. It shall be explained that a licensed agency or the Kansas department of social and rehabilitation services shall complete a study and make recommendations concerning the home's eligibility for licensure to the Kansas department of health and environment. If after discussion of the potential applicant(s) plan and the general requirements for licensing, the potential applicant(s) wishes to proceed, the application forms shall be completed. The agency shall provide to prospective foster parents a copy of "regulations for licensing family foster homes" and an application form, both furnished by the Kansas department of health and environment. The application shall be completed, checked for accuracy, and counter-signed by an agency representative.

(c) Social study. The agency shall, as a further part of the application process, conduct a social study of the foster family in their home. In conducting the study, the agency shall include at least one face-to-face interview with each member of the foster family. The agency shall assess the following areas and record the information in the foster parent(s) record:

(1) Motivation for foster care;

(2) Family's attitude toward foster children;

(3) Family's attitude toward natural parent(s);

(4) Adjustment of own children including school reports;

(5) Child caring skills;

(6) Strengths and weaknesses of each member of the household;

(7) Type of children desired;

(8) Type of children for whom placement with the family would not be appropriate; and

(9) Recommendation for number, age, sex, characteristics, and special needs children best served by the family. Copies of the social study are to be made available to the applicant and to licensing representative(s) of the Kansas department of social and rehabilitation services. The placement of children shall be consistent with the assessment and recommendations of the social study, including assessment of subsequent placements.

(d) Services to foster parent(s).

(1) Orientation. The agency shall provide orientation to foster parents to acquaint them with the agency's policies and practices.

(2) Training. There shall be a training plan for all foster parents to receive not less than 6 hours of training yearly. Such training shall provide opportunities for the foster families to increase their skills and parenting ability particularly with respect to the differences they may encounter in raising children not their own. Training opportunities should be chosen from the following topics:
(A) Developmental needs of the child to be placed;

(B) Roles and relationships in foster care between the agency, foster parent, natural parent, and child;

(C) Child management and discipline techniques;

(D) Separation and the importance of the child's family;

(E) Importance of the child's continued communication and contact with his or her family;

(F) Supportive services available to the children and foster families from the community;

(G) Communication skills;

(H) Constructive problem solving;

(I) First aid and home safety; and

(J) Human sexuality.

(e) Agreement. The agency shall have a written agreement with each foster family which clearly delineates the responsibility of the foster family and the child placing agency.

(f) Annual evaluations. The agency shall schedule an annual on-site evaluation of the foster home to make an assessment of the care and progress of each foster child in the home. The results of the evaluation shall be on file in written form at the agency and a copy submitted to the foster parents.

(g) Foster care payments. The agency shall have a system by which reimbursement is made to foster parents for expenditures or fees for service that is timely and equitable. If either services or care is to be provided by a foster family as a donation to the agency, a written agreement between the agency and the family shall specify services which shall be provided free and services or costs to be assumed by the agency.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Kansas may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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