Oregon Administrative Rules › Chapter 413 - DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, CHILD WELFARE PROGRAMS › Division 200 - RESOURCE HOME CERTIFICATION › Section 413-200-0274 - Assessment for Approval of an Adoptive Resource or Issuance of a Certificate of Approval or Child-Specific Certificate of Approval

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 7, July 1, 2024
(1) To complete an assessment of an
applicant
and approve a potential
adoptive
			 resource
or issue a
Certificate of Approval or Child-Specific
			 Certificate of Approval
, the
certifier
must:
(a) Review the completed
			 application.
(b) Have face-to-face
			 contact with each
applicant
and each other
member of
			 the household
.
(c) Explain
			 to the
applicant
the process and requirements for
			 certification of a relative
resource parent
or resource
parent
and approval of a potential
adoptive
			 resource
.
(d) Discuss with
			 the
applicant
the role and responsibilities of the
Department
.
(e)
			 Assess the
applicant's
motivation for and interest in caring
			 for a
child
or
young adult
in the care or
			 custody of the
Department.
(f) Assure the
applicant
possesses a valid driver license and auto insurance if the
applicant
will operate a motor vehicle with any
child
or
young adult
placed in their home by
			 the
Department
inside the vehicle.
(g) Evaluate with the
applicant
, the children and
young adults
appropriate for placement in the home and the placement capacity.
(h) When appropriate, obtain approval from
			 the Child Welfare Program Manager or
designee
on a form
			 approved by the
Department
under any of the following
			 circumstances:
(A) The home will exceed the
			 maximum placement capacity as described in OAR 413-200-0278.
(B) An
applicant
or other
member of the household
provides
child care
in the home or is a foster care provider licensed by another child-caring
			 agency.
(C) An
applicant
or other
member of the household
provides foster care or day care to adults in the home.
(D) An
applicant
is married,
			 in a domestic partnership, or
cohabitating
but the
applicant's
spouse or partner is not also an
applicant
and OAR 413-200-0306(3)(a) or (b)  applies.
(E) The
applicant
applies for a
Certificate of Approval
or
Child-Specific Certificate of Approval
through a
Department
office other than the office in the county in which
			 the family resides.
(i)
			 Complete a minimum of two home visits.
(A)
			 Observe and assess the safety of the physical environment;
(B) Walk through each room in the primary
			 residence and each surrounding building and structure on the property, unless
			 the building or residence is a self-contained, separate-entry residence rented
			 to or owned by another individual;
(C) Complete a safety assessment of the home
			 and surroundings using a form approved by the
Department
;
			 and
(D) Provide the home with
			 age-appropriate documents outlining the Oregon Foster Children's Bill of Rights
			 under ORS
			 418.201 and
			 OAR 413-010-0180, Oregon Foster Children's Sibling Bill of Rights under ORS
			 418.608 and OAR 413-070-0860 (3).
(E)
			 Provide of copy of the Oregon Foster Parent Bill of Rights under ORS
			 418.648.
(j) Gather personal, family, and social
			 history information through a series of questionnaires approved by the
Department
, interviews, and observations in which the
Department
staff gathers personal information about the
applicant
and each other
member of the
			 household
. Analyze information as it relates to each
applicant's
personal qualifications and assess the conditions
			 that appear to exist in the home that affect safety, health, and well-being for
			 a
child
or
young adult
.
(k) Assure completion of a
criminal
			 records check
through LEDS and a fingerprint-based
criminal
			 records check
of national crime information databases on each
applicant
and each other adult
member of the
			 household,
excluding
a young adult
in the care and
			 custody of placed in the home
,
and, at the
Department
'sdiscretion, on any
child
not in
			 the care or custody of the
Department
and living in the home
			 when there is reason to believe the
child
may pose a risk to a
child
or
young adult
in the care or custodyof
			 the
Department
placed in the home as outlined in OAR
			 413-120-0400  to 413-120-0475.
