37.93.203    CHILD PLACING AGENCY: LICENSES

(1) One-year licenses. The department shall issue a 1-year license to any license applicant that meets all requirements established by these rules in this subchapter, as determined by the department after a licensing study.

(a) The department shall renew the license annually on the expiration date of the previous year's license if:

(i) the child placing agency makes written application for renewal at least 60 days prior to the expiration date of its current license; and

(ii) the child placing agency continues to meet all requirements established by these rules, as determined by the department after a relicensing study.

(2) A child placing agency may be licensed to conduct a licensing study for the licensing of agency youth foster homes, to place children in youth foster homes and/or in adoptive homes. The license shall specify those services which the child placing agency is licensed to provide.

(3) Licensing procedures. Application for a child placing agency license must be made on an application form provided by the department.

(a) Upon receipt of the application for license or renewal of license, the department shall, within 60 days, conduct a licensing study to determine if the applicant meets all applicable requirements for licensure established in these rules.

(b) If the department determines that an application or accompanying information is incomplete or erroneous, it will notify the applicant of the specific deficiencies or errors, and the applicant shall submit the required or corrected information within 60 days. The department shall not issue or renew a license until it receives all required or corrected information.

(c) At the initial application the agency shall submit a written purpose and policy statement for the general operation and management of the agency. The statements shall include:

(i) statement of the purpose of the agency, the geographic area the agency expects to serve, the ages of children to be placed and any other specific factors regarding the children to be placed or the homes in which the children shall be placed;

(ii) a written placement policy, including parental agreement forms, and a description of the legal procedures which will be used to obtain the authority to place the child;

(iii) a written statement of the fees which will be charged for each type of service;

(iv) for child placing agencies conducting licensing studies, a description of how studies will be conducted and sample of the application and study report forms.

(4) At annual relicensing the agency shall submit a copy of its yearly budget and annual audit of expenditures.

History: Sec. 53-4-111 and 53-4-403, MCA; IMP, Sec. 53-4-113 and 53-4-403, MCA; NEW, 1985 MAR p. 278, Eff. 3/29/85; TRANS, from Dept. of SRS, 1987 MAR p. 1492, Eff. 7/1/87; TRANS, from DFS, 1998 MAR p. 661.