Arkansas Administrative Code

9 CAR § 30-102. Child Welfare Agency Review Board. (a) The Child Welfare Agency Review Board (“board”) shall promulgate and publish rules setting minimum standards governing the granting, revocation, refusal, conversion, and suspension of licenses for: (1) A child welfare agency;…

9 CAR § 30-103. Child placement agencies requiring licensure. (a) Any person, organization, corporation, partnership, voluntary association, or other entity that places, plans for, or assists in the placement of any unrelated minor for care in a foster home, adoptive home, or res…

9 CAR § 30-104. Placement types of licenses. (a) Foster care. A child placement agency that places, plans for, or assists in the placement of an unrelated minor or a child victim of human trafficking in a home or in a private residence of one (1) or more family members for care a…

9 CAR § 30-105. License status. (a) The Child Welfare Agency Review Board shall issue all licenses to child placement agencies upon a majority vote of members present during each properly called board meeting at which a quorum is present. (b) The board shall have the power to: (1…

9 CAR § 30-106. Status change. (a) After a Child Welfare Agency Review Board action, an amended license shall be issued any time there is: (1) A change in the agency’s program that affects the license type, status, or capacity, or ages of children served; (2) A name change; or (3…

9 CAR § 30-107. How to apply the standards. (a)(1) 9 CAR § 30-201 et seq. of this part applies to all agencies. (2) Subsequent sections apply to specific types of child placement agencies. (3) Agencies shall meet the license requirements for each license type held. (b) Special co…

9 CAR § 30-201. Applicable standards. The standards in this subpart apply to all agencies unless otherwise indicated.

9 CAR § 30-202. Applications and licensing procedure. (a) The owner or board shall prepare and furnish an application packet for a license that contains the following: (1) A completed application form; (2) A letter from the agency’s board or owner, as applicable, authorizing a pe…

9 CAR § 30-203. Organization and administration. (a) The child placement agency shall obtain a license before placing or planning for the placement of children in: (1) A foster home; (2) An adoptive home; or (3) A residential facility. (b) The purpose and mission of the agency, i…

9 CAR § 30-204. Child Maltreatment Central Registry and criminal record checks. (a)(1) The agency shall conduct background checks, as required by Arkansas Code § 9-28-409, using forms approved by the Child Welfare Agency Licensing Unit. (2) Background checks conducted by or for o…

9 CAR § 30-205. General personnel requirements. All personnel employed on or after April 12, 1999, shall meet the following requirements: (1) The agency shall have an administrator who shall be responsible for the general management of the agency, possessing at least one (1) of t…

9 CAR § 30-206. Qualifications and training. (a) The administrator, social services director, and each caseworker of a child welfare agency shall have twenty-four (24) hours of job-related continuing education each year. (b) Owners, operators, employees, foster parents, or volunt…

9 CAR § 30-207. Volunteers and student interns. (a) The agency shall create a policy clearly defining the qualifications, duties, and supervision of volunteers and student interns. (b) Volunteers and student interns will be supervised by an appropriate and designated staff person…

9 CAR § 30-208. Exploitation of children. (a) The agency shall not require a child to: (1) Acknowledge: (A) Dependency; (B) Destitution; or (C) Neglect; or (2) Make public statements about their background. (b) The agency shall not use, or allow to be used, any reports, pictures,…

9 CAR § 30-209. Ethical standards. (a) The Child Welfare Agency Review Board sets forth this section as a code of ethics/standards for practice for all child welfare agencies within the State of Arkansas. (b) Violations of the following shall be grounds for disciplinary action: (…

9 CAR § 30-210. Conduct. Unprofessional conduct in the practice of child welfare activities includes without limitation: (1) Permitting, aiding, or abetting an unlicensed person in performing activities that require a professional license; (2) Misrepresenting type or status of: (…

9 CAR § 30-211. Inspections, investigations, and corrective action. (a) The licensing specialist shall conduct inspections to ensure continued compliance with licensing standards. (b) The licensing specialist: (1) Shall investigate complaints of alleged violation of licensing sta…

9 CAR § 30-301. Applicable standards. In addition to all standards in 9 CAR § 30-201 et seq., the following standards shall be met.

