7 AAC 56.420. Services to foster, adoptive, and guardianship parents

(a) To acquaint them with the agency's policies and requirements an agency may, in accordance with 7 AAC 50.030 (a), require a pre-service orientation or training for an applicant for a license to be a foster home. An agency may require a pre-service orientation or training for an applicant for adoption or for guardianship purposes.

(b) An agency shall provide a foster, adoptive and guardianship parent applicant the following information either in a pre-service orientation or in writing:

(1) information as appropriate to agency services, regarding the agency's program and the needs of children in this state for foster care, residential care, adoption, and guardianship;

(2) the importance of a child's birth family and continuity for a child;

(3) in the case of an Indian child, the importance of the child's tribe and clan;

(4) the agency's statement identifying all specific selection criteria required of an applicant to be a foster, adoptive and guardianship parent;

(5) a statement of the rights and responsibilities of the agency and foster, adoptive and guardianship parents or families in regard to the relationship between the agency and the family, including

(A) roles;

(B) training;

(D) financial reimbursement;

(E) placement procedures;

(F) support services;

(G) information sharing; and

(H) participation in the treatment process;

(6) the agency's policies relating to behavior management, parent, sibling, and extended family visits, health care, emergency procedures, education, and recreation;

(7) the agency's grievance and appeal procedures available to foster, adoptive, and guardianship parents and applicants;

(8) the agency's policies regarding financial responsibilities and reimbursement for care; and

(9) information for making a complaint regarding agency services to the division.

(c) An agency shall provide or identify training opportunities and financing for agency foster parents to increase their skills and ability to parent and meet the requirements of 7 AAC 50.250(g) .

(d) An agency must have a policy in which reimbursement is made to foster parents for cost of care expenditures and fees for service that is timely and equitable. When homes are used that are not reimbursed, the agency must have a written agreement stating the reasons.

(e) Before placement for guardianship or adoption, the agency shall maintain at least quarterly contact with the applicants for adoptive or guardianship placements.

(f) An agency shall provide a copy of information that may be necessary to enable a placement setting to provide appropriate care for a child, to protect the safety of the child, and to protect the safety and property of caregivers, family members, and visitors to the placement setting.

History: Eff. 1/1/2001, Register 156

Authority: AS 44.29.020

AS 47.35.010

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