Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) A recommending agency shall document that
each person seeking certification successfully completes all preplacement
training required by this rule according to the type of foster home for which
certification is sought.
(B) A
recommending agency shall document that each foster caregiver for whom
recertification is recommended successfully completes all continuing training
required by this rule for the type of foster home operated by the foster
caregiver, unless a waiver is approved by the recommending agency pursuant to
paragraph (J) of this rule and appropriately documented according to paragraph
(K) of this rule.
(C) A foster
caregiver or applicant is to meet the following preplacement or continuing
training requirements, as applicable to the type of home for which an applicant
is seeking certification or for which a foster caregiver is certified.
(1) Pre-adoptive infant foster home:
(a) A person seeking certification to operate
a pre-adoptive infant foster home shall complete a minimum of twelve hours of
preplacement training prior to the agency recommending the home for
certification. The required training
topics are
listed in appendix A to this
rule.
(b) A foster
caregiver certified to operate a pre-adoptive infant foster home shall complete
a minimum of twenty-four hours of continuing training during each certification
period. If a currently certified foster caregiver has not completed
infant first aid and CPR training, the caregiver
is to complete the training by their subsequent recertification.
(2) Family foster home:
(a) A person seeking certification to operate
a family foster home shall complete twenty-four hours of preplacement training prior to the agency
recommending the home for certification. The preplacement training program shall consist
of courses in the role of foster caregivers as a part of the care and treatment
of foster children. To continue the certification process, prospective foster
caregivers are to complete the full list of topics in
appendix A to this
rule.
(b) A foster caregiver
certified to operate a family foster home shall complete a minimum of thirty
hours of continuing training during each certification period. A continuing
training program shall consist of courses that a foster caregiver must complete
in accordance with the caregiver's written needs assessment and continuing
training plan. Effective January 1, 2023 a foster
caregiver is to complete resource readiness topics during the first
certification period as specified in appendix A to this rule.
(c) No preplacement
training received prior to certification shall be counted towards the
completion of continuing training required by this rule.
(3) Specialized foster home:
(a) A person seeking certification to operate
a specialized foster home shall complete twenty-four hours of preplacement training prior to the agency
recommending the home for certification. The preplacement training program is to consist
of topics
listed
in appendix A to this rule.
(b) A foster caregiver
certified to operate a specialized foster home shall complete a minimum of
forty-five hours of continuing training during each certification period. The
continuing training program shall consist of courses in accordance with the
caregiver's written needs assessment and continuing training plan and shall
include additional topics specific to the types of children placed in the type
of specialized foster home for which the caregiver is certified. Such training
shall also include completion of a first aid training program and a child and
adult CPR training program such as those training programs offered by the
American red cross, the American heart association, or the equivalent.
Effective January 1, 2023 a foster caregiver is to
complete resource readiness topics during the first certification period as
specified in appendix A to this rule.
(c) No preplacement
training received prior to certification shall be counted towards the
completion of continuing training required by this rule.
(D) A foster caregiver may
complete up to twenty per cent of his or her continuing training requirement by
teaching one or more training classes to other foster caregivers or by
providing mentoring services to other foster caregivers. To qualify for
teaching or mentoring services a foster caregiver shall:
(1) Have at least two years experience as a
certified foster caregiver.
(2)
Have had at least two child placements in their foster home.
(3) Be a currently certified foster
home.
(4) Not be under a corrective
action plan by a recommending agency.
(5) Not be under investigation for a
violation of state statute or rule by a recommending agency or ODJFS.
(E) As used in this rule,
mentoring services means, at a minimum:
(1)
Assisting foster caregivers with information that will encourage communication
between the new foster caregivers and human service agencies.
(2) Offering foster caregivers possible
solutions to problems that may occur while caring for a child in
placement.
(3) Assisting and
guiding recently certified foster caregivers in day to day activities while
caring for a child in placement.
(4) Offering to assist foster caregivers in
utilizing resources within their community.
(5) Encouraging recently certified foster
caregivers to attend training sessions in order to maintain their current
certification.
