Foster care licenses

First-time foster parents

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, please get in touch with Utah Foster Care first by clicking here.

Utah Foster Care recruits and prepares prospective foster parents to become licensed and receive foster children into their home. Once prospective foster parents have met with Utah Foster Care, they are invited to attend a foster parent training series and are given a foster care license application packet to begin the licensing process.

Once training is completed and all paperwork has been submitted, the prospective foster family will meet with a licensor for a safety inspection of the home and the home study (an in-depth interview to gather information on family history and dynamics that will assist in matching foster children to the family).

Prospective foster parent checklist

Outlined below are the steps that will be required in order to become licensed as a foster parent. Utah Foster Care will assist applicants with the required details and paperwork.

Submit an application

Clear a criminal background check

Complete the preservice training course with Utah Foster Care

Submit a medical form from your doctor

Provide income/financial documentation

Provide names and addresses of 3 to 4 references

Provide proof of certification in CPR and first aid

Submit proof of car insurance

Submit a copy of your marriage license (if applicable)

Provide immunization records for all household members (this is only required if you would like to be considered for placement of infants under 2 months of age or other unimmunized children of any age)

Renewing a foster license

To renew your foster license, please complete the following steps. Utah Foster Care will assist with the required details and paperwork.

Approximately 2 months before your license expires you will receive a renewal application packet from your licensor. Fill out and return the application along with the background check form (new fingerprints or fees are generally not needed), updated financial and car insurance information, and updated CPR/first aid training if your previous training was more than 2 years ago. You may also submit immunization information if not previously submitted (and wish to take unimmunized placements). Your licensor should receive this paperwork no later than 30 days before your license expires.

Your licensor will review your paperwork and submit your background screening forms to update your background check.

Your licensor will contact you to schedule a time to update your home study and do a safety inspection of your home. You should review the information in the home visit preparation checklist to ensure that you have addressed the items the licensor will be checking.

Your Resource Family Consultant (RFC) with the Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) will review and approve the training you have done over the course of the past year. Generally 16 hours of training is needed per couple (with each spouse having at least 4 hours) or 16 hours for a single foster provider.

To renew a foster care license that has expired, complete the following steps.

If your license has been expired for less than 30 days, contact your licensor to begin the renewal process.

If your license has been expired for more than 30 days but less than 1 year, contact our intake licensor at [email protected]. The intake licensor will gather your paperwork as outlined above and then send you back to your previous licensor to update your home study and do a new safety inspection. The intake licensor will request a reference from the Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) or other agencies you have been licensed with.

If your license has been expired for more than 1 year but less than 2 years, contact our intake licensor at [email protected]. You will not need to repeat the full preservice training course with Utah Foster Care, but you will need to fill out an initial application and submit a new medical form along with the other supplemental paperwork. The intake licensor will also request new reference forms from your references and a reference from DCFS or other agencies you have been licensed with.

If your license has been expired for more than 2 years, you will need to start the initial licensing process by contacting Utah Foster Care at (877) 505-5437. The Office of Licensing will request a reference from DCFS or other agencies you have been licensed with.