Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 016 - DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES › Division 22 - Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education › Rule 016.22.10-001 - Minimum Licensing Standards for Child Welfare Agencies

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
Introduction
"The Child Welfare Licensing Act," Ark. Code Ann.
9-28-401
et. seq., (the Act) is the legal authority under which the
				Child Welfare Agency Review Board prescribes minimum licensing standards for
				child welfare agencies, as defined under the statute.
Child Welfare Agency Review Board
The Child Welfare Agency Review Board shall promulgate and
				publish rules and regulations setting minimum standards governing the granting,
				revocation, refusal, conversion, and suspension of licenses for a child welfare
				agency and the operation of a child welfare agency.
The board may consult with such other agencies, organizations,
				or individuals as it shall deem proper.
The board shall take any action necessary to prohibit any
				person, partnership, group, corporation, organization, or association not
				licensed or exempted from licensure pursuant to this chapter from advertising,
				placing, planning for, or assisting in the placement of any unrelated minor for
				purposes of adoption or for care in a foster home. The prohibition against
				advertising shall not apply to persons who are seeking to add to their own
				family by adoption.
The board may amend the rules and regulations promulgated
				pursuant to this section from time to time, in accordance with the rule
				promulgation procedures in the Arkansas Administrative Procedure Act, §
								25-15-201 et seq.
The board shall promulgate rules and regulations that:
1. Promote the health, safety, and welfare of
			 children in the care of a child welfare agency;
2. Promote safe and healthy physical
			 facilities;
3. Ensure adequate
			 supervision of the children by capable, qualified, and healthy
			 individuals;
4. Ensure appropriate
			 educational programs and activities for children in the care of a child welfare
			 agency;
5. Ensure adequate and
			 healthy food service;
6. Include
			 procedures for the receipt, recordation, and disposition of complaints
			 regarding allegations of violations of this subchapter, of the rules
			 promulgated under the Child Welfare Agency Licensing Act, or of child
			 maltreatment laws;
7. Include
			 procedures for the assessment of child and family needs and for the delivery of
			 services designed to enable each child to grow and develop in a permanent
			 family setting;
8. Ensure that
			 criminal record checks and central registry checks are completed on owners,
			 operators, employees, volunteers, foster parents, adoptive parents, and other
			 persons in the homes as set forth in this subchapter.
9. Require the compilation of reports and
			 making those reports available to the division when the board determines it is
			 necessary for compliance determination or data compilation;
10. Ensure that a child placement agency:
a. Treats clients seeking or receiving
			 services in a professional manner, as defined by regulations promulgated
			 pursuant to this act; and
b.
			 Provides clients seeking or receiving services from a child placement agency
			 that provides adoption services with the phone number and address of the Child
			 Welfare Agency Licensing Unit of the Department of Human Services where
			 complaints can be lodged.