Ky.gov
Effective: 3/13/2024

12.16 Foster or Adoptive Home Re-Evaluation

Legal Authority

Introduction

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Practice Guidance


  • A service recording should be entered into TWIST, documenting the re-evaluation and the quarterly home visit. 
  • While the home is on hold, no new placements can be accepted, and the status will remain active in TWIST. 
  • The training record submitted with the re-evaluation must be a current record of trainings the foster or adoptive parent has completed. A printout of trainings the parent has registered for, but not completed, will not suffice. 
  • It is best practice for the recruitment and certification (R&C) worker to contact the SSW for the children placed in the foster or adoptive home to discuss any issues, questions, or concerns regarding the foster or adoptive family. 
  • The date of the approval/on hold letter and the approval date of the ongoing recommendation should be the same. 
  • The foster or adoptive recommendation must be completed and approved every three (3) years from the month of the original approval. 
  • The SSW should upload a copy of the re-evaluation report in TWIST. ​



Procedure

  1. The R&C worker within or prior to the anniversary month of the third (3rd) year of the original approval as a foster or adoptive home completes a re-evaluation report: 
  2. If a non-SAFE home study was used to approve the family, the R&C worker: 
    1. Reviews the foster or adoptive family’s initial non-SAFE home study, previous re-evaluations, and foster/adoptive home reviews and documents the information that makes the R&C worker curious on the SAFE Harvesting Sheet, prior to scheduling a home visit; 
    2. Schedules a home visit to conduct a personal in-home interview with the foster or adoptive parent(s) and administers SAFE Questionnaire II; 
    3. Immediately interviews the foster/adoptive parent(s) separately and privately 
    4. After the interview, goes through the SAFE Psychosocial Inventory and uses the SAFE Desk Guide to assign desk guide ratings; 1 
    5. Reviews ratings of three (3), four (4), and five (5) and determines if the issues, behaviors, or events can be sustained, reduced, or erased (mitigated); 
    6. Assigns mitigation ratings and places them in the mitigation column on the psychosocial inventory update; and 
    7. Completes the re-evaluation report. 
  3. The R&C worker follows these procedures when a SAFE home study was used to approve a family: 
    1. Prior to scheduling a home visit, reviews the foster or adoptive family's SAFE home study, previous re-evaluations, and foster/adoptive home reviews; 
    2. Transfers the desk guide ratings of one (1), three (3), four (4), or five (5) (not two (2)s) and the mitigation ratings from the original SAFE Home Study to the re-evaluation psychological inventory in the column indicated on the inventory; 
    3. Schedules a home visit to conduct a personal in-home interview with the foster or adoptive parent(s) to complete the re-evaluation update; 
    4. Immediately interviews the foster/adoptive parent(s) separately and privately; 
    5. After the interviews, completes the Psychosocial Inventory Update using the SAFE Desk Guide to assign ratings; 
    6. Reviews ratings of three (3), four (4), and five (5) to determine if the issues, behaviors, or events can be mitigated; 
    7. Assigns mitigation ratings in the mitigation column of the re-evaluation update; and 
    8. Completes the re-evaluation report; 
  4. The R&C worker reviews documentation for a foster home including: 
    1. The original waiver request and action items identified on the original waiver; 
    2. Documents the family's compliance with the action plan in the safe re-evaluation report; and 
    3. Determines the family's need for ongoing training: 
      1. If the family is effectively meeting the needs of the children placed in their home, the R&C worker shall submit a waiver for ongoing training to the FSOS. 
      2. If a training need is identified, the R&C worker will develop an action plan on the safe re-evaluation during that re-evaluation period that outlines the specific training needs. This step may also require the ongoing waiver form if a family will not be completing all required training, (e.g., and action plan requires the family to complete trauma training however, sexual abuse training may be waived.) 4​
In addition to completing the re-evaluation report, the R&C worker:
  1. Enrolls foster and adoptive families and adult household members approved prior to implementation of the Kentucky Applicant Registry and Employment Screening (KARES) into the KARES background system prior to or during the anniversary month of initial approval, as outlined in SOP 12.4.1.
  2. Obtains verification from the KARES system annually for foster and adoptive families already enrolled in KARES​ and uploads in TWIST. 
  3. Submits the completed DPP 157 for all children over the age of twelve (12) to the Division of Administration and Financial Management (DAFM) Records Management Section at least one (1) month prior to the approval month. 5 
  4. Reviews the appropriate documentation regarding: 
    1. Any change in the family; 
    2. The ability of the foster or adoptive home parent(s) to meet the needs of a child placed in the home; 
    3. Continued compliance with the SOP 12.15-12.17 regarding ongoing requirements for foster or adoptive homes; 
    4. Continued compliance with the SOP 12.13 Home Environment Prerequisites, including proof that each foster or adoptive parent and all other household members that drive, possess a valid driver's license and liability insurance; 
    5. Documentation that ongoing training requirements have been met as outlined in SOP 12.15 Ongoing Training;
    6. Documentation of an updated DPP-107 (completed within the past twelve (12) months) for adult household members and updated vaccination certificates for minor children; 
    7. Updated DPP-170; and 
    8. Information contained on the Re-evaluation Report Coversheet. 
  5. Interviews the children in the home (both biological and foster) to assess needs and assistance in adjusting to their environment; 
  6. Interviews all adults in the home to assess needs; 
  7. Discusses any referrals and foster or adoptive home reviews regarding the foster or adoptive home during the last three (3) years and develops a plan for corrective action as needed; 
  8. Informs waiting adoptive families about the Kentucky Adoption Profile Exchange (KAPE); 
  9. Utilizes procedures in SOP 12.19 Closure of a Foster or Adoptive Home and Reopening as applicable; 
  10. Completes the re-evaluation report for foster or adoptive families and uploads it into TWIST documenting in the comments section any issues that need correction or missing re-approval items;
Upon completion of the re-evaluation report:
  1. If all requirements for re-approval are met, the R&C worker submits the completed re-evaluation report and attachments, including the Re-evaluation Coversheet, to the R&C FSOS. 
  2. The R&C FSOS: 
    1. Reviews the packet to ensure all requirements have been met and determines whether continued approval is being recommended; 6
    2. Approves the re-evaluation report for foster or adoptive home families; and 5 
    3. Provides an approval letter to the foster or adoptive home parent.
  3. When the FSOS cannot verify that all re-evaluation requirements have been met, the FSOS approves the re-evaluation report for foster or adoptive home families; however: 
    1. The R&C worker submits the Resource Recommendation and notes that the family may not accept placements while on hold. 
    2. The FSOS or R&C worker prepares an On Hold Letter to the foster or adoptive home parent; and 
    3. R&C worker develops a plan for corrective action with the FSOS and the foster or adoptive home to assist the parents in meeting foster or adoptive home requirements, if not already listed on the re-evaluation report.

