We believe the Foster Home Regulations need to be reviewed and updated; however, we are concerned the unintended impact on children and families and small agencies. 

We are particularly concerned about 22VAC40-211-20 A lack of attention to Emergency Approvals, which are necessary and help children make the transition during a traumatic time.  We are concerned about the "Kinship Care" families, who may be all the family a child has and if the family can not meet these standards, we would in essence be removing children from their family again.  There needs to be a special exception or at least alternatives for kinship families.  In many cases these children have been in and out of their kinship families their entire lives and the emotional bond often outweighs the physical standard set by an agency.

22VAC40-211-40 G  We believe that this proposed home study process will add considerable time to the approval process and social worker hours. Many LDSSs in small rural areas do not have staff available or specifically designated to approve resource homes. How will these LDSSs be able to meet these new standards without money for additional positions?

We believe these regulations are not complete and are not ready for implementation and if enacted will leave gaping holes in the resources available to children and workers.  At a time when agencies are being fiscally pressed to develop local resources these regulations will make the approval of local resource homes more difficult and less likely.  Children should stay in their own communities and we need to work to make that a reality.