1. (1) To complete an assessment of an applicant and approve a potential adoptive resource or issue a Certificate of Approval or Child-Specific Non-Relative Certificate of Approval, the certifier must:

   1. (a) Review the completed application.
   2. (b) Have face-to-face contact with each applicant and each other member of the household.
   3. (c) Explain to the applicant the process and requirements for certification of a resource parent and approval of a potential adoptive resource.
   4. (d) Discuss with the applicant the role and responsibilities of the Department.
   5. (e) Assess the applicant's motivation for and interest in caring for a child in the care or custody of the Department.
   6. (f) Assure the applicant possesses a valid driver license and auto insurance if the applicant will operate a motor vehicle with any child in the care or custody of the Department inside the vehicle.
   7. (g) Evaluate with the applicant, the children appropriate for placement in the home and the placement capacity.

   8. (h) When appropriate, obtain approval from the Child Welfare Program Manager or designee on a form approved by the Department under any of the following circumstances:

      1. (A) The home will exceed the maximum placement capacity as described in OAR 413-200-0278.
      2. (B) An applicant or other member of the household provides child care in the home or is a foster care provider licensed by another child-caring agency.
      3. (C) An applicant or other member of the household provides foster care or day care to adults in the home.
      4. (D) An applicant is married, in a domestic partnership, or cohabitating but the applicant’s spouse or partner is not also an applicant and OAR 413-200-0306(3)(a) or (b) applies.

      5. (E) The applicant applies for a Certificate of Approval or Child-Specific Non-Relative Certificate of Approval through a Department office other than the office in the county in which the family resides.

         1. (i) Complete a minimum of two home visits.
      6. (A) Observe and assess the safety of the physical environment;
      7. (B) Walk through each room in the primary residence and each surrounding building and structure on the property, unless the building or residence is a self-contained, separate-entry residence rented to or owned by another individual;
      8. (C) Complete a safety assessment of the home and surroundings using a form approved by the Department; and
      9. (D) Provide the home with age-appropriate documents outlining the Oregon Foster Children’s Bill of Rights under ORS 418.201 and OAR 413-010-0180, Oregon Foster Children’s Sibling Bill of Rights under ORS 418.608 and OAR 413-070-0860 (3).
      10. (E) Provide of copy of the Oregon Foster Parent Bill of Rights under ORS 418.648.
   9. (j) Gather personal, family, and social history information through a series of questionnaires approved by the Department, interviews, and observations in which the Department staff gathers personal information about the applicant and each other member of the household. Analyze information as it relates to each applicant's personal qualifications and assess the conditions that appear to exist in the home that affect safety, health, and well-being for a child.

   10. (k) Assure completion of a criminal records check through LEDS and a fingerprint-based criminal records check of national crime information databases on each applicant and each other adult member of the household and at the Department's discretion, on any child not in the care or custody of the Department and living in the home when there is reason to believe the child may pose a risk to a child in the care or custody of the Department as outlined in OAR 413-208-0000 to 413-208-0035.

       1. (A) Assess the fitness of each applicant and each other member of the household pursuant to OAR 413-208-0015 and 413-208-0020;
       2. (B) If appropriate, obtain approval pursuant to OAR 413-208-0015 and 413-208-0020 to continue with certification assessment of the applicant despite the criminal offender history of each applicant and each other member of the household; or
       3. (C) If an applicant or other member of the household has a disqualifying conviction under OAR 413-208-0015 (3) or (4) or the authorized designee makes a negative fitness determination with respect to the individual, the Department must proceed under OAR 413-208-0030 and OAR 413-200-0296(2) and issue a proposed and final order denying certification, unless the application is withdrawn by the applicant.
       4. (D) Document the information considered and the decision on a form approved by the Department.

   11. (l) Assure completion of child abuse history background checks for each applicant and each other adult member of the household, as follows:

       1. (A) If an applicant or other adult member of the household has lived outside the state of Oregon and within the United States in the previous five years, obtain a child abuse history background check from each state where the individual resided in the five years preceding the date on the application for certification from the Department;
       2. (B) If an applicant or other adult member of the household has lived outside of the United States in the previous five years, request a child abuse history background check from each country where the individual lived within the five years preceding the date on the application for certification from the Department;
       3. (C) Assess any safety concerns regarding each applicant and each other member of the household raised by information learned from the child abuse history background check in Oregon and if applicable, another state or country; and

