14.1 Safety and Quality Standards (SQS) | CWS

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
Child Welfare Policy Manual

Chapter:

(14) Resource Development

Policy Title:

Safety and Quality Standards (SQS)

Policy Number:

14.1

Previous Policy Number(s):

14.1

Effective Date:

November 2024

Manual Transmittal:

2024-09

Codes/References

O.C.G.A. § 31-19-1 (The Rabies statute)
O.C.G.A. § 40-8-76.1 (Use of safety belts in passenger vehicles)
Title IV-E of the Social Security Act Sections 471(a)(10), 471(a)(22), 471(a)(36)(A), 472(c)(1), 472(c)(1)(A)(ii)(III), and 472(c)(1)(B)
Public Law (PL) 113-183 Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act of 2014
PL 115-123 Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) of 2018
Taylor v. Ledbetter, 818 F.2d 791 (11th Cir. 1987)

Requirements

The Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) will:

Establish and maintain standards for foster family homes which are reasonably in accord with recommended standards of national organizations concerned with standards for such homes, including standards related to admission policies, safety, sanitation, protection of civil rights and which shall permit use of the reasonable and prudent parenting standard (see policy 10.14 Promoting Normalcy for Children in Foster Care). The standards so established are applied by the State to any foster family home receiving funds under Titles IV-E or IV-B.
Have approval standards for family foster homes that include policies related to the liability of foster parents and private entities under contract by the state involving the application of the reasonable and prudent parenting standard to ensure appropriate liability for caregivers when a child participates in an approved activity and the caregiver approving the activity acts in accordance with the reasonable and prudent parenting standard.
Allow waivers of non-safety standards (as determined by the State) on a case-by-case basis in relative foster family homes for specific children in care (see policy 22.6 Kinship: Waiver of Non-Safety Approval Standards for Kinship Foster Homes).
Develop and implement standards that ensure children in foster care placements in public or private agencies are provided quality services that protect the safety and health of the children.

Maintain approval standards that are in accord with model standards identified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The standards require all approved caregivers and their household members to meet the following Safety and Quality Standards (SQS) at initial approval and for the duration of time their home remains open. This includes homes affiliated with Child Placing Agencies (CPA).

Foster Home Eligibility

Threshold Requirements
1. Caregivers must be at least 21 years of age. Relative/fictive kin caregivers must be at least 18 years of age.
2. Caregivers must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Legal Resident.
3. Caregivers must have income or resources to make timely payments for shelter, food, utility costs, clothing, and other household expenses prior to the addition of a child or children in foster care.
4. Caregivers must be able to communicate with the child, DFCS/CPA, health care providers, and other service providers.
5. At least one caregiver in the home must have functional literacy, such as having the ability to read medication labels. This is to ensure at least one caregiver reads and writes at the level necessary to participate effectively in the community in which they live.

Physical and Mental Health

All applicants must provide proof of a physical exam (conducted within the last 12 months) from a licensed health care professional.

Household members 18 years of age or older must be screened for Tuberculosis (TB).
All household members must disclose current mental health and/or substance abuse issues.
1. Household members shall sign an attestation that they do not have any current untreated mental health or substance abuse issues (if applicable).
2. If household members are receiving treatment for mental health or substance abuse issues, a reference from the treating professional is required.
All household members must provide information on their physical and mental health history, including any history of drug or alcohol abuse or treatment.

All children who are household members must be up to date on immunizations unless the immunizations are contrary to the child’s health as documented by a licensed health care professional or the caregiver expresses a sincere religious objection to immunization of their child.

Immunizations must be consistent with the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ACIP), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).

Recommend that all household members who will be caregivers of infants have an up-to-date pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination unless the immunization is contrary to the individual’s health as documented by a licensed health care professional or the caregiver expresses a sincere religious objection to the vaccination.

