Ky.gov
Effective: 4/22/2025

C7.7 Placement in a Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) Foster or Adoptive Home

Legal Authority

Introduction

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Relatives should always be considered as the first option for care if a child cannot remain safely in their home. However, a Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) foster or adoptive home provides the least restrictive level of care when a child must enter out-of-home care (OOHC). Relatives may be approved as DCBS foster parents, and DCBS foster and adoptive homes may also be approved for specialized care, including medically complex and care plus.  

Practice Guidance

  • A foster/adoptive home must have a current DPP-111-Foster Home Contract, which has been signed by the resource parents and cabinet officials before a child is placed in their home. 
  • Under no circumstances is a child in the custody of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (Cabinet/CHFS) permitted to stay overnight in the residence of the SSW or other DCBS staff providing protection and permanency (P&P) services without prior approval from the commissioner pursuant to 922 KAR 1:350. 
  • The Cabinet may not delay or deny an otherwise appropriate placement on the basis of race, color, or national origin of the person or the child involved; however, compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) of 1978 does not constitute a violation of Section of 471 (a)(18)(B) of the Social Security Act.​
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Procedure

The SSW:

  1. Seeks placement for a child in an approved non-relative DCBS foster or adoptive home only when an appropriate relative home is not available; 
  2. Reviews the following information before deciding to place a child in a DCBS foster/adoptive home: 
    • Information about the child and the family found in the assessment; 
    • The child’s level of care (LOC) assignment, if available; 
    • Any available documents regarding the child’s physical or mental health, and educational background; and 
    • The case plan; 
  3. Seeks consultation from members of the family team, especially the child, regarding placement decisions; 
  4. Ensures that a DPP-111A Foster Home Contract Supplement is provided to the foster/adoptive parent(s) upon the foster/adoptive home’s acceptance of a child; 
  5. Obtains the foster/adoptive home parent’s signature on the DPP-111A; 1 
  6. Informs the foster/adoptive parent of any history of inappropriate sexual acts or other behaviors of the child that indicates a safety threat for placement, just as with any other type of substitute care placement; 
  7. Is mandated to inform the foster/adoptive parent as soon as practical, but no later than seventy-two (72) hours after receiving information regarding a history of inappropriate sexual acts or other behaviors of the child that indicates a safety threat for placement, if the information is not known at the time of placement; 
  8. Provides a copy of the signed DPP-111A to the foster/adoptive home and the regional billing specialist; 
  9. Uploads the original DPP-111A in the foster/adoptive home’s TWIST file; 
  10. Explores designation as medically complex (please see SOP C7.5) and placement in a medically complex foster/adoptive home if the child has a physical condition (documented by a physician) that may become unstable or change abruptly and result in a life-threatening situation or meets other criteria for medically complex status; 
  11. May explore placement in a care plus home if the child displays aggressive, destructive, or especially disruptive behaviors; 
  12. Reports placement information to the billing specialist using either the out-of-home care (OOHC) request, or placement change screens in TWIST.

The FSOS or designee:

  1. Signs the completed DPP-111A, including any known history and risk factors regarding the child being placed.

Footnotes​

  1. In an emergency, the DPP-111A is signed within three (3) working days of placement. The medically complex category of service allows the eligible child to remain in the least restrictive setting and allows the foster/adoptive parent to be reimbursed for additional and/or more intensive care.
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Documents

Revisions

4/2025

Relatives should always be considered as the first option for care if a child cannot remain safely in their home. However, a Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) foster or adoptive home provides the least restrictive level of care when a child must enter out-of-home care.  Relatives may be approved as DCBS foster parents, and DCBS foster and adoptive homes may also be approved for specialized care, including care plus and medically complex.  

  1. Seeks placement for a child in an approved non-relative DCBS foster or adoptive home only when an appropriate relative home is not available; ​
​9.  Upload Files​ the original DPP-111A in the foster/adoptive home’s TWIST case file; ​

​10.  Explores designation as medically complex (please see SOP C7.5) and placement in a medically complex foster/adoptive home if the child has a physical condition (documented by a physician) that may become unstable or change abruptly and result in a life-threatening situation or meets other criteria for medically complex status; ​