Models and Shared Resources

In an effort to help agencies and organizations share resources, NARA is providing this space to share resources and models that have solved problems, facilitated workflow and tracked training to name a few. 

Kin-Specific Foster Home Approval: Recommended Standards of National Organizations

On 9/28/2023 the Administration for Children and Families published a rule change which, for the first time, allows title IV-E agencies to adopt kin-specific licensing or approval standards for kinship foster family homes. The rule applies to title IV-E agencies, which includes all states and tribes that have approved title IV-E plans or are operating the title IV-E program through a tribal-state agreement. The new rule is not applicable to tribes that do not operate the title IV-E program. The rule follows  he requirements set out by the Social Security Act which specifically requires title IV-E agency’s kin-specific licensing or approval standards to be “reasonably in accord with recommended standards of national organizations.”

These kin-specific foster home approval standards meet this requirement, as they were developed and are recommended by the following national organizations: A Second Chance, Inc., American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, Children’s Rights, CWPolicy, Generations United and its Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center, National Indian Child Welfare Association, National Association for Regulatory Administration, New America’s Child Welfare Playbook & Working Group, and Think of Us.

 National Model Foster Family Home Licensing Standards

The final National Model is very similar to the proposed National Model, which was released for public comment on August 1, 2018. The modifications to the final include:

• Allowing family friends and teen household members to drive the foster child, not just adults in the home, as is consistent with reasonable and prudent parent standards. 
• Clarifying that foster parents can meet communication standards through communication aids and non-verbal means. 
• Adding immunization requirements for caregivers, provided those immunizations are not contrary to the health of the caregiver. 
• Explaining a few additional points raised in the public comment process, which can be found in the endnotes to the final National Model.

The Children’s Bureau used the National Association for Regulatory Administration (NARA) Model Family Foster Home Licensing Standards (NARA Model) as the “main source” for its proposed National Model, and then accorded it “considerable deference” in deciding whether to modify the proposed National Model. You'll recall that Generations United and the ABA Center on Children and the Law, with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, were multiyear partners in researching all 50 states' licensing standards and then working with NARA to develop that Model.

While the National Model does not incorporate all of the NARA standards, nothing in the National Model contradicts the NARA Model. Consequently, as part of the process required by Family First, states and tribes can also consult the NARA Model and its tools. There are certain NARA definitions, principles, and standards that provide important additional guidance.  

The First First Act, along with guidance from the Children's Bureau, requires Title IV-E agencies to submit a Title IV-E plan amendment to the Children's Bureau (attachment X, of the pre-print) by March 31, 2019, and provide the following “specific and detailed” information:

• Are the agency’s foster family home licensing standards consistent with the National Model? If not, why not?
• Does the agency waive non-safety licensing standards for relative foster family homes, as allowed by federal law? If not, why not?
• Which standards are most commonly waived?
• How are caseworkers trained to use the waiver authority?
• Is there a process or tools to assist caseworkers in waiving non-safety standards so they can place quickly with relatives?
• What steps are being taken to improve caseworker training or the process? 

A FAQ on the National Model, the NARA Model on which it "relied heavily", and the Family First reporting requirements is attached and available at www.grandfamilies.org.  

A crosswalk for states to use to compare their standards with both Models is also available. You can access it here, or at www.grandfamilies.org. 

If you have questions or need assistance with comparing your state's standards with the Model Standards, please contact Jim Murphy, Executive Director, NARA at [email protected]  or Ana Beltran, JD at Generations United at [email protected].

Assisted Living Regulations - Link to Argentum Website

Click on the line above to be re-directed to Argentum's website, which provides links to all of the state's assisted living regulations. ARGENTUM Standards for Senior Living

State Assisted Living Regulations - Executive Summary (Adult Care Survey)
This is an executive summary regarding an adult care survey on State Assisted Living Regulations. NARA members can access the survey results by going to Resources, Publications and then Adult Care Survey.