Caregivers with the up-to-date vaccine may be given preference when the agency makes placement decisions regarding infants.
Recommend that all household members who will be caregivers of infants and children with special medical needs have an up-to-date annual influenza vaccination unless the immunization is contrary to the individual’s health as documented by a licensed health care professional or the caregiver expresses a sincere religious objection to the vaccination.

Caregivers with the up-to-date vaccine may be given preference when the agency makes placement decisions regarding infants and children with special medical needs.

Background Checks
1. Caregivers and their adult household members (age 18 years and over) must submit to a fingerprint-based criminal history record check of national criminal information databases in accordance with policy 19.8 Case Management: Criminal Records Checks.
2. Caregivers and their adult household members (age 18 years and over) must submit to safety screenings including a check of the child abuse or neglect registry in any state or tribe in which they have resided in the preceding five years in accordance with policy 19.9 Case Management: Safety Screenings.
3. Caregivers and their adult household members (age 18 years and over) must have no substantiated Child Protective Services (CPS) history.
Existing household members reaching 18 years of age must submit to a criminal history record checks and safety screening.
Home Study
1. Caregivers must have a completed home study, which is a written comprehensive family assessment (see policy 14.10 Resource Development: Initial Family Evaluation).
2. The home study must include at least one scheduled on-site visit to assess the home to ensure that it meets the state and/or local standards applicable to the safety and care of the home.
3. The home study must include at least one scheduled in-home interview for each household member to observe family functioning and assess the family’s capacity to meet the needs of a child or children in foster care.
4. The home study must include a total of three applicant references (per family) that attest to the capability of the applicant to care for the child, including at least one from a relative and one from a non-relative (see Practice Guidance: References).

Foster Family Home Health and Safety
1. Living Space
  1. Caregivers must reside in a house, mobile home, housing unit or apartment.
  2. The home must have an adequate supply of safe drinking water.
  3. The home must have a properly operating kitchen with a sink, refrigerator, stove, and oven.
  4. The home must have at least one toilet, sink and tub or shower in operating condition.
  5. The home must have heating and/or cooling as required by the geographical area. It must be consistent with accepted community standards and in safe operating condition.
  6. The home must have no cameras or video recording devices in bedrooms where children sleep or, in/near bathrooms that children use.
2. Caregivers must have a working phone or access to a working phone in close walking proximity.
  
  Residences must meet state and local code requirements.
3. Condition of Home
  1. The caregiver’s home, grounds, and all structures on the grounds of the property must be properly maintained in a clean, safe, and sanitary condition and in a reasonable state of repair within community standards.
  2. The interior and exterior of the home must be free from dangerous objects/conditions, and from hazardous materials.
  3. The home must have adequate lighting, ventilation and proper trash and recycling disposal, if recycling is available.
  4. The home must be free from rodents and insect infestation.
  5. The home must have proper water heater temperature.
    
    The Department of Energy recommends 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
  6. Firearms and ammunition must be stored under lock and key, inaccessible to children.
    
    Ammunition must be removed from firearms for storage purposes.
    
    Keys to locked storage devices containing firearms or ammunition must remain in the possession of an adult or be reasonably secured from children.
  7. Pets must be vaccinated in accordance with state, tribal and/or local law.
    
    Animals with any history of violence or aggressiveness toward people must be safely secured in a cage, fence, or similar enclosure.
    
    Caregivers with exotic animals or wildlife (e.g., chimpanzees, snakes, racoons, large mammals, etc.) must obtain a health and suitability statement from a veterinarian and approval from DFCS and, if applicable, the CPA Director.
    
    Caregivers must report any acts of violence toward a child or others by an animal in the foster home to DFCS within 24 hours.
  8. The home must have conditions that prevent a child’s access (as appropriate for his or her age and development) to all medications, poisonous materials, cleaning supplies, other hazardous materials, and alcoholic beverages.
    
    Prescription medication must be administered to children by authorized caregivers.
    
    Prescription medication must be stored and transported in the original containers.
  9. Swimming pools, hot tubs, and spas must meet all state and local safety requirements.
    