(F) Video
presentations and training completed outside of a classroom shall be accepted
under the following conditions:
(1) Video
presentations may be used as a tool to meet preplacement or continuing foster
caregiver training requirements if any of the following requirements are met:
(a) A qualified trainer is present during the
training session to respond to questions.
(b) The video presentation is part of a
self-directed learning program approved by ODJFS.
(c) ODJFS has approved the video presentation
as part of an agency's training proposal as set forth in rule
5101:2-5-40 of the
Administrative Code.
(2)
Video presentations prepared for entertainment purposes shall not be considered
as meeting training requirements unless transfer of learning components are
included prior to or following the video presentation. Transfer of learning
components may include a pretest, a posttest, or a discussion following the
video presentation. Video presentations prepared for entertainment purposes
shall not be used for preplacement training or to meet more than one-forth of a
foster caregiver's continuing training requirements.
(3) The acceptance of training that is
completed outside a classroom where a trainer is not present, shall be
considered by the recommending agency on an individual basis and shall not be
used for more than six hours of preplacement training or to meet more than
one-half of a foster caregiver's continuing training
requirements. To be accepted by a recommending agency to meet a foster
caregiver's continuing training requirements, the training must include a
transfer of learning component prior to or following the training. Such
training shall be consistent with the recommending agency's written needs
assessment and continuing training plan developed for the foster caregiver
pursuant to paragraph (G) of this rule. If a private child placing agency
(PCPA) or private noncustodial agency (PNA) intends to accept such continuing
training on a regular basis, it shall be included in the agency's training
proposal developed pursuant to rule
5101:2-5-40 of the
Administrative Code. If a public children services agency (PCSA) intends to
accept such continuing training on a regular basis, it shall provide written
notification to the regional training center of the Ohio child welfare training
program (OCWTP) responsible for providing foster caregiver training for the
county so the training center can make appropriate plans for training.
(a) Training completed outside a classroom
may include training offered through the following methods:
(i) Video presentations.
(ii) Books or magazines.
(iii) Computer programs.
(iv) Internet sites.
(v) Interactive video
presentations.
(b)
Transfer of learning components may include the following:
(i) A pretest.
(ii) A posttest.
(iii) A discussion following the
training.
(4)
Continuing training where a foster caregiver is teaching one or more training
classes to other foster caregivers or providing mentoring services to other
foster caregivers may be used in combination with training completed outside a
classroom to meet no more than one-fourth of the foster caregiver's continuing
training requirements.
(5) Live
synchronous distance learning, where the trainer or facilitator is available
real time to deliver the training, may be used to meet
all of preplacement and continuing training.
(6)
Pursuant to rule
5101:2-5-38 of the
Administrative Code, neither a foster caregiver training stipend nor an agency
training allowance payment shall be made for training completed outside a
classroom where a person in the role of a trainer is not present.
(7)
Continuing training hours obtained by a foster caregiver by teaching one or
more training classes to other foster caregivers are eligible for stipend and
training allowance reimbursement in the amount of hours as specified in the
foster caregiver's written needs assessment and continuing training plan. Any
continuing training hours obtained by a foster caregiver by teaching one or
more training classes to other foster caregivers in excess of the specified
amount in the written needs assessment and continuing training plan shall not
be reimbursable.
(G) Not
later than the first thirty days of a foster caregiver's certification period,
a recommending agency shall develop and implement a written needs assessment
and continuing training plan for each foster caregiver affiliated with the
agency. Each needs assessment and continuing training plan shall satisfy all of
the following requirements:
(1) Be effective
for the two-year period the foster caregiver's certificate is in
effect.
(2) Be appropriate for the
type of foster home the foster caregiver operates, the type of children
typically placed in the home and include as
appropriate training for the caregiver that relates to providing
independent living services, as defined in section
2151.81 of the Revised Code, to
a child placed as provided in division (B)(2) of section
2151.353 of the Revised
Code.
(3) Require the foster
caregiver to successfully complete the courses the agency considers
appropriate;
(4) Include criteria
the agency is to use to determine whether the foster caregiver has successfully
completed the courses.
(5)
Guarantee that the courses the foster caregiver is required to complete are
available to the foster caregiver at reasonable times and places.
