REQUIREMENTS

The Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) shall: 

1. Complete a comprehensive written evaluation of the overall quality and functioning of each approved caregiver on an annual basis that includes a recommendation for re-approval or disapproval and the signature of the final approving authority. 
   1. The annual re-evaluation must be completed prior to the expiration of the current foster home approval period. i. No home shall have more than 12 months of approval (e.g., the re-evaluation for a foster home approved 01/10/2019 is due by 12/31/2019). ii. If a re-evaluation is completed within 30 calendar days of the due date, then the approval term (starting month to ending month) and re-evaluation date will remain the same as it was previously. iii. If the re-evaluation is completed more than 30 calendar days early or late, then the approval term and re-evaluation date must change. 
   2. All components of the re-evaluation must follow the Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE) model (see Practice Guidance: Updating a SAFE Home Study). 
   3. The re-evaluation must be completed by a home study practitioner (HSP) who is certified in the SAFE model. The HSP may be a certified DFCS staff member, Child Placing Agency (CPA) staff member or approved contractor. 
   4. The re-evaluation process must be supervised throughout by a supervisor who is certified in the SAFE model and has successfully completed the SAFE Supervisor Training. 
   5. All home study interviews must be conducted in the applicant’s home. 
   6. Each household member must be interviewed. 
   7. Obtain input from children not currently placed in the home but were household members at some point during the previous approval period, when practical and appropriate. 
   8. The final approval authority must be a SAFE certified DFCS County Director/Designee or CPA Director/Designee. 
      1. The date the re-evaluation is signed by the final approving authority is the official date of approval for the re-evaluation. 
      2. If the re-evaluation is not approved timely, the foster home status must be changed from full approval status in Georgia SHINES accordingly (see policy 14.15 Resource Development: Household Approval Status).
2. Afford qualified individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from the DFCS foster care and adoption programs (see policy 14.11 Resource Development: Individualized Assessment). 
3. Perform applicable safety screening of all adult household members each year before granting final approval. Screening must be conducted within 90 calendar days prior to the re-evaluation due date (see policy 19.9 Case Management: Safety Screenings). 
4. Conduct a fingerprint-based criminal history records check (CRC) of the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database on all caregivers and adult household members at least every five years from the date of the Initial Family Evaluation. The CRC must be conducted within 90 days prior to the re-evaluation due date (see policy 19.8 Case Management: Criminal Records Checks). 
5. Assess each caregiver’s place of residence using the Caregiver Home Inspection Safety and Compliance Checklist to determine if the physical environment meets the DFCS minimum safety and quality standards (see policy 14.1 Resource Development: Safety and Quality Standards). 
6. Ensure a comprehensive medical evaluation is completed for primary and secondary caregivers every five years from the date their home is approved unless more frequent evaluations are warranted. 
   1. The medical evaluation must be conducted and signed by a licensed physician, physician’s assistant, or public health department within 90 calendar days prior to the re-evaluation due date. Utilize the Prospective Foster or Adoptive Parent Medical Evaluation Report. 
   2. Caregivers of children age 0 - 24 months must have an up-to-date pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination unless the immunization is contrary to the individual’s health as documented by a licensed healthcare professional. 
   3. Caregivers of children age 0 - 24 months and children with special medical needs must have an up-to-date annual influenza vaccination unless the immunization is contrary to the individual’s health as documented by a licensed healthcare professional. 

   4. Caregivers shall not be approved if the certifying medical official indicates that a caregiver’s health poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others. Direct threat is defined as a significant risk of harm to the health or safety of others than cannot be eliminated by modifications in policy, practice or procedures 

      NOTE: When direct threat is the justification for not approving individuals with disabilities, the decision must be based an individualized assessment (see policy 14.11 Resource Development: Individualized Assessment). 

