OAR 419-400-0140: Licensing Umbrella Rules: Records and Documentation

With respect to the records on children in care and families a child-caring agency serves and to other records maintained by a child-caring agency, the child-caring agency must meet all of the following requirements: (1) The child-caring agency must accurately prepare and safely store its records, including any audio recordings, video recordings, and photographs and ensure the records are readily available for inspection by the Department. (2) All written or electronic entries in records required by the rules in OAR chapter 419, division 400 must be permanent, legible, dated, and signed by the person making the entry. (3) Records must be uniform in organization, readily identifiable and accessible, current and complete, and contain all of the information required of the child-caring agency by the rules in OAR chapter 419, division 400. (4) Records must be corrected, when necessary, by the use of a single line drawn through the incorrect information, the addition of the correct information, a notation of the date the correction is made, and the initials of the person making the correction. No "white out," eraser tape, or other means of eradicating information may be used to make a change to a record. (5) Child specific records must be kept for a minimum of seven years from when the child has left the program. (6) Fiscal records must be kept that are accurately prepared and properly reflect all direct and indirect revenues and expenditures for the operation and maintenance of the child-caring agency. (7) The child-caring agency must maintain a permanent registry of each child in care the child-caring agency serves. The registry must include the child in care's name and birth date; the names and addresses of their parent or guardian; the date of admission; and the placement upon discharge. (8) If a child-caring agency changes ownership or executive or program director, all records of the children in care and families served by the child-caring agency must remain in a facility operated by the child-caring agency. (9) Prior to the dissolution of a child-caring agency, the executive or program director must inform, in writing, a Department licensing coordinator of the location and storage of records regarding current or prior children in care.