    Caregivers must provide direct adult supervision of children around a body of water (e.g., beach, lake, pool, etc.) at all times.
    
    Caregivers must enroll children age three years and older in a swimming/water safety course taught be a certified instructor within the first year of placement if the children do not know how to swim.
    
    Swimming pools must have a barrier on all sides.
    
    Fences used as a safety barrier must be at least four feet in height, surround all sides of the pool, and have a gate that locks.
    
    Fences must be constructed in such a manner that a young child cannot climb through or under the fence.
    
    In order for the side structure of an above-ground pool to be considered an adequate safety barrier to a pool/body of water, the steps or ladders must be removed to make the pool inaccessible when not in use.
    
    Swimming pools must have their methods of access through the barrier equipped with a safety device, such as a bolt lock.
    
    Swimming pools must be equipped with lifesaving and flotation devices (e.g., reaching poles and ring buoys).
    
    Pool covers must be kept free of standing water and be completely removed when the pool is in use.
    
    If swimming pools cannot be emptied after each use, the pools must have a working pump and filtering system.
    
    Hot tubs and spas must have safety covers that are locked when not in use.
Foster Home Capacity
1. The total number of foster children that may be cared for in a foster family home must not exceed six except for the reasons listed below.
2. The number of foster children cared for in a foster family home may exceed six for any of the following reasons:
  1. To allow a parenting youth in foster care to remain with the child of the parenting youth;
  2. To allow siblings to remain together;
  3. To allow a child with an established meaningful relationship with the family to remain with the family; and
  4. To allow a family with special training or skills to provide care to a child who has a severe disability.
Foster Home Sleeping Arrangements
1. Caregivers must provide a safe sleeping space including sleeping supplies, such as a mattress and linens, for each individual child, as appropriate for the child’s needs and age.
2. All children in the home must be treated equitably, meaning each child has sleeping arrangements similar to other household members.
3. Caregivers must not co-sleep or bed-share with children in foster care.
4. Caregivers with infants must adhere to the infant safe sleeping practices outlined in the Infant Safe to Sleep Guidelines and Protocol.
Emergency Preparedness, Fire Safety, and Evacuation Plans
1. Caregivers must have emergency preparedness plans and items in place as appropriate for the home’s geographic location.
2. Caregivers must post a written evacuation plan in a prominent place in the home (e.g., on a refrigerator or family bulletin board), and review it with the children.
3. Caregivers must maintain a comprehensive list of emergency telephone numbers, including poison control, and post those numbers in a prominent place in the home.
4. Caregivers must maintain first aid supplies.
5. The caregiver’s home must meet the following fire safety and emergency planning requirements:
  Have at least one operable smoke detector on each level of occupancy of the home and at least one near all sleeping areas.
  
  Have at least one operable carbon monoxide detector on each level of occupancy of the home and at least one near all sleeping areas.
  
  Have at least one operable fire extinguisher that is readily accessible.
  
  Be free of obvious fire hazards, such as defective heating equipment or improperly stored flammable materials.
  
  Gas heaters in the home must be vented to avoid fire and health hazards. However, unvented, fuel-fired heaters equipped with oxygen depletion safety shut-off systems may be operated in homes.
  
  Fire extinguishers and smoke detectors must be inspected regularly to ensure effectiveness.
Transportation
1. Caregivers must have reliable, legal and safe transportation. Reliable transportation includes a properly maintained vehicle or access to reliable public transportation.
2. Any privately-owned vehicle (owned by caregiver, caregiver’s family or friends) used to transport a child in foster care must be operated by someone with a valid driver’s license, insurance and registration.
3. Safety restraints (as appropriate for the child in accordance with the law) must be used when transporting a child in foster care.
  1. Children must be individually secured in an appropriately fitting seat belt (one child to a seat belt) when being transported in a motorized vehicle.
  2. Children under eight years of age must be transported in a federally approved child safety seat in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
  3. Children 12 years of age and under must be transported in the rear seat of a motor vehicle to protect young children from air bag injuries.
4. No child may be left unattended in a motor vehicle.
5. Caregivers must comply with all DFCS policy and guidelines regarding the operation of a motor vehicle by youth in foster care (see policy 13.08 Independent Living Program: Driving Education, Licensure, and State Identification).
6. Caregivers must provide a properly fitted and securely fastened safety helmet for any child who is operating a bicycle or riding as a passenger on a bicycle.
7. The safety and suitability of a recreational vehicle for use by a child must be determined for each child on an individual basis.
Training
1. Caregivers must complete pre-service training (see policy 14.8 Resource Development: Pre-service Training).
2. Caregivers must participate in training and receive instruction to support their parental roles and ensure the parent is up to date with agency requirements (see policy 14.9 Resource Development: Continued Parent Development).