       4. (D) When an applicant or other member of the household excluding a young adult in the care or custody of the Department has been identified as the perpetrator or alleged perpetrator, or respondent of abuse in a child protective services assessment in a founded disposition, substantiated disposition, unable to determine disposition, or inconclusive disposition or a similar disposition from another Department division, agency, or state, consult with the certification supervisor about whether to seek approval from the Child Welfare Program Manager to continue with the certification assessment:

          1. (i) If the decision is to seek approval, the Child Welfare Program Manager must consider the information and the safety concerns and may approve or deny continuing the assessment;
          2. (ii) If the decision in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph is to deny continuing with the assessment, the Department may terminate the assessment process and, unless the application is withdrawn, proceed to deny the application under OAR 413-200-0296;
          3. (iii) The information considered, including the safety concerns assessed, and the decision must be documented on a form approved by the Department.
          4. (m) Gather information from a minimum of four personal references for the applicant, no more than two of which may be provided by the applicant's relatives.

   12. (n) Verify each applicant has completed:

       1. (A) Orientation prior to certification;
       2. (B) Department Approved Safe Sleep Training;
       3. (C) Department required resource parent training before or within 12 months of certification unless the applicant has written documentation of completion of equivalent training content from the Department or another licensed child-caring agency within two years of the date on the current application that is approved by the supervisor; or there is an approved individualized training plan for an individual issued a Child Specific Non-Relative Certificate of Approval; and
       4. (D) The Department approved training per OAR 413-120-0246, prior to approval for adoption, when the applicant has applied for adoption.
   13. (o) Document the assessment of the resource parent's qualifications and ability to provide safety, health, and well-being for the child in the care or custody of the Department in a home study on a form approved by the Department when the recommendation is to issue a Certificate of Approval or Child-Specific Non-Relative Certificate of Approval or when the recommendation is to approve an applicant as a potential adoptive resource when the standards of OAR 413-120-0246 have been met.

2. (2) If the certifier has completed all of the activities in section (1) of this rule and the supervisor has approved the home study, the Department may:

   1. (a) In the case of an applicant seeking certification, either:

      1. (A) Issue a Certificate of Approval or Child-Specific Non-Relative Certificate of Approval for a two-year period, as applicable; or
      2. (B) Issue a Notice of Intent to deny certification, unless the application is withdrawn by the applicant.
   2. (b) In the case of an applicant seeking to be an adoptive resource, send written notice of the status of the application pursuant to OAR 413-120-0240.

3. (3) The Department must assess an applicant and determine whether to approve the application or deny the application within 180 days of Department receipt of a completed application unless:

   1. (a) The application is withdrawn by the applicant;
   2. (b) The Child Welfare Program Manager or designee extends the assessment period;
   3. (c) The Department has issued a Temporary Certificate of Approval; or
   4. (d) One of the circumstances in OAR 413-200-0272(2) applies.

Statutory/Other Authority

ORS 409.050, ORS 418.005 & ORS 418.640

Statutes/Other Implemented

ORS 417.200-417.260, ORS 418.005, ORS 409.010, ORS 418.625, ORS 418.627, ORS 418.630, ORS 418.635, ORS 418.642, ORS 418.643, ORS 418.644, ORS 418.645, ORS 418.647 & ORS 418.648

History

CWP 45-2026, minor correction filed 03/05/2026, effective 03/05/2026
CWP 28-2026, minor correction filed 02/25/2026, effective 02/25/2026
CWP 20-2025, amend filed 12/23/2025, effective 01/01/2026
CWP 12-2025, amend filed 08/07/2025, effective 08/11/2025
CWP 14-2022, amend filed 06/23/2022, effective 06/29/2022
CWP 30-2021, temporary amend filed 12/20/2021, effective 01/01/2022 through 06/29/2022
CWP 9-2021, amend filed 03/26/2021, effective 04/15/2021
CWP 53-2019, amend filed 12/23/2019, effective 01/01/2020
CWP 54-2018, amend filed 06/29/2018, effective 06/29/2018
CWP 2-2018, temporary amend filed 01/01/2018, effective 01/01/2018 through 06/29/2018
CWP 20-2015, f. & cert. ef. 10-1-15
CWP 36-2011, f. 12-27-11, cert. ef. 12-28-11
CWP 2-2009, f. & cert. ef. 2-2-09
CWP 24-2008(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 10-1-08 thru 3-30-09
CWP 19-2007, f. & cert. ef. 11-1-07
CWP 12-2007(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 7-13-07 thru 11-27-07
CWP 4-2007, f. & cert. ef. 3-20-07