Related Information

TWIST Provide Ongoing Recommendation Information

  • ​The ongoing recommendation is used for the required update for provide households. 
  • When an R&C worker completes a re-evaluation on a provide home, a new foster or adoptive recommendation is completed in TWIST with re-evaluation as the recommendation evaluation type. 
  • The report is submitted to the FSOS for approval. 
  • If the home is placed on hold, the status will remain active in TWIST. 
  • A special recommendation can be used to add/change the home type (advanced status, care plus, or medically complex) or adjust the gender and/or number of children approved for placement.

Footnotes

  1. Administer in the same manner as if completing a SAFE Home Study. 
  2. The R&C worker documents in service recordings when issues have been corrected and/or missing items have been completed. 
  3. A family's training needs will be assessed yearly. The Waiver of Training form must be completed annually during the month of the original approval. Any waivers of training occurring in years one (1) and two (2) of approval shall be discussed in the SAFE re-evaluation report. 
  4. ​​​​​​​​​​The R&C worker will also complete a DPP-157 Background Check on all dependent children aged twelve (12) through seventeen (17) annually, even in years that a re-evaluation does not occur.​
  5. The KARES annual verification form will be available annually from the time the foster, adoptive, or household member was determined to be eligible in the KARES system.
  6. This review shall determine the family's approval type and corresponding rate.  If there are changes a new contract shall be completed.  

Documents

Revisions

​3/15/23 Addition: 

  1. Enrolls foster and adoptive families and adult household members approved prior to implementation of the Kentucky Applicant Registry and Employment Screening (KARES) in the KARES background system prior to or during the anniversary month of initial approval, as outlined in SOP 12.4.1.
  2. Obtains verification from the KARES system annually for foster and adoptive families already enrolled in KARES​ and upload in TWIST. 


4.  The R&C worker will also complete a DPP-157 Background Check dependent children age twelve (12) through seventeen (17) on all household members annually, even in years that a re-evaluation does not occur.​​

5.  The KARES annual Verification form will be available annually from the time the foster, adoptive or household member was determined to be eligible in the KARES system.​


3/15/23 ​Delete: 

  • Documentation including background checks should be completed, finalized, filed and approved yearly in the anniversary month from the initial approval. 
  • When a foster or adoptive home has an allegation of abuse, neglect or dependency made against their home, and the investigation has not been concluded, background checks must continue to be completed by the anniversary date of the original approval. Any delays resulting from a pending investigation shall be documented in contacts. 


  1. Submits the completed DPP 157 for all household members and children over the age of twelve (12) to the records management section at least one month prior to the approval month. 5 
​4.  Receives from the Records Management Section: 
    1. An in-state criminal records check on the foster or adoptive home parent(s) and each adult household member by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC); 
    2. A child abuse and neglect check in TWIST on the foster or adoptive home parent(s) and each adult household member; and 
    3. An address check of the sex offender registry through the Kentucky State Police; 

Footnote: 

3. Background checks (AOC and CA/N checks) must continue to be completed and finalized during the anniversary month of the original approval. ​


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