Licensing and Certification Process

Foster Care
All potential foster parents must meet the licensing requirements that are set by the State. Following is a list of some of the basic requirements. This is by no means an exhaustive list of all of the minimum licensing requirements. The purpose of this page is to provide a general introduction to some of the requirements. Private child placing agencies must follow the same minimum licensing requirements as the state and may add additional requirements based on their own licensing process.

Through the application and licensing process, a licensing worker will assist you in meeting the regulations. Once your application has been submitted it takes approximately 90 days to become a foster parent.

Some of the basic licensing requirements for anyone applying to be a licensed foster parent are:

• Must be at least 21 years old;
• Must not have been convicted of a crime of violence nor have been found to be a perpetrator of child abuse;
• Applicants and others living in the home, age 16 or older, must have background/ criminal-history clearance;
• If you have lived outside the state of Washington within the last three years, your fingerprints will be sent for clearance to the FBI.
• The applicants must complete the foster/adoptive parent “Pre-Service” training and First-Aid, CPR, and HIV training. You can usually get these trainings at no cost to you.
• Applicants and other adults (age 18 and older) in the home must submit current Tuberculosis test results.
• Applicants must provide the names of at least 3 personal references.
• The applicant maybe a homeowner or a renter but the residence must be inspected and approved by the licensor.
• The applicants must provide the licensor detailed information about themselves and their families so that the licensor can thoroughly assess whether the applicants will be suitable foster parents.
• Applicants must have sufficient income to support themselves without relying on foster care payments. In two-parent households, both parents may work outside the home if the child’s care will not be adversely affected.
• Applicants must discipline children in a positive manner without the use of physical punishment.The full licensing process usually takes 60-90 days, depending on how quickly you meet the requirements. If you’ve lived outside the state of Washington in the past 3 years, however, the mandatory fingerprint check may take longer, so that process should get started as soon as possible, if needed.

An application for a foster care license can be denied for:

• Felony convictions, past crimes of violence, or pending criminal charges;
• Past abuse, neglect or exploitation of anyone in the applicant’s care;
• Revocation or denial of a license to care for others in the past, by any agency
• Materially false statements in the application;
• Illegal or excessive use of intoxicants by the applicant; or
• An assessment that the applicant does not demonstrate adequate judgment or stability to provide care for abused or neglected children, or appears incapable of cooperating with the agency requirements or personnel.

Some of the basic requirements for the foster home facility are:

• The home must be clean, safe and in good repair, with telephone service;
• Medications, cleaning solutions, firearms and poisons, etc., must be locked;
• The home needs a working ABC fire extinguisher, 5 lbs. or more; smoke detector(s) in sleeping areas; first-aid supplies including an unexpired bottle of Syrup of Ipecac;
• Swimming pools shall be fenced with a locked gate to make the pool inaccessible to children when not in use. Also hot tubs, spas, etc., shall be inaccessible (locked tops) to children when not in use and both pools and hot tubs, spas, etc., shall not be used by children without appropriate adult supervision. If you have water hazards on the premises, you will need to work out a safety plan with your licensor.
• Each child needs to have his/her own bed, in a bedroom with a window. The size of the bedroom will determine how many children can share a room. Children age 5 or under can share a bedroom with the opposite gender;
• Private water sources need a satisfactory test by the local health authority at licensing and re-licensing.

For specific questions about your qualifications or the condition of your home we suggest that you talk with a foster home licensor. You can obtain contact information of a Private Child Placing Agency or the Department of Licensing Resources(DLR) from our website by filling out our Getting Started form.

Adoption - The Seven Step Journey
(Adapted from Answering the Call, Family Pocket Guide, by The Collaboration to AdoptUSKids)

Step I – First Contact
This is where you, the prospective parent, make a phone call or talk to an agency recruiter to obtain information on the process.

