These resources provide guidance on the critical elements and standards for providing foster care, group care, and residential care services, including State and local examples.
Foster Care Licensing
Grandfamilies State Law and Policy Resource Center
Provides summaries and links to more than 67 State citations on relative foster home licensing. It also includes a database to search bills and statutes.
NARA Model Foster Care Standards
National Association for Regulatory Administration (2018)
Provides the national licensing standards family foster care homes.
Program Standards for Treatment Family Care
Family Focused Treatment Association (2019)
Offers standards for treatment family care for use by agencies to develop quality family and foster care programs for children and families.
State and local examples
Licensing Rules for Foster Family Homes and Foster Family Group Homes for Children (PDF - 279 KB)
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Welfare Licensing (2020)
Presents standards and qualifications for foster home and group home licenses in Michigan.
Minimum Standards for Child-Placing Agencies (PDF - 1,683 KB)
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (2018)
Provides minimum standards developed through the administrative procedure of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
Minimum Standards for Residential Child Care Facilities
Alabama Department of Human Resources
Offers licensing standards for the operation of group homes, shelter care homes, childcare institutions, and others.
Quality Standards for Residential Group Care
Florida Institute for Child Welfare
Details an initiative between the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Florida Institute for Child Welfare, and Florida Coalition for Children to develop a statewide standards and accountability system for residential group care providers. This work is a result of a change in Florida statute requiring DCF to develop a statewide accountability system for this type of care.
Standards for Child-Placing Agencies
Kentucky Legislature
Reports the Kentucky Legislature standards for child placing agencies.