Ky.gov
Effective: 6/14/2023

12.18.5 Care Plus Foster or Adoptive Home

Legal Authority

Introduction

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Practice Guidance

  • Although not a prerequisite for approval, it is suggested that a care plus applicant have one (1) year of experience as a foster parent.
  • The SSW may re-evaluate the child’s continued care plus status at the regularly scheduled case planning conferences based upon progress of the child or a change in the level of care (LOC) assignment.


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Procedure

​The R&C Worker:

  1. Follows the procedures outlined in SOP 12.18 Specialized Foster Care Services as well as the procedures listed below;
  2. Determines whether the applicant is interested and possesses the aptitude to provide services to a care plus child;
  3. Verifies that the primary caretaker:
    1. Is willing to maintain a DPP-130 Weekly Record of Events (WROE) of a child's activities and behaviors;
    2. Is willing and able to attend all case planning conferences;
    3. Demonstrates access to available support services; and
    4. Coordinates designated therapeutic needs provided by community resources;
  4. Documents that the applicant completes and receives a certificate of completion for the twelve (12) hours of care plus training, beyond the pre-service family preparation training requirement in the following topic areas:
    1. Specific requirements and responsibilities of a care plus foster home;
    2. Crisis intervention and behavior management;
    3. De-escalation techniques;
    4. Communication skills;
    5. Skill development;
    6. Cultural competency;
    7. The dynamics of a child who has experienced sexual abuse or human trafficking; and
    8. The effect of substance use, abuse, or dependency by either the child or the child's biological parent;
  5. Recommends approval or denial to the family services office supervisor (FSOS), to classify the foster or adoptive home as care plus upon completion of the additional training.  The request includes:
    1. An evaluation of the foster or adoptive home's participation in and knowledge gained from training, with consideration given to the following: 
      1. ​Trainer evaluation;
      2. On-site observation by the recruitment and certification (R&C) worker;
    2. Formal discussion with the family documented by the R&C worker; and
    3. The parent’s plan and ability to meet the child’s needs if the primary care plus foster or adoptive home parent is employed outside the home;  
  6. Sends a letter to the foster or adoptive home informing the home of its approval/disapproval upon a decision by the FSOS; 
  7. Authorizes:
    1. The basic care plus rate to a foster or adoptive home approved to care for a child who has been approved by designated Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS/Cabinet) staff as care plus; or
    2. The advanced care plus rate to a foster or adoptive home approved to care for a child who has been approved by designated Cabinet staff as care plus and who has one (1) year of experience as a care plus foster or adoptive home.
  8. Unless approved with the DPP 112A DCBS Placement Exception Request by the service region administrator (SRA) or designee and the care plus home must consist of no more than the following: 
    1. A one (1) parent care plus foster or adoptive home does not care for more than one (1) care plus child;
    2. A two (2) parent care plus foster or adoptive home does not care for more than two (2) care plus children; and
    3. No more than four (4) children (including the care plus home parent's own children) may reside in care plus foster or adoptive home (Exceptions may be granted for a sibling group or with the approval of the SRA as outline in SOP 12.11 Number of Children in Foster or Adoptive Home​).


Documents

Revisions

​6/14/2023 Deletion: ​
  • Although not a prerequisite for approval, it is suggested that a care plus applicant has​:
    • Previously completed the child sexual abuse training, and
    • One year of experience as a foster parent.​