RE: Foster home safety

["Jaggers, Terri" <tej003@xxxxxxxx>]

Hi Wendy,

Witin the USA most states require that both the state and private agencies be held to the same requirements and are reviewed each year for compliance to all requirements.  All foster and adoptive parents must pass  criminal background checks, FBI fingerprint checks and child abuse registry checks.

Terri Jaggers
Communication Chair
National Foster Parents Association
713-822-4603 (cell)
________________________________________
From: bounce-6262304-12712286@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [bounce-6262304-12712286@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of wendy.rha@xxxxxxxxxxx [wendy.rha@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2010 6:32 AM
To: Child Maltreatment Researchers
Subject: Foster home safety

Hello everyone,

I have had a number of questions that have arisen with respect to
assesment of foster homes.

In Ontario, I have found that with the SAFE standards, CAS agencies
have screening requirements INCLUDING the completion of child welfare
checks for any applicant wanting to be foster homes directly for a
CAS. However, as the demand is greater than what is available
internally with CAS agencies, there is a need to go to outside
operators (private agencies) to support the need for foster home
placements. These outside agencies do their own foster home
study/assessment process as long it meets the general ministry
requirements. However, due to a variety of limitations, these outsides
homes more often than not do not go through the child welfare check
screening process. I was quite surprised, as with internal foster
homes, kinship options, etc., this is a very strict requirement that
is followed with CAS agencies.

This, and other issues that have come up have made me quite curious
about how different regions are assessing both their own CAS internal
foster homes and any outside agency homes. Is anyone aware of either
literature/research that has been done on assessing the safety of
foster homes?


Thanks,

Wendy Rha, MSW