2023 Indiana Code › Title 31. Family Law and Juvenile Law › Article 27. Child Services: Regulation of Residential Child Care › Chapter 4. Regulation of Foster Homes › 31-27-4-5. Apply for Licenses; Criminal History Checks

Sec. 5. (a) An applicant must apply for a foster family home license on forms provided by the department.
(b) An applicant must submit the required information as part of the application.
(c) An applicant must submit with the application a statement attesting the following:
(1) Whether the applicant has been convicted of:
(A) a felony; or
(B) a misdemeanor relating to the health and safety of children.
(2) Whether the applicant has been charged with:
(A) a felony; or
(B) a misdemeanor relating to the health and safety of children;
during the pendency of the application.
(d) An applicant shall submit the necessary information, forms, or consents for the department to conduct a criminal history check for each individual who is an applicant.
(e) The department or, at the discretion of the department, an applicant, shall conduct a criminal history check of:
(1) the applicant's employees and volunteers who have or will have direct contact, on a regular and continuing basis, with children who are or will be under the direct supervision of the applicant; and
(2) all household members.
(f) If the applicant conducts criminal history checks under subsection (e), the applicant shall maintain records of the information received concerning each individual subject of a criminal history check.
(g) If the department conducts a criminal history check on behalf of an applicant under subsection (e), the department shall:
(1) make a determination whether the subject of a national fingerprint based criminal history check has a record of:
(A) a conviction for a felony;
(B) a conviction for a misdemeanor relating to the health and safety of a child; or
(C) a juvenile adjudication for a nonwaivable offense, as defined in IC 31-9-2-84.8 that, if committed by an adult, would be a felony;
(2) notify the applicant of the determination under subdivision (1) without identifying a specific offense or other identifying information concerning a conviction or juvenile adjudication contained in the national criminal history record information;
(3) submit to the applicant a copy of any state limited criminal history report that the department receives on behalf of any person described in subsection (e); and
(4) maintain a record of every report and all information the department receives concerning a person described in subsection (e).
(h) Except as provided in subsection (i), a criminal history check described in subsection (e) is required only at the time an application for a new license or the renewal of an existing license is submitted.
(i) A criminal history check concerning a person described in subsection (e) must be completed on or before the date the employee or volunteer has direct contact on a regular and continuing basis with a child placed in the home or the person first becomes a resident of the applicant's household as described in subsection (e)(2).
(j) The applicant is responsible for any fees associated with a criminal history check.
(k) The department shall, at the applicant's request, inform the applicant whether the department has or does not have a record of the person who is the subject of a criminal history check and if the department has identified the person as an alleged perpetrator of abuse or neglect. The department may not provide to the applicant any details or personally identifying information contained in any child protective investigation report.
(l) A person who is the subject of a criminal history check conducted in accordance with this section may request the state police department to provide the person with a copy of any state or national criminal history report concerning the person.
As added by P.L.145-2006, SEC.273. Amended by P.L.138-2007, SEC.51; P.L.162-2011, SEC.28; P.L.128-2012, SEC.108; P.L.183-2017, SEC.17.