This letter transmits amendments to three Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) rules regarding foster care training and certification as a result of House Bill 8 of the 134th General Assembly and Five Year Review.  These rules will be effective January 1, 2023.

The following is a brief summary of the changes:

OAC 5101:2-5-28 entitled Agency Cause for Denial of Initial Certification, Denial or Recertification or Revocation of a Foster Home Certificate provides guides to agencies on the process for recommending denial or revocation of a foster home. Paragraph (A) was updated for clarity. No substantive changes were made.

OAC 5101:2-5-33 entitled Foster Caregiver Pre-placement and Continuing Training provides guidance to agencies on the required training for certification for a foster caregiver.  All the training topics listed throughout paragraph (C) were moved to a new appendix A.  In paragraphs (C)(2)(b) and (C)(3)(b), there are newly required resource readiness training topics that will be effective January 1, 2023.   Paragraph (F)(3) was amended to increase the number of outside classroom hours to one-half of all required continuing training hours.  Paragraph (F)(5) was amended to allow all training to be completed via live-synchronous training.

OAC 5101:2-5-38 entitled Payment of Foster Caregiver Training Stipends; Reimbursement of Training Allowances to Recommending Agencies provides guidance to agencies on the payment of training allowances and reimbursement of stipend payments regarding training of foster caregivers.  Paragraph (B)(1) was amended to increase the amount of foster caregiver stipends from ten dollars per training hour to fifteen dollars per hour.  Paragraphs (C)(2)(a)(ii) and (iii) were amended to reduce the number of reimbursable training hours for both family and treatment foster care to twenty-four.  Paragraph (C)(3)(b) was amended to reduce the reimbursable family foster caregiver continuing hours to thirty.  Paragraph (C)(3)(c) was amended to reduce the reimbursable specialized foster caregiver continuing hours to forty-five.  Paragraph (D) was amended to increase the agency training allowance from fifteen dollars per training hour to twenty dollars per hour.

To accommodate a transition period, an agency will be able to submit and receive reimbursement for training hours above the 24-hour requirement, if, upon the effective date of the rule, they meet the following:

1.The agency’s training plan requires more than 24 hours of pre-placement training.

2.An individual has completed at least one course toward obtaining their initial certification prior to the effective date of the rule.

If an agency continues to use a previous training plan which requires more than 24 hours, the individual must complete their training no later than June 30, 2023.

The agency will be permitted to complete the training of an individual for more than 24 hours if they meet the reimbursement criteria above.  Per rule 5101:2-5-20 (K)(8)(a), only the preplacement training completed within the eighteen-month period immediately prior to the date the agency recommends the foster home for certification will meet the training requirement.

If an individual began training prior to the effective date of the rule, the individual may complete the topic requirements that correspond to the previous training plan which requires more than 24 hours.

If an individual began training prior to the effective date of the rule and has completed more than six hours of self-directed training as allowed in FCASPL 382, the training will still be accepted and eligible for stipend reimbursement.

INSTRUCTIONS:

The following chart indicates the materials that should be removed from the Family, Children and Adult Service Manual (FCASM) and the materials that are to be inserted in the FCASM.