9 CAR § 30-302. Admission. (a) Each agency shall establish written criteria for admitting, as well as excluding, children. (b) The agency shall not admit any child for whom the agency cannot provide adequate care. (c) Each child shall have: (1) A medical examination within one (1…

9 CAR § 30-303. Intake and assessment. (a) Intake information shall be completed on each child in care within ten (10) working days after admission. (b) The intake information shall include: (1) Demographic information on the child and parent or parents, including: (A) Name; (B) …

9 CAR § 30-304. Case planning. (a)(1) A case plan shall be developed for each child placed into a foster home by a child placement agency. (2) The plan shall address the child’s needs as identified in the intake information. (b) When a placement agency places a child with another…

9 CAR § 30-305. Children’s records. (a) The agency shall keep a confidential case record for each child that includes the following: (1) Demographic information; (2) Plan of safe care, if applicable; (3) A complete intake; (4) Consents, including consent for medical care, and aut…

9 CAR § 30-306. Behavior management. (a) The agency shall have a written discipline policy that is consistently followed. (b) Discipline shall be directed toward teaching the child acceptable behavior and self-control. (c) Discipline shall be appropriate to the child’s: (1) Age; …

9 CAR § 30-307. Foster parent qualifications. (a) In a two-parent home: (1) Both are joint applicants; and (2) Each signs the application and participates in the approval process. (b) Foster parents are at least twenty-one (21) years of age. (c) The stability of the foster family…

9 CAR § 30-308. Content of the home study. (a) The agency shall complete a home study for each foster home. (b) The agency shall conduct at least one (1) scheduled in-home interview for each household member to: (1) Observe family functioning; and (2) Assess the family’s capacity…

9 CAR § 30-309. Physical requirements of the home. (a) The foster home shall be accessible to community resources needed by foster children. (b) The foster home shall be clean and free of hazards. (c)(1) The foster home shall have a continuous supply of sanitary drinking water. (…

9 CAR § 30-310. Sleeping arrangements. (a) Each household occupant shall have a bedroom that provides privacy. (b) Each bedroom shall have at least fifty square feet (50 sq. ft.) of floor space per occupant. (c) Each bedroom used for foster children shall have a window to the out…

9 CAR § 30-311. Approval of foster homes. (a) A foster home shall be approved by only one (1) agency. (b) At least three (3) positive personal references shall be obtained on the foster family, including at least one (1) from a relative and one (1) from a nonrelative. (c) Each me…

9 CAR § 30-312. Selection of foster home. (a)(1) The agency shall select the home that is: (A) In the best interest of the child; (B) The least restrictive possible; and (C) Matched to the child’s physical and emotional needs. (2) The placement decision shall be based on an indiv…

9 CAR § 30-313. Continued training of foster parents. (a)(1) Each foster parent shall obtain at least fifteen (15) hours of training each year after the first year. (2) This does not apply to foster parents for infants who are in short-term foster care awaiting adoptive placement…

9 CAR § 30-314. Foster parents’ responsibilities. (a) Foster parents shall be responsible for providing the level of supervision, care, and treatment necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of each child placed into their home, considering the child’s: (1) Age; (2) Individu…

9 CAR § 30-315. Medications. (a)(1) Foster parents shall administer medications only in accordance with directions on the label. (2) All over-the-counter medications shall be stored in an area not readily accessible to children, according to the age and development of each child …

9 CAR § 30-316. Transportation. (a) Foster families shall have their own transportation available. (b) Any vehicle used to transport foster children shall be maintained in compliance with motor vehicle laws and be insured. (c) Children shall be transported only by foster parents …

9 CAR § 30-317. Visitation. (a) The standards in this section do not apply to children in short-term foster care awaiting adoptive placement. (b) The agency that has legal responsibility for the child shall develop a visitation plan that specifies when and how visits will occur b…

