Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 6, September 16, 2024
(a) Foster parents
shall be persons whose behaviors, circumstances, and health are conducive to
the safety and well-being of children. Foster parents shall be selected on the
basis of demonstrating strengths in the skill areas of Subparagraphs (1)
through (12) of this Paragraph which permit them to undertake and perform the
responsibilities of meeting the needs of children, in providing continuity of
care, and in working with the supervising agency. Foster parents shall
demonstrate skills in:
(1) assessing
individual and family strengths and needs and building on strengths and meeting
needs;
(2) using and developing
effective communication;
(3)
identifying the strengths and needs of children placed in the home;
(4) building on children's strengths and
meeting the needs of children placed in the home;
(5) developing partnerships with children
placed in the home, parents or the guardians of the children placed in the
home, the supervising agency and the community to develop and carry out plans
for permanency;
(6) helping
children placed in the home develop skills to manage loss and skills to form
attachments;
(7) helping children
placed in the home manage their behaviors;
(8) helping children placed in the home
maintain and develop relationships that will keep them connected to their
pasts;
(9) helping children placed
in the home build on positive self-concept and positive family, cultural, and
racial identity;
(10) providing a
safe and healthy environment for children placed in the home which keeps them
free from harm;
(11) assessing the
ways in which providing family foster care or therapeutic foster care affects
the family; and
(12) making an
informed decision regarding providing family foster care or therapeutic foster
care.
(b) Age. A license
may only be issued to persons 21 years of age and older.
(c) Health. The foster family shall be in
good physical and mental health as evidenced by:
(1) a medical examination completed by a
licensed medical provider on each member of the foster home within the last 12
months prior to the initial licensing application date, and biennially
thereafter;
(2) documentation that
each adult member of the household has had a TB skin test or chest x-ray prior
to initial licensure unless contraindicated by a licensed medical provider. The
foster parents' children are required to be tested only if one or more of the
parent's tests positive for TB;
(3)
a medical history form completed on each member of the household at the time of
the initial licensing application and on any person who subsequently becomes a
member of the household;
(4) no
indication of alcohol abuse, drug abuse, or illegal drug use by a member of the
foster family;
(5) no indication
that a member of the foster family is a perpetrator of domestic
violence;
(6) no indication that a
member of the foster family has abused, neglected, or exploited a disabled
adult;
(7) no indication that a
member of the foster family has been placed on the North Carolina Sex Offender
and Public Protection Registry pursuant to Article 27A Part 2 of G.S.
14;
(8) no indication that a member
of the foster family has been placed on the Health Care Personnel Registry
pursuant to
G.S.
131E-256; and
(9) no indication that a member of the foster
family has been found to have abused or neglected a child or has been a
respondent in a juvenile court proceeding that resulted in the removal of a
child or has had child protective services involvement that resulted in the
removal of a child.
(d)
Education. Foster parent applicants shall have graduated from high school or
received a GED (Graduate Equivalency Diploma) or shall have an ability to read
and write as evidenced by their ability to administer medications as prescribed
by a licensed medical provider, maintain medication administration logs and
maintain progress notes.
(e)
Required Applicants. Foster parent applicants who are married are presumed to
be co-parents in the same household and both shall complete all licensing
requirements. Adults 21 years of age or older, living in currently licensed or
newly licensed foster homes who have responsibility for the care, supervision,
or discipline of the foster child shall complete all licensing requirements.
The supervising agency shall assess each adult's responsibility for the care,
supervision, or discipline of the foster child.
Authority
G.S.
131D-10.1;
131D-10.3;
131D-10.5;
143B-153;
Eff.
September 1, 2007;
Amended Eff. November 1, 2009;
Pursuant to
G.S.
150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without
substantive public interest Eff. October 3,
2017.