   5. If the certifying medical official indicates that a primary or secondary caregiver (as applicable) has any medical, cognitive or other condition that will affect his/her ability to care for a child, or has an ongoing medical condition, the applicant must be medically re-evaluated at each annual re-evaluation until the condition is resolved. 
   6. Medical evaluations are not required for other adult household members at reevaluation but household members under 18 years of age must have current immunizations unless the immunization is contrary to the individual’s health as documented by a licensed healthcare professional. 
   7. Document the medical evaluation on the Prospective Foster or Adoptive Parent Medical Evaluation Report.
7. Request primary and secondary caregivers undergo drug screening at any time there is reasonable suspicion of substance misuse (see policy 19.25 Case Management: Drug Screens). Caregivers shall not be approved if positive results are reported for any illegal drug. 
8. Request primary and secondary caregivers to complete a financial statement. 
9. Ensure primary and secondary caregivers have completed the required amount of continued parent development (see policy 14.9 Resource Development: Continued Parent Development). 
10. Ensure primary and secondary caregivers have current certification in First Aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), for the ages of the children in placed in their home. 
11. Initiate a re-evaluation of approved caregivers whenever there are significant changes in the household that impact the caregiver’s ability to meet the Safety and Quality Standards (SQS) and the issues of concern cannot be adequately addressed through an addendum to the most recent Family Evaluation (see policy 14.14 Resource Development: Family Evaluation Addendums). 
12. Allow previously approved caregivers to have their homes re-opened within three years of a voluntary closure using the re-evaluation process. 
13. Suspend completion of a re-evaluation on a caregiver who is the subject of an active Child Protective Services (CPS) Investigation. If a disposition has not been reached in the CPS investigation by the time the re-evaluation is due, the home moves to ‘unapproved’ status until a decision can be made regarding the future approval status of the home. 
14. Review the Caregiver Child Safety Agreement with the caregivers and obtain their signatures as confirmation of the review. 
15. Review the Confidentiality and Privacy Standards Agreement with the caregivers and obtain their signatures as confirmation of the review. 
16. Restrict the use of or disclosure of information concerning applicants and their household members including maintaining the privacy of protected health information (see policies 2.5 Information Management: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and 2.6 Information Management: Confidentiality/Safeguarding Information). 
17. Provide written notification to caregiver(s) regarding their approval status within five business days of the approval decision.

PROCEDURES

The DFCS Caregiver Recruitment and Retention Specialist (CRRS)/CPA Resource Development (RD) Staff will: 

