Child and Family Services Policy > Section XIV - Family Foster Homes for Children > XIV. F. Approval of Relative Family Foster Homes for Children

PURPOSE

In order for the Department to be in compliance with U.S. Public Law 96-272, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 - the Division of Child and Family Services will formally approve relative family foster homes. These homes will be approved as meeting the Rules for the Licensing of:

Family Foster Homes for Children

Specialized Children’s Homes, or

Family Foster Homes Providing Only Respite Care for Children

DEFINITIONS

The following definitions shall apply:

1.	A "relative family foster home" means a children’s home that is a private dwelling where care is provided within a family on a regular, 24-hour a day, residential basis to children under 18 years of age and related to the foster family by blood or by marriage.

2.	"Blood relatives" shall mean mother, father, child, brother, sister, grandparents, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, first cousins, and any of the foregoing relatives by adoption.

An Indian child’s "blood relative" shall be in accordance with the Indian Child Welfare Act which is a person who has reached the age of eighteen and is the Indian child’s grandparent, aunt or uncle, brother or sister, brother-in-law or sister-in-law, niece or nephew, first or second cousin, or step-parent, by adoption or as defined by the child’s Tribe.

4.	"Relatives by marriage" shall mean stepfather, stepmother, stepbrother, stepsister, step aunt, step uncle, step grandparents.

GENERAL PROCEDURES

1.	Application for approval for relative homes will be processed in the same way as applications for licensed non-relative foster homes.

2.	State law does not require the licensing of relative foster homes. However, if a relative wants to apply for a license to operate a family foster home for children, rather than for approval, he or she may do so.

All relative homes will be referred to the Community Care Worker who will provide the family with a copy of the appropriate licensing rules and an application for approval. The Community Care Worker will be responsible for evaluating the home for compliance with licensing rules and making a recommendation, Form SWSS-060, to central office.

4.	Approval will be issued on an annual basis.