Fairfax County Department of Family Services: 

Pg. 5  Clarify definition of "resource family".  Is it simply a dually approved family, or dually approved AND selected to adopt the child if needed?

Pg. 5  Definition of "infant" should remain birth to 24 months, not to 16 months.  The first two years of life are vital for healthy development.  Many infants come in to care in poor condition and with attachment issues.  They need a lot of attention.

Pg. 10  Criminal record checks of all adults in the home should be required every two years, not four, to assure the safety of children.

Pg. 9  "Environmental sensitivities"  - language is too vague.

Pg. 5  Requiring applicants to divulge child abuse and neglect "allegations" is incongruent with current CPS policy regarding the retention of information.  An allegation may prove to be unfounded, or it may not have been accepted for investigation.  Unfair to require this information from applicants.  Instead, ask about founded abuse and neglect complaints.

Pg. 7  It is an unnecessary burden to require a copy of the CPA provider license and family approval certificate/letter in the child's record (as well as the benefits record).  Allow for these documents to be "on file in the agency" or "filed in the foster/adoptive home record."

Pg. 10  It is an unfunded mandate to require semi-annual visits to homes of providers to "monitor their performance."  This would require 340 extra home visits per year for Fairfax County.  Policy requirements to visit children monthly in their placement more than suffices for this "monitoring" function, even without requiring semi-annual documentation in the provider record.

Pg. 7  "Comfortable sleeping or napping furnishings" - unnecessary to reference napping furnishings if the sleeping furnishings are comfortable.