1. (a) The Family Service Worker will:

   1. (1) Ask the child’s parent or parents or legal guardian or guardians from whom custody was removed to provide information on appropriate relatives and fictive kin to include, as available (if not already provided at time of removal):

      1. (A) The names, addresses, and phone numbers of any relatives or fictive kin who may serve as appropriate placement resources for the child; and
      2. (B) The names, addresses, phone numbers, and other identifying information of any putative father or fathers of the child;
   2. (2) Assist with completion of CFS-450: Prospective Provisional Foster Parent Information and Questionnaire as appropriate to the specific case and/or local county procedures;
   3. (3) Keep the Resource Worker informed of any changes to the child’s need for a provisional placement and any other relevant information;

   4. (4) Ensure that the Resource Worker conducts a review of the prospective provisional home to include:

      1. (A) An expedited Child Maltreatment Central Registry Check (via CFS-316: Request for Arkansas Child Maltreatment Central Registry Check);
      2. (B) An expedited State Police criminal record check (via CFS-342: State Police Criminal Record Check);
      3. (C) A vehicle safety check;
      4. (D) Submission of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (nonstate) criminal record check (results do not have to be received in order to open the provisional foster home, but results must be received and clear within six (6) months in order to make a determination as to whether to approve as a regular Division of Children and Family Services foster home); and
      5. (E) A visual inspection of the home (via CFS-446: In Home Consultation Visit Report);
   5. (5) If the provisional foster home placement appears viable, interview the child, if age appropriate, to assess how the child may feel about placement with the relative and make individualized placements on a case-by-case basis in the best interest of the child;

   6. (6) Collaborate with the Resource Worker to evaluate:

      1. (A) How the other children and adults in the home will affect the successful development of a child in foster care; and
      2. (B) How the child in foster care will impact the other members of the home;

   7. (7) If, after the Resource Worker has completed all necessary steps to open the family as a provisional home (see below for more information), it is determined that placement with the family is in the best interest of the child:

      1. (A) Arrange at least one (1) preplacement visit for the child if it is not the child’s initial placement;
      2. (B) Contact the Office of Chief Counsel attorney immediately if child is being moved from one (1) out-of-home placement to another and provide notice of the placement change to all other parties to the case as required by law and as outlined in 9 CAR § 40-827, changes in out-of-home placement and related procedures, if that placement was not considered to be a temporary placement (see 9 CAR § 40-102, definitions);
      3. (C) Provide the child’s parent or parents with PUB-11: What Happens When Your Child and Family Are Involved with DCFS?;
      4. (D) Provide the prospective provisional foster family with PUB-15: A Relative’s Guide to the Arkansas Child Welfare System; and
      5. (E) Place the child in the provisional home and:
2. (i) When a child is placed in a provisional foster home for a seventy-two-hour hold, ensure that the provisional foster parents acknowledge they:
3. (a) (a) Will not allow the alleged perpetrator access to the child that is not supervised by the Division of Children and Family Services until the investigation is complete; and

4. (b) (b) Will not allow any contact with the alleged offender that is not approved or authorized by the Division of Children and Family Services or the court after the investigation is completed (if found true);

   1. (ii) Ensure that the provisional foster parents understand that they must work with their Resource Worker to complete any corrective actions necessary to bring the home into compliance with Minimum Licensing Standards and Division of Children and Family Services policy within six (6) months;

      1. (iii) Document placement selection on the case plan by keying the “Plan Goals” and the “Needs/Svc” screens in the “Treatment” portion of the “Case Plan” section of CHRIS;

         1. (iv)
5. (a) (a) Assist the provisional foster parents in applying for benefits if appropriate.

6. (b) (b) Until the provisional foster home is opened as a regular foster home, the relative/fictive kin may apply for and receive benefits for which the provisional foster parents may be entitled due to the placement of the child in the home, such as benefits under the Temporary Employment Assistance (TEA) program or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);

   1. (v) Assess the situation with the Resource Worker and Supervisor or Supervisors if the family does not come into compliance within six (6) months of the placement of the child in the home and recommend to Office of Chief Counsel on how the case should proceed (i.e., remain in foster care or have a completed approved home study and recommend custody to the relative);

      1. (vi) Collaborate with the Resource Worker to ensure that the relative or relatives are completing the process for foster home approval; and

         1. (vii) If the relative’s home is not fully licensed as a foster home within six (6) months of the placement of the child in the home:
7. (a) (a) The department shall remove the child from the relative’s home and close the relative’s provisional foster home and place child in an approved or licensed placement; or

8. (b) (b) The court shall remove custody from the department and grant custody of the child to the relative;

   1. (8) Complete the permanency planning hearing court report and submit to the FSW Supervisor for review and approval;
   2. (9) If approved by the FSW Supervisor, submit the permanency planning hearing court report to the Office of Chief Counsel attorney, CASA, and all other required parties within fourteen (14) days prior to any permanency planning hearing scheduled for the case;
   3. (10) Hold staffings, as needed, in accordance with 9 CAR § 40-506, case staffings, and update the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment and case plan;
   4. (11) Invite the Adoption Specialist to the staffing when appropriate; and
   5. (12) Conduct a staffing to discuss closure when appropriate.