Step II – Initial Orientation
Meeting where you will be given a good basic understanding of:

• Who the children are who need care.
• The role and responsibilities of foster/adopt parents.
• The process you will need to go through.
• The next steps you will have to take on the journey.

In some agencies this may be part of the first Foster and/or Adoptive Parent Training class (in some agencies, referred to as PRIDE).

During this time you may hear some real challenges of foster/adopt; don’t be afraid to ask questions and be prepared to open your heart and mind to what is being said. You don’t have to make any major decisions right now.

Step III – Foster and/or Adoptive Parent Training
This is a free 30-hour training program and the sessions are designed to prepare you for fostering/adopting. During these classes make a commitment to actively participate and give careful consideration to the information presented; come prepared to ask questions; and gain knowledge of what type of child you can best parent.

During this step you may start the application process by picking an agency to work with and obtaining a licensing packet. In addition, you will need first aid, CPR, and HIV/Aids training that should be of no charge to you – contact the trainer of the 30-hour course for a referral.

Step IV – Application Process
This is where prospective foster/adoptive parents complete the application and you and your assigned representative from the agency of your choosing go over it carefully. Each application will contain a brief family history, personal references, background checks for anyone over 16 yrs. old, verifications of the different training completions, any medical records that are pertinent, etc., and a check list for preparing your house for a homestudy.

Ask for help from your agency or assigned foster parent recruiter if you have questions here are anywhere throughout the seven steps.

• Be open and honest in filling out the application.
• Supply the necessary information completely and accurately and as fast as possible.
• Cooperate with the criminal background check and protective service checks. Discuss any concerns you feel may surface with your licensor in advance.
• Ask for help, if you don’t understand something. It’s better to take a little longer to fill out the application correctly.
• Agree to maintain confidentiality about the child, his/her birth family; and to provide nurturing, safe, and affectionate care for the child.

Step V – Mutual Assessment and Homestudy
This is the time that the agency licensor meets with you in your home to talk about your personal history, family relationships, reasons for wanting to foster/adopt, and the supports you have available to you. They will determine whether you home is safe and has sufficient space. This step is to help you and the agency make the best possible decisions about placement and to determine the characteristics of the children whom you want to parent. Ensure that all necessary information is supplied completely and accurately. You make an appointment with the agency to have a homestudy done, so don’t feel pressured to schedule one if you need to make improvements on your house first.

Step VI – Licensing and/or Approval
This is a time of waiting for you. You may be waiting for the background check to be returned, personal references to submit there requested information, an upcoming homestudy, or the completion by the agency of their written homestudy assessment. All of these items take time and it may be frustrating at times to wait. Use the time for further reading or networking with other foster/adoptive parents (contact your local FPAWS group, Foster Parent Recruiter, or ask your Licensing Agency for referrals). Keep in contact with your licensor and ask to review a copy of your homestudy so you can correct any inaccuracies.

Step VII – Placement
Congratulations, you’ve been approved and are ready to proceed to the next step in this journey – Placement. This is where the agency and you work to assure the right match between yourself and a particular child’s or sibling group’s needs. Licensed pre-adoptive parents have the responsibility to the child, the child’s birth parents, and the sponsoring agency to:

• Make sure you have the necessary information to make an informed decision about placement.
• Provide a safe, nurturing, stable environment for the child. Provide humane and affectionate care.
• Assure that religious training appropriate to the child’s denomination be respected.
• Assure that the emotional, medical, dental, and educational needs of the child are met.
• Report any changes related to the child’s care and/or your family’s composition to your family social worker.
• Promote physical, emotional, social, and intellectual growth and development of each child.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Cooperate with the agency/department, especially in treatment planning for the child.
• Respect the feelings of the child for the birth family.
• Support the child’s visiting plan with birth parents (if you choose an open adoption), siblings or others, when applicable.

Once a child or sibling group has been placed with you a new journey begins. We encourage you to continue your learning by attending additional training and working with other resource parents and your social work team.