Wisconsin Legislature: DCF 56.09(11)(a)10.

(6) Clothing.

(a) The licensee shall ensure that funds allocated for the purchase of clothing for foster children are used in such a manner that children in the licensee’s care are comfortably and appropriately dressed within the limits of the funds. Foster children’s clothing shall be maintained in a state of good repair and cleanliness.

(b) Clothing purchased for a foster child or otherwise provided to a foster child with the understanding that the clothing belongs to the foster child shall be the property of the child and shall be given to the child to take when the child leaves the foster home.

(7) Personal belongings. When a foster child leaves a foster home, the child may take all special equipment or other personal belongings that the child had when placed in the foster home, that were given to the child to keep, that the child received as gifts, or that were purchased on behalf of the child with public funds, unless the items are permanently affixed to the foster home.

(8) Spending money. The foster parent shall give each foster child spending money each week. The amount of spending money given to a foster child shall be appropriate to the child’s age and maturity and in accordance with the child’s case plan established by the supervising agency.

(9) Nutrition.

(a) The foster parent shall ensure that each foster child receives at least 3 meals a day. Meals a child receives as part of a meals program at school may be counted. A school-age foster child who does not participate in a school lunch program shall be provided a sack lunch or be provided lunch at the foster home or shall otherwise have lunch arranged for by or with the approval of the foster parent.

(b) The foster parent shall ensure that each foster child is provided a quantity and variety of foods sufficient to meet the child’s nutritional needs and to maintain the child’s health and growth.

(c) No foster child may be forced to eat against the child’s wishes except by order of and under the supervision of a physician.

(10) Education of foster children.

(a) The foster parent shall make every reasonable effort to ensure that foster children of school age in their care attend school unless otherwise excused by school officials.

(b) The foster parent shall make every reasonable effort to participate, as appropriate, in school activities involving foster children in their care.

(c) The foster parent may not provide a home-based private educational program to foster children in their care. This does not apply to homebound study under s. 118.15 (1), Stats., or as defined in the child’s individualized education program.

(d) Foster children shall be given the opportunity to develop appropriate friendships with schoolmates and to visit their friends.

(e) The foster parent shall provide suitable reading material and facilities for undisturbed reading and study for all foster children in their home who wish to read or who have homework assignments.

(f) The foster parent shall assist the agency and any contracted agency with the transfer of independent living skills to and the preparation for independent living of a foster child whose permanency plan indicates the need for these skills and preparation.

(g) The foster parent shall assist a foster child in planning for achievement of the child’s educational or vocational goals.

(11) Case records.

(a) The foster parent shall maintain a record on each foster child. The record shall contain information regarding the child for the entire duration of the placement and shall contain at least the following information:

1. The child’s name, nickname and any alias by which the child is known.

2. The child’s birthdate.

3. The names, addresses and telephone numbers of persons to be notified in an emergency involving the foster child.

4. The date the child was placed in the foster home.

5. The name, address and telephone number of the person or agency placing the child.

6. The name of the physician to be called in an emergency.

7. Medical information about the child, including known allergies and the dates of medical examinations, immunizations, illnesses and accidents since the time the child was placed in the foster home.

Note: This information must be included on the form required by ch. DCF 37.

8. The name and address of the child’s dentist and dates the child received dental care since the child was placed in the foster home.

9. If the child attends school while in the foster home, the name of the school and the grades the child received.

10. Reasonable and prudent parenting considerations for the child and decisions the foster parent has made by applying the reasonable and prudent parent standard.

(b) The foster parent shall give the foster child’s record to the child’s supervising agency when the child leaves the foster home.

(c) At the request of the licensing or supervising agency, the foster parent shall make the foster child’s record available for inspection by that agency. A foster child’s record may also be examined by authorized representatives of the department.

(12) Confidentiality. The foster parent and other persons in the household having access to confidential information about the foster child and the child’s family may not discuss or otherwise disclose that information to any other person while the child is in the foster home or after the child leaves the foster home, except as follows:

(a) To the licensing agency or agency placing the child in the care of the licensee.

