Looking to become a foster parent in the state of Alabama?
If you meet the requirements and pass the preservice session, you’ll then need to pass a home inspection.
So, what’s included in a home inspection?
Sevita’s companies in Alabama help foster parents and children through the process. Below, we’ll highlight all of the important parts of the foster care home inspection in Alabama.
Essential Home Safety Checks in Alabama
Let’s start with the most essential home safety checks: Fire safety and childproofing.
Fire Safety Checks
The state of Alabama has strict codes for fire safety when children in care are involved. Here’s what you need to know, as laid out by the Alabama Minimum Standards for Foster Family Homes.
- Responsibility for maintenance - Foster parents need to make sure that their home meets health and fire safety standards for the state. Inspections by the State or Local Health Department and the State Fire Marshal’s Office or local fire department may be needed.
- Smoke alarms - Smoke alarms must be installed and maintained in working order. Locations for smoke alarms include outside each sleeping area and within 10 feet of sleeping rooms. Alarms should also be placed at the head of the stairway on each additional floor of the house, including basements.
- Fire extinguishers - A 2A-10BC dry chemical fire extinguisher, weighing no less than 5 pounds, should be installed and in good condition near room exits for an escape route.
- Safe placement of stoves and heaters - Stoves and heaters should not be placed in a way that blocks escape in case of a fire. Bedrooms must have windows through which a child in care can exit in case of a fire, and if on an upper floor, a ladder for exit should be in the bedroom.
- Fire hazards - The home needs to be free of obvious fire hazards — for example, bad electrical cords and overloaded electrical sockets.
- Unvented fuel fire space heaters - Unvented fuel fire space heaters must meet Fuel Gas Codes and have oxygen depletion safety devices. The heaters cannot be used in bedrooms or bathrooms.
Childproofing Measures
Childproofing is very important for foster family homes — especially for the younger children in care.
Here are a few things to keep in mind.
- Secure cabinet locks - Cabinets with anything harmful inside should have locks on the doors. For example, cleaning supplies, medications, and sharp objects.
- Electrical outlet covers - Outlet covers should be used to stop young children from putting things into electrical outlets. Exposed wiring needs to be cleaned up as well.
- Staircase safety - Staircases should have safety gates to stop falls for younger children.
Physical Environment Inspection for Alabama Foster Home
To become a foster parent, your house will need to have the right spaces for a child to grow and thrive.
Bedroom Requirements
- Separate sleeping rooms - Any child in care over the age of 6 must have a separate sleeping room from another child of the opposite sex. There also needs to be enough bedrooms in the house for everyone living there.
- Beds and mattresses - Beds and mattresses must be the right size and good quality to ensure a good sleep.
- Cribs for infants - If infants are being placed in your care, you’ll need baby cribs with slats that are no further apart than 2 3/8ths inches, with waterproof and clean mattresses. Any cribs also need to be at least three feet away from each other if there’s more than one.
Bathroom Requirements
- Cleanliness - Bathrooms in the house need to be kept clean with working appliances, such as bathtubs, showers, sinks, and toilets.
- Privacy - Everyone needs to have privacy in the washroom. Make sure there’s a working door and lock.
- Harmful substances and products - Certain items that could cause harm, such as chemicals, razors, or any other products, need to be properly stored to not harm a child in care.
Outdoor Spaces and Play Areas Inspection
Children in care need an area to have fun!
When you’re preparing your home for a home inspection in Alabama, these are the things you’ll need for play areas.
- Outdoor and indoor play spaces - Children in care need an area to have fun! Any foster family home in Alabama will need to have a safe place for indoor and outdoor play free of any hazards that could cause harm.
- Fences for outdoor spaces - Any outdoor play space will need fences to block kids in care from hazards, such as highways, water, or anything else that could be harmful.
Cleanliness Standards
Every child in care needs a clean space to thrive and grow. Here are some cleanliness considerations for foster homes in Alabama.
- General cleanliness - Every room of the house needs to be kept clean — this makes sure that bugs and mice won’t become a problem. If you use doors or windows to let air in, screens will help keep bugs out.
- Garbage - Any outside garbage needs to be kept in cans with lids. It should also be taken out on garbage days to not build up over time.
Alabama Foster Home Inspection: Other Requirements
With everything above taken care of, there are a few more things that a home inspection will require. Here’s what you need to know.
Pets and Animal Safety Checks
Don’t worry — you can have pets and become a foster parent in Alabama. There are a few requirements, though.
- Animal behavior - Animals with a history of aggressive behavior should not be kept in the home.
- Rabies vaccination - Animals must have an annual certificate of rabies vaccination on file in the home if required by law.
- Safe confinement for certain animals - Animals that are not aggressive but could pose a threat to children's health and safety, such as lizards, snakes, and turtles, should be confined in appropriate containers, like cages or aquariums.
- Child interaction with pets - Children may interact with pets if it is reasonably determined to be safe to do so.
Lighting and Ventilation
- Proper lighting - All rooms, including bedrooms, bathrooms, and any other part of the home needs to have working lighting to stop any hazards.
- Safe ventilation - When fans are used in the home, the blades must be clean from dust and kept out of reach of children in care.
Running Water and Food Storage
- Water supply - Every foster home needs safe running water and supply with a temperature that doesn’t go over 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Proper food storage - Foster homes need to have nutritious food for children in care. They will also need enough food storage to keep food safe and fit for the family.
Preparation Tips for a Foster Home Inspection
Knowing all of the above, a home inspection can still leave you worried — what else can you do to prepare?
Here are some of our tips.
- Clean and organize - Clean and organize your home thoroughly — a neat and tidy space shows your commitment and is good for the well-being of children in care.
- Documentation and records - When the inspection happens, it helps to have any documentation ready. This may include health records, fire extinguisher records, and any other paperwork related to the home.
- Communication with inspectors - Establish open communication with the inspectors. Be prepared to discuss your approach to fostering, your commitment to the children's well-being, and any specific considerations related to your home.
- Child-specific preparations - If you know the age and specific needs of a child
who may be placed in your home, make specific moves for them. This could involve setting up the right sleeping arrangement or creating a welcoming and age-appropriate space.
- Training and Support - Attend any required preservice sessions offered by the state. You may also look at support from other foster parents or support groups, as they can give good advice.
Dealing with Possible Inspection Failure
If a foster care home in Alabama fails to meet the requirements of a home inspection, it cannot become a foster family home.
If this happens, foster parents will have to fix what is wrong with the home according to the Alabama requirements. When that’s finished, the home will have to go through the inspection one more time.
Learn More About Foster Parenting In Our Upcoming Webinar
Becoming a foster parent is a journey filled with joy, fulfillment, and the chance to make a lasting impact on a child's life.
By attending a Foster Parent Information Session Webinar and learning more about the fostering process, you can take the first step toward becoming a foster parent and providing a safe, loving, and supportive home for a child in need.
Sign up for our webinar today!