In this section you will find the rules and regulations that you will need to follow to be HSS 56 compliant in you home. Please fallow the links to the left of below to learn what all the rules and regulations are.

• Bedroom Space
• Medications
• Home
• Safety
• Firearms
• Hazardous Materials
• Confidentiality

When licensing a family for the care of foster children, a typical question is "What type of sleeping arrangements are required for foster children?" Rules regarding the sleeping arrangements and space for a foster child are contained in Wisconsin's Administrative Code, HSS 56 Foster Home Care For Children. These rules are uniformly applied to all foster parents to ensure for adequate care of a foster child.

• Each bedroom must have 40 square feet of living space for every person in the home.
• No foster child over age 1 may regularly share a bedroom with an adult, unless there is a statement from a physician that it is medically necessary for the child to sleep in the same room as an adult. This must also be approved by the licensing agency.
• Children of opposite sexes may share a room prior to age 6.
• Siblings of the same sex may share a double bed.
• A responsible care provider shall sleep within call of foster children during the night.
• Each bedroom occupied by a foster child shall have a door for privacy.
• No foster child under the age of 7 years of age may regularly sleep in a finished basement bedroom or in a bedroom above the second floor of a single family dwelling.
• No foster child 7 years or older may regularly sleep in a finished basement bedroom or in a bedroom above the second floor of a single family dwelling unless there are 2 exits to grade from that floor level and provisions have been made for heating, cooling, ventilation and humidity control.

Readying the home to be licensed as a foster home requires attention to a number of areas of the home. Rules regarding safety for a foster child are contained in Wisconsin's Administrative Code, HSS 56 Foster Home Care For Children. These rules are uniformly applied to all foster parents to ensure for adequate care of a foster child.

• Medications shall be stored in areas not readily accessible to foster children.
• Foster parents are required to keep track of medications that a child takes and for what purpose and provide this information to the licensing agency when requested.

• The foster home shall be constructed, arranged and maintained in a manner that is safe for all occupants, and the health of all occupants is safeguarded.
• There must be 200 square feet of living space for every person occupying the home, including foster children.
• There shall be 1 complete bathroom for every 8 members of the household, including foster children. Bath and toilet facilities that are accessible only through a sleeping room may be counted only for the occupants of that room.
• The door of each bathroom shall have a lock which can be opened from the outside in an emergency.
• The foster home shall provide enough drawer and closet space to reasonably accommodate each foster child's clothing and other personal belongings.
• Windows that are used for ventilation shall be screened.

Readying the home to be licensed as a foster home requires attention to a number of areas of the home. Rules regarding safety for a foster child are contained in Wisconsin's Administrative Code, HSS 56 Foster Home Care For Children. These rules are uniformly applied to all foster parents to ensure of adequate care of a foster child.

• The foster home shall have one or more smoke detectors on each level of the home.
• A written plan for evacuation of the home in the event of fire will need to be developed and posted in the home.

Readying the home for a to be licensed as a foster home requires attention to a number of areas of the home. Rules regarding safety for a foster child are contained in Wisconsin's Administrative Code, HSS 56 Foster Home Care For Children. These rules are uniformly applied to all foster parents to ensure for adequate care of a foster child.

• Guns must be unloaded and shall be stored and locked in an area not readily accessible to foster children. Ammunition shall be stored and locked separately from weapons in an area not accessible to foster children.

• Foster children may be permitted to use firearms for hunting or target practice when age 12; the parent or guardian has given written consent and the foster parents and licensing agency approve; and the child has successfully completed an approved hunter safety training course; and is under the supervision of a responsible adult at all times.

Readying the home for a to be licensed as a foster home requires attention to a number of areas of the home. Rules regarding safety for a foster child are contained in Wisconsin's Administrative Code, HSS 56 Foster Home Care For Children. These rules are uniformly applied to all foster parents to ensure of adequate care of a foster child.

• Materials and equipment that may be hazardous to children, shall be stored in areas not readily accessible to foster children. Examples of equipment and materials are: power tools, lawn mowers, flammable or combustible materials, insecticides, household poisons, plastic bags, alcohol and medications.
• No foster child under 14 years of age may operate any hazardous machine.
• A foster child 14 years of age or older may operate hazardous machinery but only when a written agreement has been signed by the child, the child's parent or guardian, the foster parents and the supervising agency.
• The foster child shall be supervised by a responsible adult when operating a hazardous machine.

All information about foster children and their families is confidential. Under no circumstances should it be shared with anyone not directly involved with the case. It is natural for extended family, neighbors, friends, and other foster parents to be inquisitive and each foster parent will need to be prepared with responses to questions about children in the foster home.

Licensing rules HSS 56, specify that information about the child is confidential and continues to be confidential even after the child leaves the foster home. Sharing confidential information with persons not involved in the child's case is a violation of licensing rules and can result in the revocation of the foster home license.

If a foster family has questions about how to handle situations that affect confidentiality, the foster parent should talk with the foster home coordinator or the supervisor of the Resource Team. It is suggested that written information about the child, such as court orders, referral information, and school information be kept in a locked file cabinet, lock box, or locked draw where access to this information is protected.