1. Track when home re-evaluations are due for completion to ensure each re-evaluation is approved prior to the last day of the current approval term and that no home has more than 12 months of approval. 
   1. Under the Resource Development Staff Dashboard in Georgia SHINES, users can select the ‘Retention’ tab to view homes with re-evaluations that are due. 
   2. Under the Resource Development Staff Dashboard in Georgia SHINES, users can select the ‘Compliance’ tab to view re-evaluations that are overdue. 
2. Initiate a comprehensive re-evaluation of the household at least 90 calendar days prior to the expiration date of the current approval term which allows adequate time to gather medical evaluations, update criminal records, etc. if needed.
3. Provide caregivers at least 90 calendar days’ notice of the need for any medical evaluations or criminal records checks for themselves or household members. 
4. Gather information from Social Services Case Managers (SSCMs) who have supervised placements in the foster home during the period being evaluated. 
5. Gather information from children that were placed in the home during the previous review period, when practical and appropriate. 
6. Conduct safety screening on all adult household members (see policy 19.9 Case Management: Safety Screenings). 
7. Conduct a fingerprint-based criminal records check (CRC) of the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database on all adult household members if it has been five years or longer since the last CRC was completed. This includes household members who reached age 18 during the annual re-evaluation period.
8. Carefully assess the home’s compliance with Safety and Quality Standards and home safety guidelines regarding water safety, firearm safety, animal safety, etc. (see policy 14.1 Resource Development: Safety and Quality Standards). 
9. Gather basic data to determine present household status, including significant information on the current household, health, employment, and financial status. Require proof of current motor vehicle license and insurance. Include a verification statement that the documents were reviewed and are current and valid. 
10. Obtain feedback from primary and secondary caregivers. Give caregivers an opportunity to formally review their experience working with DFCS, and to share their view on the fostering experience by completing the Primary Caregiver Feedback Survey or Secondary Caregiver Feedback Survey. 
11. Confirm that primary and secondary caregivers have completed the required hours of continued parent development (see policy 14.9 Resource Development: Continued Parent Development). 
12. Confirm that primary and secondary caregivers have current certification in First Aid, including CPR, for the ages of children placed in their home. 
13. Identify the family’s developmental stage and observe their interaction around the various tasks associated with their developmental stage (see policy 19.2 Case Management: Family Developmental Stages and Tasks). 
14. Interview/obtain feedback from all household members. 
    1. Address the relationship between the Agency and the caregivers, including the caregivers’ ability to accept Agency supervision. 
    2. Discuss the effects of children leaving the home and the ability of the caregivers to prepare them for leaving.
    3. Discuss the caregivers’ protective capacities and their ability to continue parenting the type of children for which they were approved. 
    4. Review the past year’s disciplinary practices and issues. 
    5. Review and have caregivers initial, as indicated, the Caregiver Child Safety Agreement at each re-evaluation. 
    6. Review and have caregivers initial, as indicated, the Confidentiality and Privacy Standards Agreement at each re-evaluation.
    7. Address the caregivers’ continued parent development. 
    8. Ask caregivers if there have been any 911 calls or arrests at their home during the past 12 months. Caregivers are expected to report all arrests and 911 calls to their home by the next business day following the occurrence.
    9. Include all members of the caregivers’ household in the re-evaluation process. 
    10. Include the children who have been placed in the home during the past year, the caregivers’ interaction with these children, and their ability to meet the children’s needs. 
    11. Examine the need for childcare services to continue, if applicable.
15. Provide recommendations for the classification of the home, age, sex, number, and characteristics of children for whom the home is approved. a. Consider the family’s developmental stage and how the characteristics of any future child placed in the home will impact the family. b. Include the beginning and ending dates of approval. 
16. Submit the completed re-evaluation to the Resource Development (RD) Supervisor and County Director for approval prior to the expiration of the current approval period. 
17. Notify the caregivers of the approval status of their home within five business days of the approval decision. 18. Update information on the FA Home page in Georgia SHINES. Document the reevaluation assessment period in Section 1 (From and To) in Georgia SHINES.

The Social Services Supervisor will: 

1. Monitor and track home re-evaluations to ensure each re-evaluation is approved prior to the last day of the current approval term and that no home has more than 12 months of approval. 
2. Ensure all required safety screenings, criminal history records checks, and the Caregiver Home Inspection Safety and Compliance Checklist are completed. 
3. Meet with the Caregiver Recruitment and Retention Specialist (CRRS)/CPA Resource Development (RD) Staff to review the results of the safety screenings, criminal history records checks and Caregiver Home Inspection Safety and Compliance Checklist. 
4. Ensure all SAFE tools are used correctly. 
5. Review the SAFE Home Study Report to ensure that it is thorough and that all issues are identified and discussed prior to final approval. 
6. Complete the SAFE Supervisor Home Study Certification and include in the file. 
7. Ensure caregivers are given the opportunity to read the authorized portion of the Home Study Report pertaining to their family and have so acknowledged by signing the document. 
8. Routinely assess the foundational skills of the HSP (engagement and forensic interviewing skills; analytical and evaluation skills; and writing skills) and provide the education and support necessary to help the HSP strengthen skills as needed.

PRACTICE GUIDANCE

What is the purpose of the Family Re-evaluation? 