Compendium of Residential Care and Assisted Living Regulations and Policy: 2015 Edition
Residential care settings are an important option for older adults and people with disabilities who require long-term services and supports. They provide a community-based living alternative to individuals who might otherwise require nursing home care and those who do not need this level of care but are unable to continue living in their own or a relative's home. Residential care settings are licensed and regulated at the state level, and all states have at least one category of residential care. The purpose of this Compendium is to summarize and compare states' residential care setting regulations.

Oklahoma's New Licensing Specialist Training (NLST) Checklist
This form my be useful to states, territories, or provinces because it provides an overview of the extensive training and preparation that Oklahoma requires of licensing staff. Oklahoma uses this checklist to track child care licensing staff's completion of all required training within their first year of employment.  

Arizona’s Job Description for Lead Agency Monitoring Staff (License-Exempt Homes)
This job description may be helpful for states, territories, or provinces that are considering developing job descriptions or identifying responsibilities for exempt home child care monitors. This includes a description of a license-exempt home monitor’s responsibilities, required and preferred knowledge, skills, abilities.

Utah has shared a number of resources related to inspections and new provider orientation for licensed exempt homes.

1. The Utah Department of Health Child Care Licensing Program Operations Manual, Section 2.30 DWS FFN Child Care Inspections, includes guidance for inspectors of Family Friend and Neighbor care. It covers the entire inspection process, from pre-inspection to post-inspection, and includes the topics, “When No One Answers the Door,” When Assessing Rooms/Areas, Garages, and Out Buildings,” “When There are no Children of DWS Customers in Care,” and “When There is no Access to Rooms/Areas and/or Documents,” among others. This Operations Manual may be useful to states and territories that are developing or revising their guidance documents for inspectors of license-exempt homes.
2. Utah’s DWS FFN Child Care Announced Inspection Report is a pdf fillable form, which includes the announced inspection checklist for Department of Workforce Services (DWS) Family Friend and Neighbor child care providers. It may be useful to states and territories that are developing or revising inspection checklists for license-exempt homes. Instructions for using this form are included in the Utah Department of Health Child Care Licensing Program Operations Manual, Section 2.30 DWS FFN Child Care Inspections.
3. Utah’s DWS FFN Child Care Initial Approval Inspection Report is a pdf fillable form, which includes the initial approval checklist for Department of Workforce Services (DWS) Family Friend and Neighbor child care providers. It may be useful to states and territories that are developing or revising inspection checklists for license-exempt homes. Instructions for using this form are included in the Utah Department of Health Child Care Licensing Program Operations Manual, Section 2.30 DWS FFN Child Care Inspections.
4. Utah’s DWS FFN Child Care Unannounced Inspection Report is a pdf fillable form, which includes the unannounced inspection checklist for Department of Workforce Services (DWS) Family Friend and Neighbor child care providers. It may be useful to states and territories that are developing or revising inspection checklists for license-exempt homes. Instructions for using this form are included in the Utah Department of Health Child Care Licensing Program Operations Manual, Section 2.30 DWS FFN Child Care Inspections.
5. Utah’s New Provider Orientation Test includes a series of questions for new child care providers. Applicants must submit their answers (online) to the Orientation Test after reading the information in the New Provider Orientation Packet. They must score at least a 90% on the test.

How Megan's Law Affects Juveniles in New Jersey - download your free copy of the booklet here.

Enclosed is a booklet NARA member Nicholas Scalera authored on How Megan’s Law Affects Juveniles in New Jersey. It provides information on the law’s provisions for youth who were convicted of a sex offense when they were younger than 18 years old.

The booklet also offers guidance to professionals who serve or interact with them, such as: child welfare workers, child advocates, law guardians, public defenders, attorneys in Megan’s Law Units of county prosecutors’ offices, school district staff, teachers, principals, guidance counselors, family court judges and staff, mentors of youth, law enforcement officers, and others.

The guide utilizes a question-and-answer format to convey to youths the complex provisions of Megan’s Law in simple, easy-to-understand language. It was written to help affected youth seek trustworthy answers to their questions about the law and how to comply with its provisions.