(b) To another foster parent or respite care provider as authorized by the agency, such as when another foster parent is being considered as a placement for the child or the person is providing respite for the child.

(d) As otherwise provided by law.

Note: Disclosure of confidential information is governed by ss. 48.78 and 48.981 (7), Stats., and other state and federal laws and regulations.

History: CR 00-020: cr. Register February 2002 No. 554, eff. 3-1-02; corrections in (2) (c) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register November 2008 No. 635; EmR0937: emerg. revisions as in CR 10-021, eff. 1-1-10; CR 10-021: am. (1) (d), (g), (m), (2) (a), (g), (3) (a), (4) (b), (5) (f), (11) (a) 4. and 8., cr. (1m), r. and recr. (7) Register September 2010 No. 657, eff. 10-1-10; EmR1050: emerg. cr. (1) (am), (bm), (cm), (dm), (em), (fm), (gm), (hm), (o), (1g), (1m) (d) to (g), (4) (dm), (g), (10) (g), am. (1) (h), (1m) (b), (c), (2) (a), (4) (e), r. and recr. (2) (c), r. (2) (h), (i), eff. 1-1-11; CR 10-148: cr. (1) (am), (bm), (cm), (dm), (em), (fm), (gm), (hm), (o), (1g), (1m) (a) (title), (b) (title), (c) (title), (d) to (g), (4) (dm), (g), (10) (g), am. (1) (h), (1m) (b), (c), (2) (a), (4) (e), r. and recr. (2) (c), r. (2) (h), (i) Register August 2011 No. 668, eff. 9-1-11; EmR1414: emerg. cr. (1m) (cm), eff. 8-1-14; CR 14-054: am. (1m) (b), (c), cr. (1m) (cm) Register April 2015 No. 712, eff. 5-1-15; EmR1633: emerg. am. (2) (e), cr. (2m), (11) (a) 10., eff. 11-18-16; CR 16-051: am. (2) (e), cr. (2m), (11) (a) 10. Register July 2017 No. 739, eff. 8-1-17; correction in numbering in (2m) (e) 1., 2. made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 1., Stats., Register July 2017 No. 739; CR 21-107: am. (1) (i), (2m) (a), (b) (intro.), (5) (d), (6) (b), (7), (9) (b), (c), (12) (intro.) Register June 2022 No. 798, eff. 7-1-22.

DCF 56.10 Hearing.

(1) Appeal. An applicant for a license to operate a foster home who is denied a license or a licensee whose license is revoked or whose application for renewal of the license is denied may appeal the decision by asking for a hearing in accordance with ch. 227, Stats.

Note: The appeal rights described in this section relate only to licensure decisions. Foster parents also have appeal rights for non-licensure decisions as provided under s. 48.64 (4), Stats., and ch. HA 3 rules. Any decision made by a circuit court regarding a placement or a placed child is not appealable by the foster parent under this section.

(2) Request for a hearing. A request for a hearing shall be in writing and shall be addressed to the department of administration’s division of hearings and appeals. The date of the request for a hearing shall be the date on which the request is received by that office. Any request for a hearing shall be received no more than 15 days after the date of the notice of the agency decision to deny, revoke, or not renew the license.

Note: A request for a hearing may be mailed to Division of Hearings and Appeals, P.O. Box 7875, Madison, WI 53707-7875; faxed to (608) 264-9885; or delivered to 4822 Madison Yards Way, Madison, WI 53705.

(3) Arrangements for a hearing. In response to a request for a hearing under this section, the division of hearings and appeals shall appoint a hearing examiner, set a date for the hearing and notify the parties in writing at least 10 days before the hearing of the date, time and place of the hearing and of the procedures to be followed.

History: CR 00-020: cr. Register February 2002 No. 554, eff. 3-1-02; CR 10-021: am. (2) Register September 2010 No. 657, eff. 10-1-10.

