Level of Care Certification Information All foster homes are assigned a level of care (LOC) during the licensing process based on the foster parent’s knowledge, training, skills, experience, and relationship the foster child. Each level of care has a specific number of training hours and experience requirements associated with it. There are five levels of care. The applicant or licensee should be involved in deciding which level of care certification to pursue. The Levels of Care Desk Guide has additional information about the knowledge, training, skills, and experience associated with each level of care. A foster parent’s level of care certification does not need to match the child’s level of need as determined by the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) tool. If a foster parent’s level of care certification is lower than the child’s level of need, an exception must be documented by the placing agency that outlines what additional supports or resources the foster parent will receive to meet the child’s needs. Questions about levels of care can be emailed to: DCFDSPGeneralFosterCare@wisconsin.gov. Level of Care Certification Requirements Level 1 Foster parent who has a previous or existing relationship with a foster child or their family and is not a relative or like-kin to the foster child. This level of care certification is rarely utilized as it is preferred for nonrelative foster parents to be initially licensed at a Level 2+ certification. A nonrelative Level 2 foster home may drop to a Level 1 certification if they do not complete their required initial licensing training. Level 2 Foster parent who is a relative or like-kin to the foster child or a nonrelative foster parent. Nonrelative applicants are required to provide 3 favorable references. Level 3 Treatment foster parent that can provide additional supervision and care to children with higher needs. If the applicant is a relative or like-kin, they must have 3 of the following: A minimum of one year of experience with a child residing in the applicant’s home. A minimum 5 years of experience working with or parenting children. A minimum of 500 hours of experience as a respite care provider for children. A high school diploma or the equivalent. A college, vocational, technical, or advanced degree in a child's treatment needs. Work or personal experience for which the applicant has demonstrated the knowledge, skill, ability, and motivation to meet the needs of a foster child with a level of need of 3. If the applicant is a nonrelative, they must provide 4 favorable references (3 from nonrelatives and 1 from a relative) and have 3 of the following: A minimum of one year of experience as a foster parent or kinship care provider. A minimum 5 years of experience working with or parenting children. A minimum of 500 hours of experience as a respite care provider for children. A high school diploma or the equivalent. A college, vocational, technical, or advanced degree in a child's treatment needs. Work or personal experience for which the applicant has demonstrated the knowledge, skill, ability, and motivation to meet the needs of a foster child with a level of need of 3. Level 4 Treatment foster parent that can provide additional supervision and care to a specific population of children with higher needs. If the applicant is a relative or like-kin, they must have 4 of the following: A minimum of one year of experience with a child with needs that require additional supervision and care. A minimum 5 years of experience working with or parenting children. A minimum of 500 hours of experience as a respite care provider for children. A high school diploma or the equivalent. A college, vocational, technical, or advanced degree in a child's treatment needs. Work or personal experience for which the applicant has demonstrated the knowledge, skill, ability, and motivation to meet the needs of a foster child with a level of need of 4. If the applicant is a nonrelative, they must provide 4 favorable references (3 from nonrelatives and 1 from a relative) and have 4 of the following: A minimum of one year of experience as a foster parent or kinship care provider caring for a child who has a level of need of 3 or greater. A minimum 5 years of experience working with or parenting children. A minimum of 500 hours of experience as a respite care provider for children. A high school diploma or the equivalent. A college, vocational, technical, or advanced degree in a child's treatment needs. Work or personal experience for which the applicant has demonstrated the knowledge, skill, ability, and motivation to meet the needs of a foster child with a level of need of 4. Level 5 Treatment foster parent for a specific child that requires 24-hour awake care by staff, is expected to need long-term care into adulthood, and would benefit from a home-like environment with fewer children than a congregate care setting. The Level 5 Foster Home Guide to Certification and Placement provides an overview of Level 5 foster homes and outlines considerations and resources for agencies looking to license or place a child into a Level 5 foster Home. Pre-Approval for Specific Child The placing agency shall only consider placing a child into a Level 5 foster home as the last community placement option. Agencies are required to complete and submit the Pre-Approval to Begin Child Specific Planning for a Level 5 Foster Home form to the DCF Level 5 panel via the Level 5 Foster Home Portal. The licensing agency and foster parent shall only consider placement of a child in a Level 5 foster home after verification that the Level 5 panel has approved the pre-approval form. *If the placing agency is a contracted case management agency under the Division of Milwaukee Child Protective Services (DMCPS), the pre-approval form must first be sent to the Level 5 Contract Administrator within the Ongoing Services Section. The Level 5 panel will not review a pre-approval form that DMCPS has not approved. DMCPS requires referred children to be assessed by CLTS and include their assessment with the pre-approval form. Please refer to DMCPS’s Approval Process for Level 5 Foster Home policy for more information. Application for Certification and Child’s Placement into the Home Once development of the home is complete and the home is ready for placement, the licensing agency must submit the following documents to DCF Level 5 panel via the Level 5 Foster Home Submission Portal. Initial Application for Certification and Child Placement Level 5 Foster Home Memorandum of understanding (MOU), if applicable Child’s most recent behavioral support/crisis plan Emergency medical protocols, if applicable Respite A Level 5 foster home may only provide respite care to a child who was previously placed in the foster home, or a child specifically identified and approved by the department on a planned basis. To request respite for a specific child, the licensing agency must submit an Application for Providing Respite in Level 5 Foster Home to the DCF Level 5 panel via the Level 5 Foster Home Submission Portal. Questions about Level 5 foster homes can be emailed to: DCFL5FHRequests@wisconsin.gov.
