1. (1) "Agency" means any owner, director, manager, and staff of a child-placing foster care agency licensed by OL to certify foster parents.
2. (2) "Child" means an individual under 18 years old.
3. (3) "Child care" is defined in Section 26B-2-401.

4. (4)(a) "Certified" means a family approved by a child-placing foster care agency who meets each requirement in this rule and is issued a certification that is equivalent to a foster care license issued by OL.

   1. (b) A certified family under this rule does not mean a home certified by OL for providing unlicensed services to a Division of Services for People with Disabilities client.
5. (5) "Custodial agency" means the agency or entity that maintains legal custody of the foster child.
6. (6) "DCFS" means the Division of Child and Family Services under the department.
7. (7) "Department" means the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.
8. (8) "Direct access" is defined in Section 26B-2-101.
9. (9) "Eligible" means an OBP background check determination of direct access qualified in accordance with Section 26B-2-120.
10. (10) "Foster care" means the temporary provision of family-based care for a foster child by a foster parent.
11. (11) "Foster child" means a person under 21 years of age who remains subject to the continuing jurisdiction of the juvenile court or whose placement in the home was facilitated by a custodial agency or division of the department.
12. (12) "Foster parent" means a substitute parent licensed by OL and includes the spouse of the primary applicant.

13. (13) "General, common use, household items" means:

    1. (a) air fresheners and deodorizers;
    2. (b) cleaning wipes;
    3. (c) cutlery;
    4. (d) facial and skin hygiene products;
    5. (e) hair and cosmetic products;
    6. (f) laundry and dish detergent, excluding concentrated pods;
    7. (g) laundry stain remover;

    8. (h) nail polish remover;

       1. (i) oral hygiene products;
    9. (j) propane attached to a grill;

    10. (k) rubbing alcohol; and

        1. (l) spray furniture polish.

14. (14) "Hazardous material" means any substance that if ingested, inhaled, ignited, used, or touched may cause significant injury, illness, or death. These substances include:

    1. (a) ammonia, including ammonia-based cleansers;
    2. (b) automotive fluids;
    3. (c) bleach, including bleach-based cleansers;
    4. (d) chemical drain openers;
    5. (e) cleaning aerosols;
    6. (f) compressed air;
    7. (g) concentrated detergent capsules;

    8. (h) gasoline;

       1. (i) hair relaxers or permanents;
    9. (j) kerosene;

    10. (k) lighter fluid;

        1. (l) lighters;
    11. (m) matches;
    12. (n) medications;
    13. (o) oven cleaners;
    14. (p) paint thinner;
    15. (q) pesticides;
    16. (r) spray paint; and
    17. (s) toxic glues.

15. (15) "Home study" means a written assessment of an applicant's ability to:

    1. (a) actively engage in achieving the custodial agency's identified outcomes for a foster child;
    2. (b) comply with applicable statutes and rules related to providing foster care; and
    3. (c) meet the physical and emotional needs of a foster child.
16. (16) "Human services program" is defined in Section 26B-2-101.
17. (17) "Immediate family member" is defined in Subsection 80-3-102(5).
18. (18) "Incidental care" is defined in Section 26B-2-120.

19. (19) "Material change" is defined in Subsection 26B-2-107(1) and includes the following changes that may affect a foster child's well-being:

    1. (a) a critical incident as defined in Rule R380-600;
    2. (b) a youth turning 18 years old, who resides in the home, except a foster child; and
    3. (c) an upcoming adoption.
20. (20) "Medication" means any over-the-counter or prescription drug, vitamin, or supplement in any form.
21. (21) "OBP" means the Office of Background Processing within the Division of Licensing and Background Checks under the department.
22. (22) "OL" means the Office of Licensing within the Division of Licensing and Background Checks under the department.
23. (23) "OL or the agency" means OL when the foster parent is licensed by OL or the agency when the foster parent is certified by a child-placing foster agency.
24. (24) "Poverty guidelines" means the US Department of Health and Human Services listing of poverty levels as determined by the number of members of a family.
25. (25) "Preserving connection" means an individual with a relationship to a foster child that is identified with the purpose of maintaining or strengthening that relationship and connection, as approved in writing in the department client record.
26. (26) "Provider" means an OL-licensed foster parent or the agency responsible for certifying its own foster parents.
27. (27) "Relative" is as defined in Subsection 80-3-102(6).
28. (28) "Reside" means visiting or living in the foster home for any cumulative 14 days of the past 12 months.

29. (29)(a) "Respite care" means the short-term provision of family based care for a foster child by a foster parent to provide relief to another parent.

    1. (b) Respite care does not include preserving connection, if the identified individual is specifically named, along with any contact allowances or parameters in the department client record.
30. (30) "Reasonable temperature" means between 65 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
31. (31) "Short-term relief care provider" is defined in Section 26B-2-101.
32. (32) "Siblings" means children with a common parent or grandparent, regardless of whether their legal relationship has been severed, including biological siblings, half-siblings, step-siblings, adopted siblings, and cousins.
33. (33) "Sick" means to have a fever, to be experiencing ongoing or severe diarrhea, unexplained lethargy, respiratory distress, ongoing or severe vomiting, or pain or other symptoms that are ongoing or severe enough to impair a child's ability to participate in normal activity.

Terms used in this rule are defined in Rules R380-600 and R501-1. Additionally:

KEY: licensing, human services, foster care, certified foster care

Date of Last Change: July 18, 2025

Notice of Continuation: October 3, 2022

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: 26B-2-104