(6) Specify the number of hours of continuing
training, if any, the foster caregiver may complete by teaching one or more
training classes to other foster caregivers or by providing mentoring services
to other foster caregivers as referenced in this rule.
(7) For a family foster caregiver or a
specialized foster caregiver, specify whether the agency will waive any of the
hours of continuing training the foster caregiver is required by paragraph (C)
of this rule to complete during each certification period if the foster
caregiver satisfies the conditions for the agency to issue a waiver. If the
agency will issue a waiver, the agency shall state in the needs assessment and
continuing training plan the number of hours of continuing training, not to
exceed eight during each certification period, that the agency will
waive.
(H) For the
purpose of determining whether a foster caregiver has satisfied the
requirements of paragraph (C) of this rule, a recommending agency shall accept
training for foster caregivers obtained from a regional training center of the
OCWTP or an approved preplacement training program or continuing training
program operated by a PCPA or PNA under rule
5101:2-5-40 of the
Administrative Code regardless of whether the recommending agency operated the
preplacement training program or continuing training program. The recommending
agency may require that the applicant or foster caregiver successfully complete
additional training as a condition of certification or recertification. A
recommending agency may accept up to fifteen hours of continuing training
without prior approval from ODJFS if both of the following are met:
(1) The training is from a program that
provides a training course or courses outlined in the foster parent's
continuing training plan.
(2) The
program is agreed upon by both the recommending agency and the foster
parent.
(I) The
recommending agency shall maintain a record in the statewide automated child
welfare information system (SACWIS) for each foster caregiver showing the date,
location, course name and length of each preplacement and continuing training
course each foster caregiver attended, and the name of the trainer.
(J) At the beginning of a foster caregiver's
second certification period or a subsequent certification period, a
recommending agency may include within the foster caregiver's written needs
assessment and continuing training plan, a waiver of up to eight hours of
continuing training that a foster caregiver holding a certificate for a family
foster home or specialized foster home is otherwise required by paragraph (C)
of this rule to complete during the certification period, if all of the
following apply:
(1) The foster caregiver has
had or maintained a foster home certificate for at least two years.
(2) The foster caregiver has provided care
for a foster child for at least ninety days of the twelve months preceding the
date the agency issues the waiver.
(3) The foster caregiver has not violated any
statute or rule governing certification of foster homes during the twelve
months preceding the date the agency issues the waiver.
(4) The foster caregiver has complied in full
with the needs assessment and continuing training plan developed for the foster
caregiver under paragraph (G) of this rule for the preceding certification
period.
(K) For each
continuing training waiver approved by a recommending agency for a family
foster home or a specialized foster home pursuant to paragraph (J) of this rule
the following documentation shall be maintained in the foster caregiver's
record:
(1) The date of the waiver.
(2) The number of hours of training
waived.
(3) A statement that each
of the requirements of paragraph (J) of this rule have been met.
(4) The name and signature of the authorized
agency representative who approved the waiver.
(L) A foster caregiver to whom either
paragraph (L)(1) or (L)(2) of this rule applies shall be given an additional
amount of time within which to complete the continuing training required under
this rule, as applicable to the type of foster home the caregiver is certified
to operate. The additional time shall be one month for each month the caregiver
was on active duty. Any required training that is not met at the end of a
foster caregiver's certification period applying the preceding sentence shall
be waived by the agency. When a waiver of training is approved by an agency
under this paragraph, the required training for the next certification period
shall be the same as for any other caregiver operating a foster home of the
type for which the foster caregiver is certified. The agency shall document any
such extension of time in the foster caregiver's record.
(1) The foster caregiver has served in active
duty outside Ohio with a branch of the armed forces of the United States for
more than thirty days in the preceding two-year period.
(2) The foster caregiver has served in active
duty as a member of the Ohio organized militia, as defined in section
5923.01 of the Revised Code,
which includes the Ohio national guard, the Ohio naval militia and the Ohio
military reserve, for more than thirty days in the preceding two-year period
and that active duty relates to either an emergency in or outside of Ohio or to
military duty in or outside of Ohio.
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