18 Miss. Code. R. 7-1-XIV

Current through December 10, 2024

Section 18-7-1-XIV - REQUIREMENTS FOR RESOURCE HOME SERVICES

A Resource Home provides temporary care for a child who is in the custody of the Department and cannot return safely to his/her own home for some period of time. A Resource Home may also be a prospective adoptive home under the dual licensure policy of the Department.

All Resource Homes shall complete the same licensure requirements for foster or adoptive services. A child placing agency which provides Resource Home services shall develop and follow written policies and procedures for these services. A person who wishes to become a Resource Parent shall apply to a placing agency on a form specified by the placing agency. The Department and agency shall conduct adequate screening of all prospective applicants in accordance with Items 1-17, Resource Parent Criteria in Section B. When the agency denies licensure of an applicant or closes a resource home, notice shall be faxed to the Department within five business days. The agency shall call or fax a request to the Department prior to granting a license to determine if applicant has a history with the Department which would make placement inappropriate or unsafe.

A.Resource Home Application:

1. Prospective Resource Parents shall be informed of the agency's requirements for Resource Parents, the types and ages of children to be served and the reimbursement process.

2. Prospective Resource Parents shall complete an application form which shall include basic demographic information on all family members, a list of any criminal charges, permission to perform a criminal background, Central Registry check and fingerprinting on all household members age 14 years and older, and four (4) references. Agency employees and board members are prohibited from serving as resource parents.

3. The Placing Agency shall submit to the Department a Resource Home Inquiry Data Form for each applicant prior to the family attending any training. The purpose of this form is to screen prospective Resource Parents for current and or past involvement with the Department and any other affiliations, such as other Placing Agencies.

B.Resource Parent Criteria:

1.	Age:	Be at least twenty-one (21) years old the time of application.
2.	Health:	Applicant(s) health must allow them to physically care for child (ren) and must be verified by a physician's statement including a TB test. An annual physical examination by a licensed physician is required. An annual TB test must be done by a licensed physician or the Health Department. Immunization records for each child in the home also need to be provided.
3.	Marital Status:	Applicant(s) may be married or single. Two or more unrelated adults living in the same household shall not be licensed. Couples who live together or persons separated, but not legally divorced, shall not be licensed.
4.	Residency:	Applicant(s) must be a resident of the State of Mississippi.
5.	Income:	Applicant(s) must be financially self-sufficient without the board payment. Applicant(s) working outside the household must have a plan for safe, stable and reliable childcare as well as sufficient work flexibility to meet the needs of the children.
6.	Acceptance:	Applicant(s) must be willing to accept placement of child(ren) of any racial, ethnic, religious, or educational backgrounds.
7.	Space:	Applicant(s) must have adequate room in the home. Children may not sleep on couches or share a bed with another person. Only same sex and similar aged children may share the same room.
8.	Telephone:	Applicant(s) must have telephone service.
9.	Transportation:	Applicant(s) must have an operable automobile or transportation plan. All persons transporting children must have automobile insurance and valid driver's license.
10.	Occupancy:	Homes may have no more than three (s) foster children and no more than a total of five (5) children, including biological, foster, or adopted children. No more than two (2) children in the foster home may be under the age two (2) or have therapeutic/special needs. However, a sibling group may be placed together in excess of these limits, but only upon written consent by the Department's appropriate Regional Director determining that the foster children can be maintained safely in the foster home.
11.	Criminal History:	Applicant(s) must have a clear criminal background and Central Registry check including fingerprinting on all prospective parents and all persons residing in the household fourteen (14) years of age and older.
12.	References:	The applicant(s) shall have four (4) personal or professional references; only one (1) of these four (4) references may be related to the applicant(s). At least one (1) reference must to be from an employer.
13.	Pre-service	Applicant(s) must attend at least twenty-four (24) hours of pre-service training and successfully pass all skill testing. Training is considered as part of the application process and does not guarantee that the applicant will be accepted in the program. Pre-service training shall include Mississippi PATH or other approved resource parent training curriculum, Universal blood borne pathogens, car seat safety, First Aid and CPR.
14.	Home Study:	Agency will conduct a study of the prospective Resource Parent's home.
15.	Personal Interview:	Personal interviews shall be conducted by the child placing agency. At least one (1) interview shall be conducted at the child placing agency and one (1) additional interview in the home. Each applicant will have at least one (1) individual interview.
16.	Discipline:	Applicant(s) must be willing to refrain from any use of corporal punishment with the foster child. Resource Parents are expected to learn and use approved forms of discipline. Corporal punishment and degrading punishment are prohibited.
17.	Cooperation:	Applicant(s) must be willing to work closely and cooperatively with agency staff in learning to carry out parenting procedures within prescribed guidelines. This includes attendance at monthly support meetings, following treatment recommendations, transporting child to appointments, and any other necessary procedures.

C.Resource Home Study:

1. The agency shall conduct a Resource Home study to assess the appropriateness of the applicant(s) to be Resource Parent(s). The home study process shall include at least one office visit, one home visit and individual interviews with each member of the household. The home study process shall be a joint effort of the Department, the child placing agency and the applicant(s).

