Section He-C 6446.04 - Requirements for Applicants for a Foster Family Care License(a) Any person, regardless of race, sex, religion, ethnicity, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, or physical or mental disability, may apply for a foster family care license.(b) The applicant, or at least one applicant if more than one person is applying together, shall: (1) Be a legal resident of the state of New Hampshire;(2) Be at least 21 years of age as of the date of the application;(3) Have sufficient income to make timely payments for shelter, food, utility costs, clothing, and other household expenses prior to the addition of a child or children in care;(4) Be able to communicate with the child, DCYF, and health care providers and service providers;(5) Have a high school diploma or its equivalent;(6) Have functional literacy, such as having the ability to read medication labels; and(7) If the applicant will transport children in care, show proof of:a. Possession of a valid New Hampshire driver's license;b. Possession of an automobile that has a current and valid state inspection; andc. Possession of automobile liability insurance.(c) A full application shall be submitted by the applicant as described in He-C 6446.06 or a full renewal application as described in He-C 6446.15.(d) Prior to the issuance of a license, the applicant and all household members shall: (1) Reside in a home that complies with the foster home requirements set forth in He-C 6446.09;(2) Meet with representatives of the licensing agency as required by He-C 6446.10;(3) Participate in the preparation of the home study as required in He-C 6446.11; and(4) Complete pre-licensing training as required by He-C 6446.12.(e) The applicant and all household members 18 years of age or older shall not have been convicted of a felony or other crime as described in He-C 6446.28(b)(1)-(3).(f) Through compliance with the requirements of He-C 6446.04 and He-C 6446.06 - 6446.12, prior to the issuance of a license, each applicant shall demonstrate his or her ability to: (1) Provide a child in care with a safe, nurturing, and stable family environment, which is free from abuse and neglect;(2) Provide for the basic needs of a child in care, including those for food, clothing, shelter, and supervision;(3) Assure, in conjunction with the child-placing agency, that a child in care receives routine and emergency medical and dental care, and mental health care;(4) Honor and uphold the foster care children's bill of rights codified in RSA 170-G:20-21;(5) Promote the physical, mental, educational, and emotional development of a child in care;(6) Show respect for the linguistic, ethnic, spiritual, and cultural background of a child in care;(7) Accept the relationships of a child in care with his or her parents, family members, DCYF, the licensing agency, and other individuals identified by the child and family as being a supportive and positive resource for the child through a relative, social, educational, or community relationship;(8) Assist a child in care in handling stressful situations and trauma frequently associated with placement in foster care, including: a. Removal from the parents' home;b. Placement in a new home environment;c. Visitation with parents and siblings; andd. Return to the parents' home or placement in other substitute care;(9) Manage the stressful situations that might develop in the foster home or with the foster family, as the result of the placement of a child in care;(10) Accept the temporary nature of foster family care and the likelihood that the child in care will, pursuant to the child's case plan, return to his or her parent(s) or be placed in a permanent placement;(11) Work cooperatively with DCYF or the child-placing agency in implementing the case plan for the child in care;(12) Respect the legal rights and responsibilities of the parents of the child in care;(13) Complete the pre-license training required by He-C 6446.12;(14) Complete the in-service training required by He-C 6446.20 for the applicant's foster family care license renewal, as applicable;(15) Discipline a child in care in a safe, non-threatening, and instructive manner that complies with He-C 6446.22; and(16) Demonstrate freedom from physical, mental, or emotional illness that would substantially impair the applicant's ability to comply with the requirements of He-C 6446 for the care of children in care.N.H. Admin. Code § He-C 6446.04
#7184, INTERIM, eff 12-28-99, EXPIRED: 4-26-00
New. #7321, eff 7-22-00; ss by #8663, eff 6-16-06
Amended byVolume XXXV Number 10, Filed March 12, 2015, Proposed by #10788, Effective 2/21/2015, Expires2/21/2025.Amended by Volume XL Number 28, Filed July 9, 2020, Proposed by #13056, Effective 6/16/2020, Expires 6/16/2030.