Foster Parent Assurances

Caregivers must not use corporal or degrading punishment.
Caregivers must not use any illegal substances, abuse alcohol by consuming it in excess amounts, or abuse legal prescription and/or nonprescription drugs by consuming them in excess amounts or using them contrary to as indicated.

Caregivers and their guests must not smoke in the presence of a child in foster care.

Caregivers will sign an attestation that no smoking (including the use of e-cigarette products) will occur in the presence of children in foster care, within the foster home, or in any vehicle used to transport children in foster care.

Caregivers must adhere to the title IV-E agency’s reasonable and prudent parent standard (see policy 10.14 Promoting Normalcy for Children in Foster Care).

Procedures

DFCS Caregiver Recruitment and Retention Specialist / CPA Resource Development Staff

Become familiar with the Safety and Quality Standards (SQS) for approved homes and review them periodically with caregivers.
Continue to monitor active placement resources to ensure compliance with SQS.
Review the Caregiver Child Safety Agreement with all approved families and obtain their signatures at the following times:
1. Prior to approval of the Initial Family Evaluation;
2. At the time of a home re-evaluation; and
3. Whenever there are child safety concerns (i.e., discipline or foster care policy violations, etc.).
Inform caregivers of any observations of circumstances or conditions that pose a risk or potential risk to the health and safety of the child in the home and, if possible, provide measures for correction. Document all discussions and recommendations with the caregiver in the Contact Summary in Georgia SHINES.
Notify the Resource Development Supervisor in writing of any safety concerns observed during home visits and the outcome of any discussion with the caregivers regarding observations (see policy 14.22 Resource Development: Policy Violations).
Provide follow-up to ensure the home’s compliance with home safety guidelines.

CPA providers should also see policy 16.8 Room Board Watchful Oversight: Minimum Standards.

Practice Guidance

Firearms

Under limited circumstances (including but not limited to firearm safety lessons or safe and lawful hunting activities) children may be allowed to handle firearms while under the direct supervision of the caregiver or another approved adult. If parental rights have not been terminated, prior written approval must be obtained from each parent whose rights remain intact. If parental rights have been terminated, approval must be obtained from the County Director or their designee.

References

Three references should be obtained as part of the SAFE Home Study. When securing references for an applicant couple, select references that apply to both members of the couple. Obtain additional references if conflicting, ambivalent, or inadequate information is received from those initially requested. Children residing in the applicant’s home will be interviewed as part of the household being evaluated and are not treated as references. Permission should be obtained from applicants prior to contacting their children who reside outside of the applicant household. If permission is not granted, or a child refuses to provide a reference, then the reasons should be reviewed with the applicant and addressed in the SAFE Home Study Report. The applicant’s children cannot be used for all three references. Below are suggestions for references:

Extended family members not residing in the home of the applicant(s).
Previous or current employers, if the applicant is or has been employed in a setting that involves children (e.g., school, childcare facility, group home, etc.).
Any prior agency for which an applicant served as a foster or adoptive parent.

Forms and Tools

Caregiver Child Safety Agreement
Caregiver Child Safety Agreement - Spanish
Foster Parent Manual
Infant Safe to Sleep Guidelines and Protocol
Safety Barrier Guidelines for Residential Pools