1. (1) Sending agencies must submit a written request for placement to Alabama’s ICPC Office prior to placing a child in Alabama with relatives or in a foster care placement. A child must not be brought into the state for placement prior to State Department of Human Resources (SDHR) approval. Requests from other states must include sufficient information to enable the Department of Human Resources (DHR) to make an appropriate evaluation of the proposed placement. If the information provided by the other state is insufficient, additional written information will be requested before proceeding with the evaluation.
2. (2) Upon receipt from another state of a written request for placement of a child with a prospective resource, a home study must be conducted and returned to the requesting state within sixty (60) days of receipt of the request except if a delay is due to circumstances beyond state control, 15 days may be added (total of 75 days), provided that the state made a request for the delayed documents. County Departments have fifty (50) days to conduct, complete and return a home study report to State Department of Human Resources. The education and training parts of the home study of prospective foster and adoptive homes are not required to be completed within this timeframe.
3. (3) Home study reports received from another state, Indian tribe or private agency under contract with another state are considered as completed home studies, unless within 14 days after receipt of the report, the State determines, based on grounds specific to the content of the report, that making a decision in reliance on the report would be contrary to the welfare of the child.
4. (4) A foster home study must be conducted and Alabama’s Minimum Standards for Foster Family Homes, 660-5-29, must be met by any individual selected as a proposed foster care placement for a child when the degree of relationship between that individual and the child extends beyond the definition of relative per 660-5-35-.01-(9); when the child is unrelated to the individual selected as a proposed placement; and when termination of parental rights (TPR) has been identified as a plan for the child.
5. (5) The completed foster home study shall be submitted to State Department of Human Resources Interstate Compact Placement Office for review and a joint decision regarding placement is made between the State Department of Human Resources ICPC Office and the county department. SDHR will submit a recommendation for placement to the sending state.
6. (6) The completed home study must include Alabama Bureau of Investigation (ABI) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) criminal history checks; Child Abuse/Neglect Central Registry clearances on all household members age fourteen (14) years and older; and a recommendation regarding placement.

7. (7) There are three types of home studies.

   1. (a) Home Study: Used alone, the term refers to an evaluation of a home’s environment conducted in accordance with applicable state requirements to determine whether a proposed placement of a child would meet the individual needs of the child, including the child’s safety, permanency, health, well being and mental, emotional and physical development.
   2. (b) Interstate Home Study: This is a home study conducted by the Department at the request of another state to facilitate an adoptive or foster placement of a child under the responsibility of the state requesting the home study.
   3. (c) Timely Interstate Home Study: A study described in “Interstate Home Study” that is completed within 30 days after the receipt of the request including a report on the results to the requesting state within 30 days.
8. (8) If the placement of a child from another state proves unsatisfactory and the child has to be removed from the home and placed in out-of-home care prior to the child’s return to the sending state, the sending state must be notified about the change in placement and apprised of the daily cost. The sending state is responsible for payment of that care.
9. (9) A report summarizing the adjustment of the child to the placement and recommending case closure must be sent to the SDHR to obtain approval before the sending state can terminate their case. When termination is recommended, the sending state must provide the receiving state with a copy of the court order terminating the case.

Author: Jerome Webb

Statutory Authority: 42 U.S.C. §5119 National Child Protection Act of 1993; Code of Ala. 1975, §§24-14-8, 38-7-15, 38-7-2 (13), and 44-2-20; Public Law 109-239.

History: New Rule: Filed August 4, 2006; effective September 8, 2006. Amended: Filed March 7, 2007; effective April 11, 2007.