Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children

Licensing Issues for Child Caring Institutions
Providing Emergency Shelter Beds
and
CPA's doing emergency Foster care
from the Office of Regulatory Services
of the Department of Human Resources

Facilities considering providing shelter beds or emergency care services as a new service will need to submit amendments for their policies and procedures to the Child Care Licensing Section prior to accepting placements. Amendments that will likely need revision include:

• referral policy and procedures

• admission policy and procedures

• staffing

• presentation and placement procedures

There is certain documentation that is needed within 72 hours of emergency placements:

1. Identifying information on the child including: name, sex, and birth date

2. Documentation of the date of admission and the source of referral including all documents related to the referral.

3. Documentation of Custody-this may be a court document giving custody to DFCS or to DJJ

4. Name and address and telephone number of parent, or guardian or placing agency and placing agency's contact person for the admitted Child.

5. A social summary to include known background information about the child, the child's family, and the child's school level if the child is school age, and the causes for the child's placement. The summary shall include any known information that may affect the child's stay in the shelter such as whether or not there are any visitation or communication limitations regarding the child's family members or others.

6. A written assessment of the child's current health status obtained from a physician or a health care agency and description of the child's health and any medical conditions that require medical treatment. This is required to be obtained by the licensed facility (CPA or CCI) within 72 hours unless one is provided to the agency/facility that documents such an assessment has been done within the past year. If the actual physical can not be obtained within 72 hours due to the physician's schedule, then a documented appointment will suffice if it is scheduled within a reasonable time frame.

7. Current Immunizations

8. A placement agreement that includes authorization for the agency/facility to obtain emergency medical authorization.
   
   * In order to avoid citations for Information not being provided as required with regard to #3, 5, and 7, a facility must document at least monthly attempts to obtain the required information from DFCS or DJJ. Information in #1,2,4,6, and 8 are required regardless of documentation of attempts to obtain from an alternate source.
   
   
   There are differences in required staffing. CCI's providing emergency beds are required to provide the following staffing:
   
   During waking hours:
   One staff for every 4 children under the age of 5 years
   One staff for every 8 children 5years of age and over
   
   During sleeping hours:
   One staff for every 10 children in the shelter
   
   **Please contact your surveyor individually regarding any interest in providing these services and revisions that may be needed.