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Fostering Connections may be prompting many states to evaluate their child welfare policies and practices, including those related to foster care licensing and case-by-case waivers that may be needed in the cases of children placed with relatives. As a result of the identification and notice provided as required by Fostering Connections, more children may be placed with relatives when they come into foster care. While a child’s permanency goal may change over time (e.g from reunification to legal guardianship) , the decision to license relatives at the beginning of the case may later result in the ability to obtain federal support for guardianship assistance for that child and family should reunification and adoption be determined not appropriate. In an effort to provide states with critical information as they examine their licensing policies and practices,
this document presents background information on licensing for relatives. It also includes an overview of IV–E reimbursement for relative foster homes and information on the current landscape of waivers of foster home licensing standards, as well as recommendations for licensing standards that can help further the goal of maintaining family connections for children in foster care.