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B:  It may help to clarify “assessment” as the process and “approval” as the product.  “Upon … ensuring the initiation of the assessment process.  If at any point in this process the local department determines that the family cannot meet approval, the application can be denied and process ended without further assessment.”

C:  Consider changing the requirement to 2 in-home interviews to assess compliance with approval standards but also to observe the home environment over time for stability.  Add a requirement that the dates and times of each interview shall be documented.  Reasoning:  We know that 3 visits of 20 minutes each, for example, does not provide enough time for an assessor to collect the needed information and establish a relationship with the family – but it is hard to quantify exactly how long each visit should be.  Having this documentation provides us and agencies with information about what works (and what does not), and creates the start of accountability for adequate interview length to get to know a family for matching children with them after approval.  It also provides needed data for Consultants as they are reviewing files related to the assessment and approval of families.

F4a: consider adding trauma-informed language such as, “Is knowledgeable about the necessary care for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, or trauma.  Is mentally, emotionally, and physically capable of providing such care.”

F4c:  Consider addressing attitudes toward permanency, such as, “Expresses attitudes that demonstrate the ability and willingness to care for a child born to someone else, and support the established permanency goal(s) for the child.”  Recommend removing the language of love to reflect the reality that not all foster parent/child sets experience love, and the commitment to care is unconditional.

F4d: Dual approval doesn’t require parents to have motivations to “foster and adopt,” consider changing language to “motivation to foster, including motivations for fostering with the goal of adoption, if applicable.”

F6:  Outstanding addition!!  Should the language specify anyone who is completing any part of the MFA?  For example, if a CPS worker does an Emergency Approval but a Foster Care worker will be completing the full assessment, does this specify that both the CPS and FC worker should have completed the required training? 

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B3: Consider "The maximum number of children who may be placed including, if applicable, any specifications or limitations regarding age and sex/gender."  Reasoning:  The number isn't just a recommendation, it's a determination of max.  "Sex" is the language used later in the chapter regarding sleep space so it should be included here, but not to the exclusion of gender, which is related but can be different.)

C3g:  strike "orientation" or add "if applicable," as it is not done at all by some agencies and is combined into pre-service training in others