Page 256

(12) ‘‘Client’’ means the person to whom a child placing agency is providing services. This includes, but is not limited to children, foster parents, biological parents, and adoptive parents. (13) ‘‘Commissioner or director’’ means the chief administrator of the Department of Social Services. (14) ‘‘Department’’ means the Department of Social Services. (15) ‘‘Foster Family home’’ means a private home of an individual or family that is licensed by the Department or in accordance with the Department’s standards and in which a child in foster care has been placed in the care of an individual; who resides with the child; who has been licensed to be a foster parent that the Department deems capable of adhering to the reasonable and prudent parent standard defined in Section 63–7–20(24); that provides 24-hour substitute are for children placed away from their parents or other caretakers; and that provides care for children subject to capacity limitations set forth in Section 63–7–2400. This term includes kin, fictive kin, relative, and child-specific homes. (16) ‘‘Foster home licensing/relicensing study’’ means an assessment of whether the applicant or licensee meets foster home regulations. (17) ‘‘Foster parent’’ means an individual who is licensed by the Department or an Agency to provide foster family care for children. (18) ‘‘Person’’ means an individual, partnership, joint stock company, business trust, voluntary association, corporation, governmental organization, court operated program or any other type of organization or profit or nonprofit business enterprise. (19) ‘‘Post placement services’’ means to provide support, education, and assistance to the family from the time of adoptive placement through consummation. (20) ‘‘Substitute care’’ means twenty-four (24) hour care provided to a child who must be separated from his/her own family/parents for a specific purpose and for a planned period of time. This could take the form of a foster family home, group home, childcare facility, emergency shelter, residential treatment program, independent living program, wilderness camp or maternity home. (21) ‘‘Therapeutic foster care’’ means a treatment focused form of foster care provided in a foster family home by trained caregivers for children and adolescents with serious emotional, behavioral, or medical needs that can be met with community based supportive services. B. Application Procedures for Licensure (1) Applications for licensure as a child placing agency shall be made on forms prescribed and furnished by the Department. (2) All applications and supporting documentation shall be considered public information, with the exception of personal identifying information or other private information on Agency personnel. (3) An application is not considered complete unless all required supporting documentation is attached. Failure to supply all required documentation may result in denial of a license. C. Procedure for Licensure. With the initial application for a license, the following information shall be forwarded to the Department: (1) Statement of Purpose: The child placing agency shall submit to the Department a written statement which shall contain a description of the geographical area to be served and the specific services to be provided. The statement shall be available to the referral sources and the public on request. (2) A copy of its charter, if applicable. (3) Governance. (a) A copy of the bylaws and/or statute by which the agency was created; (b) A list of officers and Board or Advisory Committee members and their addresses. (4) Personnel. (a) A list of job descriptions of administrative and program staff shall be submitted to the Department; (b) A list of Certified Adoption Investigators who will be utilized or employed by the child placing agency shall be submitted to the Department;