Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 110 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES › Title 110 CMR 7.000 - Services › Substitute Care › Section 7.100 - Eligibility and Recruitment of Foster/Pre-adoptive Parent Applicants

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) Whenever the Department needs foster
				parents or adoptive parents, it shall recruit individuals who meet the
				standards set forth at 110 CMR 7.100 through
				7.105.
				The Department may, in appropriate circumstances, use resources outside the
				Department to assist in such recruitment, including, but not limited to:
				private foster care and adoption agencies, foster parent associations,
				media-assisted recruitment, recruitment by culture based and faith based
				organizations.
(2) Whenever an
				individual contacts the Department for the purpose of applying to be a foster
				or pre-adoptive parent, the Department shall conduct an initial screening
				process to determine if the individual and any household member meets the
				Department's initial eligibility criteria as set forth at 110 CMR 7.100(3) and
				(4).
(3) An individual will be
				eligible to apply to be a foster or pre-adoptive parent if she/he, or a member
				of their/her/his household,
(a) does not have
				a criminal record which, in the judgment of the Department bears adversely upon
				the individual's ability to assume and carry out the responsibilities of a
				foster or pre-adoptive parent, as established by Department Policy on
				background record check and
				110 CMR 18.00
et
				seq
.; and
(b) has not an
				open case with the Department during the 12 months immediately preceding the
				initial screening process except:
1. The
				individual/household member has an open case to receive services following an
				adoption legalization;
2. The
				individual/household member has an open case to receive services on behalf of a
				child for whom they are a guardian;
3. The individual is a prospective Kinship
				placement and the household member with the open case is the teen parent of a
				child to be placed, the teen parent is not alleged to be responsible for the
				physical or sexual abuse of any child in a supported child abuse/neglect
				investigation under M.G.L.c. 119, § 51B, and it is considered to be in the
				child's best interest for the teen parent to be a member of the kinship
				household;
4. Were the household
				member with an open case is a biological parent, but not an applicant, who is
				unable to parent their child due to a disability and the foster parent is
				approved by the commissioner after a recommendation by a central office
				clinical review team.
5. Any
				circumstance other than those listed above when approved by the Assistant
				Commissioner over foster care and adoption, upon the recommendation of a
				Regional clinical review team; and
(c) is not identified by the Department as
				alleged to be responsible for abuse or neglect of a child in a screened out
				report of child abuse/neglect under M.G.L. c. 119, § 51A or supported 5 1B
				investigation which was referred to the District Attorney pursuant to M.G.L. c.
				119, § 51B(k), unless approved by the Regional Director, upon the
				recommendation of a Regional clinical review team; and
(d) does not have a history of involvement
				with the Department, including but not limited to, being the victim or the
				perpetrator of child abuse or neglect, which in the judgment of the Department
				would bear adversely on the person's ability to assume and carry out the
				responsibilities of a foster or pre-adoptive parent; and
(e) is a resident of the Commonwealth. If the
				individual is a resident of another state, they will be referred to the child
				welfare agency in the state where they reside. This does not preclude the
				Department from utilizing, or paying foster care payments to, foster/
				pre-adoptive homes outside of the Commonwealth if that home has been approved
				by the resident state.
In making the determination under 110 CMR 7.100(4)(b), (c)
				  and (d), the Department will check its Central Registry and its computerized
				  data system to determine if there is current, or has been previous, involvement
				  with the Department and the nature of that involvement.
For any applicant who has lived outside the Commonwealth in
				  the five years prior to applying to become a foster/pre-adoptive parent, the
				  Department will check the central registry of child abuse and neglect in each
				  state or other jurisdiction the applicant has lived in.