DISCUSSION:

The purpose of this memorandum is to introduce a communication tool to assist staff with timely license renewal of resource homes, License or Approval Renewal Reminder, CD-102 for you to share with your staff.

The policy revision and tool creation was drafted in collaboration with Children’s Division Circuit Managers, Supervisors, Field Support Managers and the Missouri State Foster Care and Adoption Board.

A license to provide alternative care or an approval to provide alternative care services Elevated Needs Level A, Elevated Needs Level B, Elevated Needs Medical, Respite and Adoptive resource is issued for a two year period. If the license or approval is not renewed before the expiration date, the license or approval will expire.

An active license or approval and the correct corresponding cooperative agreement entered in FACES are necessary for maintenance (MAIN) payments. Maintenance payments may only be generated if the License or Approval, Cooperative Agreement, and placement type for the service correlate.

The resource licensing worker makes quarterly home visits with the resource family to discuss parenting strengths and challenges, training needs, safety concerns and compliance with foster family home licensing rules. The engagement during each quarterly visit should facilitate the continuation of the resource family maintaining the requirements to remain licensed. When the worker makes the final quarterly visit prior to license renewal there should be minimal requirements remaining for the resource family to complete.

The policy introduction in 2008 which allowed placing a resource home on Administrative Hold due to not completing all license or approval renewal requirements prior to the expiration date is revised with this memorandum.

All licenses and approvals must be renewed prior to the expiration date. If all renewal requirements have not been met by 90 days prior to expiration date, the CD-102 is sent to the resource family reporting the requirements necessary for the home to be renewed before it is closed due the expired license/approval. Space is provided on the letter to enter details of renewal tasks which family members may still need to complete. The fingerprinting authorization letter which provides the registration number for scheduling a fingerprinting appointment should be sent with the 90 day reminder letter. Please use this opportunity to communicate, in writing, with the resource family the specific tasks needed for re-licensure.

If there are foster children/youth in the home, discussion around alternative planning between the licensing worker, case manager, and resource parent should begin 90 days prior to the expiration date, in the event that the license is not renewed. Foster children/youth may not reside in an unlicensed foster home without a court order. The only exception is when a foster youth is placed initially in a relative or kinship applicant’s home who is pursuing licensure. Foster placements may remain in the unlicensed relative or kinship home for up to 90 days while the applicants are pursuing licensure.

If the home continues to not meet renewal requirements, the CD-102 should be sent again at 60 days prior to the expiration date. If the resource provider is demonstrating reluctance or resistance to completing requirements for license renewal, a formal review of the home as outlined in Resource Development Policy Section 6 of the Child Welfare Manual should be conducted. The outcome of this meeting will determine if the next step is an adverse closure of the home and the required Resource Home Adverse Action,

CS-20a letter sent so that the resource provider has an opportunity to request a Fair Hearing before the license expires.

If the home continues to not meet renewal requirements 30 days prior to expiration date, the CD-102 should be sent again and the home placed on Administrative Hold.

Level A, Level B, Medical, Group Home, Respite, and Level B Respite, are approved vendor types for foster care services. These are not licenses. The decision to deny or revoke these vendor types is not open for appeal as these are contractual service decisions and not licensure decisions. Placing the resource home on Administrative Hold status does not prevent the license or approval from expiring. It does, however, allow for data entry in the comment section on the Licensure and Approval and Renewal Screen in FACES regarding the facts of why the home is being placed on Administrative Hold.

If a court order is obtained to allow the foster youth to remain in the unlicensed resource home, inform the resource family that MAIN and PPMN payments will stop the day after expiration and will not resume until the license/approval is renewed. There will be no MAIN or PPMN while the home is in the unlicensed status. The resource development worker is responsible to inform the resource provider of the cessation of payments once the license expires.

Full implementation of the new License or Approval Renewal Reminder letter and revised policy shall be effective two weeks from the publication date of this memorandum.

Resource providers placed on Administrative Hold status due to not meeting all requirements for license renewal as policy allowed prior to this revision, may continue to be granted the remaining six month allowed time from when their Administrative Hold status began.

For those resource providers who have not met license renewal requirements and their license is due to expire within the 60 days of the publication of the memorandum, their status shall be placed on Administrative Hold as the policy directs. They may be allowed up to 90 days to be compliant with licensing renewal requirements.

The policy updates within this memo are effective June 26, 2014.