(A) Assess the
			 fitness of each
applicant
and each other
member of the
			 household
pursuant to OAR 413-120-0450  and 413-120-0455;
(B) If appropriate, obtain approval pursuant
			 to OAR 413-120-0450  and 413-120-0455  to continue with certification assessment
			 of the
applicant
despite the criminal offender history of each
applicant
and each other
member of the
			 household
; or
(C) If an
applicant
or other
member of the household
has a disqualifying conviction under OAR 413-120-0450 (3) or (4)  or the
			 authorized designee makes a negative fitness determination with respect to the
			 individual, the
Department
must proceed under OAR 413-120-0460  and OAR 413-200-0296(2)  and issue a proposed and final order denying
			 certification, unless the application is withdrawn by the
applicant
.
(D)
			 Document the information considered and the decision on a form approved by the
Department
.
(L) Assure completion of child abuse history
			 background checks for each
applicant
and each other adult
member of the household
, excluding a
young
			 adult
in the care and custodyof the
Department,
as
			 follows:
(A) If an
applicant
or other adult
member of the household
excluding a
young adult
in the care and custody of the
Department
placed in the home
,
has lived
			 outside the state of Oregon and within the United States in the previous five
			 years, obtain a child abuse history background check from each state where the
			 individual resided in the five years preceding the date on the application for
			 certification from the
Department
;
(B) If an
applicant
or other
			 adult
member of the household, excluding a young adult
in the
			 care and custody of the
Department
placed in the homehas lived
			 outside of the United States in the previous five years, request a child abuse
			 history background check from each country where the individual lived within
			 the five years preceding the date on the application for certification from the
Department
;
(C)
			 Assess any safety concerns regarding each
applicant
and each
			 other
member of the household
raised by information learned
			 from the child abuse history background check in Oregon and if applicable,
			 another state or country; and
(D)
			 When an
applicant
or other
member of the household
			 excluding a young adult
in the care and custody of the
Department
placed in the home
,
has been
			 identified as the perpetrator or alleged perpetrator, or respondent of abuse in
			 a
child protective services assessment
in a founded
			 disposition, substantiated disposition, unable to determine disposition, or
			 inconclusive disposition or a similar disposition from another
Department
division, agency, or state, consult with the
certification supervisor
about whether to seek approval from
			 the Child Welfare Program Manager to continue with the certification
			 assessment:
(i) If the decision is to seek
			 approval, the Child Welfare Program Manager must consider the information and
			 the safety concerns and may approve or deny continuing the
			 assessment;
(ii) If the decision in
			 subparagraph (i) of this paragraph is to deny continuing with the assessment,
			 the
Department
may terminate the assessment process and,
			 unless the application is withdrawn, proceed to deny the application under OAR
			 413-200-0296;
(iii) The information
			 considered, including the safety concerns assessed, and the decision must be
			 documented on a form approved by the
Department
.
(m) Gather information
			 from a minimum of four personal references for the
applicant
,
			 no more than two of which may be provided by the
applicant's
relatives.
(n) Verify each
applicant
has completed:
(A)
Orientation
prior to certification;
(B)
Department
required
resource parent
training before or within 12 months of
			 certification unless the
applicant
has written documentation
			 of completion of equivalent training content from the
Department
or another licensed child-caring agency within two
			 years of the date on the current application that is approved by the
			 supervisor; and
(C) The
Department
approved training per OAR 413-120-0246, prior to
			 approval for adoption, when the
applicant
has applied for
			 adoption.
(o) For
			 purposes of a
Child-Specific Certificate of Approval
, as
			 appropriate, verify the
applicant
has a written,
			 individualized training plan, approved by a supervisor, specific to meeting the
			 needs of the
child or young adult
placed with the
certified resource family
. The individualized training plan
			 must:
(A) Include training on the mental,
			 emotional, and physical impacts of abuse, including sexual abuse and rape of a
child
; and
(B) Be
			 developed on or prior to issuance of the
Child Specific Certificate of
			 Approval
.
(p)
			 Discuss and develop a training plan with each
applicant
, which
			 must include knowledge and skills related to applying the
reasonable
			 and prudent parent standard
for the participation of the
child
or
young adult
in
age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate
			 activities
.
(q) Document
			 the assessment of the
certified resource family
's
			 qualifications and ability to provide safety, health, and well-being for the
child
or
young adult
in the care or custody of
			 the
Department
in a
home study
on a form
			 approved by the
Department
when the recommendation is to issue
			 a
Certificate of Approval
or
Child-Specific
			 Certificate of Approval.