This page lists the requirements for each type of license for kinship caregivers. Your licensor will work with you to complete the licensing process. They can also answer any questions you may have.

Kinship license

If you’re applying for a full kinship license, work with your licensor to complete the licensing process.

As part of the process, you must do all of the following:

• Provide the required documents listed in the online Washington Caregiver Application Portal (WA CAP).
• Confirm that you’re at least 18 years old.
• Pass a background check.
• Take part in a home study.
• Take part in a home inspection.
• In rare cases, take part in any further assessments we may need (e.g. a health assessment based on your physical health, mental health, or substance use history).
• Make sure everyone in your home who is age 16 and older passes a background check.
• Make sure everyone on your property who is age 16 and older and who will have unsupervised access to the kinship child or youth passes a background check.

If you already have an initial license, you must complete the licensing process for the full license within 90 days of getting the initial license. Otherwise, your monthly foster care maintenance payments will stop until you get the full license. We’ll continue to work with you to complete the full licensing process.

If you are not currently caring for a kinship child or youth, and you do not take part in the licensing process, DCYF or the child-placing agency may withdraw your application for a license.

If you are currently caring for a kinship child or youth, we must complete your home study.

Initial license

You can get an initial license if all of these are true:

• DCYF or a tribal court placed a kinship child or youth with you.
• The child or youth does not have a voluntary placement agreement, and they are not in extended foster care.
• You agree to get an initial license.
• Everyone in your home who is age 16 and older has started the background check process.
• Everyone on your property who is age 16 and older and who has unsupervised access to the kinship child or youth has started the background check process.

These people do not need to pass conditional approvals (name and date of birth background checks).

• Parents or guardians of the kinship child or youth who are approved to live in the home.
• Someone who is allowed to live in the home with the kinship child or youth because of a court order, when there is a supervision plan in place.

Provisional expedited license

You must complete and submit an application for a provisional expedited license to DCYF or a child-placing agency.

You can apply if all of the following are true:

• You had a foster or kinship license that we closed within the last five years.
• We did not deny or revoke your license, and you did not have an agreement to relinquish (give up) your license.
• You live in the same home where you last received your license.
• There are no additional household members since we closed your license.
• If a child-placing agency (CPA) certified your license last time, the same CPA will handle your expedited kinship license.
• You and other people in your household have passed the required background checks, including new fingerprint clearances.

If you do not meet the requirements to get a provisional expedited license, you cannot appeal our decision. We’ll continue to work with you to complete the full licensing process.