Licensing rules require foster parents to maintain a record on every child in their care. Reference is made to HSS 56.07(10). This record shall contain the following information:

1. Child's name or the alias by which the child is known.
2. Child's birth date.
3. Name of the person or agency to be notified in an emergency.
4. Date the child was received for care.
5. Name of the person or agency placing the child.
6. Name of the physician to be called in an emergency.
7. Medical information about the child, including but not limited to, the occurrences and dates of medical examinations, immunizations, illnesses and accidents.
8. Name of the dentist and dates the child was seen by the dentist.
9. Name of the school, grades attended, report cards and progress summaries.

At the request of the licensing agency, foster parents shall make records of the children in their care available for inspection.

In addition to the above-mentioned items, in most instances the child's case manager will request that the foster parents keep information about contacts the child has with the biological parents and extended family. This will help the case manager understand the family's involvement with the child.

At the start of the placement, it is advisable to talk with the child's case manager about what information the worker will be looking for from the foster family and how often documentation will be requested of the foster parent. Be mindful that most written records that the foster parent gives to the case manager will be filed in the child's record and open to inspection by others that have the authority to review the record. These persons might include the child's parents, the child's attorney, the child, and any attorney representing the parents or the Department.