LICENSED FOSTER CARE

Foster parenting is rewarding, difficult, and demanding — all at the same time. Being a foster parent brings many new experiences and challenges. While a foster child lives in your home, you and your family have many opportunities to help the child grow and develop.

What is Licensed Foster Care

Foster care is the temporary placement of children with families outside of their own home when those children cannot live with their parents. Children are placed in foster care for a variety of reasons. Most children enter foster care because they are not safe in their homes due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Others enter care because of a caregiver’s imprisonment, illness, hospitalization, death or due to special needs their parents are unable to meet. Some youth enter foster care under a delinquency or juvenile court order.

The goal of the foster care program is to maintain the child in a safe environment, which is supportive of his or her development. It is also to assist the parents in resuming custody, or to attain an alternative permanent placement for the child.

Foster care is intended to give families time to make necessary changes so the child can live safely in his or her home. Most children in foster care return home to their families. When children cannot return home, permanence is found through placement with relatives, adoption, or other means.

Your Role as a Licensed Foster Parent

As a foster parent, you are responsible to provide temporary care, giving the child who has been placed out-of-home a safe, stable, and nurturing environment. During this time of disruption and change, you are giving a child a home. The role of the foster parent is to:

• Agree to supervise, support, and promote the physical, social, intellectual, spiritual, and emotional development of the child in care. The foster parents agree to provide a positive family experience to a foster child.
• Work cooperatively and actively with the assigned worker and the child’s parent toward reunification goals as outlined in the case plan and the permanency plan, so the child can return home when appropriate.
• When appropriate, role model experiences for the child’s family, and be an active participant in the child’s case plan.
• Understand the need for, and goals of, family contacts and help develop such contacts.
• Help the child cope with the separation from his or her home.
• Provide guidance, discipline, a good example, and as many positive experiences as possible.
• Encourage and supervise school attendance, participate in teacher conferences, and keep the child’s assigned worker informed about any special educational needs.
• Work with the agency in arranging for the child’s regular and/or special medical and dental care.
• Work with the child on creating a Life Book.
• Inform the assigned worker promptly about any problems or concerns so that the child’s needs, can be met through available services.

What are the Requirements for Becoming a Licensed Foster Parent

To become a licensed foster parent, there are some specific requirements you have to be able to meet.

• Age: You must be at least age 21.
• Health: The foster parent demonstrates the understanding and ability to meet the physical, behavioral, emotional, and social needs of the children in their care.
• Character References: Regulations require three references at least one of whom is unrelated. The agency will seek statements from these individuals attesting to the licensee's good character, reputation, interpersonal, and professional skills. If two applicants, references must address both applicants or separate references for each applicant.
• Criminal History Background Check: All household members age 16 or older must pass a criminal background check and have no barrier crime or condition. A barrier crime or condition variance may be granted.
• Ability and Motivation: The agency will explore each applicant’s ability and motivation to be a foster parent. Applicants must demonstrate a willingness to cooperate with the agency in providing services needed and carrying out the foster care plan and case plan.
• Safety Standards: The foster home must meet basic fire, safety, and sanitation standards.
• Space: The foster home must have designated sleeping space for foster children, which is comparable to that of other household members, The foster home shall ensure each foster child has space and a specific place to keep their own clothing and personal possessions.
• Training: All licensed foster homes are required to have training each year. Under 7 AAC 67. foster parents will work with their licensing worker as well as caseworkers for the children placed in their home to determine training needs. .

What is the Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard

Foster parents will support normalcy for children in foster care. The term “reasonable and prudent parent standard” means the standard characterized by careful and sensible parental decisions that maintain the health, safety, and best interests of a child while at the same time encouraging the emotional and developmental growth of the child, that a caregiver shall use when determining whether to allow a child in foster care under the responsibility of the State to participate in extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, and social activities.

• Extracurricular activities (sports, clubs);
• Enrichment activities (attending community events);
• Cultural activities (participation in Native dance group);
• Social activities (sleepover, dances).

Age or developmentally appropriate means: activities or items that are generally accepted as suitable for children of the same chronological age or level of maturity or that are determined to be developmentally appropriate for a child, based on the development of cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral capacities that are typical for an age or age group.

When you Plan to Move Within Your Community

When the planned move is local, notify your assigned worker and licensing worker prior to the move, so a home inspection can be scheduled, no later than 30 days after the relocation. If you are licensed, a foster care license is not transferable to a new address and a valid license is necessary for reimbursement. Your licensing worker must schedule a home inspection to be sure your new residence meets basic fire and health standards and provides enough room for the child in care. Once it has been determined that the new home meets the standards, a new license will be issued.

When you Plan to Move to Another Community in Alaska

If the planned move is to another community in Alaska, notify the assigned worker and licensing worker prior to the move. The assigned worker will be involved in any decision for the child to move with you. If it is decided that the child will move with you, you will be required to contact the OCS office in the area.

In most cases, the assigned worker from the office in your new location will be assigned to provide supervision for the child’s case. The new assigned worker will visit your home to get to know you and the child.

If you are licensed, you will need to contact the licensing worker and schedule a home inspection to determine if your new residence meets basic fire and safety standards for licensure and to then issue a new license.

The foster home reimbursement rate may also change as it differs from one area of Alaska to another.

When you Plan to Move Out-of-State

If the planned move is outside Alaska, notify the assigned worker and licensing worker prior to the move. The child’s assigned worker will determine whether it is in the best interest for a child to move out-of-state with you. Additionally, the child’s move to the new state must be approved by the Interstate Compact on Placement of Children (ICPC).

If you are licensed and the child in custody moves with you, you will be required to meet all foster care licensing requirements in the new state within 60 days if you wish to continue to receive foster care payments. This may be extended if you provide documentation that you are actively pursuing licensure or finalization of the adoption process.