Licensing Special Circumstances

Situations that require new or updated assessments

If you experience significant changes in your home or household, your case worker may need to visit your home and complete new paperwork. You’ll need to let them know about the change, and they’ll start the assessment process.

Changing the people on your license

If you already have a kinship license, and you want to add another kinship child or youth to it, we’ll need to update your home study.

If you need to add or remove caregivers from your kinship license, we’ll do a new home study.

Applying for a foster home license

If you already have a kinship license, and you want to apply for a foster home license, we’ll do a new home study.

Moving

When you move, we need to complete the move assessment process (an assessment of your new home) within:

• 30 days of your first night in the new home if you’re a licensed kinship caregiver to a child or youth.
• 30 days of the day you let us know you’ve moved if you are not taking care of a child or youth right now.

If you do not complete the move assessment process within 30 days, we may close your license.

Other changes in your home or household

We may also do an updated or new home study if you experience other significant changes in your home or household.

If you’re a DCYF employee, or a relative of a DCYF employee

If you’re a DCYF employee, or a relative of a DCYF employee, you must follow department policies for applying for a kinship license.

If you work for a child-placing agency (CPA) or tribal CPA

Your employer cannot certify you to be a kinship caregiver if you work in one of these areas:

• Administration
• Supervision
• Foster or kinship home certification
• Placement
• Payment authorization
• Case management

If a CPA or tribal CPA certified you, and you later start working for the same agency in one of the roles listed above, you must either:

• Get recertified through another CPA or tribal CPA within six months of starting your job.
• Become licensed directly by DCYF within six months of starting your job.

If you have financial ties to a CPA or tribal CPA

The CPA or tribal CPA you have financial ties to cannot license or certify you to provide kinship or foster care.

If you want or have multiple licenses, certifications, or authorizations

If you have a kinship license, you may also apply for a license to provide child care services to your community. If you’re applying for more than one type of license, you must submit a complete application for each license type.

We’ll conduct a separate assessment at your home for each type of license you apply for.

We may approve your requests for more than one type of DCYF license if both of these are true:

• Multiple licensed kinship caregivers live at your home or address.
• Each licensed kinship caregiver is licensed to care for a different child or youth.

If we find that you are not following the requirements and regulations for your licenses:

• We can mutually agree to change one or more of the licenses, certifications, or authorizations.
• You can voluntarily agree to give up one or more of the licenses, certifications, or authorizations.
• We may deny or revoke one or more of the licenses.

If you have a kinship license and a child care license

You must follow the rules for both license types.

For example, you must follow the rules for licensed kinship caregivers, and also:

• Develop and follow individual care plans for every child or youth in your care who has developmental, health, or behavioral needs.
• If you’re allowed to provide overnight care, follow the rules for overnight care.