MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES CHILDREN’S DIVISION Relative Foster Home Introduction Letter

Date:

Dear Relative Provider,

Thank you for being willing to be a placement provider for .

If the placement has been made in your home, you must complete fingerprinting within 15 days of placement of the child(ren) in your home , or they will be removed from your home pursuant to RSMo 210.482. All household members age 17 and older must have background checks.

As a relative placement, you are eligible to receive a monthly maintenance check. You must become licensed in order to receive this payment. The licensing process can take up to 90 days to complete. The Division will provide the maintenance payment for those 90 days while you are pursuing licensure. If you are not licensed by day 91, you will receive no more maintenance payments until you have completed licensure. Licensure requirements include all background checks, 9 hours of The Caregiver Who Knows the Child training, CPR/First Aid Certification, Psychotropic Medication Management training, Informed Consent Training and completion of a home assessment. If the child(ren) is not yet placed in your home, no maintenance will be paid until placement is made.

We will provide you with the Learning Guide for The Caregiver Who Knows the Child. We will provide this training to you and will discuss details regarding the training at our home visit. We will also provide you with a copy of the Missouri Resource Parent Handbook, http://dss.mo.gov/cd/fostercare/pdf/fcresource.pdf This handbook will provide information on your rights and responsibilities as a placement provider, the juvenile court process, Family Support Team meetings and permanency planning among other things.

In order to complete the licensing process, the following things must be completed:

Criminal History Background Checks. This includes fingerprints which must be completed within 15 days of the placement, check of Case.net and the sexual offender registry for all individuals 17 years of age and older who reside in the home;

Pre-service Training as discussed above;

Check of Child Abuse and Neglect Background Screens for all individuals 17 years of age and older who reside in the home;

Registration with the Family Care Safety Registry for all individuals 17 years of age and older who reside in the home;

References ( personal, employment and school- if applicable);

All household members must be determined by a physician to be in good physical and mental health. The Children’s Division does not provide payment for the physician appointment(s) including any required testing; and

Home Assessment, which includes home visits.

The completion of the licensing process requires both you and the Division to complete tasks. It is our goal to complete this process within 90 days so there will not be an interruption in the maintenance payment. If the licensing process is not completed within 90 days, the maintenance payment will stop and not resume until all the requirements for licensure are met and completed. Please contact our office at phone number if you have any questions. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Licensing Worker/Supervisor/Circuit Manager

CC: Provider File