Ohio Administrative Code › Title 5101:2 - Division of Social Services › Chapter 5101:2-48 - Adoption › Section 5101:2-48-11 - Approval of a foster home for adoptive placement

Current through all regulations passed and filed through July 1, 2024
(A) Except as outlined in rule 5101:2-48-11.1
			 of the Administrative Code, when a foster caregiver who is not an approved
			 adoptive parent through the joint homestudy process expresses an interest in
			 being approved as an adoptive parent, an agency's assessor is responsible for
			 the following:
(1) Assist the foster
			 caregiver in completing the applicable sections of the current JFS 01691,
			 "Application for Child Placement"  on file or completing a new JFS 01691. The foster caregiver
			 shall sign the revised JFS 01691 or a new JFS 01691 indicating they would like
			 to be approved for adoption.
(2)
			 Review and compile in the record the following information to determine the
			 appropriateness of the foster caregiver for adoptive placement:
(a) The most recent JFS 01653, "Medical
			 Statement for Foster Care/Adoptive Applicant and All Household Members."
(b) JFS 01349, "Foster Home
			 Homestudy"  or the JFS 01673,
			 "Assessment for Child Placement (Homestudy)," , the JFS 01673-A "Child Characteristics Checklist for Foster
			 Care and/or Adoption"  and
			 the JFS 01530 "Multiple Children/Large Family Assessment,"
			 as applicable.
(c) All JFS 01385 "Assessment for Child
			 Placement Update" forms, if applicable.
(d) Documentation from the foster home record
			 including but not limited to the most recent training records, fire inspection
			 reports, safety audits, foster home exit interviews, and copies of all
			 complaint or rule violation investigations and any applicable corrective action
			 plans. If there are any outstanding complaints or rule noncompliance
			 investigations, or corrective action plans that have not been fully
			 implemented, the sending agency, if different, shall notify the agency
			 completing the adoption approval of the nature of the investigations or
			 corrective action plans.
(e) Case
			 record information documented by the placement worker's visits to the foster
			 home.
(f) If the agency completing
			 the adoption homestudy approval is different than the agency that recommends
			 the foster home, the foster care agency shall forward copies of all applicable
			 documents in the foster home record within fifteen business days of receipt of
			 the signed release of information.
(3) If the agency initiates an adoptive
			 homestudy with an applicant from another county, it shall notify the PCSA in
			 the county the applicant resides in accordance with the procedures outlined in
			 rule
			 5101:2-48-12
			 of the Administrative Code.
(4)
			 Once the documentation in paragraph (A)(2) of this rule is received, the
			 assessor shall:
(a) Review information
			 contained on the JFS 01691 and all supporting documentation.
(b) Conduct a home visit.
(c) Complete the JFS 01530, if applicable, as
			 outlined in rule
			 5101:2-48-12
			 of the Administrative Code when a family has a total of five or more children
			 residing in the home, including foster children and children in kinship care;
			 or if the family will have a total of five or more children who will reside in
			 the home upon the adoptive placement of a child.
(d) Observe the interaction between the
			 child, foster caregiver and other members of the household, if
			 applicable.
(e) Discuss how the
			 foster caregiver is working with the child on problems identified in the case
			 plan and how they will deal with long term issues the child may have.
(f) Discuss the differences between foster
			 care and adoption with the foster caregiver, and the reason for the request for
			 adoption approval at this time.
(g)
			 Discuss the availability of adoption assistance and postfinalization adoption
			 services with the foster caregiver.
(h) Complete the bureau of criminal
			  investigation
			 (BCI)
			 and federal bureau of investigation (FBI) reports as outlined in rule
			 5101:2-48-10
			 of the Administrative Code.
(i)
										The national sex offender registry is located at
https://www.nsopw.gov/
. In accordance with rule 5101:2-5-09.1 of the
			 Administrative Code, a national sex offender registry check is to be completed
			 for the adoptive applicant and each adult who resides with the adoptive
			 applicant. The results are to be reviewed prior to the agency's approval of the
			 adoption homestudy. The application may be denied based solely on the results
			 of the search.
(j) If the agency has the ability to complete the
			 search in SACWIS, the agency shall complete a search of abuse and neglect
			 report history through the system for each foster caregiver and adult household
			 member. If the agency does not have the ability to complete the search in
			 SACWIS, the agency shall request a search of the system from ODJFS for each
			 foster caregiver and each adult household member. The report with the results
			 of the search shall be placed in the foster home record.
(i) This search is to be used to determine
			 the suitability of the adoptive applicant as an adoptive parent.
(ii) The search shall also be conducted
			 within ten days of the addition of any new adult member of the household once
			 the homestudy has been approved.
(k) Request a check of
			 the child abuse and neglect registry of any other state an applicant or other
			 adult household member has resided in the five years immediately prior to the
			 date of the criminal records check as required by division (A) of section
			 2151.86 of the Revised
			 Code.
(5) Based upon
			 information obtained through interviews and the review of documentation
			 outlined in paragraph (A) of this rule, the assessor shall complete any
			 sections of the JFS 01673 not completed on the previous
			 homestudy.