Sec. 07.02.25.06. Resource Home Study Process

A. The selection of a family for home study shall be made on the basis of the family's flexibility in the type of child they can parent and the needs of children coming into out-of-home placement rather than the chronological order in which a family contacted the local department.

B. The home study process shall include an opportunity for prospective resource parent or parents to assess their potential for resource parenthood.

C. The home study process shall provide an opportunity for a local department to study and assess a family’s potential for resource parenthood.

D. A home study shall provide in-depth information about foster care and adoption to a prospective resource parent, which includes:

(1) The definition and goals of foster care and adoption;

(2) The differences between foster parenting, parenting one's own child, and adoption of a child;

(3) The problems which require a child being placed in foster care;

(4) The characteristics of children needing foster care placement and adoption, including problems and needs;

(5) The characteristics of birth parents, their problems, needs, rights, and responsibilities, including visitation;

(6) The role and responsibilities of resource parents to the child, the birth parents, the local department, and the resource parent's own family;

(7) The role and responsibilities of the local department to the resource family, the birth family, and the foster children;

(8) The impact foster care and adoption may have on the applicant's own family;

(9) The impact that separation and placement have on the child, the birth family, and the resource family;

(10) The nature and purpose of the local department's planning documents, including the permanency plan, the case plan, and the service agreement;

(11) The minimum requirements for resource homes, as set forth in Regulations .04-.05 of this chapter;

(12) The knowledge of different types of resource home options, including emergency foster care or regular foster care;

(13) Understanding that the priorities of permanency plan options are in the following order:

(a) Return home to birth parents,

(b) Placement with relatives,

(c) Adoption,

(d) Independent living, in which the child is learning to be self-sufficient and responsible for living arrangements,

(e) Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement:

(i) A permanency plan that addresses the individualized needs of the child, including the child's educational plan, emotional stability, physical placement, and socialization needs, and

(ii) Includes goals that promote the continuity of relations with individuals who will fill a lasting and significant role in the child's life.

(14) The option to be considered as an adoptive home for children who have been in continuous care in the foster home for at least 1 year;

(15) The legal, technical, procedural, financial, medical, and educational aspects of child placement;

(16) An overview of the Citizens Review Board for Children and other review processes and the resource parents' role in these processes;

(17) The Department's discipline policy, as stated in Regulation .20 of this chapter;

(18) The requirement that resource parents attend 27 hours of pre-service dual-approval training and at least ten hours per year of continuing training as approved and made available by the Administration.

E. Method of Resource Home Study.

(1) The resource home study process shall include:

(a) Home visits;

(b) Questions to the prospective resource parents; and

(c) Training and evaluation.

(2) The prospective resource parents shall:

(a) Sign a resource parent application and the consent to release confidential information forms;

(b) Complete resource home application materials;

(c) Attend 27 hours of pre-service training; and

(d) Meet the technical requirements for resource home care to be approved as a resource home.

(3) An orientation meeting may be counted towards the required 27 hours of pre-service training as specified in §E(2)(c) of this regulation.

(4) The resource home worker shall:

(a) Conduct at least three visits at the home of the prospective resource parent. One of the home visits shall include a meeting with each resource parent individually, and other visits shall include:

(i) The entire family,

(ii) A discussion of training, and

(iii) A tour of the house;

(b) Obtain three personal references, as follows:

(i) Two of the references shall be supported by a personal interview;

(ii) Only one of the references may be a relative;

(iii) The applicants shall notify and obtain the consent of their references; and

(iv) If there is a school-aged child in the prospective resource family, references from school personnel shall be requested;

(c) Discuss the Department's policies on discipline and child abuse and neglect, including the risk of physical or sexual victimization by another child and the responsibility of the resource parent for the safety of all children in their care;

(d) Obtain verification of income;

(e) Obtain verification of marital status, if applicable;

(f) Request a health and sanitary inspection by the local health department in the jurisdiction for each home being considered for approval;

(g) Review local department records to determine whether a member of the prospective resource family has an indicated finding of abuse or neglect;

(h) Review the results of the State and federal criminal background checks;

(i) Make certain that fire safety approval is obtained as required in Regulation .04I of this chapter;

(j) Provide pre-service training for the prospective resource family and ensure that all material contained in the pre-service training is provided to the family;

(k) Review local department records to determine whether a prospective resource parent is in arrears on child support payments and, if in arrears, whether the arrearage:

(i) May be corrected; or

(ii) Impacts on the applicant’s ability to provide foster care as specified in Regulation .04F of this chapter.

F. Recommendation of Resource Home for Approval.

(1) A local department shall notify a prospective resource parent in writing, and within 120 days of the date on which the local department accepts the application provided for in §E(2) of this regulation of the decision of approval or denial.

(2) A prospective resource parent aggrieved by a decision may file an appeal according to Regulation .19 of this chapter.

(3) A home study for a relative placement, foster care, or adoption which is referred from another state under the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) shall be:

(a) Forwarded to the appropriate local department within 5 calendar days of receipt at the Maryland ICPC Office;

(b) Completed by the local department and returned to the Maryland ICPC Office within 45 calendar days of receipt; and

(c) Forwarded to requesting state within 60 calendar days from the date of the receipt of the request at the Maryland ICPC Office.