Notice is hereby given in accordance with § 2.2-4007.01 of the Code of Virginia that the State Board of Social Services intends to consider amending 22VAC40-211, Foster and Adoptive Home Approval Standards for Local Departments of Social Services. The purpose of the proposed action is to comply with Chapter 336 of the 2019 Acts of Assembly. The proposed amendments add require a local board of social services and a licensed child-placing agency (LCPA) to provide foster parents with (i) all reasonably ascertainable background, medical, and psychological records of the child prior to placement; (ii) all information relevant to the child's foster care services; and (iii) copies of all documents related to the foster parent, the foster parent's family, and services provided to the foster home on an ongoing basis. The action also requires local boards and LCPAs to notify foster parents of court hearings; scheduled meetings; and decisions made by the court, local board, or LCPA concerning the child's foster care service, changes to the child's case plan, or termination of child's placement in a timely manner. The regulation requires a timely response to requests for information regarding the child's progress after leaving foster care if it is in the child's best interest. The regulation sets forth a dispute resolution process through which a foster parent may contest an alleged violation by the local board or LCPA, including an appeal process for the foster parent.

The agency does not intend to hold a public hearing at the proposed stage.

Statutory Authority: §§ 63.2-217 and 63.2-319 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Comment Deadline: March 3, 2021.

Agency Contact: C. Garrett Jones, Resource Family Program Manager, Department of Social Services, 801 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219, telephone (804) 726-7527, or email garrett.jones@dss.virginia.gov.