Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 48 - PUBLIC HEALTH-GENERAL › Part V - Preventive Health Services › Subpart 21 - Residential Licensing › Chapter 73 - Child Placing Agencies-General Provisions › Section V-7311 - Licensing Requirements-Foster Care, Adoption, Transitional Placing

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. General
				  Provisions
1. Any provider with a valid
				  child-placing agency license upon the effective date of these standards shall
				  meet all of the requirements herein, unless otherwise stated.
2. Prior to beginning operation, it is
				  mandatory to obtain a license from DCFS by meeting all requirements noted
				  herein.
3. Licensing Section shall
				  determine the period for which a license is valid. A license is valid for the
				  period for which it is issued unless it is modified, revoked, or
				  suspended.
4. A license shall be
				  valid only for a particular owner and only for the address on the license and
				  is not transferable to another person, juridical entity, location, or subject
				  to sale. Any change of ownership or change of location automatically renders
				  the license null and void. A change of ownership of the property on which the
				  licensed child-placing agency is located shall not affect the license; however,
				  loss of the right to use the premises by the licensee (whether through
				  eviction, termination of lease, etc.) shall void the license as provided
				  above.
5. With the exception of a
				  change of ownership application, an application from a new provider for the
				  same program shall not be processed if an application or license is currently
				  on file with the Licensing Section for the same physical address.
6. The license shall be displayed in a
				  prominent place at the CPA. Child placing agencies operated by a church or
				  religious organization are exempt from this requirement provided the license is
				  available upon request.
7. DCFS
				  representatives shall be admitted into the child-placing agency office without
				  delay and shall be given immediate access during regular business hours to all
				  records and areas of a child-placing agency office, including but not limited
				  to its grounds. DCFS representative shall also be given immediate access to
				  transitional placing locations and children/youth. Provider shall facilitate
				  the coordination of visits to prospective and certified foster/adoptive
				  parents' homes chosen by DCFS licensing staff.
8. In order to maintain a license, a CPA
				  shall operate at least one day per week for at least four consecutive hours.
				  This four hour timeframe shall occur Monday through Friday between the hours of
				  7:30 am and 5 pm.
9. If any area of
				  a child-placing agency office is set aside for private use, DCFS
				  representatives shall be permitted to verify that no child/youth is present in
				  that portion and that the private areas are inaccessible to
				  children/youth.
10. DCFS staff
				  shall be allowed to confidentially interview any staff member, child/youth, and
				  prospective and certified foster/adoptive parents as determined necessary by
				  DCFS.
11. All new construction or
				  renovation to a currently licensed child-placing agency requires approval from
				  the Office of State Fire Marshal as noted in
				  §7313 B, Office
				  of Public Health, city fire (if applicable), and the Licensing Section prior to
				  a child or children/youth occupying the new space.
12. The provider shall notify the Licensing
				  Section in writing of a child placing office closure of more than 14 calendar
				  days. Notification shall be submitted within five calendar days prior to the
				  scheduled closure or within three calendar days of an unscheduled closure.
				  Notification shall include child-placing agency's name, license number, dates,
				  the reason for closure, and provider signature. Closures of more than 30
				  calendar days render the license null and void.
13. Prior to closure, the provider shall make
				  adequate preparation and arrangements for the care, custody, and control of any
				  children in the care, custody, and/or control of the provider.
14. The email address provided to the
				  Licensing Section on the licensing application is the official email address
				  unless the provider subsequently submits written notification of a change of
				  email address to the Licensing Section and the request is acknowledged as
				  received by licensing staff.
15.
				  The provider shall make any information required by the Licensing Section as
				  outlined in the current standards and any information reasonably related to
				  determine compliance with these standards available to the
				  department.
16. The provider shall
				  show proof of compliance with all relevant standards and requirements
				  established by federal, state, local, and municipal regulatory
				  bodies.