NRS424.230. Support to foster homes; duty to ensure that child receives appropriate treatment and adequate clothing; duty to periodically review foster homes without children for compliance with chapter and regulations; review of foster homes upon occurrence of certain critical events; annual evaluation of foster homes.

      1.  A foster care agency shall provide support to each foster home with which the foster care agency has a contract for the placement of children in arranging for and accessing medical, dental, mental health, psychological and psychiatric treatment for children. The foster care agency shall ensure that each child placed in a foster home with which the foster care agency has a contract for the placement of children receives appropriate treatment and may exercise any rights granted pursuant to this chapter or chapter 432B of NRS that are necessary to discharge this duty. The foster care agency shall ensure that the provider of foster care provides medical records and any related documentation to the licensing authority or its designee.

      2.  A foster care agency shall ensure that each child in its care has his or her own supply of clothing appropriate for indoors and outdoors that is in good condition and suitable for the season.

      3.  When a foster home with which the foster care agency has a contract for the placement of children does not have any children placed in the home, the foster care agency must visit the home at least once every 60 days to review whether it remains in compliance with the requirements of this chapter and any regulations adopted pursuant thereto and, when necessary, notify the licensing authority of any potential violations.

      4.  In addition to any other review that a foster care agency performs of a foster home with which the foster care agency has a contract for the placement of children, a foster care agency shall conduct a review of the foster home any time a critical event occurs in that home and report the event to the licensing authority. As used in this subsection, “critical event” includes, without limitation:

      (a) The death or disability of a family member;

      (b) The sudden onset of a health condition that may impair the ability of a provider of foster care to care for the child;

      (c) A change in marital status;

      (d) A change in home address;

      (e) A sudden or substantial loss of income; and

      (f) The birth of a child.

      5.  A foster care agency shall conduct an evaluation of each foster home with which the foster care agency has a contract for the placement of children at least once each year and submit the results of the evaluation to the licensing authority or its designee. The evaluation must include:

      (a) An interview with the provider of foster care and an assessment of the ability of the provider of foster care to relate to children, to help children reach their personal and educational goals, to work with children with particular issues and needs, to establish and maintain a consistent and stable environment with children and to work with biological families to support reunification to the extent that reunification is determined to be consistent with the plan for the permanent placement of the child pursuant to NRS 432B.393.

      (b) An interview with each child placed in the foster home that includes a description of the relationship between each child placed in the foster home and each family member; and

      (c) A detailed review of each instance where a child was placed in the foster home and subsequently removed from the home and a description of the reasons for the removal.

      (Added to NRS by 2013, 1442)