OAR 411-346-0170: Personal Qualifications of the Applicant and Foster Provider

(1) The applicant and foster provider must: (a) Be responsible, stable, emotionally mature adults who exercise sound judgment; (b) Have the interest, motivation, and ability to nurture, support, and meet the mental, physical, developmental, and emotional needs of a child placed in the foster home; (c) Be willing to receive training and have the ability to learn and use effective child-rearing practices to enable a child placed in the foster home to grow, develop, and build positive personal relationships and self-esteem; (d) Demonstrate the knowledge and understanding of positive supports and ways of helping a child in foster care build positive personal relationships, self-control, and self-esteem; (e) Respect the child's relationship with his or her parents and siblings and be willing to work in partnership with family members, agencies, and schools involved with the child to attain the goals as listed in the IEP, ISP, and Case Plan; (f) Respect the child's privacy in accordance with the child's age; (g) Have supportive ties with others who might support, comfort, and advise them, such as family, friends, neighborhood contacts, churches, or community groups; (h) Demonstrate a lifestyle and personal habits free from abuse or misuse of alcohol or drugs; (i) Be at least 21 years of age, unless otherwise specified through ICWA and requirements for placement of Native American children; and (j) Be able to realistically evaluate which children they may accept, work with, and integrate into their family. (2) HEALTH QUALIFICATIONS. (a) The applicant and foster provider must provide the Department with the health history of each member of the household, including physical and mental health services and treatment received. Within one working day, the foster provider must inform the Department if any member of the household has or develops a serious communicable disease or other serious health condition that may affect the provider's ability to care for the child, or may affect the health and safety of the child. (b) The applicant, foster provider, and other adults in the household caring for a child in foster care must be physically and mentally able to perform the duties of a foster provider as described in these rules. (c) The applicant, foster provider, and others in the household must be free from abuse or misuse of alcohol or drugs. In the case of alcoholism or substance abuse, the applicant, foster provider, or others in the household must demonstrate that they have been substance-free and sober for at least two years prior to making application for certification. (d) When requested by the Department either during the application process or while certified, the applicant or foster provider must, at their expense and from a source acceptable to the Department, supply psychological, medical or physical, sex-offender, drug and alcohol, and psychiatric reports and evaluations to the Department.