9 CAR § 30-318. Child placement agency responsibilities. (a) The child placement agency (“agency”) shall provide the foster parents with the information necessary to provide adequate care to each foster child. (b) The agency shall provide foster parents with instructions for cont…

9 CAR § 30-319. Monitoring and reevaluation. (a)(1) The agency shall monitor the foster home at least quarterly for continued compliance with licensing standards for foster homes. (2) This does not apply to foster homes for infants in short-term foster care awaiting adoptive plac…

9 CAR § 30-320. Discharge. (a) The discharge of any child shall be planned by agency staff. (b) The agency may discharge a child on an emergency basis if failure to do so could result in: (1) Harm to the child or other persons; or (2) Significant property damage. (c) An agency sh…

9 CAR § 30-401. Applicable standards. In addition to all standards in 9 CAR § 30-201 et seq., the following standards shall be met in order to be licensed as a therapeutic foster care agency.

9 CAR § 30-402. Admission. (a) Each agency shall establish written criteria for admitting as well as excluding children. (b) The agency shall not admit any child for whom the agency cannot provide adequate care. (c) Each child shall have: (1) A medical exam within one (1) year be…

9 CAR § 30-403. Intake and assessment. (a) Intake information shall be completed on each child in care within ten (10) working days after admission. (b) The intake information shall include: (1) Demographic information on the child and parent or parents, including: (A) Name; (B) …

9 CAR § 30-404. Treatment planning. (a)(1) A treatment plan shall be developed for each child placed into a foster home by a child placement agency. (2) The plan shall address the child’s needs as identified in the intake information. (b) When a placement agency places a child wi…

9 CAR § 30-405. Children’s records. (a) The agency shall keep a confidential case record for each child that includes the following: (1) Demographic information; (2) Plan of safe care, if applicable; (3) A complete intake; (4) Consents, including consent for medical care, and aut…

9 CAR § 30-406. Behavior management. (a) The agency shall have a written discipline policy that is consistently followed. (b) Discipline shall be directed toward teaching the child acceptable behavior and self-control. (c) Discipline shall be appropriate to the child’s: (1) Age; …

9 CAR § 30-407. Foster parent qualifications. (a) In a two-parent home: (1) Both shall be joint applicants; and (2) Each signs the application and participates in the approval process. (b) Foster parents shall be at least twenty-one (21) years of age. (c) The stability of the fos…

9 CAR § 30-408. Content of the home study. (a) The agency shall complete a home study for each foster home. (b) The agency shall conduct at least one (1) scheduled in-home interview for each household member to: (1) Observe family functioning; and (2) Assess the family’s capacity…

9 CAR § 30-409. Physical requirements of the home. (a) The foster home shall have access to community resources needed by foster children. (b) The foster home shall be clean and free of hazards. (c)(1) The foster home shall have a continuous supply of sanitary drinking water. (2)…

9 CAR § 30-410. Sleeping arrangements. (a) Each household occupant shall have a bedroom that provides privacy. (b) Each bedroom shall have at least fifty square feet (50 sq. ft.) of floor space per occupant. (c) Each bedroom used for foster children shall have a window to the out…

9 CAR § 30-411. Approval of foster homes. (a) A foster home can be approved only by one (1) agency. (b) At least three (3) positive personal references shall be obtained on the foster family including at least one (1) from a relative and one (1) from a nonrelative. (c) Each membe…

9 CAR § 30-412. Selection of foster home. (a)(1) The agency shall select the home that is: (A) In the best interest of the child; (B) The least restrictive possible; and (C) Matched to the child’s physical and emotional needs. (2) The placement decision shall be based on an indiv…

9 CAR § 30-413. Continued training of foster parents. (a) Each therapeutic foster parent shall complete at least twenty-four (24) hours of skill-based training annually, excluding CPR and first aid. (b) Documentation verifying annual training shall indicate the: (1) Date; (2) Num…