The assessment of an approved home is an ongoing process between DFCS/CPA and caregivers. A re-evaluation may be completed at any time during an approved home’s one year approval period but is usually completed just prior to the expiration of the current approval period. The key purpose of the re-evaluation is to utilize information gathered during the approval term to determine if a home continues to be a safe and suitable environment for the placement of children in foster care and meets Safety and Quality Standards. Information gathered from various sources (e.g., in-home consultation, feedback from caregivers, case managers, children placed in the home, documentation, safety screening, training logs) is used to conduct a holistic review of the caregiver and household. 

Who is qualified to complete the Family Re-evaluation? 

SAFE Certified DFCS staff, SAFE Certified CPA Case staff, or contractors may qualify as a SAFE Home Study Practitioner (HSP) able to complete the Family Re-evaluation. Private contractors must meet the following criteria: 

1. Certification in the SAFE model; 
2. A minimum of a bachelor’s level of education in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or a related field; 
3. Ability to understand and implement the philosophy and conceptualizations inherent in pre-service training; 
4. A functional understanding of the agency’s mission; and 
5. Ability to provide thorough, well-written home studies with supported recommendations.

Updating a SAFE Home Study 

1. Go to www.safehomestudy.org. 

2. Select ‘Download Reports’. 

   NOTE: In order to download SAFE forms and templates you must have completed the full two-day SAFE training and be a certified SAFE user. 

3. Enter your email address and select ‘validate’ to receive an email that includes a link. 
4. Use the link received via email to access the applicable section of the website. 
5. Select the tab labeled ‘Tutorials’ on the left side of the screen. 6. Select the PowerPoint and PDF for updating a SAFE home study. 

Supplemental Verifications 

The following documents should be obtained by the HSP during the re-evaluation process: 

Primary Caregivers: 

1. Copy of Driver’s License – if they transport foster children 
2. Copy of Automobile Insurance – if they own a vehicle and transport foster children 
3. Verification of Household Income 
4. Proof of current utility payment 
5. Proof of current rent/mortgage payment 
6. Pet Vaccination Record 
7. Immunization Records for household members under the age of 18 
8. Continued Parent Development Training Certificates 

Secondary Caregivers: 

1. Copy of Driver’s License – if they transport foster children 
2. Copy of Automobile Insurance – if they own a vehicle and transport foster children 
3. Continued Parent Development Training Certificates 

Other Adult Household Members 

1. Copy of Driver’s License – if they transport foster children 
2. Copy of Automobile Insurance – if they own a vehicle and transport foster children 

A copy of the following documents may be required if significant events have occurred since the initial family evaluation:

1. Marriage Certificates/Divorce Decrees 
2. Death Certificates 
3. Water/Sewage Bill/Environmental Statement 
4. Verification of Mortgage or Lease Agreement – if the re-evaluation is due to relocation 
5. TB Test Results – (if not completed during medical exam) 
6. Proof of Citizenship (e.g., birth certificate, naturalization papers, US Passport, Permanent Resident Alien Form/Green Card) 
7. CPR/First Aid Certification

FORMS AND TOOLS

Caregiver Child Safety Agreement
Caregiver Home Inspection Safety and Compliance Checklist
Caregiver Placement Preferences
Confidentiality and Privacy Standards Agreement
Converting a Non-SAFE study to the SAFE Format
Financial Statement for Resource Parenting
Foster or Adoptive Caregiver Annual Re-evaluation Instructions - Adult Household Member
Foster or Adoptive Caregiver Annual Re-evaluation Instructions - Primary Caregiver
Foster or Adoptive Caregiver Annual Re-evaluation Instructions - Secondary Caregiver
Instructions for Signing Caregiver Forms in Adobe Acrobat
Notice of Privacy Practice
Notice of Privacy Practice - Spanish
Primary Caregiver Feedback Survey
Process Guide for the SAFE Home Study Conversion of Approved Foster and Adoptive Caregivers During Annual Re-evaluation
Prospective Foster or Adoptive Parent Medical Evaluation Report
Safe Home Study - Resource Center - Download Templates
Safety and Quality Standards Acknowledgement
Secondary Caregiver Feedback Survey