9. (b) The Resource Worker will:

   1. (1) Assist with completion of CFS-450: Prospective Provisional Foster Parent Information and Questionnaire as appropriate to specific case and/or local county procedures;

   2. (2) Process all necessary background checks by (see Procedure VII-C1: Background Check Processing for more information):

      1. (A) Conducting an expedited Child Maltreatment Central Registry check (via CFS-316: Request for Arkansas Child Maltreatment Central Registry Check);
      2. (B) Conducting an expedited Division of Arkansas State Police criminal record check (via CFS-342: State Police Criminal Record Check);

      3. (C)

         1. (i) Conducting a vehicle safety program (DMV) check (driving record points will be computed in the Division of Children and Family Services Central Office, and the results, including qualification or disqualification, will be forwarded to the Resource Worker for inclusion in the applicant file.
         2. (ii) See Procedure VII-C1 for forms which must be completed); and
      4. (D) Submitting the Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal record check (Federal Bureau of Investigation results do not have to be received in order to open the provisional foster home, but results must be received and clear within six (6) months in order to approve as a regular Division of Children and Family Services foster home);

   3. (3)

      1. (A) Complete a visual inspection of the home (via CFS-446: In Home Consultation Visit Report).
      2. (B) See Procedure VII-C2: In Home Consultation Visit for more information;
   4. (4) Based on the results of the background checks listed above and the visual inspection of the home, begin the process for requesting any necessary alternative compliance or the Division of Children and Family Services policy waivers, if applicable;
   5. (5) Explain to the relative/fictive kin that, if opened as a provisional foster home, they will not receive a board payment until they are opened as a fully approved Division of Children and Family Services foster home which must occur within six (6) months of being opened as a provisional foster home;
   6. (6) Explain to the relative/fictive kin other processes related to becoming a provisional and, ultimately, a regular Division of Children and Family Services foster home (see 9 CAR § 40-801 et seq., Development of Resource Homes and Support to Resource Parents, and related procedures);
   7. (7) Keep the child’s FSW informed of progress and/or any challenges to opening the relative as a provisional foster home;

   8. (8) Collaborate with the child’s FSW to evaluate:

      1. (A) How the other children and adults in the home will affect the successful development of a child in foster care; and
      2. (B) How the child in foster care will impact the other members of the home;
   9. (9) If the relative/fictive kin and relative/fictive kin’s home are appropriate to open as a provisional foster home, complete CFS-452: Provisional Foster Home Verification and CFS-474: Provisional Foster Home Checklist with the family and file in the provider record;

   10. (10)

       1. (A) Enter a relative into CHRIS as a provider opening two (2) placement services:

          1. (i) Provisional (relative) placement (no board) service; and
          2. (ii) Foster family home service.
       2. (B) The provisional (relative) placement (no board) service must be quickly approved (once the necessary requirements are received), while the foster family home service has applicant status awaiting compliance (all required checks, certifications, and training) for approval.
       3. (C) In CHRIS, the relative will have only one (1) provider number showing two (2) services provided by the family;

   11. (11)

       1. (A) Enter fictive kin into CHRIS as a provider opening two (2) placement services:

          1. (i) Provisional (fictive kin) placement (no board) service; and
          2. (ii) Foster family home service.
       2. (B) The provisional (fictive kin) placement (no board) service must be quickly approved (once the necessary requirements are received), while the foster family home service has applicant status awaiting compliance (all required checks, certifications, and training) for approval.
       3. (C) In CHRIS, the fictive kin will have only one (1) provider number showing two (2) services provided by the family.
       4. (D) Provisional (fictive kin) will mirror the same board rates as provisional (relative) which carries the payment scale status of “None.”;
   12. (12) Request any necessary policy waivers and/or alternative compliances to waive nonsafety standards for the relative/fictive kin prior to referring to training;
   13. (13) Refer to 9 CAR § 40-801 et seq., Development of Resource Homes and Support to Resource Parents, to continue with the process of opening the provisional foster home as a regular Division of Children and Family Services foster home;
   14. (14) Support the relative/fictive kin throughout the process of becoming a provisional and regular Division of Children and Family Services foster home; and

   15. (15) Assess the situation with the FSW and supervisors if the relative does not come into compliance within six (6) months of the placement of the child in the home.

       1. (c) The FSW Supervisor will:
   16. (1) Conference with and support the FSW on the case as necessary; and

   17. (2) Review and approve the permanency planning hearing court report.

       1. (d) The Resource Worker Supervisor will:
   18. (1) Upon receipt of a notification email from a worker who has removed children and identified a prospective provisional placement (see this section for more information), be responsible for ensuring completion of CFS-450: Prospective Provisional Foster Parent Information and Questionnaire within forty-eight (48) hours of receipt of notification; and
   19. (2) Conference with and support the Resource Worker as necessary regarding opening the provisional foster home.

Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules provided as follows: "01/2020"