2. The agency shall include the following areas in the home study and shall include the information in the record of the adoptive applicant(s):

a.Motivation for being Resource Parent(s)

b. Verification of training

c. Strengths and weaknesses of each member of the household

d. The attitudes and feelings of the immediate and extended family and significant others toward accepting and parenting children

e. Attitudes of the applicant(s) toward the birth parent(s) and the reason(s) the child is in need of a resource home

f. The plan for discussing resource care with children of applicant(s)

g. The plan for discussing resource care with prospective child

h. Emotional stability and maturity of applicant(s)

i. Ability to cope with problems, stress, frustrations, crises and loss

j. Capacity to give and receive affection

k. Child caring skills and willingness to acquire additional skills needed for the child's development

l. Ability to provide for the child's physical and emotional needs

m. Verification of marriage(s)/divorce(s)

n. Record of criminal convictions.

o. Criminal background, Central Registry check and fingerprinting.

p. Adjustment of birth children or previously adopted children

q. Verification from a physician that each family member has no communicable diseases, specific illnesses or disabilities which would interfere with the family's capability to care for a child

r. Ability to provide financially for the child or children; (a detailed description of the finances of the prospective Resource Parent (s) including but not limited to income, debts, expenses, medical insurance and life insurance)

s. Verification of employment and/or income

t. Four professional references, including one from employer

u. Religious orientation, if any

v. Location and physical environment of the home

w. Plan for child care if parent(s) work

x. Recommendations for resource care in regard to number, age, sex, characteristics and special needs of children best served by the family

y. History of the origin, education background and life experiences of applicant(s)

z. Contingency plan for child in case of death or disability of Resource Parent(s), if intent is to adopt

D.Responsibility of Agency to Resource Parents:

1. Orientation: The agency shall provide orientation to applicants approved to be Resource Parents to acquaint them with the agency's policies and practices.

2. Agreement: The agency shall have a signed agreement with all Resource Parents which includes the following:

a. Confidentiality policy

b. Expectations and responsibilities of the agency staff and the Resource Parents

c. The services to be provided

d. Agency policies on discipline, restraints and punishment

e. The financial arrangements for the children placed in the home

f. The authority the Resource Parents can exercise for the children placed in their home

g. The actions which require agency staff authorization

h. The legal responsibility for damage or risk resulting from children in their home

i. The amount of the board payment and breakdown of child's allowances

j. Agency policies on firearms in the home

k. Agency policies on transportation and reimbursement for expenses, if applicable

l. Ongoing In-Services Training

i. The agency shall provide training opportunities for Resource Parents to increase their skills and ability to care for foster children. They must receive ten (10) hours of ongoing training annually.

ii. The training shall be provided in the following areas:

1. Roles and relationships in care of children between agency personnel, Resource Parents, child's parents and the child

2. Separation and loss and the importance of a child's birth family and the child's communication with them

3. Permanency planning

4. Developmental needs of children in care

5. Cultural and religious awareness and differences

6. Behavior management and discipline techniques

7. Stress management

8. Multi-cultural placement and adoption

9. CPR, First Aid, communicable diseases and other health issues

10. Understanding trauma and its impact on children

11. Prevention of abuse and neglect in Resource Homes

12. Roles in shared parenting

13. Resource Parent involvement in family team meetings and county conferences (Foster Care Review)

14. Sibling interaction

15. Normalizing behavior and reaction

16. Parenting Adolescents

17. Child Sexual Abuse

18. Other training as needed

The agency must provide training certificates, letters or verification of training to each Resource Parent for each training session attended.

No more than three (3) clock hours of the required annual in-service training may be obtained through home-based or on-line training modules.

E.Resource Home Supervision:

1. The agency shall maintain continuous supervision of the child and the Resource Home while a child is in placement. The agency shall ensure that the child is receiving care in accordance with agency standards and in relation to the child's specific needs.

2. The agency worker shall have face-to-face contact with the child at least once a month in the placement setting. The agency worker shall have a second face-to-face contact with the child at least once a month at any appropriate location without Resource Parents present. Written documentation of these interviews shall be placed in the case record.

3. The agency will have a face-to-face contact with the Resource Parent(s) at least once a month.

F.Resource Home Relicensing:

Resource Family homes shall be relicensed annually. All requirements including local background checks must be completed annually. However, fingerprinting is only required every five years.

G.Specialized Homes For Medically Fragile Children:

A licensed Resource Family specializing in medically fragile children shall comply with all foster home requirements as well as the following conditions:

1. Receive training to provide care to child with specific medical diagnoses.

2. Demonstrate the ability to care for children with special needs such as feeding tubes, heart monitors, oxygen, fetal alcohol syndrome, cerebral palsy, diabetes, diagnosed emotional or behavioral illnesses or disorders, HIV, etc.

3. Verify additional eight (8) hours of specialized training by a certified provider. The additional hours shall include CPR training, first aid, medication administration and recognition and response to child behaviors that jeopardize health and well-being.

4. Agree to be licensed for no more than one special care child at any given time. Placement of more than one special care child may be considered in cases of sibling groups or other extraordinary circumstances. Request must be submitted to the authority for approval prior to any placement. If the specialized home is caring for the siblings of a medically fragile child, these siblings will not receive the special care board rate unless they have also been certified as eligible for that benefit.

5. Understand that specialized medical/treatment Resource Parents shall provide transportation and accompany the special care foster child to all school activities treatment and medical appointments, as well as any follow-up visits.

6. Agree to stay at the hospital with a special care child in their care should the child be hospitalized.

7. Maintain important records including medical documents, immunization records and a health journal for each special care foster child placed in their home.

8. Maintain adequate school/educational records on each special care foster child placed in their home.

9. Participate as a member of the service team through at least one of the following methods:

a. Personal attendance at team meetings

b. Conference calls

c. Provision of a written report on the child's progress including any recommendations for service.

H.License Changes:

1. The agency shall provide to the Department a Resource Home Demographics form for new foster parent applicants and any changes that occur between recertification within five (5) calendar days, such as:

a. Change in address/relocation/physical location

b. Change in number/type of children

c. Change in marital status

d. Death/change in household members

e. Closure

18 Miss. Code. R. 7-1-XIV