DCF 56.12 Foster parent handbook. A licensing agency shall provide each licensed or prospective foster parent with a copy of the agency’s foster parent handbook prior to or at the time of the issuance of the license to operate a foster home. The foster parent handbook shall include information on the following topics:

(1) General information, including:

(a) Overview of the child welfare system.

(b) Description of the purpose of foster care.

(d) Description of the concept of and procedures for permanency planning, permanence goal options, and concurrent permanency planning.

(e) Requirements for foster parents to report child abuse or neglect under s. DCF 56.06 (1) (c).

(f) A brochure that explains the foster parent insurance program and information regarding how to file a claim under that program.

(g) A brochure that explains the foster care reimbursement and rate structure, including the clothing allowance.

(h) A brochure that explains the use and parameters of the reasonable and prudent parent standard.

Note: Form DCF-P-5105, Promoting Normalcy for Children in Out-of-Home Care, is available in the forms section of the department website at http://dcf.wisconsin.gov, or by writing the Division of Safety and Permanence, P.O. Box 8916, Madison, WI 53708-8916.

(2) Agency-specific information, including:

(a) Agency expectations of foster parents in working with children’s families and supporting family interaction plans.

(b) Expectations for foster parents in working with the licensing and placing agencies.

(d) Description of agency policies and procedures in cases of allegations of child maltreatment against foster parents.

(e) Procedures in the event of emergencies affecting the foster parent or any foster child.

(f) Procedures for filing grievances and appeals and the processes used by the agency in responding to such grievances and appeals.

(g) Procedures for reimbursement for such expenditures as travel costs, clothing for foster children, and school fees.

(3) Information about caring for children, including:

(a) Attachment.

(b) Child development.

(d) Discipline of foster children.

(e) Independent living and the transfer of independent living skills.

(4) Information about resources for foster families, including:

(a) A description of the support services available through the agency, including the availability of respite care services and how foster parents can access those services.

(b) Contact information for the Wisconsin Foster and Adoptive Parent Association, the National Foster Parent Association, the Wisconsin Foster Care and Adoption Resource Center, and, if available, local foster parent associations or support groups.

History: CR 00-020: cr. Register February 2002 No. 554, eff. 3-1-02; EmR0937: emerg. r. and recr. eff. 1-1-10; CR 10-021: r. and recr. Register September 2010 No. 657, eff. 10-1-10; correction to numbering made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 1., Stats., Register September 2010 No. 657; correction in (1) (e) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register August 2011 No. 668; EmR1633: emerg. cr. (1) (h), eff. 11-18-16; CR 16-051: cr. (1) (h) Register July 2017 No. 739, eff. 8-1-17.

DCF 56.13 Foster home level of care certification.

(1) Child specific license.

(a) In this section, “child-specific license” means a license to operate a foster home that is issued to a relative of a child or an individual who has a previous existing relationship with the child or the child’s family.

(b) A child-specific license may remain valid with any granted waivers or exceptions for the duration of the licensing period or up to 6 months after the child returns home or is placed elsewhere, whichever occurs first.

(2) Certification. A licensing agency shall certify each foster home for a level of care under subs. (3) to (7) commensurate with the foster parent’s knowledge, training, skills, experience, and relationship to the child in accordance with the licensing agency’s programming and capacity.

(3) Level 1 child-specific foster home.

(a) Child-specific license. A licensing agency may grant a Level 1 certification only to a foster home operated by a foster parent with a child-specific license.

(b) Training. Each foster parent who operates a Level 1 foster home shall complete a minimum of 6 hours of pre-placement training under s. DCF 56.14 (6) before or after the placement of a child but no later than 6 months after the date of initial licensure.

Note: A foster parent with a child-specific license often does not actually receive this training before placement of the child but it is still referred to as “pre-placement training.”

(4) Level 2 basic foster home.

(a) Training.

a. Each foster parent who operates a Level 2 foster home shall complete a minimum of 6 hours of pre-placement training under s. DCF 56.14 (6) before or after initial licensure but prior to the placement of any child in the home.